A. Introduction
Over the past few years, Gavilan College has undergone an enormous amount of organizational change. In 2016 the Superintendent/President of 13 years retired, and the new President, Dr. Kathleen Rose took the helm, ushering in a new era for the District. Over this time period the college has seen a change throughout leadership, as long-time employees retired. A comprehensive classification and compensation study was completed, and the management structure was reorganized, adding two Associate Vice Presidents and discontinuing several Director Positions. Multiple business processes were updated, from purchasing to printing.
These three years have been provided themes as a way of rethinking the work of the College. They are as follows:
● 2016-2017: Year of Renaissance
● 2017-2018: Year of Practice
● 2018-2019: Year of Service
The College has become increasingly more visible in the community, with the implementation of Coffee and Conversations, High School Education Forums, a monthly newsletter from the President, and regular Presidential Podcasts.
Some changes had begun earlier, but came to fruition during this period: for example, the transition to a Sheriff’s Deputy on campus rather than only in-house security, and the completion of Phase I construction and the subsequent start of classes at the Coyote Valley Center. Facilities improvements paid for by the 2004 Measure E facilities bond were completed in 2018, as was the habitat work needed to develop a new instructional site in San Benito County, with land also paid for by Measure E.
In 2016-2017, the Year of Renaissance, Gavilan produced a new Educational Master Plan and then in 2017-2018, the Year of Practice, a new Facilities Master Plan and Gavilan College Organization and Governance Handbook. The Strategic Plan was revised and refined to six goals and the focus turned to integrated planning efforts across the College.
In 2018-2019, the Year of Service, Gavilan is taking a hard look at Policies and Procedures, and those planning items that flow from the Educational and Facilities Master Plans. Conversations to update the Mission Statement, and the Technology Master Plans, as well as rebuilding program review, are in process.
At the completion of this ISER, Gavilan is in the midst, rather than at the end, of several change processes. By the time the team visits in the Spring 2019 semester, some of these will be complete, and others be starting again. It is a reminder of the ongoing nature of the work: the interrelated cycles of planning, implementation, and review, and improvement that characterize the life of Gavilan College.
Gavilan College was originally established in 1919 as San Benito County Junior College, with instruction offered at Hollister High School. It operated under this title until 1963, when a new community college district was drawn that included both San Benito and southern Santa Clara Counties. Three high school districts--San Benito, Gilroy Unified, and Morgan Hill Unified--came together to create the Gavilan Joint Community College District (GJCCD).
FIGURE 1: District Boundaries
Successful passage of a local bond in 1966 provided the needed funds to construct the present, more centrally located campus at Santa Teresa Boulevard in Gilroy. College classes were offered in a temporary location at the Hollister Airport while the first facilities on the 170-acre parcel were being constructed. The Gilroy campus added buildings over time through state funding, with the final new building constructed in 2003.
In 1997 and 1998, satellite sites were established in Hollister and Morgan Hill to augment the offerings at the main campus location in Gilroy. With the 2004 passage of the Measure E facilities bond, Gavilan College had funds to upgrade the existing campus and secure permanent locations in Coyote Valley and San Benito County. These land purchases were completed in 2008. Measure E Bond funds also were used to make improvements in institutional and classroom technology, expanded online services, and improvements in safety, accessibility, and lighting.
Gavilan College currently provides instruction at five locations, they are (alphabetically):
- Coyote Valley Center - 530 Bailey Avenue, San Jose, CA 95141
- Gilroy Main Campus - 5055 Santa Teresa Blvd, Gilroy, CA 95020
- Hollister Satellite Site - Briggs Building, 365 4th Street, Hollister, CA 95023
- Morgan Hill Satellite Site - Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center, 17060 Monterey Road, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
- San Martin Aviation Site - San Martin Airport, 13030 Murphy Avenue, San Martin, CA 95046
The official Gavilan Joint Community College District boundaries cover 2,700 square miles of land located in the southern portion of Santa Clara County and most of San Benito County. The main campus of the College is in the City of Gilroy, along highway US 101, approximately 86 miles from downtown San Francisco and 37 miles from downtown San Jose. The western border of the official Gavilan College District area is the Santa Cruz and Monterey County lines. The Merced and Fresno County lines in the east are the ends of the District area and Monterey and Fresno County lines define the southern border. The three principal cities of the official District service area where most population resides are Gilroy, Morgan Hill, and Hollister.
Based upon an analysis of residential zip codes reported by enrolled students over the last five Fall terms (2011 to 2015), the effective service area for Gavilan College encompasses 11 cities. Seventy-five percent of the student headcount comes from zip codes that are inside the official District area.
FIGURE 2: Top Cities of Enrollment; Headcounts, Fall Terms
Source: California Community College Chancellor’s Office, MIS Referential Files; analysis by Cambridge West Partnership, LLC
|
City |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
Gilroy |
2,476 |
2,286 |
2,267 |
2,257 |
2,340 |
|
Hollister |
2,138 |
1,914 |
1,867 |
1,800 |
1,866 |
|
Morgan Hill |
1,099 |
971 |
912 |
943 |
979 |
|
San Martin |
198 |
193 |
180 |
166 |
183 |
|
San Jose |
156 |
158 |
152 |
187 |
241 |
|
San Juan Bautista |
110 |
112 |
109 |
101 |
111 |
FIGURE 3: Ethnicity
The Gavilan College student population reflects the diversity of the communities in the district. While there is no majority ethnic group at the college, large groups of students identify as white, Hispanic (now the largest group), or multiple. Smaller percentages identify as African-American, Asian, and Filipino.
Source: California Community College Chancellor’s Office, MIS Referential Files; analysis by Cambridge West Partnership, LLC
FIGURE 4: Age
Roughly one quarter of Gavilan College students are from the “traditional”, direct from high school age group. Although many are first-time students, the majority are over 20 years old and have had several years of work and/or life experience and a break from their studies since high school.
Source: California Community College Chancellor’s Office, MIS Referential Files; analysis by Cambridge West Partnership, LLC
Figure 5: Student Status
First-time students, first-time transfers, and returning students together account for over one-half of the student body, with the other half composed primarily of continuing students with some high school students/ special admission.
Source: California Community College Chancellor’s Office, MIS Referential Files; analysis by Cambridge West Partnership, LLC
Figure 6 Census headcount by year
Similar to other community colleges, Gavilan has experienced volatility in its enrollment pattern. As job recovery has increased, Gavilan’s headcount has been impacted.
Source: GavData
Figure 7: Full Time Equivalent Students (FTES) by Year
Source: GavData
Ecomony and The Service Area
The State of California and the Bay Area experienced the extremely severe recession starting in December 2007. In the years since the start of the Great Recession job growth in California has grown 5.4%, well ahead of the nation at 3.7%. Although some parts of the state economy have not fully rebounded to the pre-recession levels, gross domestic product (GDP) is growing and the Silicon Valley regional economy has been leading the state recovery with a job growth of 14.7% between 2007 and 2016.
The Bay Area economy is rooted in a diverse, competitive set of industries. Technology is transforming industries such as finance, accommodations, and transportation. If the Bay Area were a country, it would be the 21st largest or equivalent to a mid-sized European nation. Twenty-eight of the global Fortune 500 and 29 of the US Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in the Bay Area and none have left the area since 2011. Beyond technology the Bay Area economy has a robust tourism sector. The Central Coast Regional (San Benito to Ventura counties) economy is largely driven by tourism, food manufacturing, and agriculture. The region experienced economic downturn before the state slid into the Great Recession. Within the Monterey Bay area employment opportunities were significantly curtailed when the housing market crash began in 2007-08.
San Benito County has not fared as well as the Silicon Valley with respect to rebounding from the Great Recession. The unemployment rate has been higher than the statewide and national averages. Although foreclosures were common between 2007 and 2012, they have since declined. The housing market appears to have rebounded, particularly around Hollister. The largest industry in San Benito County is agriculture. It has contributed slow, but steady growth in employment opportunities. While tourism has been a major factor in the economy, the transportation demands on the infrastructure are projected to outstrip capacity. With housing costs at an all-time high in the Bay Area, San Benito County has witnessed a sharp increase in urbanization with the largest number of farmland acres lost among the Bay Area counties (Santa Cruz, San Benito, and Monterey).
Employment in white-collar occupations dominates the economy in the effective service area and in the three census places (Morgan Hill, Gilroy, and Hollister). Blue-collar occupations provide the second largest group of jobs in Hollister and Gilroy. The population in Gilroy, the largest city in the Gavilan College District service area, has grown faster than all cities in Santa Clara County. Job growth is expected to be modest over the next decade and will likely occur in retail, transportation, construction, hospitality, information, and health care industries. The proximity to Silicon Valley makes Gilroy an attractive location for businesses seeking lower-cost locations for expansion.
In the broader regional San Francisco Bay Area the dominant growth industry is in information and communications technologies followed by hospitality and tourism. Conversely in the greater regional area of the coastal counties the dominant growth is in agriculture, retail, and construction materials and services industries.
Future job opportunities and economic growth in construction, trade, and education/health care/social assistance industries, plus a much improved real estate market with affordable housing characterize the future of San Benito County. Business and professional services and information industries, but a costly real estate market, characterizes the future of Santa Clara County. Gavilan College recently completed a comprehensive Educational Master Plan to help anticipate program development and student support services needed to meet the demands of this dynamic community.
Figure 8: San Francisco Bay vs. Coastal Region Projected Job Growth by Industry, 2012-2022
 |
Source: California Employment Development Department, Labor Market Information; analysis by Cambridge West Partnership, LLC
FIGURE 9: San Benito-Santa Clara County Projected Job Growth by Industry, 2012-2022
Source: California Employment Development Department, Labor Market Information; analysis by Cambridge West Partnership, LLC
Population Growth
The three primary individual locations within the District official service area have different rates of growth with Gilroy growing most rapidly, but with Morgan Hill close behind. In Fall 2016 residents in both Gilroy and Morgan Hill approved ballot measures designed to limit or slow growth and to promote a strategy of “in fill” as opposed to sprawl at the edges of each city.
FIGURE 10: Effective Service Area, Educational Attainment in 2016 for Adults Age 25 or Older
Source: Environmental Systems Research Institute, Market Profile; analysis by Cambridge West Partnership, LLC
Within the effective service area 46% of the residents have either less than a high school diploma or only a high school diploma. Another 21% completed some college but did not complete an Associate Degree. Both of these groups of residents are prime candidates for the instruction offered by the College.
FIGURE 11: Effective Service Area, Racial and Ethnic Composition
While the white population continues to decrease as a share of total District's population, Latinos continue to increase, with Asians expecting the biggest increase among ethnic groups over the next five years.
Source: Environmental Systems Research Institute, Market Profile; analysis by Cambridge West Partnership, LLC
FIGURE 12: Effective Service Area Age Range Projections
Source: Environmental Systems Research Institute, Market Profile; analysis by Cambridge West Partnership, LLC
FIGURE 13: Income Distributions by community
The further south one travels in District, the lower the average income becomes. Thus, development of the new campus in San Benito County / Hollister will continue to be a focus for growth.
Source: Environmental Systems Research Institute, Demographic and Income Profile; analysis by Cambridge West Partnership, LLC
FIGURE 14: Adult Educational Attainment, 2016
The further south one travels in the District, the lower the average income becomes. Thus, development of the new campus in San Benito County / Hollister will continue to be a focus for growth.
Source: Environmental Systems Research Institute, Market Profile; analysis by Cambridge West Partnership, LLC
The College meets its commitment to academic excellence by offering a broad range of degrees, certificates, and career programs which directly impact student achievement. Gavilan offers 83 Associate Degrees (AA, AAT, AS, and AST); 51 Certificate of Achievements; and 16 Career Programs (A-1).
FIGURE 15: Instructional Methods
The College Mission Statement ties Gavilan’s commitment to academic excellence through its Educational Master Plan (EMP), most recently revised in FY 2016-2017. The purpose of the EMP is to explore the ways in which the College’s curriculum options might be optimized to match labor market needs, increase transfer opportunities, and align with community educational needs/interests. A second purpose of the EMP is to provide a projection of future attendance that must be supported by the Facilities Master Plan to determine the amount and type of space that will be needed to accommodate the future academic program of instruction and support services. The Facilities Master Plan (FMP) casts the projected space needs or needed into a sequenced building and facility program that addresses the primary elements of site development and facilities planning through the year 2030 (A-2, A-3).
In addition to the EMP and FMP, the College emphasizes continued academic support for its students by maintaining a technological edge that will benefit its students for today and tomorrow. Through its Technology Master Plan (TMP) (A-4), the College is provided with a prioritization list that can be utilized when making strategic technology and resource allocation decisions. This list is comprised of the highest priority initiatives, as approved by the various committees formed to develop technology priorities. It identifies the requirements necessary to support Gavilan’s Planning Process which encompasses the Strategic Plan (A-5), EMP, FMP, and TMP.
Gavilan College provides a variety of student support services, which assist students in meeting their academic goals. Whether support is through general counseling, financial aid, and admissions and records, or through more specialized assistance such as Accessible Education Center, EOPS, MESA, STEM, the Food Pantry or others, the college is committed to student learning and student achievement (A-6).
Planning and Governance
Gavilan College assesses its Mission and Principles of Community on a regular basis (A-7) and develops and supports institutional policy, procedures and processes to achieve its Mission. This iterative process has its foundation in the College’s Strategic Plan which is informed by three Master Plans: Educational (A-2), Facilities (A-3) and Technology (A-4). In Academic Year 2016-17, with strong support from the Board of Trustees (A-8), administration and the Academic Senate (A-9), Gavilan College updated its Educational Master Plan. The resulting document laid the groundwork for the update of the Facilities Master Plan the following year (A-10). Among other conclusions, these efforts identified areas for improvement regarding the College’s instructional programs and degrees (A-11, A-12), as well as how enrollment management (A-13) and optimized scheduling opportunities (A-14, A-15, A-16) can improve this process.