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.

City Times, the student newspaper, was founded in 1945 as The Jay Sees and later renamed Fortknightly as a bi-weekly publication.

City College took its permanent campus and during the 1950s and 60s, land was acquired to allow expansion through various blocks of today's northeast downtown San Diego.

The latest projects are being funded by the bond measure, Propositions S and N, passed in 2002 and 2006, of $1,979 billion with monies dispersed throughout the District.

Within the college, shared governance activities involve faculty, students and staff in the development of solutions to key policy and college-related issues.

The college's institutional governance is structured to promote a process of independent and critical thinking based on observation, questioning and research protocols.

Governing bodies work together to carry out the responsibilities that fall within the college administration, including provision of educational programs, student support services, staff development, direct campus operations, and various ancillary functions.

The president serves as City College's chief executive officer and is responsible for carrying out policies as directed by the district's higher authority.