Neto Senor He is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the San Diego Community College District. She lives in University City.
Fifty years ago, San Diego’s population was barely half what it is today. Interstate 805 had not yet been completed, San Diegans were dealing with a power crisis, and the Padres finished 39 games behind the Cincinnati Reds in the National League West. A short distance from San Diego Stadium, the first employees of the San Diego Community College District were based in what was then called Stadium Plaza. Little did they know at the time that the district would serve millions of students, pump tens of billions into the regional economy and help change the face of community colleges in California forever.
As the San Diego Community College District celebrates its 50th anniversary in 1973, there is much to celebrate. Annual economic impact of $4.5 billion, an amount equivalent to the gross regional product of San Diego County and enough to support 42,121 jobs. The San Diego Promise program provides free college tuition and has grown from an initial group of 185 students in 2016 to nearly 3,000 students this fall. To be at the forefront of the California Community College Baccalaureate Initiative which in 2015 resulted in an accessible and low-cost baccalaureate program at San Diego Mesa College with additional baccalaureate degrees coming soon at San Diego City and Miramar Colleges.
Overwhelming community support has been critical to the San Diego Community College District’s impact — support that led to a $685 million voter-approved bond measure in 2002 and an additional $870 million voter-approved bond measure in 2006 that transformed our universities with funding Construction Created 36 new academic and vocational training facilities and upgraded 20 other facilities at City, Mesa, Miramar and Continuing Education Colleges.
As our district’s demographics have evolved, we’ve also doubled down on our support for historically underserved and marginalized communities, making equity and student support a top district-wide focus. What has remained constant over the past five decades is our mission of service and commitment to student success, all of which have played a pivotal role in building and strengthening San Diego’s economy.
Students sit outside Student Services on the Miramar College campus.
(Courtesy of San Diego Community College District)
Look no further than Oaxaca, Mexico, native Beatriz Cruz, who was a single mother, farmworker and struggling housekeeper before attending the San Diego School of Continuing Education on the Cesar Chavez Campus, where she earned her GED, learned English and computer basics. She was encouraged to continue her studies at City College. At the East Village campus, Beatriz once again found herself surrounded by a wealth of support and encouragement to transfer to San Diego State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in child development and Spanish. Today, she works in the Student Services department helping a new generation of students at the North City campus of the Sierra Mesa College of Continuing Education.
Beatrice has embodied the success that millions of San Diego Community College District students have achieved since November 1973 when voters elected Jane French, Danielle Grady, Richard Johnston, Charles Reed, and Lou Ridgway as the first members of the San Diego Community College District Board of Regents. Up to that point, City, Mesa, Miramar and Continuing Education Colleges had fallen under the auspices of the San Diego Unified School District. In the years that followed, the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees took the lead in expanding the role of community colleges. addressing justice gaps; Creating important partnerships with industry and labor to develop relevant job training programs that lead to well-paying jobs; enhancing pathways for students in K-12 schools; facilitating transfer to four-year colleges and universities; and building comprehensive and comprehensive student support services. She also oversaw the construction of the College of Continuing Education’s historic Cultural and Educational Complex in southeast San Diego’s Mountain View neighborhood, which opened in 1976 to offer free courses from auto mechanics to welding in an area of the city long neglected by city leaders.
The San Diego Community College District is leaving no one behind.
Half of the San Diego Community College District’s roughly 80,000 students enrolled last year were 30 or older, and nearly a quarter were older than 40. Nearly one-third are first-generation students, and 15 percent are active military, military veterans, or a military spouse or dependent. Nearly 1 in 5 are homeless. As part of a regular high school day, more than 4,600 students take dual enrollment courses that count for both college and high school, saving untold thousands of dollars in future higher education costs.
The San Diego Community College District is committed to our community, committed to our military veterans, and committed to all who seek to improve their lives and their families’ futures. Committed to you.
Happy Anniversary, San Diego Community College District!
The San Diego Community College District is proud to celebrate 50 years of providing high-quality education to its students. Since its inception in 1961, the district has been dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive learning environment that promotes academic excellence and student success. With a strong commitment to serving the needs of the community and preparing students for the workforce, the district has become a cornerstone of education in the San Diego area. As we mark this significant milestone, we reflect on the achievements and impact of the district and look forward to continuing to serve and empower our students for many more years to come.