Bakersfield College has seen enrollment numbers drop since COVID-19 first began.
To combat this, BC strengthened its outreach efforts and adjusted to an online space.
According to Craig Hayward, a dean at BC’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness, enrollment dropped 9% in the fall of 2020 and 14% in the spring of 2021 from what they were a year earlier. Since colleges earn based on enrollment numbers, low enrollment can affect the services provided at the institution. Hayward said BC largely kept things under control through state and federal aid as well as adjusting quickly to the online shift.
“We invested heavily in training with technology to make online classes effective and to help faculty, staff, and students stay engaged and productive,” Hayward stated.
However, BC still saw students leave for various reasons throughout the height of the pandemic. Hayward said their ability to get new students enrolled and keep them enrolled was the most impacted by COVID. Thus, BC had to improve and adjust outreach to an online space.
The lockdown hurt BC’s initial outreach efforts. According to Hayward, they could no longer go to the local high schools and help students get enrolled anymore. Since the college was quick to adapt, outreach was held through Zoom and other virtual spaces.
“With our adaptations and the re-opening, outreach has really roared back to life,” Hayward stated.
Hayward also stated there were outreach teams specifically created to get in contact with students who hadn't re-enrolled. They first identified students who hadn’t re-enrolled and hadn’t finished their program of study. Then, Hayward said their coaching teams reached out to the students to see if they could help in any way.
However, the launch of BC’s Student Information Desk is what Hayward said to be most effective.
“This is a virtual one-stop welcome center that is staffed 6-7 days per week for real-time support regarding registration, counseling, financial aid, and personal needs (e.g., technology or food pantry),” Hayward said.
Additional outreach was done through the Guided Pathways Calling Campaigns Hayward said. These campaigns were supported by various faculty and staff and aimed to reach out to un-enrolled students as well as struggling students.
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