New campus will provide educational opportunities in vital part of the city.
LOS ANGELES, CA, July 6, 2015 - Cal State L.A. will open a new downtown Los Angeles campus in 2016 to provide university programs in a vibrant and growing area.
The University has signed a lease for 21,000 square feet at West 8th Street and South Grand Avenue. The location at the edge of the Financial District is in the midst of a residential development boom, with thousands of apartments under construction or in the pipeline, including a 700-unit apartment building anchored by a Whole Foods supermarket across the street from the future Cal State L.A. site.
Cal State L.A. will offer undergraduate and graduate programs at the site, as well as professional development and certificate programs. The new campus will be a short distance from important downtown commercial centers including the Figueroa Corridor, Arts District, Fashion District and Civic Center. Programs offered at the new campus will focus on meeting the needs of working professionals, those in career transition and those seeking personal enrichment.
“Our mission is to provide high-quality university teaching in the heart of Los Angeles,” said Cal State L.A. President William A. Covino. “We will bring the resources of Cal State L.A. to students downtown, where they work and live.”
Several of the programs and courses offered at the downtown campus will incorporate Los Angeles-specific elements, including urban issues, sustainability, and diversity. “As we build new programs to meet the needs of our region, we will focus our attention on current and future workforce demands,” said Cal State L.A. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Lynn Mahoney. “Our faculty are dedicated to ensuring the success of learners through the delivery of innovative and novel curricula.”
“The downtown campus enables us to work closely with local area businesses, government agencies, and non-profits to build relevant and timely programs to meet the challenges facing our great city,” said Cal State L.A. Dean of Professional and Global Education Eric Bullard. “The new downtown campus will enhance the lives and further the careers of even more Angelenos through higher education. They will be better prepared to be the leaders who will help our region’s economy to continue to thrive.”
Image: Rendering of Cal State L.A.'s Downtown L.A. campus. (Credit: Cal State L.A.)
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Cal State L.A. is a university dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 24,000 students and 240,000 distinguished alumni, who are as diverse as the city we serve. Located in the heart of Los Angeles, Cal State L.A. has long been recognized as an engine of economic and social mobility. Led by an award-winning faculty, the University offers nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education and the humanities.
Cal State L.A. is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center, Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility, Billie Jean King Sports Complex, TV, Film and Media Center and the Center for Engagement, Service, and the Public Good. For more information, visit CalStateLA.edu, or like us at Facebook.com/CalStateLA.