It is my pleasure to connect with you once again through these pages. The Southwestern Community College District is hard at work, providing the finest educational and career opportunities available, not only locally but nationally.
Southwestern College currently has 19,708 registered students for our Fall semester throughout our four Higher Education Centers (San Ysidro, Otay Mesa, National City and Crown Cove) and our Chula Vista campus – a nine percent increase over Fall 2022. I couldn’t be happier because our communities thrive with an educated, skilled population.
Our goal does not end at enrollment, though. We want to make sure our students succeed once they continue their education with us. That’s why so much of our efforts go towards our student services. We want every student to feel a sense of belonging, and be able to succeed regardless of their situation. We offer financial aid, scholarships, counseling, employment, paid internships, health services, and basic needs assistance, along with many other student services.
The Financial Aid Office is working through opportunities to help our student population. As of late-October, through the State Fiscal Recovery Fund, students can receive up to $500 in student emergency assistance on top of their financial aid. When a person is not eligible to receive financial aid, there are still many ways to get assistance, including multiple scholarship opportunities.
Our SWC Cares Program is having a resource fair, Community Cares Expo, in conjunction with Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week, on November 16 at our Chula Vista campus. The fair will include services from the San Diego Food Bank, Live Well San Diego, and many other institutions to assist individuals with basic needs. It is open to the public, and you’re invited to take advantage of the resources.
Veterans make up an important part of our student population, and we’re honored to recognize them for Veterans Day. This year, our Veterans Services Office and Veterans Resource Center are putting together a special ceremony at our Chula Vista campus on November 9, from 12 to 1 p.m., at the Performing Arts Center. It is set to include guest speakers and a music ensemble. The event is open to the community and I hope you can join us.
As part of Native American Heritage Month, Southwestern College has put together a Lunch & Learn event with special guest speaker, Dr. Andrew Jolivette – Professor and Chair of the Department of Ethnic Studies at UCSD and coordinator of the Native American & Indigenous Studies Program. The event will take place on Thursday, November 30, from 12 to 1 p.m., at our Chula Vista campus, in room 61-104, right next to the Library. Everyone is invited.
I also wanted to offer an update on two programs: Restorative Justice and Competency-based learning. The Restorative Justice Program is an educational program that serves individuals who are incarcerated, have been incarcerated, or have been impacted by the justice system and need help along their educational journey. On October 4, 22 incarcerated individuals graduated from our program, receiving an associate’s degree in transfer studies. Their journeys and stories are a testament of resilience and second chances that touched those of us in attendance. The other is our competency-based learning program. As the name suggests, a competency-based degree is founded in proving you have the relevant skills to earn such a degree, not necessarily sitting through a class or passing a test. Southwestern College was one of eight California Community Colleges chosen to create competency-based programs in the state, and our faculty are developing the Automotive Technology competency-based degree to begin in either late 2024 or 2025.
Once again we invite you, our community, to participate in any and all events taking place at our college. Hopefully the experience will inspire you to explore the possibility of becoming part of our student body for the Spring 2024 semester. Our efforts will always be to serve you, our community, and we will keep striving to bring you the highest quality education and career opportunities to enrich your lives.
Mark Sanchez, Ed.D., is Superintendent/President of Southwestern College. More information at www.swccd.edu .
