Janice (Jan) Baptist has dedicated herself to advancing and defending the ideal of equal rights and access to and success in higher education, and the betterment of her community. In 2009, Jan retired from Bristol Community College after 36 years of service with 14 as the Director of Disability Services and the Assistant Director of the SSS/Quest for Success Program. She now teaches as an adjunct faculty member in the Psychology and English departments. Jan is the author of several publications, including Welcome to Your Future: A Motivational Handbook for First Generation College Students. She is currently Vice President of the Cape Verdean Association, New Bedford. She has served as the chair of the New Bedford Human Relations Commission, governance chair of the Women’s Fund Leadership Council, past President of the Board of YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts and director of the YWCA New England Region. Additional past board leaderships include the New England Educational Opportunities Association, Government Relations Committee of the Massachusetts Educational Opportunities Association, and the New England Peer Tutor Association.