There are new requirements for students who want to graduate from Bakersfield College. This, however, only applies to students who have recently enrolled at BC or those students who have not been consecutively enrolled with at least one class every calendar year, according to Sue Vaughn from admission and records. She added that those students have lost their catalog rights from the first year when they enrolled at BC. The students now have acquired catalog rights from the new updated catalog of the year they reenrolled. Catalog rights can be found on page 32 in the catalog and is also on the BC website.
“The BC general education requirements changed the year before last,” said Vaughn. “Before students had a choice to take a health class or P.E. class. Now it doesn’t matter.” Students must take a child development class or a class from the health program and are also required to take a physical education course.
The level requirements for math and English have also changed. The state now requires any student using catalog rights from 2009-10 to pass English B1A and Math BD. Before, only Math BA and English B1 was required to graduate from BC.
For a student with an academic major, they need to take their general education requirements, English B1A, Math BD, multicultural classes and the required classes for their major. “When ready to graduate, a student should have at least 60 units,” said Vaughn.
Applications should be turned in already if a student plans on graduating in December. To graduate in the spring, they should be turned in by April 1.
Vaughn suggested students go online and take the “What If” evaluation and said, “It helps to make sure everything is accounted for and take the ‘What If’ evaluation to a counselor or adviser when preparing to graduate.”
Last fall, 301 degrees were handed out. In the spring of 2009, 548 degrees were awarded, and the summer, 156 degrees were handed out for a total of 1,005 degrees given to students from BC, said Vaughn.