Mike Singer | CSUSB Office of Marketing and Communications | (760) 341-2883, ext. 78107 | msinger@csusb.edu
California State University, San Bernardino celebrated a major milestone with the official groundbreaking ceremony on May 9 for its new Student Success Center at the Palm Desert Campus.
The event marked the beginning of construction on a state-of-the-art facility designed to enhance support services for students and expand access to higher education in the Coachella Valley.
University administrators, local dignitaries, community leaders, students, faculty and alumni gathered on-site to commemorate the occasion and participate in the ceremonial turning of the soil.
The new building is a critical component of the campus’s long-term expansion plan and a significant step toward meeting the region’s growing educational needs. The Palm Desert Campus continues to serve as a vital hub of higher education for the Coachella Valley and surrounding areas.
“This is a historic day for the Palm Desert Campus,” said Tomás D. Morales, president of Cal State San Bernardino. “We want to create a space where students feel that they belong, they feel validated, they feel like they belong in higher education.”
In 2022, the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus celebrated a $79 million state budget allocation to build Phase I of the new Student Services Building – thanks, in part, to the efforts of former California state assemblymembers Eduardo Garcia and Chad Mayes.
While the other buildings on campus were funded locally, the state’s investment of $79 million to build a new Student Success Center is a testament to the community’s advocacy for expanded educational opportunities in the Coachella Valley.
Scheduled for completion in 2027, the new 23,700-assignable-square-foot building will include an advising/tutoring center, career center, expanded campus library, group study space, a cross cultural center, campus bookstore, food services, a student health center and a recreation and wellness center, and provide enhanced services and support for students at the Palm Desert Campus.
It will free up approximately 10,000 square feet of existing space in the campus’ Mary Stuart Rogers Gateway Building, Indian Wells Center for Educational Excellence and Palm Desert Health Sciences Building to be repurposed for the expansion of academic programs on the campus, including additional faculty office and classroom space.
“Today is a celebration of bold vision, continued commitment and what’s to come,” said Edna Martinez, associate vice president at the Palm Desert Campus.
Communication studies student Miguel Millian said he was honored to speak at the event.
“I am the first in my family to attend a university,” he said. “As the oldest of four siblings, being close to home is something that means a lot to me. This building will expand the resources that we can offer students, creating even more opportunities for growth, connection and support. I can’t help but feel excited for those next in line who will benefit from this new space. This building will open up a world of possibilities for future students.”
The new Student Success Center is intended to support up to 4,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) students and is designed for maximal flexibility as the campus continues to grow.
Located in the heart of the Coachella Valley, the Palm Desert Campus is dedicated to providing a transformative educational experience for students and plays a vital role in expanding access to higher education in the region. With the campus seeing an increase in student enrollment, the new Student Services Building is part of a long-term vision to grow the campus and better serve the needs of its diverse student population.
For more information about the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus, contact Mike Singer in the Office of Marketing and Communications at msinger@csusb.edu or (760) 341-2883, ext. 78107, or visit the PDC website at www.csusb.edu/pdc.
Additional event photos can be found below:
