The overriding theme for the fall 2007 semester at Bakersfield College seems to be one of change.
The most obvious change lies in the administrative turnover, culminating in President William Andrews’ decision to retire at the end of the school year.
Dean of Students Don Turney will be returning to the classroom next semester, and Rich McCrow was hired to replace John Jaramillo as president of the Delano Center after Jaramillo earned a position as the dean at College of the Desert.
These administrators, who have contributed to BC’s success, leave behind a sense of concern about the performance their replacements can give, as well as a number of ongoing projects that may not be completed with the precision they intended.
The places, as well as the people, also seem to be changing.
The Campus Center and the Speech, Arts and Music buildings are slated to be renovated at the end of the spring semester, and growth continues at the Delano Center.
While not a change that will likely affect students attending BC now, the college has purchased a plot of land with Bolthouse Farms, which is meant to become a new satellite campus.
These initiatives indicate that BC is keeping up with the evolution of the growing Bakersfield community and of the college experience.
The college is able to react to events going on at the local and national levels with effective decisions.
All of the change puts the future of BC up in the air, but if the new members of administration can be as proactive as the ones they are replacing, this campus is bound to have continued success.