Grants rolling in at Gavilan

A $152,000 grant for career training and the possibility of up to $90,000 to address a need of the college’s choosing were subjects of Tuesday night’s Gavilan College hoard meeting.
The $152,000 grant from the California Community College chancellor’s office will go toward training people and upgrading their skills, and the focus will be on hospitality and retail industries.
“All the training will be short-term in nature and will focus on employer-identified skills,” said Susan Patereau, director of economic development at Gavilan.
The grant is for one year and the college is currently looking for a place off-campus to house the program. The training will be aimed at the unemployed or people who need another job.
“We need to go after these people and get them trained and get them in a job, and then they’ll have an experience with Gavilan College,” Patereau said. “We hope to be creating lifelong learners.”
The other grant is potential money the college could gain from the Packard Foundation. Gavilan has already received a $69,000 grant from the foundation to go toward the installation of air conditioning in the theater, which sometimes can reach temperatures around 100 degrees.
Gavilan could receive $70,000 to $90,000 from the foundation for any issue it deems necessary, such as, developing programs for underserved students or upgrading technology.
The grant is a non-competitive grant, which means if, Gavilan officials go through: all the proper channels to get.: the grant, then they are virtually assured the money. The: college will not be competing, against any others for the: grant.
The Packard Foundation is. offering the grant to all the: community colleges in the; area.
“It’s really the Packard. Foundation saying ‘We want: to facilitate what you see as: your major needs,’ ” said Martin Johnson, interim dean of instruction for Gavilan.
Board members discussed: college reorganization once: again, but did not make any decisions. The trustees will: decide between three organizational models for the college that will affect everyone from top administrators to: faculty and staff.
The board will begin the: evaluation of the president of. the college, and received possible forms to use.
They will meet again to begin the evaluation on Tuesday, April 20 at 6 p.m. The evaluation must be completed by May 15.
The next regularly scheduled board meeting will take place Tuesday, May 11 at 7 p.m. In the North/South Lounges of the Student Center at Gavilan College, 5055 Santa Teresa Boulevard.