The primary purpose of the Equal Opportunity and Diversity Advisory Committee (EODAC) is to actively assist/facilitate Bakersfield College’s cultural and institutional policies and practices that demonstrate a commitment to greater diversity and inclusion for all students, employees, and the community at large. The EODAC is responsible for educating and orienting the college about the issues and concerns related to diversity and equity while helping to create an inclusive, engaging, and conscious college culture through:

• Providing recommendations to Bakersfield College (BC) and the Kern Community College District (KCCD) for creating and/or amending policies and procedures that impacts, supports, and promotes the EODAC’s Committee charge
• Creating, editing, and reviewing BC’s Diversity Statement and diversity policies, plans, and/or reports from KCCD
• Reviewing collected data regarding equity in achievement for all student groups, while being conscious of traditionally underrepresented student groups in terms of access and barriers to resources and opportunities
• Reviewing collected data regarding equity in staff, faculty, and administrator recruitment, retention, and promotion and recommending specific remedies to BC and KCCD
• Collaborating with other committees, task forces, projects, and other entities and offices on campus and at the district to develop effective strategies to promote student retention, progression, completion and transfer
• Promoting attitudinal and institutional changes regarding diversity, equity and inclusion by consistently employing multiple perspectives to lead to a better education and knowledge of the world for BC students
• Providing workshops and trainings in diversity, career advancement, and leadership development to employees (both new and continuing and full and part-time employees) to close equity gaps in employee groups and to promote awareness, action, and change to college values that consistently align with BC and KCCD’s diversity commitments
• Be an active voice for students and employees at both Bakersfield College and the Kern Community College District regarding diversity

In relationship to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), the EODAC will impact this process by:

• Assisting the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer to achieve and maintain its hiring goal of having a diverse staff and faculty
• Ensuring the systematic delivery of skill enhancing professional development trainings on diversity and inclusiveness through workshops designed to inform employee screening committee members about options to reduce biases and other issues dealing with diversity both at BC and KCCD as it relates to the hiring process
• Assisting the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer (EEO) to provide inclusiveness in trainings to employee screening committees that promotes BC and KCCD’s values of having a diverse workforce
• Helping edit job announcements for new positions at Bakersfield College to ensure Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) language that is inviting and inclusive
• Recommending recruitment and retention strategies that contribute to greater diversity workforce

The Equal Opportunity and Diversity Advisory Committee Charge document was reviewed and approved on February 1, 2021.