San Diego Community College District
The San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) is a public community college district in San Diego, California. The SDCCD is one of the five community college districts in San Diego County; part of the greater California Community Colleges system. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the California Community Colleges system is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the University of California system and California State University system.
| Motto | To provide accessible, high quality learning experiences to meet the educational needs of the San Diego community. |
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| Type | Public community college |
| Established | 1972 |
| Endowment | $694.6 million[1] |
| Chancellor | Constance M. Carroll |
Administrative staff | 6,804 |
| Students | 101,879 (Districtwide) |
| Undergraduates | 65,615 (Community Colleges) |
Other students | 37,594 (Continuing Education) |
| Location | , , United States |
| Campus | 3 community college campuses, 7 Continuing Education campuses |
| Colors | Teal blue & white |
| Website | www |
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The San Diego Community College District consists of three two-year, associate degree-awarding campuses: San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College, and San Diego Miramar College; and seven San Diego Continuing Education campuses: César Chávez, CE at Mesa College, CE at Miramar College, Educational Cultural Complex (ECC), Mid-City, North City, and West City. San Diego Mesa College also offers a bachelor's degree in health information management. SDCCD is one of the 73 districts containing the 112 public community colleges in the state of California.
The three two-year, associate degree-awarding community colleges are fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC).
Serving more than 102,000 students, it is one of the largest community college districts in the state of California and in the United States. City College became the third community college in the state and Mesa College is one of the largest in the state today.
The San Diego Community College District's $1.555 billion Propositions S and N construction bond program has provided for new, state-of-the-art instructional and career training facilities, major renovations, public safety and accessibility enhancements, parking, and infrastructure projects at City, Mesa and Miramar colleges, and seven Continuing Education campuses. All construction is completed in accordance with the District's Green Building Policy and Major Renovation Standards. The policy calls for four key performance goals, and includes formal pursuit of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The District is on track to obtain a total of 42 LEED certified buildings. The final classroom building project to be constructed under Propositions S and N — the City College Child Development Center — is underway and scheduled to be completed in late Spring 2020. A quadrangle at Mesa College will be the final project under Propositions S and N; construction began in late 2019.
History
Community college education in San Diego can be traced to 1914 when the Board of Education of the San Diego City Schools authorized postsecondary classes for the youth of San Diego. Classes opened that fall at San Diego High School with four faculty members and 35 students, establishing San Diego City College.
In 1921, City College moved from the high school to share facilities with the State Normal School, the four-year teachers' college which, in 1898, became San Diego State University. For 25 years, the Junior College program remained at San Diego State University. During this period, in 1938, the San Diego Vocational Junior College was established to offer training in technical-vocational skills to post high school students. The following year, the San Diego Evening Junior College was set up to provide college classes in the evening for adults who were unable to attend classes during the day.
In 1946, City College moved back to San Diego High School and reorganized into three branches: San Diego Vocational High School, San Diego College Arts and Sciences, and San Diego Evening Junior College. City College continued to grow during the 1950s and 60s as land was acquired to allow expansion through various blocks of today's northeast Downtown San Diego.
In 1964, San Diego Mesa College was opened to 1,800 students. Five years later, in 1969, San Diego Miramar College opened on 140 acres in what was then undeveloped land north of the Miramar Naval Air Station, now known as Mira Mesa. Unlike City and Mesa Colleges which offered a wide range of general education classes, Miramar College began by concentrating on law enforcement and fire science training. It has since broadened its curriculum to include the general education college courses needed by students in the rapidly growing northern area of the city, as well as new transfer and vocational programs.
In November 1972, the voters approved separating the San Diego Community College District from the San Diego Unified School District. The first election of community college district trustees was held in November 1973.
The year 1976 brought the opening of a unique district campus, the Educational Cultural Complex, dedicated to offering both college and continuing education classes to the multicultural population surrounding its Ocean View Boulevard site. In 1979-80 the administration of the Evening College program was merged with those of the day college programs at San Diego City, San Diego Mesa, and San Diego Miramar Colleges. With both college and Continuing Education programs, as well as extensive educational programs at military bases across the nation, the San Diego Community College District became second-largest community college district in California, offering a choice of educational programs unparalleled in the region.
Recent times
All campuses have receive extensive expansion and renovations in the last 20 years:
At City College, Propositions S and N-funded projects for the 60-acre City College have included six new instructional and career training facilities, eight major renovations, and new parking, public safety, and infrastructure projects. Construction for a new Child Development Center is underway with an estimated completion date of Summer 2020. The building consists of new spaces for child care from infant, toddler and pre-K with unique play areas for the different age groups, along with observation rooms for students in the child development program. Recently, a major renovation was completed for the A and T buildings on campus, providing a complete interior transformation of both buildings, new technology, new finishes, extensive new hardscape to create, for the first time in the campus’ history, pathways and gathering areas in between the two previously unconnected buildings. City College has also modernized its cafeteria with a new kitchen and upgraded its veterans’ center to provide greater services for those who have served us.
At Mesa College, Propositions S & N-funded projects for Mesa have included six new academic and career training facilities, two campus support facilities, five major renovation projects, and numerous infrastructure, parking, and public safety projects. Recently, the campus’ new Center for Business Technology (BT) building opened, expanding upon the east campus gateway projects. The dramatically-renovated Fine Arts (FA) building opened on the northern perimeter, and provides a modern and spacious museum-quality gallery on the main campus entry level.
At Miramar College, new projects for 2019-20 include an infrastructure landscape and pathway project on the west side of Parking Structure 4 allowing for a safe walking path connecting the south end of campus to the quad area and improving the look of that area. Smaller projects include: installation of some type of diverter fencing at the Aviation Building (A200) for the jet engine testing yard, providing ADA parking spaces under some type of shading near parking lot 1 or 2 as required, and repairing smart meters to be able to track energy data on individual buildings.
San Diego Continuing Education is made up of seven unique campuses located throughout San Diego. Propositions S & N-funded projects for Continuing Education included the construction of six new campus facilities - Mid-City Campus, North City Campus, West City Campus, Continuing Education Mesa College Campus, Continuing Education Miramar College Campus, César E. Chávez Campus, and the new Skills Center at the Educational Cultural Complex (ECC). An 18,000 square foot wing was added to the ECC as well, creating a permanent home for programs previously housed in bungalows and modular classrooms. The bond program also provided for a complete seismic retrofit for the Centre City Campus. No major construction projects are currently planned for the 2019–20 school year.
Governance
The San Diego Community College District is governed by a five-member, locally elected Board of Trustees and three student members serving on a rotating basis, representing each of the three colleges. The sitting student trustee has an advisory vote on the Board. Shared governance activities involve faculty, students and staff in the development of solutions to key policy and budget issues. The five trustees are elected in even-numbered years to four-year terms by the voters of San Diego. Trustee candidates first run in district-only elections. The top two vote-getters in each district run citywide in the general election.
Each college of the SDCCD, including Continuing Education, is headed by a president and three vice presidents overseeing instruction, administrative services, and student services, respectively. Each academic school department is headed by a dean.
Administration
The San Diego Community College District has five major operational components: City College, Mesa College, Miramar College, Continuing Education, and the District administrative departments that support campus and overall operations. The administrative departments include Business Services, Facilities Management, Human Resources, Instructional Services and Student Services.
Functions that are the responsibility of the District administrative departments are intended to provide for efficiency and continuity of services and programs. Compliance and functions that are statutorily required are also the responsibility of various District operations. The provision of educational programs, student support services, staff development, direct campus operations, and various ancillary functions are the responsibility of each College and Continuing Education.
All administrative departments and operations in the District Office are under the final authority of the Chancellor and the College/Continuing Education operations are under the final authority of the President, who reports to the Chancellor. The Board of Trustees is the final level of authority for all functions within the District.
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees is responsible for establishing policies that govern all activities related to conducting the business of the District, the Colleges, and Continuing Education. Development and review of policies and procedures are collegial efforts involving a variety of participatory governance groups. For policies and regulations that affect academic and professional matters, the Board relies primarily on the Academic Senates; on matters defined as within the scope of bargaining interests, the Board follows the requirements of negotiations. For administrative matters, the Board relies primarily on the recommendations of staff with input from various constituencies in the development and review process. The general public may comment at public Board meetings on any policy consideration before the Board.
District Chancellor
The Chancellor, is the District's Chief Executive Officer and is responsible for carrying out the policies approved by the Board of Trustees and for providing overall leadership for the District. The Chancellor maintains a Cabinet composed by the Presidents of the Colleges/Continuing Education, five Vice Chancellors overseeing the District's departments of Business and Technology Services, Student Services, Human Resources and Administrative Services, Facilities Management, and Instructional Services; and the Director of Communications and Public Relations.
College Presidents
The President is the institutional Chief Executive Officer of the College/Continuing Education. The President reports to the Chancellor. The President is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the total College/Continuing Education program and provides leadership and coordination for the College/Continuing Education community. The Presidents and Chancellor provide overall leadership and authority on all of the functional areas. Each President maintains a Cabinet composed of three Vice Presidents overseeing Instruction, Administrative Services and Student Services and the Dean of each School of each College including the Dean of Student Affairs and the Dean of Student Development and Matriculation.
Campuses
The San Diego Community College District consists of three two-year community colleges and seven Continuing Education campuses. For the 2018–19 school year, all institutions were serving approximately 102,000 students. The three colleges offer associate degrees and certificates in occupational programs that prepare students for entry-level jobs, and arts and sciences programs that transfer to four-year colleges and universities. Mesa College offers a bachelor's degree in health information management. Continuing Education's Educational Cultural Complex (ECC) also offers classes leading to associate degrees and certificates.
The Continuing Education campuses offer adults the opportunity to renew their learning experiences through noncredit vocational, basic skills, life skills, and enrichment classes at sites throughout the city. A number of special programs are unique to the city, including KSDS-FM all-jazz radio, the Center for Competitive and Applied Technologies, and the Workplace Learning Resource Center.
San Diego City College
Located in downtown San Diego as the first community college in the city and the third in California, City College sits on 60 acres and offers over 100 majors to more than 20,000 students. Besides general education, transfer and AA/AS degree programs, some of the unique disciplines available at City are:
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San Diego Mesa College
As one of the largest and most successful of California's 112 community colleges, and as the largest college in the San Diego Community College District, Mesa College focuses on high academic standards to maintain one of the highest student transfer rates in California. The college opened in 1964 and it now serves over 24,000 students on a campus of 104 acres offering more than 150 programs of instruction. Among its unique programs available on campus are:
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San Diego Miramar College
Located on 120 acres in the Mira Mesa/Scripps Ranch suburban area of San Diego along the I-15 corridor, Miramar opened as a training facility for San Diego's law enforcement personnel and firefighters in 1969.
Today, Miramar College offers over 120 certificates, associate degrees, and comprehensive 4-year university transfer programs and is home to the Southern California Biotechnology Center, the Advanced Transportation and Energy Center, and the San Diego Regional Public Safety Institute which provides training for nearly all law enforcement officers and firefighters within San Diego County and also trains EMTs and offers the only open water lifeguard degree in the world. Miramar has the only entry-level biotechnology program in San Diego County. Miramar boasts unique career training in the following:
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San Diego Continuing Education
San Diego Continuing Education was the first and remains the only community college continuing education institution in California to meet the standards for independent accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Continuing Education was also one of the first in California to establish a Joint High School Diploma partnership with the local school district, and was also among the first continuing education programs in California to serve 100,000 students per academic year.
Today, the Continuing Education system consists of seven campuses and 56 partnered locations throughout the city where instruction may be offered in collaboration with schools, community service providers, and other institutions. Instruction offered at Continuing Educaiton includes:
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Admissions
The San Diego Community College District conducts open enrollment in all of its three community colleges and seven Continuing Education campuses.
Community College admission criteria
- Persons who possess a high school diploma or California high school proficiency exam certification or GED with an average score of 45 or higher.
- Persons 18 years of age or older or emancipated minors who do not possess a high school diploma or equivalent may be admitted by the college under provisional admission status.
- High school students requesting concurrent enrollment may be admitted as "special part-time" students.
- Persons who are under 18 years of age who do not have a high school diploma and are not enrolled in a high school may be admitted as a special full-time student pursuant to Education Code 48800.5 subject to approval of the high school governing board and the college President where the student is planning to attend. Special full-time student will be admitted under provisional admission status.
- Persons 18 years of age or older currently pursuing their high school diploma or GED at a joint-high school diploma/GED-granting continuing education institution may also be admitted.
Continuing Education admission criteria
- Persons 18 years of age or older and residents of California.
- Persons younger than 18 who are high school graduates, married or in the military and a resident of California.
Matriculation
Matriculation is a state-mandated program to enhance access to the California Community Colleges and is the process in which a student's educational endeavors are systematically analyze, executed and enforced. There are five steps in the process of matriculation:
- Applying to a college and being admitted.
- Orientation to familiarize the student with the college, faculty, administration, academics, regulations, and other college/student-related matters.
- Assessment to measure the student's current articulative level of English and math to allow proper placement in courses and determine which prerequisites must be met.
- Program Planning to provide comprehensive counseling and advise in order to establish educational goals and to identify support services to achieve such goals.
- Educational Plan Development to organize the student's educational goals (earn a degree, transfer to a 4-year school, update skills, learn a new skill, etc.) and how to meet them.
Cost of Attendance
Estimated 2018-2019 Cost of Attendance
at City, Mesa and Miramar colleges
| Dependent Student | Independent Student | |
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| Enrollment Fees | $1,104 | $1,104 |
| Health Fee | $38 | $38 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,854 | $1,854 |
| Food and Housing | $5,247 | $13,293 |
| Transportation | $1,098 | $1,233 |
| Personal Expenses | $3,276 | $3,006 |
| Total | $12,617 | $20,528 |
Attendance to any of SDCCD's three community colleges will incur fees and expenses. Several fees are mandatory and may only be waived upon eligibility of the student and approval by the college. The following are mandatory fees for all students seeking enrollment:
Enrollment Fees
As established by the California Community Colleges, both residents of California and non-residents pay $46 per unit at any of the 112 public community colleges in the state.
Health Services Fee
All students are assessed a mandatory fee for health services and accident insurance, whether or not they choose to use the health services.
- $19 at City, Mesa and Miramar Colleges per fall and spring semester
- $16 at City, Mesa and Miramar Colleges for summer semester
Non-Resident tuition
Students who are not legal residents of California at the time of enrollment, aside from the $46 per-unit enrollment fee, will be charged:
- $221 at City, Mesa Miramar Colleges per unit
Student Representation Fee
As required by California Education Code 76060.5, all students will be assessed a Student Representation Fee of $1 upon enrollment.
Parking permits
Students wishing to park their vehicles on campus must display the required parking permit. The following applies for all three community colleges:
- $5 for a daily permit
- $40 for a semester permit for automobiles
- $17.50 for a semester permit for motorcycles
Additional Fees
The following fees are incidental and may only be waived upon eligibility of the student and approval of the college.
- Associated Student Membership fee is $8 per academic year at all three community colleges.
- Credit by Examination fee is $46 per unit at City, Mesa and Miramar Colleges
- Liability Insurance fee (if required) is $7 per semester at all three community colleges.
- Transcript of Record fee (first two transcripts are free) is $5 for each additional transcript at all three community colleges.
Other costs associated with attendance include books, supplies, transportation to/from campus, food and housing. These costs vary widely depending on the student's academic workload and individual personal necessaries and requirements.
Financial aid
Financial aid is available for those who qualify at all three community colleges. There are several sources of financial aid available at all three community colleges such as federal and state monies. Some sources of aid are only available at one or two colleges but not all three such as grants or scholarships aimed to aid students attending the endorsed college or enrolled in a particular academic study as agreed between the college and the endowing institution. Students are advice to visit their college's financial aid office or website for information as each financial aid program has its own requirements, procedures and deadlines.
Some of the sources of financial aid available at City, Mesa and Miramar colleges are:
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San Diego City, Mesa, and Miramar Colleges no longer participate in federal unsubsidized loan programs.
Academics
City College, Mesa College, and Miramar College as public two-year community colleges administered by the San Diego Community College District offer credit programs leading to degrees, transfer, employment, and skills improvement along with the District's Continuing Education division of seven major campuses throughout San Diego.
As required by the voters of San Diego in 1972, the San Diego Community College District is to provide education for all high school graduates and adults 18 years of age and older in the service region. This charge includes providing adult basic education, including GED/High School Diploma, through sophomore-level college degree programs, with both academic and vocational curricula.
San Diego Community Colleges offer over 130 individual disciplines with over 300 academic programs that lead to associate degrees or Certificates of Performance. Academics are held within individual schools at each college which in turn are divided into separate departments holding their areas of study and instruction.
References
- SDCCD Board of Trustees (2020). "Annual Report to the Community 18-19" (PDF). San Diego Community College District. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
- Constance M. Carroll, Ph.D. (2020). "Progress and Plans 2019-2020" (PDF). San Diego Community College District. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
External links
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