Center for Community Economic Development

Historical Note:

Initially formed in 1995 as a certificate program in Community Economic Development at San Diego State University's College of Business Administration, the program expanded in 2000, becoming the Center for Community Economic Development (CCED) under the direction of Harold Brown. The program originally consisted of 10 classes, and a series of class-related seminars. Student coursework culminated in a final project, in which students had to create and implement a community development service or business, then submit a final report detailing their project's purpose, goals, business plan, successes, and failures. The Center not only continued to offer a comprehensive curriculum in community economic development, but also provided resources and consulting services to community organizations, educational institutions, and small businesses, as well as high school outreach programs and job placement services. The Center's goal was to endorse economic self-reliance, and generate community-minded individuals in the hopes of improving disadvantaged and low-income neighborhoods. One of only a handful of such programs in the United States, the CCED received numerous awards for its activities. In 2008, the College of Business Administration suspended the CCED for budgetary reasons.