Barstow, CA-Barstow Community College (BCC) was recognized on Tuesday, September 21, by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges and the Foundation for California Community Colleges as the2021 winner of the Dr. John W. Rice Award for Student Success.
First established in 2001, the Dr. John W. Rice Diversity and Equity Award acknowledges outstanding achievement by community colleges that have made the greatest contribution towards faculty and staff diversityor student equity. In 2019, the Dr. John W. Rice Award in Student Success was added to the program.
In addition to highlighting the work of colleges, the ceremony also honors the legacy of Dr. JohnW. Rice, who was a leader, innovator and spokesperson for equal employment opportunity and nondiscrimination in the largest system of higher education in the nation. He served on the Board of Governors from 1992 until his death in 2000 and displayed a strong commitment to multicultural learning experiences for all students.
Former Secretary of State, and Dr. Rice’s only child, Condoleezza Rice, spoke during the awards ceremony, highlighting the transformative power of education, its importance in providing “a way up for everyone,” and expressing her gratitude and congratulations to this year’s award recipients for their work in closing equity gaps forstudents.
Barstow Community College was lauded for a myriad of efforts, including a vibrant Teaching and Learning Support Center, faculty-led workshops, enhanced tutoring and improved early alert tracking. All have contributed to an overall increase of 29% of students completing transfer-level English and math courses within one year of their first attempt.
California Community Colleges’ Vice Chancellor Alvarado shared that “these types of changes rarely are easy or rapid and typically represent a substantial amount of time, effort, resources, and leadership." Academic Affairs Vice President, Tim Botengan, who received the award on behalf of BCC, stated that the collaborative efforts of faculty, staff and tutors resulted in the significant boost in student success rates as well as a much-enhanced student learningexperience. He added, “But there is more work to be done, and we will continue to explore creative and innovativeapproaches to support our students.”
BCC District Board of Trustees Vice President, Paul Wilkey, commented that the BCC student, Andrew “Drew” Angelcor, who spoke at the awards ceremony said it perfectly when acknowledging the support he receives at theCollege, “I don’t have to do anything alone.”
Superintendent-President, Dr. Eva Bagg, expressed that “this is an outstanding achievement for our college and a true testament to our college's unique capability for faculty, classified professionals and administrators to collaborate with the very best interests of students at the forefront and to deliver instruction and supports that work for students and that have already produced the evidence showing it works.”
For additional information please contact Amanda Simpson – Director of Public Relations, Communications, and Marketing, at 760-252-2411 ext. 7348 or by email at asimpson@barstow.edu.
