Bakersfield College has hired a new dean of student services, Joyce Coleman. Members of the Student Government Association as well as various administrators and faculty greeted the new dean in the Executive Board Room, including athletic director and interim dean Jan Stuebbe. The punch and cookies reception was held at the first arrival of Coleman to the BC campus on Oct. 6.
While originally from Houston, Coleman considers California, “the land of fruit and nuts, sunshine and diversity,” her home. Before heading west, she attended Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas and earned a degree in criminology and later moved into study for her master’s in social work from the University of Houston.
Coleman has a strong background in correctional education including time served as a federal police officer in the Houston area.
Her experience in community college administration is evident in her work history. She directed correctional education at West Hills Community College for 12 and half years, making her no stranger to the Central Valley. At Palo Verde Community College, she spent one year where she held the position of assistant dean for the Needles Center. Coleman also spent three years at Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Ore., where she directed two prison programs.
Coleman described her new job as having “a fun-filled component with some discipline involved. Student conduct discipline is a necessary evil of community college.”
When asked if she is settling into her position at BC, she responded by saying, “I’m just doing initial meeting with a lot of people, learning about them, them learning about me, hearing what their work-related concerns are and what I can do to support them in their position.”
The dean of students has a wide range of responsibilities, including dealing directly with students. “Students come to me with complaints,” Coleman explained. “But also students come to me when they violate student conduct guidelines.” Coleman has an “open door policy” and encourages all to come by her office.
As for goals in the near future, she said, “It’s too early totell. My goal this semester is just to really do a lot of listening before making any changes. I’m meeting with all of the staff that is on my team and all of the SGA officers individually and the team.”
One of the main areas of focus for her administrative duties is the Student Government Association. “I am the adviser and appointed administrator that supervises the going-ons and makes sure that we follow the constitution because we are in charge of lots of dollars.”
“I’ve been reading and rereading the constitution, making notes,” Coleman said in regard to the status of the SGA.
“Some of the of the officers and I are going to be sitting down and going through the constitution, page by page, article by article, make sure that we are all on the same page and that we all understand what we are doing. Public dollars are public dollars.”
Coleman plans to review the SGA budget for the past five years. Currently in the works is a half-day retreat planned for SGA officers as well as for the dean of students’ team. She also encourages students to attend the SGA meetings.