Topping Out Ceremony Held for New Student Success Center at CSUSB Palm Desert Campus featured image

Topping Out Ceremony Held for New Student Success Center at CSUSB Palm Desert Campus

News from: CSUSB Palm Desert Campus

California State University, San Bernardino celebrated a major construction milestone on Dec. 2 as the final structural steel beam was raised into place on the new Student Success Center at the Palm Desert Campus.

The topping out ceremony marked the completion of the building’s structural frame and brought the campus one step closer to opening its first state-funded building and first new facility in 16 years.

University administrators, elected officials, community leaders, construction partners, students, faculty, staff and alumni were invited to sign the beam, symbolizing the community’s shared investment in expanding higher education opportunities in the Coachella Valley.

“We know that students’ needs will change over time, and therefore, we have a building which aims to serve them as their needs evolve into the future,” said CSUSB President Tomás D. Morales. “This wonderful campus exists thanks to the passion of the people and leaders of Palm Desert and the Coachella Valley. They have put their hearts, souls and dollars into building the campus that we see all around us.”

The Student Success Center is supported in part by a $79 million state budget allocation approved in 2022, reflecting years of advocacy from regional leaders and community partners.

Scheduled for completion in 2027, the 23,700 assignable-square-foot facility will consolidate and expand student success initiatives and support services.

The building will feature:

  • An advising and tutoring center
  • A career center
  • An expanded campus library and group study spaces
  • A cross-cultural center
  • Campus bookstore and food services
  • A student health center
  • Recreation and wellness spaces

These enhancements will provide comprehensive support for students at the Palm Desert Campus and are designed to serve up to 4,000 full-time equivalent students, while offering flexible space as the campus continues to grow.

The project will also free up approximately 10,000 square feet of space in existing campus buildings – including the Mary Stuart Rogers Gateway Building, the Indian Wells Center for Educational Excellence and the Palm Desert Health Sciences Building – allowing those areas to be repurposed for additional academic programs, faculty offices and classroom space.

“Today’s topping out is a celebration of progress, partnership and promise,” said Edna Martinez, associate vice president at the Palm Desert Campus. “Each signature on that beam represents a commitment to the students we serve now and the thousands more who will follow. This center will be a hub for connection, wellness and opportunity, and it underscores our vision to grow this campus in ways that reflect the needs and dreams of our region.”

About the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus: The CSUSB Palm Desert Campus is dedicated to providing a transformative educational experience in the Coachella Valley. With a focus on academic excellence and community engagement, the campus offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs designed to meet the diverse needs of its students and the region.

For more information about the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus, contact Mike Singer in the Office of Marketing and Communications at [email protected] or (760) 341-2883, ext. 78107, or visit the PDC website at www.csusb.edu/pdc.