Dean Alicia Rodriquez’s office is tucked away on the second floor of the Humanities Office Building, a building that is in itself off the path from the usual hustle and bustle of the Cal State Bakersfield campus.
On the floor of her office leaning against a dark brown wooden shelf sits a framed black–and-white portrait of Abraham Lincoln and atop sits a vibrantly drawn portrait of Dolores Huerta. A telltale sign that Rodriquez’s promotion was only finalized last May after having served as the Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities since Jan. 2024.
The former history professor looks towards both Lincoln and Dolores for their ability to lead as she herself must lead the College of A&H, through a shifting landscape marred by budget cuts for the entire Cal State University system. Rodriquez, a Bakersfield native, is now serving the university which once served her, in the college that she attended, so excuse her for not finding the time to mount her posters on her office wall.
Rodriquez, who can be recognized by her gray and white curls, sat at a small circular table in front of the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the flickering parking lot behind the HOB as the light constantly bounces off of moving cars. She wears a welcoming smile and carries a reassuring tone which is showcased by her trademarked response, “yeah” where an emphasis is placed on the ‘y’ and is delivered in a low and soft voice, as she shares her story.
Rodriquez attended McKinley Elementary up until third grade, when she would catch a bus to Franklin Elementary to attend the GATE program. After, she attended Emerson Junior High on 4th Street, noting, “it was a junior high back then,” and then went on to graduate from Bakersfield High School and is a “proud driller.”
Both of Rodriquez’s parents were also raised in Bakersfield, with her father working as an upholsterer and her mother as a homemaker before becoming a teacher’s assistant. Despite neither of her parents completing high school, they remained influential in Rodriquez’s education.
“‘Our goal for you was to graduate from high school, because we didn’t graduate from high school,’” recounts Rodriquez, a message that her parents would often tell her.
Rodriquez went on to graduate from more than just high school, as she attended CSUB and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history. It was at CSUB that she was asked by a professor if she had ever considered attending graduate school. Along with encouragement from a friend and her family’s support, she decided to apply for graduate school.
“I was fortunate that I had really good and very supportive teachers who were very encouraging.” said Rodriquez, who still gets emotional when discussing the impact of education on her life.
Rodriquez was admitted to University of California, Santa Barbara, which came with its own anxieties.
“I was just so afraid. I moved into a studio apartment, and I had, you know, a few boxes of my stuff. I didn’t have much stuff back then because I lived with my parents as an undergraduate, and I kept my boxes folded up, broken down. I kept them in my closet, I was just, ‘what if I can’t cut it, I’m going to need these boxes to move back, and then at the end of the year, I thought ‘I did it’”
Rodriquez went on to earn both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in History from UCSB, before eventually returning to CSUB.
She started as a history professor at CSUB in 1998 and stayed in the classroom until 2024. Since transitioning away from the classroom, she has hosted events such as pan dulce and donuts during the fall and popcorn in the spring to still connect with students.
“One of the best parts of this job is when I get to see performances or meet with students … I mean to me that’s why we’re here, to serve students,” said Rodriquez.
In addition to connecting with students, Rodriquez understands the importance of connecting with the larger A&H staff and faculty.
Assistant Professor of Theatre, David Melendez, recounted a time when he leaned on Dean Rodriquez’s leadership, amid a challenging fall semester.
“She told me that I was a valuable part of our community and asked, ‘how she could help me to keep pushing onward.’ As a result, we met over Zoom for 30 minutes, twice a week for the rest of the academic year,” said Melendez.
Furthermore, head of the English department, Emerson Case shared his insight on Dean Rodriquez’s leadership style.
“I have found Dean Rodriquez to be a very hands-on leader. Rather than just send an email or a note, she always makes an effort to come down to my office to speak in person and to hear and take into consideration my thoughts on an issue. She also always makes an effort to express thanks for anything extra that we do as part of the College of Arts and Humanities” said Dr. Case.
Dean Rodriquez can be found throughout CSUB, either running in and out of meetings, reviewing staff and faculty in the college of A&H, creating new initiatives like Beyond the Classroom or aiding to jumpstart the music department’s mariachi ensemble program.
Despite Dean Rodriquez’s irregular spelling of her name, which she does not pronounce any differently, she is not irregular in her story by any means, making her an inspiration to all the students she has taught and served.
