E. CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
The institution is authorized or licensed to operate as a post-secondary educational institution and to award degrees by an appropriate governmental organization or agency as required by each of the jurisdictions or regions in which it operates. Private institutions, if required by the appropriate statutory regulatory body, must submit evidence of authorization, licensure, or approval by that body. If incorporated, the institution shall submit a copy of its articles of incorporation.
Gavilan College is authorized to operate as a post-secondary, degree-granting institution based on continuous accreditation by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The ACCJC is a regional accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and granted authority through the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008.
Evidence:
● 2013 Accreditation Certificate (E-1)
● Accreditation Statement in Catalog (E-2)
THE INSTITUTION IS OPERATIONAL, WITH STUDENTS ACTIVELY PURSUING ITS DEGREE PROGRAMS
In 2017-2018, Gavilan College enrolled 10,393 students (E-3). Approximately, one quarter of those students (25%) of those students were enrolled full-time (E-4), and more than three-quarters (over 75%) were enrolled part-time. In 2017-2018, 47% of Gavilan College students had an educational goal of transfer; 15% of students sought an Associate’s Degree; over 20% of students were upskilling for career enrichment; only 12% of Gavilan students were undecided (E-5).
A substantial portion of the institution’s educational offerings are programs that lead to degrees, and a significant proportion of its students are enrolled in them. At least one degree program must be of two academic years in length.
In 2016-2017, Gavilan College awarded 1,182 degrees and certificates (E-6) and was authorized to offer degrees and certificates in 138 instructional programs (E-7). The Gavilan College Catalog lists all requirements for Associate Degrees - including Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Science (A.S.), and Associate Degrees for Transfer (A.A.-T. or A.S.-T.) (E-8). All associate degrees require at least 60 units and include a General Education component as well as concentration within a major (E-9). In Fall 2017, Gavilan College offered 826 credit, degree-applicable sections, 87 credit, non-degree applicable sections, and 100 sections of noncredit course offerings (E-10). The overwhelming majority of Gavilan College students enroll in degree-applicable courses.
The institution has a chief executive officer appointed by the governing board, whose full-time responsibility is to the institution, and who possesses the requisite authority to administer board policies. Neither the district/system chief executive officer nor the institutional chief executive officer may serve as the chair of the governing board. The institution informs the Commission immediately when there is a change in the institutional chief executive officer.
The current College Superintendent/President is Dr. Kathleen A. Rose. Dr. Rose was appointed by the Gavilan Joint Community College District (GJCCD) Board of Trustees on June 14, 2016 (E-11). The Superintendent/President is the chief executive officer of the college, with full-time responsibility to the institution. Board Policy 2430 “Delegation of Authority to the President of the College” assigns responsibility for “administering the policies adopted by the Board and executing all decisions of the Board requiring administrative action.” (E-12). Since the last comprehensive site visit for accreditation, Gavilan College has experienced only one change in its chief executive officer.
The institution annually undergoes and makes available an external financial audit by a certified public accountant or an audit by an appropriate public agency. Institutions that are already Title IV eligible must demonstrate compliance with federal requirements.
Financial Accountability: Every year, Gavilan College undergoes an external financial audit performed by a certified public accountant (E-13, E-14, E-15). The audit firm conducts the audit using generally accepted accounting principles. The District Audit Report is presented to the Board of Trustees and posted on the college website (E-16). Gavilan College’s three-year default rate on student loans reported in FY 2015 was 13.3%, which is well below the requirement established by California (E-17).
Additional Evidence:
● District Audit Reports (E-18, E-19, E-20, E-21)
● Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes (E-22, E-23, E-24, E-25)
● Audit Reports available online (E-26)
● Three-Year Cohort Default Rate History List from National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) (E-27)
● Contract with Gilbert Associates, Inc.(E-28)