Still no Alliant U campus in South County

Plans for Alliant International University to open a South County campus under a partnership with the Sweetwater Union High School District have stalled for the second consecutive semester.

University President Dr. Geoffrey Cox said the university will continue to provide transportation for its South County students to its Scripps Ranch campus during the spring semester.

There’s been extensive discussion between the school district and Cox about opening a campus on district property — preferably at Sweetwater High School — since the district withdrew an application for a conditional use permit at the National City Adult School on Aug. 21.

But Cox said he does not foresee an Alliant campus in South County until the private university reaches the 50-student admission quota that is stated in a signed memorandum of understanding between the district and the four-year university.

“We originally said that it would make sense for us to begin offering classes in the district when we have about 50 students, and we’re still pretty far from that,” he said. “So we think it’s worked out reasonably well to bring students up to the campus and we’ll continue doing that for right now.”

For the current fall semester, less than 20 students from the South County are attending Alliant.
Cox said having the students attend the main campus is beneficial because they get to fully experience college life.

District board member John McCann said future plans include housing Alliant at Sweetwater High School.

“We’re going to be sharing Sweetwater High School’s facility,” McCann said.

Sweetwater High School is large enough to hold classes for the four-year university, McCann said.

He said the hold-up is that the district is waiting for Alliant to get its accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges before it can move into the high school.