65th Anniversary
Transforming Lives & Communities
Founded in 1961, Southwestern College began by serving 1,657 students at a temporary location inside Chula Vista High School. In 1963, the College broke ground on its permanent 156-acre main campus, and by September 1964, classes had moved to the new site at Otay Lakes Road and East H Street in Chula Vista.
Today, Southwestern College serves nearly 30,000 students annually, making it the only source of public higher education in the south San Diego County region. The college offers a diverse range of programs, including associate degrees, university transfer pathways, career-focused certificates, and noncredit courses, all supported by an accreditation that has been in place since 1964. With its wide-ranging academic options and commitment to student success, SWC continues to be a gateway to higher education, workforce advancement, and lifelong learning.
Six Decades of History
1960:
- Joseph Rindone is Superintendent
- February: The State Department of Education approved the organization of the junior college for the Sweetwater School District and referred the matter to the State Department of Education
- April: State Department of Education approved the organization of a junior college for the Sweetwater District and requested the County Superintendent of Schools to call an election.
- November:
- Election was held and voters approved the formation of the Sweetwater Junior College District and requested the County Superintendent of Schools to call an election.
- An election was held and the voters approved the formation of the Sweetwater Junior College District.
- A $6,000,000 bond was passed for construction
1961:
- Southwestern College was established and began offering classes to 1,677 students using temporary facilities at Chula Vista High School.
- January 19: Official name is Sweetwater Junior College
- February 28: President William N. Kepley with salary of $15,600
- April 20: Temporary location of junior college was Chula Vista HS
- June 29: Official name was designated “Southwestern College”
- Sept 11: SWC opened its doors
- Oct 19:
- Board agrees to purchase 157.84 acres on Otay Lakes Road = $860,228
- First Student body election. President Dick Langston
- Fall First football team
1962:
- July 1: Chester S. Devore becomes President at salary of $14,800
- June 11: First graduating class of 26 students
1963:
- Groundbreaking occurred for the new 156-acre permanent campus located at Otay Lakes Road and H Street in Chula Vista.
- Enrollment for 1963-64 approximately 2,500.
1964
- Construction of the initial campus buildings was completed, and students began attending classes at the new campus.
- Summer was last session at Chula Vista High School campus.
- SWC became one of the national leaders in developing a computer registration program.
- September: 3,100 enrolled for fall semester
- December 6: Dedication to new campus
1966:
- January: Nursing program started
1967
- July 1: Sweetwater Community College District administration completely separated from the Sweetwater Union High School District and positions of Superintendent and President were combined and assigned to Chester S. DeVore.
1969
- Mayan Hall completed
- Marilyn Lassman, first female was elected to Governing Board
1971:
- Stadium completed. The first public event held at the stadium at Southwestern College was a Fourth of July fireworks show sponsored by the local firefighters association in 1971.
- Southwestern field open for first public event - Newspapers.com™
1976:
- College for Kids started with urging from Trustee Marilyn Lassman
1978:
- December 19: Agreement with California School Employees Association (CSEA)
1979:
- February 1: Agreement with SWC Education Association (SCEA)
1981: Student paper changed its name from Athapascan to The Sun.
1982: SWC Foundation established.
1983: January H Street opened, to aid traffic problems, with a 10km run with over 300 participants.
1984:
- Language institute created to concentrate resources for ethnic minorities.
- Law enforcement academy approved as a 2 year program.
1985:
- Grateful Dead performs at DeVore Stadium
- Grateful Dead Retrospective 1985: A Beautiful View In Chula Vista [Video/Audio]
1988: The college expanded by opening the San Ysidro Higher Education Center to better serve the southern San Diego County community.
1995:
- February:
- Dr. Maya Angelou speaks at Southwestern College
- Review of Maya Angelou in San Diego
1997: SWC hosts first combined Student Awards Ceremony, honoring Students of Distinction and scholarship recipients.
1998: Southwestern College opened the National City Higher Education Center, expanding access to education in the district.
- February:
2007: The Otay Mesa Higher Education Center opened as a regional center for education and workforce development.
2009: A new San Ysidro facility replaced the original center, providing a modern campus to serve students and the community.
2014:
- Southwestern College has been awarded a $2.475 million federal grant to support Puertas al Futuro (Doorways to the Future), a five-year initiative designed to increase completion rates for Latino students and English language learners.
- Opened a new LEED-certified classroom and athletic complex, completed DeVore Stadium renovations, and launched major Prop R sustainability projects, including solar arrays expected to save over $600,000 annually in energy costs.
2016: Passage of Proposition Z, that would fund a new Performing Arts Center, College Police Building, University Center and state-of-the-art Public Safety Training Center in Otay Mesa, a new Botanical Garden, Planetarium, and Student Union
2017:
- Political activist, scholar, author and philosopher, Angela Davis speaks at SWC.
- '60s Icon Angela Davis Rocks Southwestern College with Riffs on Trump, Education, Incarceration
2018:
- Activist and Holocaust survivor, Ruth Sax speaks at Southwestern College.
- Ruth Sax at Southwestern College in Chula Vista
2019: Grand Opening of Wellness and Aquatics Complex
2020:
- February: Grand Opening of College Police Building
2021: Grand Opening of Performing Arts Center that includes one 540-seat theater, and a smaller scale 151-seat black box theater, a performance dance studio, and instructional dance studio.
2024
- November:
- Passage of Proposition SW, authorizing $800,000,000 in bonds to modernize our facilities.
- Grand Opening of Botanical Garden, that included Greenhouses, Urban Farm & Orchard, California Native Plants, Cutting-Edge Classrooms, Formal Gardens, Live Oak Amphitheater, and Auditorium.
2025:
- April:
- The Southwestern College Sun was recognized as one of the best collegiate newspapers in North America winning the Gold Crown Award from the Columbia University Scholastic Press Association.
- Southwestern College student newspaper receives prestigious recognition
- October: Opening of Instructional Building 1, that includes instructional space and a University Center as well as a remodeled planetarium.
- September:
- Options Middle College High School opened
- Grand Opening of the Student Union, that includes a food hall, Associated Student Organization, Learning Communities Hub, SWC Cares Hub, Culinary Arts, Health & Personal Wellness programs, and the Veterans Resource Center and Veterans garden, a meditation room and wellness workshop space, ballrooms/conference rooms, and multi—use lawn, roof deck, and recreation areas.