“We know that these are days of recovery, and recovery will take time.”

Photo courtesy Gavilan College
Christopher High School grad Madeline Clarke, a communications major, took virtual classes at Gavilan College during the pandemic.

By Dr. Kathleen Rose

Dr. Kathleen Rose

I hope your summer is going well, and you are enjoying a balance of activities — hopefully including taking online classes at Gavilan College or registering for the fall 2021 semester. It starts Monday, Aug. 23 and runs through Saturday, Dec. 11.

We are ready to welcome you back! Our dedicated employees are returning to campus, which means enhanced services for our students who are either brand-new to Gavilan or are continuing towards an academic goal.

Please continue to scan our website for updates, including outreach events during the next few weeks designed to give our students extra support as they return to Gavilan.

When you arrive on campus please pick up an information flyer at one of the entry gates so you know the safety protocols expected of you while on campus. Masks and sanitization stations are available throughout campus, and QR codes are on every building for easy check-in. There is testing available as needed, and we recommend vaccinations for all employees and students.

As we continue to emerge from the pandemic, all of us at Gavilan understand that we have been managing the crisis for many months, and we each have had to adapt in many ways amidst profound loss. We know that these are days of recovery, and recovery will take time.

During the summer months we are having discussions about what comes next for our district, and how we can increase meaning and purpose for the students who attend Gavilan College. These discussions will continue through the fall semester and beyond as we face the future together.

Gratefully, we have faculty, professional support staff and administrators to collaborate on the many initiatives we support, especially the Vision for Success (www.vision.foundationccc.org/) and our work in Guided Pathways.

We know distance learning has enormous potential for our students, and there are multiple opportunities for workforce partnerships and apprenticeships.

Our strengths will include our ability to maximize our shared governance process for discussion and decision making, while leveraging data metrics and trends.

There will also be a focus on wellness and the support systems needed to ensure equity in all services we offer.

All of us at Gavilan College are looking forward to having students on campus and welcoming each back with a renewed commitment to their educational goals and success.

Continue to stay safe, take good care, and start planning your return to Gavilan.

Dr. Kathleen Rose is the president/superintendent of Gavilan Community College. This column appeared in a recent newsletter.