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Chula Vista 'University Now' initiative advances: CSU, Cal State San Marcos and Southwestern College map regional approach to expand access
Summary
The subcommittee heard updates on the Chula Vista University Now initiative: San Diego State and Cal State San Marcos received seed allocations to develop regional degree pathways in nursing, public health, business and other workforce‑aligned programs, in partnership with Southwestern College and local school districts.
The subcommittee reviewed progress on the Chula Vista University Now (UNI) initiative, a regional effort to expand higher education access in a part of South San Diego County identified as underserved by four‑year institutions. The CSU Chancellor’s Office said the 2024 budget allocated $2.5 million to San Diego State University and an additional one‑time $1.25 million from the Chancellor’s Office to Cal State San Marcos to support program development and partnerships in Chula Vista.
Nathan Evans, deputy vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at CSU, told the committee San Diego State plans to offer multiple nursing pathways at a Millenia library site starting this fall — including a BSN and pathways from ADN to BSN — plus professional certificates in cybersecurity, human resources and construction engineering. Cal State San Marcos, supported with funds, is working with Southwestern College on immediate program development in business administration (2+2), nursing pipelines, speech‑language pathology and public health. Southwestern College’s Zenita Encarnacion described the UNI planning process as data driven and regionally coordinated, stressing partnerships among K‑12, community college and CSU partners and local employers.
Both CSU and Southwestern said the approach emphasizes workforce alignment and shared facilities; Southwestern has prepared a university center to incubate programs while the larger University Innovation District is developed. Committee members repeated interest in replicating the model elsewhere in California’s underserved regions and asked for more details on governance and capacity, pilot outcomes, and timelines for scaling.
Ending: The committee left the item open for continued oversight and requested updates on program launch outcomes, capacity and student access metrics.
