The California State University Board of Trustees voted Wednesday to officially designate the Northern California university, located in Arcata, as California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt.
"I've been looking forward to saying those words in an official capacity for a long time," CSU Chancellor Joseph Castro said in a press conference announcing the name change.
That makes it the third polytechnic university in the CSU system — the other two are located in San Luis Obispo and Pomona.
State Sen. Mike McGuire, whose district includes Cal Poly Humboldt, called the decision historic in a tweet.
"Todays action is a game changer for this amazing campus community, our regional economy and the greater North Coast!" McGuire wrote.
The board's decision caps off a two-year process to explore the change in designation, which declares a campus emphasis on applied sciences and technical subjects. It comes with a $458 million cash infusion — including $25 million in ongoing funds — from Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature to help the university transition to its new role.
Part of that funding will go toward helping the university establish 12 new programs by fall 2023 — certificate programs in cybersecurity, information technology and sustainability as well as bachelor's degree programs in energy systems engineering, mechanical engineering, data science, geospatial analysis, software engineering, applied fire science and management, cannabis studies and marine biology. One master's degree program is on the list, in engineering leadership.
The university, which has struggled with enrollment in recent years, believes the polytechnic designation will bring an influx of new students.
"It's been 84 years since we've had a new Cal Poly campus and I believe that's going to generate incredible demand from our students and their families," Castro said.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo was established in 1901, while Cal Poly Pomona was established in 1938.
Among those praising the Wednesday decision was U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla.
"My degree in mechanical engineering not only taught me the value of investing in STEM education for our students, but the benefits these programs have on our communities as well," Padilla said in a statement. "By establishing itself as a polytechnic institution, Cal Poly Humboldt will help develop a new class of leaders and a highly educated workforce in the North Coast. I'm proud to support higher funding for Hispanic-Serving Institutions like Humboldt that are doing the day-to-day work of investing in the next generation and putting the future of our students first."
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