Why this matters
Chula Vista stakeholders suggest building a university will increase academic attainment for people in South County, especially Latinos.
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Students attending a community college in the South Bay could soon enroll in more bachelor’s degree courses closer to home.
California State Assemblymember David Alvarez, D-San Diego, last week revised Assembly Bill 664, which would allow Southwestern College in Chula Vista to offer up to four bachelor’s degrees that were identified as meeting workforce needs in the region.
“This is important because SWC transfer data shows that less than 2% of SWC transfer students attend California public or private schools outside of San Diego County,” Sofia Salgado Robitaille, head of SWC’s Office of Advancement and Community Engagement, told inewsource in an email.
Chula Vista is the largest city in the state without a public university offering bachelor’s degree programs, and the second-largest city in San Diego County. Alvarez’s office has described the area as a “college desert,” citing the nearly 600,000 residents in South County without access to these degrees.
What’s more: Officials say workforce projections show that people will need to fill more than 25,000 South Bay jobs by 2033, with the majority of the roles requiring bachelor’s degrees.
Local labor market analyses identified nearly 150 “priority occupations” vital to the region’s economic growth, according to Alvarez’s bill. These jobs would need bachelor’s degrees in business, health care, technology and the arts.
AB 664 was first introduced in February, but didn’t make much progress over the past year. H. Christoffer Jonsmyr, spokesperson for Alvarez’s office, said the bill needed amendments before its re-introduction to the state assembly.
Now, the bill proposes giving the chancellor of the California Community Colleges the power to allow the new programs at SWC; specifies that the programs need to be “workforce-aligned”; and requires the Legislative Analyst’s Office to evaluate the bill’s effects on the region over the next decade.
AB 664 is part of a bigger picture envisioned by state and local leaders who are trying to create a public university and industry town known as the University-Innovation District in Chula Vista.
Alvarez has led a series of legislative and funding milestones for the university, including a state bill to expedite the purchase of the more than 300 acres for the site; funding partnerships with local colleges to make it easier for students to get certain bachelor’s degrees; and introducing a bill that authorities a task force to plan out the university’s creation.
He also secured funds for a public library building and future educational and college programs there, which is set to open this summer.
Jonsmyr said Alvarez is working to add accelerated degree programs in hospitality, kinesiology and public administration in partnership with San Diego State University, though those plans are not yet finalized.
The assembly’s Higher Education Committee will hold a hearing to review the bill at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13. Any written public comments ahead of the meeting may be submitted here.
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News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.