The dean of language arts at San Jose City College in California, Bayinaah Jones draws on more than 15 years of experience in higher education. She began her career as an experienced K-12 educator, teaching diverse classrooms of students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade in California, Alabama, and Germany. In 2003, Bayinaah Jones joined the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill as an Upward Bound instructor for high school students and as a graduate-level teaching assistant and instructor. From 2003 to 2005 she served as the managing editor of the university’s academic journal, the Urban Review.

In 2004, Bayinaah Jones began teaching sociology and English as a second language at DeAnza Community College in Cupertino, California. The following year, she joined the San Jose-Evergreen Community College District as director of institutional initiatives, a role in which she oversaw school and community relationships.

Dr. Jones stayed on with the district until 2010, serving as director of institutional research and then as executive director of research and institutional effectiveness. In the latter role, she connected with community representatives to determine instructional needs and worked to strengthen existing programs.