Here we Grow Again!
The nation鈥檚 fastest-growing university enters a new era of expansion
By Marya Jones Barlow
A lot has changed since Student Government President Vanessa Bahena first set foot on the CI campus. Within four years, she has matured from an anxious, first-generation freshman into a driven campus leader and statewide 海角社区 advocate. Yet it鈥檚 the transformation all around her that Bahena finds most remarkable.
鈥淵ou can see it in the new buildings, new roads, new faces,鈥� the CI senior said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e still the youngest, friendliest 海角社区. But we鈥檙e not an isolated, little campus anymore.鈥�
That growth is about to get even more apparent with plans to increase enrollment by approximately 400 new students per year.
For the 12-year-old university already considered the nation鈥檚 鈥渇astest-growing鈥� public institution by the Chronicle of Higher Education, that means kicking expansion into high gear after nearly a decade of slow growth and diminished聽state support.
鈥淐I鈥檚 enrollment growth will expand higher educational opportunity for students in Ventura County and throughout the state,鈥� said Hung Dang, CI鈥檚 Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management. 鈥淭his will contribute to the economic and social vitality of Camarillo and Ventura County. It鈥檚 a win-win situation for CI and those who call our region home.鈥�
Dang says the聽University is augmenting course offerings and student services accordingly to ensure student success. This year, CI added a Health Sciences Program, online bachelor鈥檚 degree in business, and Early Childhood degree at its Goleta location. Seventeen new faculty members were welcomed in the fall.
The University is also forging ahead with infrastructure needed to accommodate the newcomers. Sierra Hall, a three-story academic building is on track to be completed by summer聽2015. In November, CI will break ground on a new four-story student residence hall. Santa Rosa Village, the third and largest of CI鈥檚 residence halls, will house 600 freshmen and open in fall 2016. The student dining commons will also expand, offering additional space and selections to meet the influx.
鈥淭he demand for student housing on campus is huge,鈥� said John Gormley, Campus Architect and Director of Planning Design & Construction. 鈥淭o house over 1,200 students this year, we had to triple-bunk them in residence halls and lease additional apartments in University Glen and off campus. Since 2004, we鈥檝e added almost 700,000 square feet of occupied space. It鈥檚 going to require more construction and creativity as we plan to double our enrollment.鈥�
CI鈥檚 2025 Vision Plan outlines a roadmap for the University鈥檚 growth over the next decade. It identifies as key priorities academic labs and lecture halls, student housing, expansion of dining facilities, a health center, wellness and recreation center, conference and events center, and performing arts venue. The plan also prioritizes new parking spaces and expansion of University Glen, including additional on-campus retail stores.
As he has done with repeated success in the previous 12 years, President Richard Rush is turning to community partners and private enterprise to help fulfill CI鈥檚 promise, while also focusing on building facilities that create sustainable funding for campus growth.
鈥淲ith partnership and innovation, we are building a public university in Ventura County that reflects our community鈥檚 hopes, dreams and collective vision for the future,鈥� Rush said. 鈥淎n investment in CI is an investment in our children, our economy, and a more vibrant region for everyone.鈥�
Return to the Table of Contents
漏 Fall 2014 / Volume 18 / Number 2