As fall approaches and students head back to school, there are a few new things they might find on their respective CSU campuses—whether it's a new building or stadium, a new dean of their college or a new piece of technology to enhance their studies.
Take a quick tour of the CSU campuses to find out what's new this school year.
Leadership
CSU Monterey Bay President Vanya Quiñones assumed leadership on August 15, 2022.
Each year brings new faces to the campuses, but some are seeing exciting changes at the top level of leadership. Both CSU Monterey Bay and Sonoma State will have new presidents this year. CSUMB's
President Vanya Quiñones is taking over from retiring President Eduardo Ochoa, and Sonoma State's
President Ming-Tung “Mike" Lee is serving in an interim role.
Other campuses will see their share of new vice presidents:
- CSU Channel Islands welcomed
Eboni Ford Turnbow, Ph.D., vice president for Student Affairs.
- Chico State appointed
Monique Sendze, Ed.D., vice president for Information Technology and chief information officer and
Isaac Brundage, Ed.D., vice president for Student Affairs. The campus will also host the new project manager for the California Native American Graves and Repatriation Act,
Adriane Tafoya.
-
Bobbie Porter, Ed.D., begins her tenure as the first vice president/chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer at CSU Dominguez Hills.
- Fresno State named
Bao Johri, Ed.D., as vice president for Information Technology and chief information officer and
Xuanning Fu, Ph.D., as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.
Academic Programs
CSU Channel Islands introduced a new dance studies major. Previously, the school only offered a performing arts major with a dance emphasis.
Students at several campuses will also find new degree and academic programs to enrich their learning experiences.
CSU Bakersfield is offering a
new history degree with a concentration in social science teaching that will combine a traditional history degree with courses counting toward a social science teaching credential.
CSU Channel Islands introduced a
dance studies major, while Fresno State created
bachelor of music degrees in composition, instrumental performance, jazz studies and vocal performance—which will require students to meet more rigorous standards than when the degrees were bachelor of arts.
Sacramento State has a new
master of arts in Universal Design for eLearning, and San Francisco State introduced a new
Migration and Refugee Studies undergraduate certificate that teaches the "economic, political and environmental displacement of people within countries and across borders." San Diego State's Imperial Valley campus launched an
accelerated pre-licensure bachelor of science in nursing, which will help address the nursing shortage by allowing first-years to complete the program in three years and transfer students in two years. In addition, Cal State San Bernardino partnered with the Stater Bros. grocery store chain to develop the
Stater Bros. Markets Online Bachelor of Arts in Administration Degree Completion Program to increase access to higher education in the Inland Empire, especially for the chain's employees.
Other new programs will help with professional development and networking. CSU Dominguez Hills's new
Japan Job Training program, created in partnership with the Japanese Consulate and local Japanese businesses, will introduce students to international industry leaders and work opportunities. And, CSU Bakersfield is launching a free 10-week
venture accelerator program in its new Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation for the CSUB community.
Student Support Services
Cal State Long Beach students participate in the "Healthy Home Cooking: Build Burrito Lettuce Cups" cooking class hosted by ASI's Sustain U at the new Beach Kitchen, which opened in April 2022 as part of the ASI Beach Pantry.
A student's experience on campus, however, goes well beyond the academic and professional realm. The CSU aims to provide a holistic approach to caring for a student through efforts like Basic Needs programs, the Equal Opportunity Program (EOP) and mental health and wellness services. To meet those needs, campuses are constantly improving and adding student services.
This fall, Chico State is opening
The Well, a new student wellness center at Bell Memorial Union. Students will find a place to study, create art, take naps, participate in wellness activities like yoga and meditation, get a massage and receive nutritional and financial counseling—among other things.
Cal State Long Beach has likewise implemented a new wellness initiative,
Beach WELL, to ensure students can access mental health support with help from the entire campus community. The initiative also includes elements to support students' family members, who are likely the first points of contact for struggling students. In addition, the new
Beach Kitchen, an extension of CSULB's ASI Beach Pantry, will teach students to cook nutritious, culturally-inclusive meals using the pantry staples available.
Other new services will help strengthen students' sense of belonging on campus, increase access to higher education for underrepresented populations and provide overall support. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo will add a
Latinx Center to its mix of campus resource centers, CSUN launched its
Bridge to the Future: Black Scholars Matter program to provide tuition-free college to local students of African descent, and Cal State East Bay held its first
Summer Transition Empowerment Program to help students from underserved communities transition to life on campus.
Additionally, CSU Dominguez Hills introduced Student Success Centers into each of its six colleges to improve student retention by providing college-based advising, mentorship, counseling and more.
Buildings and Facilities
Congresswoman Norma Torres and Cal Poly Pomona President Soraya M. Coley tour the campus's new Liquid Rocket Lab at the April 2022 grand opening.
This year, campuses are also opening new doors of opportunity for students literally as they unveil new buildings and facilities.
To provide more research opportunities, Chico State's new
FinTech Lab will provide students access to financial software and trading technology including the Bloomberg Terminal, a finance platform with real-time data and analytics, and Cal Poly Pomona opened the
Liquid Rocket Lab where aerospace engineering students will work to make CPP the first university to launch a liquid-fueled rocket. Cal State Fullerton is introducing
The Latinx Lab for Storytelling and Social Justice in its Chicana and Chicano Studies Department, and San Diego State opened a
Mesoamerican Studies Center in Oaxaca, Mexico to facilitate transborder research. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is finishing up construction on the
William and Linda Frost Center for Research and Innovation, which will house research and learning facilities for various colleges
In addition, Cal State East Bay's new
CORE building will be home to facilities like the university library and the Hub for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Fresno State is welcoming students into the new
Lynda and Stewart Resnick Student Union and expanded its
SCOUT transportation services for students with disabilities, and Cal Poly Humboldt opened a new
campus store at its Arcata location. Stanislaus State focused efforts on its
Stockton campus to upgrade the student lounge, recreation room, library and food services—with plans to open a food pantry.
Cal State Fullerton and
CSU San Marcos have also built new residential halls to house their growing student bodies, with the latter also opening its first student dining hall, Campus Way Cafe.
And, campuses didn't forget about their sports—and esports—teams. Cal State Fullerton constructed new
baseball and softball facilities as well as an
Olympic-sized, 53-meter pool, which will be filled with the men's water polo team for the first time since 1985 and the campus's first women's water polo team. Cal State San Bernardino opened its
Esports Arena in May, and San Diego State's football team took the field for the first time at the new
Snapdragon Stadium for a preseason scrimmage in August.
Technology and Equipment
Tal Slemrod, Ph.D., Chico State Educational Technology and Distance Learning program coordinator, with the campus's new mobile classroom, which has enough interior seating to serve about a dozen students. The exterior screen also allows the university to serve larger groups.
Lastly, students will also see some technology changes on campus and online.
Cal State Long Beach introduced its
Elbee Chat Bot for students to ask questions on the website, CSUN launched its
updated website and acquired new ethnic studies-related
databases and digital archives for the library, San Diego State released its mobile safety app “SDSU Safe" and San José State's new
SJSU Online initiative will enable adults to return to school and complete their bachelor's degrees online.
To improve remote and in-person teaching, Cal State Bernardino has added new tech tools to its classrooms. Almost 300 classrooms have new
audio-visual communication tools like video cameras, microphones and touchscreen monitors thanks to the Next Generation Smart Classroom project. At the
Palm Desert campus, the hospitality management program acquired virtual reality technology,
Paws Radio has new station equipment and the kinesiology program added new learning software and equipment.
Science students at Sacramento State will also get to take advantage of new technology as the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics will install a
Size Exclusion Chromatography-Multi Angle Light Scattering device, which enhances research on viruses.
Lastly, the Chico State School of Education and College of Communication and Education converted a Winnebago RV into a mobile classroom with desks, benches and learning technology. It will support teachers and students in rural areas of Northern California through lectures, science experiments and other educational resources.
Stay up to date on the latest news and developments across the CSU's 23 campuses at Calstate.edu/news.