California State University, San Bernardino Palm Desert campus held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday for the Student Success Center.
“This is a historical day for the Palm Desert Campus,” CSUSB President Tomas D. Morales said in a statement. “We want to create a space where students feel that they belong, they feel validated, they feel like they belong in higher education.”
University administrators, local dignitaries, community leaders, students, faculty and alumni gathered at the ceremony for the construction of the state-of-the-art building at 37500 Cook St.
The 23,700-square-foot facility will support up to 4,000 full-time students, free up approximately 10,000 square feet of space in the Mary Stuart Rogers Gateway building, Indian Wells Center for Education Excellence and the Palm Desert Health Sciences building, where it will be re-purposed for academic programs.
The space will also house an advising/tutoring center, career center, expanded campus library, group study space, a cross cultural center, a campus bookstore, food services and a student health center.
In 2022, the Palm Desert campus received a $79 million state budget allocation to build the first phase of the Student Services Building.
“I am the first in my family to attend a university,” communications student Miguel Millian said in a statement. “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.”