Spring 2026 Professional Development Day
Dear Gavilan Community,
I hope you are all enjoying a restful holiday break filled with time to replenish and celebrate with loved ones.
As we look forward to the new year, we are thrilled to invite you to our Spring 2026 Professional Development Day on Friday, January 23. This year marks a special milestone as we gather exclusively in person at our beautiful new Hollister Campus (505 Fairview Rd., Hollister).
After several years of hybrid formats, we look forward to the unique energy of being in the same room. The hallway chats, the shared laughter over a meal, and the face-to-face collaboration. This is a day for us to reconnect, celebrate our collective work, and continue to embrace our newest campus as one Gavilan family.
Making Your Day Seamless
To ensure the day is as smooth and enjoyable as possible, we’ve taken care of the details:
- Relaxing Commute: Skip the drive! We are providing comfortable shuttle transportation from the Gilroy Campus directly to Hollister.
- Shared Meals: Enjoy breakfast and lunch on us while catching up with colleagues across all departments.
- Full Participation: To ensure our classified professionals can fully engage in the morning sessions, campus services will be closed (except the Welcome Centers) from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Attendance Information:
Please complete our Convocation registration form to help us finalize transportation and catering arrangements. Your RSVP ensures that we have enough food and seating for everyone.
- Full-Time Staff & Faculty: This is a mandatory day of attendance for all managers, full-time faculty, and classified employees.
- Part-Time Faculty: You are warmly invited and encouraged to join us. You will be compensated at the meeting rate for your attendance. Please submit a timesheet through your Dean’s office.
Schedule of the Day
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8:00 am | Bus Departs Gilroy: Shuttle arrives at 7:30 a.m. and departs at 8:00 a.m. sharp at parking lot H by the tennis courts. |
| 8:30 am – 9:15 am | Breakfast & Affinity Groups: Coffee and breakfast in the hallway. |
| 9:25 am – 9:35 am | Welcome: Greetings from ASGC, CSEA, GCFA, and the Academic Senate leadership |
| 9:25 am – 10:10 am | District Updates – Dr. Avila |
| 10:15 am – 11:30 am | Division Meetings: Collaborative breakout sessions. |
| 11:30 am – 12:30 pm | Community Lunch: Hosted lunch and GCFA lunch meeting for faculty. |
| 1:00 pm | For Classified Professionals only, the bus will return to the Gilroy Campus. |
| 12:45 pm – 3:00 pm | Department Meetings: Focused planning for the semester ahead. |
| 3:30 pm | Bus Departs Hollister: Returning to the Gilroy Campus. |
Please note that the professional development workshops will take place on Thursday, January 22nd. Additional information and the sign-up link will be sent shortly after the start of the new year.
We can’t wait to see the whole Gavilan family together in Hollister. Let’s make this a fantastic start to the new year.
Sincerely,
Dr. Pedro Avila Superintendent/President