CSUMB to celebrate 25th anniversary with…
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CSUMB to celebrate 25th anniversary with weekend events
The new Academic III building at CSU Monterey Bay will have its ribbon cutting ceremony Saturday. It was designed to function as the "heart" of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. (Ariana Remmel – Monterey Herald)
By Ariana Remmel | newsroom@montereyherald.com |
MARINA — CSU Monterey Bay will be celebrating its 25th anniversary this weekend with several free events.
It starts Friday at 11 a.m. with the official ribbon cutting at its newest academic building, Academic III on Divarty next to the Business and Information Technology Building.
"(Academic III) was designed to function as the heart of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and it's set up in such a way that the shared spaces … are built to engage (its users) … and become the hub of the college," said Ilene Feinman, Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.
The 48,000 square foot, U-shaped building hosts classrooms, offices, and meeting spaces including a variety of specialized facilities like the campus' first gallery. Feinman says she has already seen the shared spaces work to bring students and faculty together. "The way the campus has inhabited the space shows that we've designed it to create these kinds of conversations."
The new student union at CSU Monterey Bay is expected to open in the fall of 2020. (Ariana Remmel – Monterey Herald)
At 6 p.m. Friday a dedication ceremony will be held for a new mural by professor emerita Johanna Poethig at the entrance of the Academic III. The mural was primarily funded by a gift from Roxana E. Keland, a member of the first graduating class of the Visual and Public Art Department, who died earlier this year.
"The mural is also a signature component of having this building for (the college) because we've spent 25 years trying to illuminate for the campus how important it is to have public art," said Feinman.
Discover CSUMB open campus day will be Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Discover CSUMB expects to attract between 5,000 and 7,000 people, though campus officials say they are prepared for an even larger crowd.
"We want people to come up and tour the campus and see how we've changed," said Paula Carter, director of admissions.
Indeed, much of the campus has changed. The campus grounds used to be part of Fort Ord, a now decommissioned army base that dates back to the early 1900s. When the base closed in 1994, plans for the CSUMB campus began. It then opened to students in the fall of 1995.
In addition to building Academic III, CSUMB has invested heavily in renovating the original buildings of the campus and adding new structures. A new Student Union is under construction with plans to open in fall of 2020.
Additionally, the student body has grown exponentially. The school welcomed just over 600 students when classes first started in 1995. Now there are almost 8,000.
Carter hopes the open campus day will "highlight the many accomplishments we've had in this institution since its opening." She encourages prospective students to explore the academic open houses taking place throughout the day, but also emphasizes the many family-friendly events for students, alumni, and community members.
Andre Lewis, associate vice president for university affairs, says a number of the Saturday events are a must-see including the "Party on Divarty Street" at noon where local food trucks and entertainment will gather in front of Academic III, a virtual cadaver dissection at 2 p.m., and a volleyball game between Chico State and CSUMB at 7 p.m.
Feinman is excited to share the campus celebrations with the public and hopes attendees will see what CSUMB has to offer. "We're a university campus and we mean business," she says. "It's a wonderful moment to see the forward movement for the campus as it aligns itself with the values it envisioned 25 years ago."
The event is free and open to all members of the community, though visitors are encouraged to come early to find parking. Visitor check-in will begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at parking lot 59. Shuttles will take people from the parking lot to campus events.
Ariana Remmel