Campus Updates from Dr. Avila
Dear Gavilan Community,
As we approach the Thanksgiving break, I want to recognize the important work happening across the college to address the challenges many of our students face outside the classroom. This semester has brought renewed focus to housing instability, food insecurity, and the everyday issues that influence a student’s ability to stay enrolled and make progress.
Our teams working in these areas have made meaningful strides. Their efforts are strengthening our support systems, expanding access to essential resources, and helping students navigate circumstances that can easily derail their education. This work is steady, often quiet, and deeply meaningful.
Thank you to everyone involved in these initiatives. Your commitment reflects the values of this institution and directly supports the students who depend on us.
Warm Regards,
Dr. Pedro Avila
Strengthening Gavilan's Governance Processes
Having a well-defined college governance structure is essential to ensuring inclusion and transparency in our college's decision-making process.
The Governance Task Force has completed its initial work and presented its recommendations for a more effective and transparent governance structure at Gavilan College. This effort reflects more than a year of analysis, consultation, and review of state requirements, including the Academic Senate's 10+1 and the Student Government's 9+1 purview, which guide faculty and student participation, and the education code, which requires consultations with classified employees and administrators.
The proposed model consolidates overlapping committees, clarifies reporting lines, and clarifies which committees are recommending committees versus operational committees. These changes are designed to strengthen participation from all constituent groups in our governance process, improve clarity in decision-making, and create a structure that supports the college's long-term planning needs.
We are now collecting feedback from the campus community as we refine the final proposal for spring consideration. Presentations have been made to the Academic Senate, ASGC, CSEA, and the Management Council. Please take a look at the slide deck below to see the new proposed governance structure and use the QR code to provide us with feedback.
View document: Redesigning the Governance Process
Celebrating Our Employees of the Month
Gavilan College is proud to recognize two outstanding employees whose dedication and daily contributions strengthen our campus community.
August 2025: Erik Medina, Mathematics Instructor
Erik has transformed the way many students experience math. He creates a welcoming classroom environment, responds quickly to student needs, and offers extensive support in the tutoring center. His approachable teaching style builds confidence and helps students succeed.
September 2025: Juan Buenrostro, Custodian
Juan is known across campus for his consistent professionalism and positive attitude. His work is completed with care, and his interactions with students and staff reflect genuine kindness. He brings pride to his role and contributes to a welcoming campus environment.
Please join us in congratulating Erik and Juan for their commitment to Gavilan College and for embodying the spirit of service that defines our community.
Student Opportunities in Law and STEM
Gavilan students had two strong experiential learning opportunities this month. Our MESA students joined peers from across California at the MESA Student Leadership Conference in San Francisco, where they worked with industry leaders, completed a fast paced design challenge, and built connections that often lead to internships and early career opportunities.
Our Cal Law Pathways students also traveled to San Francisco for a visit to the California Supreme Court and UC Law San Francisco. Students toured the courthouse and law library, met with the Clerk of the Court, and participated in a conversation with Chancellor and Dean David Faigman. They also heard from current law students whose personal stories and advice resonated strongly with our group. More than eighty community college students from across the region joined the visit.
Both programs give students direct exposure to professional environments and reinforce the academic paths that lead to careers in law and STEM.
Classification & Compensation Study
The District is beginning the Classification and Compensation Study. This review is necessary. Many of our job descriptions and internal structures have not kept pace with how the college operates today. The study will give us an objective look at our classifications, the work that is actually being performed, and how our compensation practices compare to the market. The goal is accuracy, clarity, and a structure that supports the work of the institution.
The study will follow a four phase schedule. This fall, the focus is on collecting information about current classifications and reviewing job descriptions alongside initial market comparisons. In spring, Gallagher and the District team will continue gathering data and begin analyzing it in detail. During summer, they will develop preliminary recommendations. In fall, the final findings will be presented to the bargaining groups and the Board of Trustees, and we will begin planning for implementation.
Thank you for taking part in this process. Your input is essential to producing a study that reflects the reality of our work and supports a stronger institutional foundation.
Review the Presentation Slide Deck
Giving Tuesday
This year, our Giving Tuesday effort will focus on food and housing support for students.
Last year, more than 1,100 students used Meal Cards, and more than 2,600 students received food assistance through our pantries in Gilroy and Hollister. Basic Needs provided more than three hundred thousand dollars in direct aid for food, transportation, books, and emergency grants. Our housing program supported nearly four hundred students with rental assistance.
This year, our Food Pantry is serving about four hundred students each week, and food costs have already reached thirty thousand dollars.
Contributions to the Gavilan College Educational Foundation help us keep these services in place so students can stay enrolled and continue their work at the college.
Spotlight on GavTV
GavTV continues to deliver steady, high quality coverage of campus events and activity. The team comes prepared, understands what needs to be captured, and produces clean, usable footage that reflects the work happening across the district. Their approach is consistent and dependable, which has made their content even more fun to watch!
They documents programs, student stories, and major moments in a way that feels true to Gavilan. The result is a growing library of videos that help the public see what is happening on campus and give leadership clear material to share with the community.
Check out some of their latest videos in the Student Center or by visiting their YouTube Channel!
Explore Updates from each area through the links below
Human Resources - Lucy Alvarez
Administrative Services - Marilyn Morikang
Student Services - Dr. Renee Craig-Marius
Academic Affairs - Dr. Moaty Fayek
Kind Regards,
Dr. Pedro Avila
Superintendent/President
5055 Santa Teresa Boulevard | Gilroy, CA 95020
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