Chula Vista ‘University Now’ initiative moves forward with CSU, Southwestern College partnerships
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Summary
Legislators and CSU and Southwestern College officials described early steps to expand 4‑year access in South San Diego via a multi‑institution model funded initially with the 2024 budget; San Diego State and Cal State San Marcos are coordinating academic programs with Southwestern College to serve the Chula Vista region.
Assembly members heard an update on a regional effort to expand access to bachelor's‑degree pathways in South San Diego—known locally as the University Now (UNI) initiative—through coordinated CSU and community‑college partnerships and initial state funding.
Background and funding Nathan Evans of the CSU Chancellor’s Office said the 2024 budget provided two regional higher‑education investments of $2.5 million each to jump‑start planning and program development: one for the Chula Vista / South San Diego region and another for the North Bay / North Coast region. Evans said the Chula Vista allocation included $2.5 million to San Diego State University and an additional $1.25 million in one‑time chancellor’s‑office funds to Cal State San Marcos to support a regional, multi‑institution approach.
Programs, facilities and partnerships Evans and Zenita Encarnacion of Southwestern College described a collaborative, ecosystem model that leverages community colleges, local K–12, city planning and employer partnerships to identify workforce‑aligned programs and design delivery models. San Diego State plans to offer nursing programs (BSN, ADN‑to‑BSN, doctor of nursing practice) and workforce‑aligned certificates at the Millennia site in Chula Vista; CSU San Marcos in partnership with Southwestern identified initial programs including business administration (2+2), ADN‑to‑BSN, speech‑language pathology and public health.
Southwestern College emphasized local coordination and data‑driven planning. Zenita Encarnacion said the UNI initiative brought together more than 50 local partners and used a workforce and academic needs assessment to prioritize programs such as community health, counseling, bilingual speech‑language pathology, cybersecurity, AI and sustainability. Southwestern plans a university center to incubate programs while the larger university innovation district (UID) develops.
Why it matters Committee Chair David Alvarez described the area as a higher‑education “college desert” and said the initiative is meant to expand access without unnecessarily duplicating existing programs. CSU and Southwestern officials argued the regional, multi‑institution model can be replicated elsewhere in the state, especially in underserved regions where building a full standalone campus is not feasible.
Next steps The subcommittee treated the item as oversight; no vote was taken. Officials said successful expansion will require sustained investment, facility development and ongoing alignment among the participating institutions and local workforce partners.
