Elected officials, students, faculty, staff, and community leaders gathered at Southwestern College on June 5 to support AB 664, legislation that would authorize the college to offer bachelor’s degree programs in four high-demand fields and expand access to higher education in South San Diego County.
The press conference was held outside the college’s University Center..
“We chose to hold this press conference here, in front of this building, deliberately,” said Southwestern College Superintendent/President Dr. Mark Sanchez. “Inside it, UC San Diego, San Diego State University, and California State University San Marcos will be offering programs to South County students beginning this fall so that Southwestern College students can transfer and complete their bachelor’s degree program without leaving this campus, this community, or their support system.”
Sanchez said AB 664 builds on that same spirit of collaboration. The bill would authorize bachelor’s degree programs in Allied Health Leadership and Education, Forensic Studies, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and Interaction Design. All fields identified through regional workforce research as unmet educational needs.
For more information please visit Southwestern College here.
