BHCC Hosts Fall 2025 Professional Development Day: Scaling Success Through Open Education and Access
Monday, November 3, 2025
BHCC held its Fall 2025 Professional Development Day on October 30, with the theme “Scaling Success: Open education and access as tools for students and professional growth.” The event gathered educators, administrators, and staff for an afternoon of collaboration, innovation, and skill-building focused on increasing access, strengthening student support, and improving workplace learning.
The program began with lunch and networking, followed by greetings from Professor Francis Nkansah and a brief overview of the day’s focus on supporting colleagues’ professional growth, reducing student costs through open educational resources, and enhancing digital safety across the campus community. Provost Jim Canniff welcomed attendees and emphasized the vital role open access and professional development play in advancing the College’s mission.
Keynote: Dr. Edward C. Bush on Transformative OER Leadership
The PD Day keynote was delivered by Dr. Edward C. Bush, President of Cosumnes River College and a nationally recognized leader in equity-driven higher education reform. Dr. Bush shared insights from his institution’s groundbreaking shift to Open Educational Resources (OER) and Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) courses, which increased OER adoption from 11% to 76% in just two years—saving students millions and removing widespread textbook affordability barriers. His talk, “Expanding an Asset-based, Outcomes-focused, Student-centered Approach to OER at an Urban Community College,” highlighted the transformative power of OER in promoting equitable access and academic success.
Breakout Sessions: Building Skills, Expanding Access
Attendees took part in four simultaneous breakout sessions, each providing hands-on learning and practical strategies for integrating open education and supportive practices across various roles and departments.
- OER 101: What, Why, and How — Led by Sara Kelley-Mudie, this introductory session explained the basics of OER, open pedagogy ideas, and how to evaluate open materials effectively.
- Supporting Students with OER and Open Access Materials — Led by Anna Sarneso, this session offered tools for identifying discipline-specific OER and explored new ways to boost student support through accessible resources.
- Open Pedagogy: Empowering Student Learning — Presented by Ceit DeVitto, this workshop focused on student-centered teaching models that position learners as co-creators of knowledge, including strategies for guiding students in developing their own OER.
- Empowering Staff Growth Through OER — Led by Carlos Maynard, Evans Erilus, and Nuri ChandlerSmith, this session showcased innovative methods for incorporating OER into staff development to foster equitable, flexible, and collaborative professional learning.
During the breakout period, participants were encouraged to suggest future PD Day topics to ensure continuous alignment between campus needs and professional development offerings.
Cybersecurity Training: Strengthening Campus Resilience
The afternoon ended with a cybersecurity training session led by Adam Khan, Vice President of Global Security Operations at Barracuda Networks. As cyber threats continue to evolve, Khan offered faculty and staff important insights into phishing tactics, data protection, and campus security. Using real-world examples and interactive activities, attendees improved their awareness and readiness to protect student information and ensure campus safety.