65th Anniversary

 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

Back to top

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)

Back to top

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.

Back to top

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.

Back to top

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.

Back to top

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

Back to top

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.

Back to top