At Southwestern College, we believe community colleges are more than gateways to opportunity, they are agents of transformation. That’s why I am proud to share a bold step forward for our institution and for higher education across California.
Through a new collaboration with the University of Southern California’s USC Rossier School of Education, we have launched the Community College Innovation Scholars Program. This three-year, $4.2 million pilot initiative is designed to expand graduate education opportunities while strengthening leadership throughout California’s community college system.
This program is more than a degree opportunity. It is a pipeline to leadership.
Beginning in fall 2026 and continuing over the next three years, 120 Southwestern College faculty and staff members will have the opportunity to pursue master’s and doctoral degrees in education through USC Rossier. Courses will be taught right here on our Chula Vista campus by USC faculty in a hybrid format that combines in-person instruction with online learning and immersive academic experiences in Los Angeles.
We designed this model with working professionals in mind. It is rigorous, accessible and grounded in real-world practice. Our faculty and staff should not have to choose between advancing their education and serving our students. This partnership allows them to do both.
USC now joins a growing group of respected university collaborators offering programs at Southwestern, including University of California San Diego, San Diego State University, California State University San Marcos Arizona State University, Point Loma Nazarene and National University. Together, these partnerships position Southwestern College as an agent of change in our region.
For USC Rossier, an institution with nearly 150 years of experience preparing equity-centered leaders, this collaboration reflects both innovation and access. Dean Pedro Noguera has spoken about bringing USC’s faculty to communities around the world from Singapore to Finland to South Africa and Brazil. We are proud that Southwestern College is now part of that global vision.
Unlike short-term leadership institutes, the Innovation Scholars Program is degree-conferring and research-driven. Participants may pursue a Doctor of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership, focused on equity-driven transformation and systemic reform, or a Master of Education in Learning Design with AI and Emerging Technologies, centered on building workforce-aligned, technology-forward learning environments.
Each scholar will complete an applied research project that addresses real challenges facing community colleges such as closing equity gaps, improving student persistence, strengthening workforce pathways and enhancing organizational effectiveness. This is not theoretical work. It is a built-in engine for institutional improvement.
To fully activate this initiative, Southwestern College is seeking $840,000 in catalytic support to leverage the broader $4.2 million investment. But the impact of this program will extend far beyond our campus.
Because of our dynamic binational region, Southwestern College plays a critical role in preparing talent for cross-border industries such as health care, logistics and emerging technologies. In our Cali-Baja region, workforce demands are evolving rapidly. We must prepare innovators and high-level professionals ready to meet both existing and emerging opportunities.
At its core, the Community College Innovation Scholars Program is grounded in a simple belief: when educators grow, institutions grow and students benefit most of all.
By bringing the academic strength of USC Rossier directly into the community college setting, we are investing not only in advanced degrees, but in leaders prepared to rethink systems, expand educational equity and access, and transform workforce development. This ensures that community colleges remain responsive to the needs of our region for decades to come.
That is the future we are building at Southwestern College and we are just getting started.
If you are interested in supporting the Community College Innovation Scholars Program, please contact Sofia Salgado Robitaille at srobitaille@swccd.edu or 619-216-6613.
