University Kicks Off Academic Year

University Kicks Off Academic Year

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Cal State San Marcos welcomed around 17,500 students to kick off the fall semester Monday.

President Ellen Neufeldt expressed excitement and optimism about the new academic year during her annual convocation address to faculty and staff last Thursday.

Neufeldt highlighted many of the university's achievements over the past year, including progress on CSUSM's fundraising campaign "Blueprint for the Future," the largest capital campaign in university history.

"One year ago, we were preparing to publicly launch the most ambitious fundraising campaign in our university's history," Neufeldt said. "Today, our 'Blueprint for the Future' campaign has reached over $173 million toward our $200 million goal. That's 87% of our goal!"

Neufeldt also highlighted some of the gifts that have been received this year, including:

• $10 million from Hunter Industries and the Hunter family toward the naming of the Hunter Hall of Science and Engineering;
• $3 million toward the CSU National Center for Social Mobility at CSUSM; and
• $1 million from the Prebys Foundation to provide stipends for students to pursue research opportunities and strengthen the region's STEM workforce.

New housing, dining facility open

Celebration was in the air on Aug. 3, as hundreds gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of Black Oak Hall and Kwíila Dining.

Black Oak Hall is CSUSM's fourth housing community, and Kwíila Dining is the university's second dining facility. Kwíila, the Luiseño word for "acorn," was chosen to honor the local tribal heritage and the land on which CSUSM resides.

Located at 303 Campus View Drive, the seven-story Black Oak Hall features 555 beds - 390 of which are considered affordable thanks to funding from the Higher Education Student Housing Grant program established by Senate Bill 169. Just steps away, the 10,000-square-foot Kwíila Dining serves a variety of locally sourced foods and allows students to foster connection outside of class.

New coffee spot

El Kafecito, a local coffee shop with multiple locations, opened its sixth spot on Aug. 24 in the space vacated by Campus Coffee, whose owners retired after more than 20 years.

El Kafecito is owned by Rodrigo Rodriguez, a former CSUSM soccer player. A Valley Center native, Rodriguez started the company with a small, drive-through coffee hut in Vista in 2021, when he was just 21 years old.

El Kafecito specializes in Mexican and Hispanic-inspired flavors that, Rodriguez said, "bring something unique to the traditional coffee experience." Its signature flavors include dulce de leche, horchata, mazapán, café de la olla, tres leches and Mexican mocha, though it also offers traditional favorites such as vanilla, caramel and mocha. El Kafecito also serves pastries and other food items.

CSUSM named to best colleges list

CSUSM was named to the "Best Colleges in America 2026" list by Money magazine. The university received a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5.

The list, which includes 735 colleges, showcases the country's top values, based on graduation rates, cost of attendance, financial aid, alumni salaries and more.

Weeks of Welcome

The annual Weeks of Welcome, which started Aug. 28, includes dozens of events for students to meet new people and kick off the academic year.

Visit the Weeks of Welcome calendar for a complete schedule.

Arts & Lectures fall series

The university's longstanding Arts & Lectures series recently released its fall lineup. This season boasts a diverse selection of eight events.

Attendees can reserve tickets online via the Arts & Lectures website.

Summer highlights

• CSUSM hosted "The Power of Us" Southwest Riverside County Community Breakfast on June 30, bringing together local business, government, education and community leaders to explore how partnerships are shaping the region's educational and economic future.
• Howard Chan, the learning experience designer for the Innovation Hub, was recognized as one of the San Diego Business Journal's Asian American Pacific Islander Leaders of Influence for 2026.
• The Safety, Health & Sustainability department was recognized by a national organization for its program that allows students to borrow lab coats for academic use.

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