NEWSLETTER

December 2024

The Call for Presentations Is Open!


NISOD’s International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence, May 24-27, 2025, in Austin, Texas, offers an engaging and inspiring platform for community and technical college faculty, staff, and administrators of all experience levels to exchange practical insights and effective practices that enhance college teaching and learning.


Whether you’re a first-time presenter or a seasoned contributor, we encourage you to seize this opportunity to share your expertise with a community of peers dedicated to advancing educational excellence.


Read More About This Opportunity

Flyer - International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence
thumbnail - OER Regional Meeting

Introduction to Remixing and Open Homework Systems Regional Meeting - South


The OERI, in collaboration with Santa Ana College, is pleased to announce a professional development opportunity for those who intend to remix open educational resources in the LibreTexts platform and create openly-licensed assessments - and those who support such work.


Attendees of this in-person event at Santa Ana College in Santa Ana will be introduced to - and actively interact with - LibreTexts, the LibreTexts Remixer, and the ADAPT Open Homework System.


This event is on December 6, 2024, 8:30am - 3:30pm. A light breakfast will be served and lunch will be provided. In order to defray costs, a registration fee of $25 will be charged. Space is limited.


Register Today

Minority Dissertation Fellowship Program in Education Research


The application deadline is Monday, December 9, 2024.


The American Educational Research Association (AERA), founded in 1916, is concerned with improving the educational process by encouraging scholarly inquiry related to education and evaluation and by promoting the dissemination and practical application of research results. AERA is the most prominent international professional organization, with the primary goal of advancing educational research and its practical application.


Read More About This Opportunity

Thumbnail_ASCCCAcademicAcademy_2025-02

2025 "Artificial Intelligence in Education" Academic Academy


In 2020, the ASCCC Academic Academy focused on the impact of a global pandemic on distance education. In 2025, half a decade later, our focus turns to the impact of technological advances that have long been foreshadowed in popular culture.


Various forms of artificial intelligence (AI) are striving to influence our actions and our choices, other forms of AI are improving our writing, assisting us in making travel plans, and helping us to be better teachers. The impact of AI on our lives is undeniable. How do we harness the power of AI to improve teaching and learning while being cognizant of its limitations? Join us to explore the limits and the potential of AI to transform education.


Register Today

Professional Development Opportunities

Just Announced: 2025 CCCCO & Puente

Communities of Practice

Event_Flyer-cccco_puente_2025overview

The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and Puente would like to invite you to join one of our free online communities of practice beginning soon. Each community of practice will focus on ways to build more inclusive and equitable educational environments. Read More to find out specific details for each community.

More Info

AERA Graduate Student Research-in-Progress Roundtable Series Call for Submissions

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) invites submissions for the Research-in-Progress Roundtable Series at the 2025 AERA Annual Meeting in Denver, April 23 – 27. This initiative provides a formal presentation opportunity for graduate students who are engaged in research that is underway but was not sufficiently far along to submit a paper in response to the AERA Annual Meeting Call for Submissions. AERA will hold up to 6 Research-in-Progress Roundtable Sessions in Philadelphia. These roundtable sessions will be highlighted as part of the AERA-wide programming at the Annual Meeting.

More Info

Courses: Professional Development Courses offered by ZTC TAP

California Community College Chancellor's Office Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) Grant Program's Technical Assistance Provider (TAP) offers California Community Colleges free resources and services to support their successful development and implementation of ZTC pathways, leveraging the largest-ever pubic investment in Open Educational Resources (OER). 

More Info

Vision in Action Professional Development Edition

FDPF alumni and current participants are invited to sign-up for California Community Colleges - Vision In Action website.


Here a some highlights from their August 2024 – Vision in Action No. 160 newsletter.

  • CCC | Anti-Racist Curriculum: Implicit Bias and Cultural Competency
  • CCC | Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility for Financial Aid Professionals Curriculum
  • CCC | Equity-Centered Counseling Playlist
  • New Content in the Vision Resource Center
  • New Community for Vision-Aligned Reporting
  • Chancellor's Office System Webinars: Sep. 4, Oct. 2, Nov. 6, Dec. 4
  • COLEGAS 2024 Annual Conference| COLLECTIVE RESISTANCE: JUSTICIA Y LIBERACIÓN

Visit Vision Resource Center

Faculty Mentor Highlights

Portrait of Keith Wolaridge

Keith C. Wolaridge MA, MBA

Assoc. Professor | Business Education | Bakersfield College

Keith C. Wolaridge is a dedicated community leader, entrepreneur, and educator committed to fostering growth and inclusivity. He is currently a full-time professor in the business department at Bakersfield College. Keith is in his fifteenth year on the Panama Buena Vista Union School District Board of Trustees. He also owns Five Pillars and Associates, LLC, a leadership development company focused on school districts and budding entrepreneurs.  


Keith’s academic journey reflects his commitment to lifelong learning. He holds an MBA from National University, an M.S. in Christian Studies from Grand Canyon University, a B.S. in Accounting from California State University, Fresno, and a certification from the prestigious University of Washington's Pacific Coast Banking School and Ashland Theological Seminary. He has further enriched his expertise through programs at the Kern Leaders Academy and the Masters in Governance program by the California School Boards Association.


Keith's commitment to community service is unwavering. He serves on the Board of Directors for both the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra and the Kern County School Boards Association. His involvement in these organizations, his membership in Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., and his active contributions to other community-based organizations, demonstrate his dedication to making a difference in his community.


Beyond his professional life, Keith has been married for over twenty years and is the proud father of four daughters. His interests include golf, reading, and, recently, authorship; in 2020, he completed his first book, Five Pillars, which reflects his commitment to personal and professional development. In 2024, he published his second, Decisions from the Dias, which discusses the pillars of effective governance.

Lead Faculty

Dr. Maria Wright

Professor of Education



Bakersfield College

(661)395-4607

Maria.Wright2@bakersfieldcollege.edu


Faculty Diversification Fellowship Program

Applied Leadership Program

Dr. Maria Wright and I am a faculty in the Education Department. Currently, I work closely on the Aspire Faculty Diversification Fellowship Program and the Applied Leadership Program.


Before taking on this role, I served as the Director of Academic Support Services for several years, where my work focused on centralizing efforts to provide wrap-around support for students. This work focused on enhancing the out-of-class academic experience for BC students. I have also served as the Advising Lead for the School of Business at a four-year institution and as an Educational Advisor at Bakersfield College.


I earned my doctoral degree from California State University, Fresno in Educational Leadership, my master’s degree in Educational Administration from California State University, Bakersfield, and my bachelor’s degree in Political Science from California State University, Long Beach. 


As a first-generation graduate, I am deeply passionate about increasing equity, inclusion, and diversity in higher education institutions. More specifically, I seek to expand opportunities for students who have historically been excluded from social and educational opportunities. 

Program Resource Links

California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) Resources

CCCCO Vision Resource Center

Literature from the field

Best Practices for Online Teaching and Learning

Enhancing Your Pedagogy and Andragogy

Campus Resources

National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD)



View All Program Resource Links

Bakersfield College | Faculty Diversification Fellowship Program Website

Facebook  LinkedIn  Instagram