Chabot College’s closed bookstore, building 3800, is set to be transformed into the Gladiator Hub, a new space dedicated to supporting student equity and success, as announced by Director Saleem Gilmore. The Hub will offer study areas, computing resources, and a lounge area for student engagement.
Since the Bookstore was removed, Saleem Gilmore, the Director of Student Equity and Success, has a very important role in the revival of the building. In the words of Mr. Gilmore, “The Student Equity Office is to support students’ basic needs in an effort to ensure success, and in time, we’ll have areas for students to study, computers for students enrolling in classes, and a lounge area for students just kick it.”
Saleem Gilmore, who formerly taught in Oakland and San Francisco, produced comfortable spaces for the purpose of student engagement in the college environment. In the interview, Gilmore explained that he wanted to provide students with resources.
Gilmore mentioned that “As an entrepreneur, He developed many programs specific to students, So I partnered with school districts,” Gilmore reflected on his other experiences establishing leadership development programs. The College Access Center at the University of San Francisco and the Center for Student Equity and Success Center at Cal State East Bay are both examples of the work he and his team have done to create a welcoming atmosphere for students.
Gilmore and his team have worked tirelessly to find the best way to improve the experience of what will soon be known as the Gladiator Hub. This Hub will provide a sense of community for students and will feature a fresh market pantry so students and staff can make coffee and get food for free.
Nicole Harden, Khammany Mathavongsy, Elizabeth Maggio (Director, SparkPoint), Stefanie Montouth (Interim Student Resources Program Manager in the Student Equity Department), Saleem Gilmore, and Muna Taqi-Eddin (CalFresh Outreach Specialist) are the ones behind the creation of the Resource Hub, and are responsible for making this change happen.