A recent Free Lance offering criticized the President of Gavilan
College, Dr. Steven Kinsella, for using the term
”
San Benito Junior College
”
as a name for a campus facility in San Benito County. As a
Gavilan trustee I had suggested that we might incorporate the name
that began in 1919 under that title as it will signal a return of
full service to our community.
By Tom Breen
A recent Free Lance offering criticized the President of Gavilan College, Dr. Steven Kinsella, for using the term ” San Benito Junior College” as a name for a campus facility in San Benito County. As a Gavilan trustee I had suggested that we might incorporate the name that began in 1919 under that title as it will signal a return of full service to our community.
Be assured that the Board of Trustees has made no decision on this matter as we have important earlier decisions to be made. It should be noted that as one of the oldest Community Colleges in California, the use of San Benito in the title would be a grateful recognition of the many local graduates of our Junior College when it resided locally. As is the case in some of the older colleges in the system which retain historic names, such as Modesto Junior College and Santa Rosa Junior College, a commitment to service to students is not in any way dependent on names but on the quality of the service provided.
Dr. Kinsella was instrumental in the formation of “Vision San Benito” and was active in its efforts here from 2005 to 2007 providing information on the education component of the hoped for Vision goals. Dr. Kinsella has steered our College through the most difficult financial period in its history while maintaining a high level of student services and avoiding layoffs of our valued employees.
The Board of Trustees has a high regard for Dr. Kinsella as he has taken our direction to provide quality service to our entire district and delivered as directed. He has earned statewide recognition for the work he has done for us and for the statewide system as well. We are blessed to have him as our senior administrator.
Tom Breen is a trustee on the board for the Gavilan Community College and is a retired San Benito County judge.
