Art History Instructor, Full-time Tenure Track (BC)

Job Details

Art History Instructor, Full-time Tenure Track (BC)

Kern Community College District

Salary: $89,080.98 - $116,884.82 Annually

Job Type: Faculty

Job Number: FY25-2600257

Location: Bakersfield College -- Panorama Campus, CA

Department:

Below is our job description for this position. Please also review the Important Instructions & Additional Information section below, which contains valuable information about our application process.

Basic Function

Bakersfield College is seeking a faculty member for Art History. If you are highly motivated, eager to engage a diverse student body, and passionate about teaching and learning, we highly encourage you to submit an application.

Who We Are:
We are a team of innovative, caring, and thoughtful faculty, staff and administrators who are passionate about contributing to the intellectual, cultural and economic vitality of our community. We embody six core values: Learning, Diversity, Integrity, Community, Wellness and Sustainability. These values frame our work as we provide opportunities for our students who come to us from diverse economic, cultural, geographical, and educational backgrounds.
We offer Associate and Baccalaureate degrees and certificates, workplace skills, and preparation for transfer. Our rigorous and supportive learning environment promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion and fosters students' abilities to think critically, communicate effectively, and demonstrate competencies and skills to become productive members of our community and world.

History of Bakersfield College:
Bakersfield College is located in Bakersfield, California, in the heart of the Central Valley. Established in 1913, Bakersfield College is one of the nation's oldest continually operating community colleges. The college serves 33,000 students annually on the 153-acre main campus in northeast Bakersfield, at the Delano Campus (35 miles north of Bakersfield), the Weill Institute (downtown Bakersfield), and BC South-West (southwest Bakersfield). We also offer classes at several alternative locations, including Shafter Learning Center, Arvin/Lamont, McFarland, Olive Drive Training Facility, Wasco and other regional community locations.
As a recognized and highly awarded Hispanic Serving Institution, Bakersfield College students are diverse and represent the communities we serve.

On Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:
We are sincere about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working and learning environment for all students, faculty, staff and administrators. We believe every member of our team enriches our diversity by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design and deliver solutions. Bakersfield College has sharpened its focus on removing institutional barriers in access, momentum, and completion.
We pledge to address systemic issues of environmental microaggressions, implicit bias, and racism through intentional learning. We commit to strengthening our campus culture so that students, faculty, and staff and our partners are aware of and equipped to change policies and practices that disproportionately affect marginalized students.

About the Bakersfield Community:
Situated in the south San Joaquin Valley, Bakersfield has a rapidly growing economy in a location that is central to some of California's best places to visit. Fresno, Los Angeles, the mountains and several great beaches are less than two hours away, and San Francisco is less than four hours away. Known for hot, dry summers and mild winters, Bakersfield has deep roots in the energy (oil, solar and wind), agriculture, and logistics industries. Despite its growth, Bakersfield has maintained the "small town feel" that residents here love. With a relatively low cost of living, plenty of community events, and availability of housing, the City of Bakersfield is a great place to live.

Representative Duties

Who We Are Looking For:
We are recruiting faculty with demonstrated excellence in their field who embrace the instructional values of access, sound pedagogy, creativity, and innovation. We are known for our connectedness among students, faculty, staff and our diverse local population. We are looking for applicants with a continual drive to learn and improve teaching strategies and who embrace opportunities to be involved in inventive committees, engaging campus events and other collegiate endeavors. Diversity is a core value at Bakersfield College, and we encourage applicants who demonstrate an intellectual mindfulness to contribute to diversity, equity and inclusiveness. If you are interested in modeling academic excellence for your students and colleagues, we invite you to join a team that will challenge and inspire you. About the Department Fine Arts :

The Art Department at Bakersfield College offers a dynamic and comprehensive education in the visual arts designed to nurture creativity, cultural awareness, and critical thinking. The Art Department provides excellent instruction across a range of media-including drawing, painting, digital art, photography, graphic design, and art history-through courses that satisfy both general education and transfer requirements, as well as specialized certificates and Associate in Arts for Transfer degrees. Its mission emphasizes developing visually literate and aesthetically sensitive students who contribute meaningfully to society through creative problem-solving and artistic expression. The department also features the Jones Art Gallery, showcasing student and community exhibitions, and supports pathways for students to transfer to four-year institutions and pursue careers in the arts.

Minimum Qualifications

Master's in art history, history of art and architecture or visual culture/visual studies

OR

Bachelor's in art history and master's in history

OR

Master's in art with a recorded emphasis or concentration in art history

OR - The equivalent.
Certain combinations of education, experience, and other accomplishments in the field may be judged as equal to the stated minimum qualifications for these positions. Candidates who feel they possess such equivalent qualifications must request and submit an APPLICATION FOR EQUIVALENCE form. Supporting documents must be included with the completed form.
Minimum Qualifications for Faculty and Administration in California Community Colleges

AND

A demonstrated sensitivity to students with diverse academic, socio-economic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and students with disabilities

Note: Degrees and credits must be from accredited institutions (Title V Section 53406). Any degree from a country other than the United States, including Canada and Great Britain, must be evaluated by an evaluation service.

Note: The screening of candidates will be conducted by a screening committee. The screening committee reserves the right to limit the number of interviews granted. Meeting the minimum qualifications for a position does not assure the applicant of an interview.

Preferred Qualifications and Desired Experience

Candidates possessing successful experience teaching at a community college setting, particularly within the California Community College system, will receive priority consideration.

Knowledge & Abilities

The successful applicant will be able to demonstrate that they are broadly prepared and have a depth of knowledge in the discipline. In addition, the successful applicant will be able to demonstrate the following knowledge and abilities:

• Ability to work effectively and harmoniously with colleagues in an environment that promotes innovation, teaching, learning and service to diverse student population;
• Ability to effectively work with students with a wide range of skills, motivations, academic and vocational goals;
• Ability to develop curriculum, including curriculum delivered via different modalities; -Ability to participate in recruitment and articulation activities with local schools, colleges and universities;
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing;
• Ability to maintain subject matter currency;
• Ability to assess student, program, and institutional learning outcomes;
• Knowledge of computers and willingness to adopt new technologies that support student success. Knowledge of and commitment to the California Community College mission.

SALARY RANGE
Kern Community College District 175-day Faculty Salary Schedule
$ 89,080.98 - $ 116,884.82 annually

Maximum Placement Level Salary: $ 116,884.82 annually

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

First Review of Applications: Complete application packets will be accepted until the position is filled; but those received by January 21, 2026, are assured consideration. The College reserves the right to extend time limits or reinitiate the recruitment/selection process at any point. Completed application packet MUST include:

• Completed Online Application for Employment form
• Current resume
• Letter of interest (Cover Letter)
• Statement of personal philosophy of teaching
• Copy of legible transcripts
• Copy of sample syllabi
• List of five (5) professional references - Listed on application form

It is the applicant's responsibility to redact (or remove) any personal information from all documents prior to uploading. This includes Social Security Numbers, Date of Birth, and any photos of the applicant.

Foreign Degree: Applicants with foreign degrees from colleges or universities outside of the United States must have their coursework evaluated by a professional association that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, INC. (ACEI). A copy of the evaluation must be submitted with your on-line application.

Applicants who require reasonable accommodation to participate in the selection process should contact Human Resources to make the necessary arrangements. EEO Plan 2021-2024 Note: The District is strongly committed to achieving staff diversity and the principles of equal employment opportunity. The District encourages a diverse pool of applicants and does not discriminate on the basis of national origin, religion, age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, race or ethnicity, color, medical condition, genetic information, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, or because he/she is perceived to have one or more of the foregoing characteristics, or based on association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law, in any of its policies, procedures or practices. Discrimination Free Work Environment The District does not provide sponsorship for authorization to work in the United States. Work authorization should be established at the time of application submission.