Bakersfield College has been selected by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation International Quality Group (CIQG) to be the first community college to receive the 2019 CIQG Quality Award.

The award is given annually to one school that has achieved and proven evidence of the standards set by the CIQG. The principles to be met in order to receive the award are, “innovation, accountability, accreditation, quality of education providers, and support from the government,” According to the CHEA website.

Potential candidates for the award were colleges and universities around the world. “It is beyond awesome that Bakersfield College is being recognized in an international arena for the transformational work we embarked upon seven years ago,” BC President Sonya Christian said in a news release.

Over the past years, BC has made and continues to make several renovations in the institution that has led to improvement in many aspects of student outcomes. BC had the largest graduating class in history in May 2019 and that same class receiving 5,400 awards. Bakersfield College has made education more accessible by having several locations in rural areas, enabling students a chance to attend.

“I teach in a rural initiative so it’s helping people in rural areas get a better education[…]Last semester I ran a first online course for historical geology that can be offering educational opportunities in geology to students not only in the county but anywhere around the world,” Bakersfield College Professor Stevan Benker said.

Not only is BC making education more accessible to those in rural areas, but also continues to urge free transportation for students without it.

“Our student government works with the faculty, we’re trying to get a transportation bill passed so that even students who can’t drive have the opportunity to come down […] through buses, on transit,” BCSGA Legislative Director Johnny Maddon said.