Alan Llavore | Office of Marketing and Communications | (909) 537-5007 | allavore@csusb.edu
Academic year 2025-26 marks the 60th anniversary of the first classes held on the campus that would come to be known as California State University, San Bernardino. Those 60 years have seen tremendous changes, not only to the campus itself (which has expanded from San Bernardino to an additional, separate campus in Palm Desert) but also to the number of colleges, programs, degrees and students.
As the world outside the campus has changed, CSUSB has continued to pursue the heart of its mission: serving the people of the Inland Empire and growing the success of individuals, families and communities through access to an outstanding institution of higher education.
The year 2020 saw CSUSB facing one of the greatest challenges in its history: a global pandemic. Practically overnight, learning transitioned from in-person to virtual. The campus created a laptop lending program and Wi-Fi areas were made available in CSUSB parking garages for students who lacked access to computers or the internet at home. The majority of on-campus positions transitioned to work-at-home. Videoconferencing expanded and has remained a part of everyday life. The impact to how the university, the nation, and the world operated is (as of this writing) still being grappled with.
The year also saw the launch of CSUSB’s School of Entrepreneurship, one of fewer than 15 existing worldwide and the first in California. The National Security Agency chose CSUSB to be a leader of its core workforce development initiative and named the university’s Cybersecurity Center as the Community National Center for Cybersecurity Education. And, in spite of obstacles put in place by the pandemic, the university officially transitioned from a quarter system to a semester system in fall 2020.
The university launched two new academic initiatives in 2021: the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and the Department of Child Development. CSUSB received approval to formally offer a master of science degree in national cybersecurity studies. Entrepreneurship as an area of academic study continued to expand with the Palm Desert iHub. The iHub is a collaboration of the city of Palm Desert, the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership and CSUSB. It features university programs in cybersecurity, hospitality management and entrepreneurship as part of expanded educational offerings to the Coachella Valley.
The year 2022 saw the re-naming of the College of Education after James and Judy Watson, longtime college and CSUSB supporters. It is now the James R. Watson and Judy Rodriguez Watson College of Education. CSUSB named its online bachelor of arts in administration after Stater Bros. Markets, which created a pathway for employees of the grocery chain.
A 120,000 square-foot expansion of the Santos Manuel Student Union opened, providing additional space for recreation, student services, meetings and social gatherings. CSUSB broke ground on a new Performing Arts Center. And the state of California funded a $79 million budget request for a new building at the Palm Desert Campus. This future Student Services Building will be able to accommodate up to 4,000 students and is designed for maximal flexibility as the campus continues to grow.
CSUSB was one of 45 colleges and universities chosen to be part of the #CaliforniansForAll College Corps, a historic program where students have the opportunity to serve their communities and help pay for their college. The university’s first Elder/Culture Bearer In-Residence position was established to further support Native American students.
CSUSB was the first university to join the Cyber Halo Innovation Research Program by the U.S. Space Force’s Space Command System and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The program is designed to grow the national cybersecurity workforce. And CSUSB and OneFuture Coachella Valley were awarded a College Assistance Migrant Program grant from the U.S. Department of Education – a five-year $2.3 million federal grant that focuses on helping students, who are migrant/seasonal farm workers or the children of migrant/seasonal farm workers, stay in school during their first year of college and continue into their second year of higher education.
A lot was happening in 2022! CSUSB’s designation was raised to an R2 Doctoral University: High Research Activity. And the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission awarded CSUSB the maximum reaffirmation accreditation, commending the university for its work and accomplishments.
CSUSB became the first public university in the nation to launch a blended comprehensive campaign that included philanthropic fundraising and funding for grants and research. The Our Defining Moment Campaign set a $200 million goal, the largest fundraising campaign in the university’s history.
CSUSB continued its focus on growing international connections in 2023, entering into an academic exchange program with Lviv Polytechnic National University in Ukraine and Krakow University of Economics in Poland. High profile campus speakers included Terrence Floyd, brother of the late George Floyd, who spoke during CSUSB’s Social Justice Summit. Additionally, American political activist Angela Davis visited CSUSB to discuss feminism, intersectionality, social justice, environmentalism and racism. And the “Eternal Learning” mural at the Watson College of Education was unveiled, consisting of 850-square-feet of ceramic tile that depicts humans at work, study and play.
CSUSB was awarded a $2.5 million grant in 2024 from the National Science Foundation to create STEM scholarships in computer science and engineering for low-income and underrepresented students. The university also secured close to $1 million in federal funds for the pioneering cybersecurity workforce initiative: the Tech and Workforce Hub Project. The project was designed to propel students into cybersecurity careers and address the nation’s shortfall of qualified professionals in the field.
The CSUSB Department of Geological Sciences received a $2.8 million software donation from Petroleum Experts Limited. Professors and their students will use the software to build geological models across field research areas in California, Nevada, Utah and internationally. Also in 2024, the California State University Board of Trustees approved the design for the PDC’s new student services building – the Student Success Center – which broke ground later that year.
That same year, CSUSB hosted the Cyber Ecosystem Leadership Forum, bringing together leaders from academia, industry and government to advance cybersecurity workforce development. Highlighting the event’s significance, keynote speeches were delivered by U.S. Representative Pete Aguilar (CA-33), White House Deputy National Cyber Director Harry Wingo, and Principal Director Diba Hadi from the Department of Defense’s Cyber Academic Engagement Office. At this event, CSUSB announced the launch of California’s first School of Cyber and Decision Sciences.
PDC alumna Abi Carter, the singing sensation from Indio, was named the winner of “American Idol” on the show’s May 19 finale. Activist Dolores Huerta and actor Emilio Rivera were named the Lead Summit XII honorary chairs. And alumna Jess Block Nerren, lecturer in communication and media, was named the first Faculty Inclusion Fellow for Disability, Difference and Accommodation.
The CSUSB University Police Department celebrated 50 years of safety and service. Another milestone was reached when the Educational Opportunity Program celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Renaissance Scholars Program; RSP provides specialized student support services to current and former foster youth as they transition to CSUSB and on to completing their degrees.
And “Our Defining Moment: The Campaign for CSUSB” surpassed its $200 million goal in 2024. As of spring 2026, it has raised $241 million or 121% of its goal.
CSUSB’s fourth president, Tomás D. Morales, announced in the fall of 2025 that he would be stepping down as president at the end of the academic year. A gala was held for his presidency in the spring of 2026, in the form of a fundraiser for the Tomás and Evy Morales Endowment for International Experiences.
The university’s role as an anchor institution, committed to building a cradle-to-career pathway in the Inland Empire, was strengthened through the implementation of a direct admission program. The program offers automatic admission to eligible high school students in participating school districts in both Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
The CSUSB School of Entrepreneurship and Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship were renamed the Randall W. Lewis School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Randall W. Lewis Center for Entrepreneurship. In March 2026, the Lewis Center announced that its efforts had helped generate $1 billion in regional economic growth.
Also in spring 2026, the inaugural Defining the Future Conference, held on campus at the San Manuel Student Union North and South, brought together leaders from industry, government and higher education to examine how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are transforming the workforce and expanding opportunity for students.
The long-dreamed-for Performing Arts Center opened in March 2026. The 73,337-square-foot, state-of-the-art building will not only provide a premier space for student learning and productions, the PAC is also envisioned as a focal point for performing arts in the region. It is the first new state-funded academic building on campus under CSUSB’s current master plan.