Distance Learning Just Got Easier: Gavilan Joins California Virtual Campus
by Public Information Office on Sep 24, 2024Gavilan College is taking significant strides in expanding its educational reach by becoming part of the California Virtual Campus (CVC). The college now offers students the opportunity to seamlessly access classes across California’s community colleges, a shift that Sabrina Lawrence, Gavilan's Distance Learning Coordinator, sees as a major step forward for both students and the institution.
As Lawrence explains, the CVC, established in 2015, allows students to take classes at other community colleges without the hassle of enrolling in each one.
"For example, if a Gavilan student needs a speech class but all sections are full, they can simply visit CVC.edu, search for the course at other participating colleges, and enroll seamlessly. No separate application is needed," she says. This means students can fulfill their academic requirements without delay, regardless of where the class is offered, while still maintaining Gavilan as their home college.
Prior to this partnership with the CVC, students had to manually transfer transcripts and pay additional fees if they wanted to take classes at other community colleges. The CVC has eliminated these barriers, simplifying the process for both students and the institutions involved. “Students have always been able to go to other colleges, but they had to manually transfer their transcript, pay additional fees, and deal with a lot of paperwork. With CVC, they don’t have to do all of that anymore,” Lawrence points out.
Gavilan College began participating fully in this program in June, and Lawrence already sees the positive impact it has had on students. "I talked to one of our counselors yesterday, and she told me how much of a difference it’s made. We send our students through the CVC when they need a class to graduate. They believe this is the best thing for students to complete their professional goals," she shares.
The benefits of the CVC extend beyond just helping students at Gavilan. Lawrence notes that the program also presents an opportunity for Gavilan to attract new students from other community colleges across the state. “Participating in the program allows Gavilan to attract students statewide seeking to complete their educational goals with distance learning options. While we might lose some students to online education because they can get a class at another college, at the same time, we can attract other students to Gavilan because physical location is no longer an obstacle,” she says.
Gavilan College serves almost 11,000 students, encompassing the southernmost part of Santa Clara County and all of San Benito County. As a Hispanic-serving institution, the college is especially mindful of the challenges its students face. By joining the CVC, Gavilan is ensuring that students who encounter problems like full classes or limited course offerings still have pathways to success.
“We have students who are physically in the Gavilan community and students from all over the state who run into these problems. With CVC, they can access the equivalent level of curriculum at other colleges, ensuring their educational progress is not hindered,” Lawrence explains.
The courses available through the CVC maintain a high standard of quality, with most general education classes being Course Identification Number (CID) approved. This statewide approval system guarantees that courses meet specific requirements and transfer seamlessly between institutions. “Students can be sure their classes are vetted for quality. We encourage them to look for the Peer Online Course Review badge icon, which highlights courses that have undergone a rigorous review process. These classes will appear at the top of their search,” says Lawrence.
As part of a broader statewide initiative, Gavilan College is one of many community colleges that have joined the CVC. The ultimate goal is to have all 115 California community colleges participating, creating a truly integrated system that supports student success across the state. Lawrence emphasizes that the program is not about competition between community colleges but about helping students complete their degrees efficiently.
“The purpose of the CVC is not to provide a platform where colleges compete with each other. It’s more focused on completion. The idea is that students already have a home college, but if they can’t get a class they need, they have an easy way to access it elsewhere,” she explains.
Gavilan’s participation in the CVC is also seen as part of a national model for quality online education. Other institutions are watching closely to see how California’s virtual campus model can be adapted to benefit students in other regions.
As Gavilan College embraces this new era of distance learning, Lawrence is optimistic about the future. "We want to be sure our community knows that we are participating in this program. It’s a huge benefit to our students, and it’s exciting to see how it will grow," she says. With the CVC, Gavilan College is empowering its students to take control of their education, ensuring that no matter where they are, they can access the classes they need to achieve their academic goals.