Southwestern College could become ground zero in California’s next higher-ed turf fight, after state lawmakers advanced a bill that would let the Chula Vista campus roll out several applied bachelor’s programs aimed squarely at local employers. Supporters say it is a lifeline for South Bay students who cannot easily move away for school, while the University of California and California State University systems warn it chips away at long-standing safeguards against duplicating their degrees. AB 664 now heads to the state Senate, setting up another clash over how California grows four-year options.
What AB 664 Would Do
AB 664 would let the chancellor of the California Community Colleges authorize Southwestern College to launch up to four workforce-focused baccalaureate programs, with interim and final evaluations by the Legislative Analyst’s Office. The authority would sunset in 2035, according to the bill text posted on the state’s Legislative Information site. The Assembly signed off on the measure on Jan. 26 by a 69-1 vote, per LegiScan, and the bill now awaits action in the Senate.
Backers Say It Fills a Local Gap
Bill author Assemblymember David Alvarez and Southwestern leaders argue the proposal zeroes in on South San Diego County’s workforce needs, pointing out that Chula Vista is the largest city in California without a public university that offers bachelor’s degrees. In a joint press release, they floated potential programs such as allied health leadership, forensic studies, TESOL and interaction design to match employer demand, according to Assemblymember David Alvarez's office. Supporters say the bill would let place-bound students stay rooted in the South Bay instead of uprooting families for a four-year campus, and note that the authority is explicitly temporary while longer-term higher-education capacity is built in the region.
Why UC and Cal State Push Back
UC and CSU officials have been blunt in hearings, arguing that AB 664 sidesteps a 2021 law that set up a formal process to prevent overlapping degree programs and to give the university systems a clear voice. Representatives from both systems told lawmakers that the bill could open the door for community colleges to create programs that mirror existing university offerings without any appeals mechanism, according to Digital Democracy. CSU witnesses urged Southwestern to use the standard approval process instead of seeking what they called a one-off statutory carve-out.
Policy Context and Scale
Under California’s 2021 law, community colleges can seek approval to offer bachelor’s degrees, up to 30 new programs per academic year, so long as they do not duplicate UC or CSU offerings. That word “duplication” has become a political and bureaucratic headache, slowing or stalling dozens of proposals. CalMatters reports that more than 50 baccalaureate programs have been approved at around 40 community colleges, while other pitches remain in limbo over duplication fights. Advocates note that roughly 29 of the state’s 116 community colleges sit at least 25 miles from a public university, leaving an estimated 150,000 place-bound students with limited nearby four-year choices.
Political Stakes and What’s Next
Even with a lopsided Assembly vote, AB 664 faces real headwinds. Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed earlier efforts to expand community-college bachelor’s programs, including recent nursing bills, and has publicly pressed lawmakers to stick with the 2021 framework, as his veto messages make clear. His office summarized those earlier decisions in a legislative update that hinted similar bills could again stall at the Capitol, according to the governor’s office. For now, AB 664 is listed as engrossed and sitting in the Senate, with its current status posted on LegiScan.
Bottom Line for South Bay Students
Supporters cast AB 664 as a practical fix for employers and for students like single mother Marilynn Palomino, who could avoid moving her family just to complete a degree. Critics counter that the bill risks weakening coordination among California’s public higher-education systems. Even if the measure becomes law, Southwestern would still need to design programs and hire faculty, a process that can stretch two to three years and require significant resources, while the Legislative Analyst’s Office tracks how the pilot performs. Lawmakers and higher-ed leaders will now be watching to see whether Sacramento opts for a targeted South Bay experiment or doubles down on the existing cross-system approval process.
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