The body responsible for developing plans aimed at creating a four-year university in Chula Vista took a step toward shaping a proposed governing structure during its second meeting Friday (8.28.2026), laying the foundation for what the estimated $2.17 billion university might eventually look like.
The South County Higher Education Planning Task Force heard a staff recommendation for the initial governance structure for the proposed 35-acre University District at Chula Vista, voting to schedule an additional meeting in January dedicated specifically to governance before finalizing any recommendation. The task force will also meet in November and February.
The task force, created under Assembly Bill 662, must submit governance, financing and land-use recommendations for the proposed four-year university district to the California Legislature by July 1, 2027.
Because the proposed university district would be a multi-institution site, the staff-recommended governance structure would pair a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) — a public legal entity with authority to hold property, issue debt and employ staff — with a nonprofit intended to enable participation by Mexican higher education institutions, which cannot legally join a JPA.
The university district’s multi-institution model builds on partnerships already underway at Southwestern College, which has agreements with San Diego State University, UC San Diego, CSU San Marcos, National University, Point Loma Nazarene University, Arizona State University and the University of Southern California.
August 29, 2026, by Walker Armstrong
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