About Our Organization
Gavilan College was originally established in 1919 as San Benito County Junior College. It operated under this title until 1963, when a new community college district was formed that included both San Benito and southern Santa Clara Counties. Successful passage of a local bond in 1966 provided the needed funds to construct the present campus at Santa Teresa Boulevard and Castro Road in Gilroy, California. In the fall of 1999, the College celebrated its 80th year of operation as a community college.
On March 2, 2004, district voters approved Measure E, a facilities improvement bond that will upgrade outdated plumbing and wiring, renovate aging classrooms and libraries; provide access for disabled students, improve campus safety, and plan for the future by expanding satellite sites.
The District operates two instructional sites in Hollister and Morgan Hill to augment their curricular offerings at the main (Gilroy) campus. These two sites are an integral part of the district's effort to enhance student access to a college education. The District also operates an aviation classroom and laboratory at the Hollister airport. Gavilan College is a public community college offering a wide range of services, including programs of continuing study in liberal arts, pre-professional, business, vocational and technical fields. Courses are offered in the day, evening and on weekends. In FY 03/04, Gavilan served an estimated 7,415 students. Gavilan College employs 204 full time equivalent permanent employees and approximately 130 part time faculty employees each semester.
The main campus in Gilroy rests against the foothills that form the western boundary of the Santa Clara Valley. The District is 35 miles south of San Jose, 80 miles south of San Francisco, and 40 miles northeast of the Monterey Coast. The main campus was initially master-planned to accommodate an enrollment of 5,000 students and rests on a 150-acre site that has been carefully planned to take advantage of the beautiful, natural and tranquil setting.