CSUDH Expansion: $231 Million Campus Overhaul Faces Labor Tensions

Cal State Dominguez Hills completed a $231.5 million expansion on October 29, opening five new buildings to shift the university from a commuter model to a residential one.

The project began with the return of the orthotics and prosthetics master’s program from Los Alamitos to the main campus in the spring. In August, 200 students moved into a new four-story residence hall that houses up to 288 people. The Dining Commons also opened that month, providing the school’s first formal residential dining hall with eight food stations.

Officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, October 29, to mark the completion of the remaining facilities. The event included a tour of a new Health, Wellness and Recreation Center, an electrical switchyard, and the Orthotics and Prosthetics Science and Technology Hub.

The 82,000-square-foot recreation center features a pool, running track, fitness rooms, and mental health services. Tiffany Herbert, interim vice president for student affairs, described the building as a legacy project driven by student input. The courtyard outside is named the Gil Smith Memorial Plaza, honoring the city’s first mayor who helped secure the campus location in the 1960s.

Shirley Smith, Gil Smith’s widow, attended the ceremony and noted that her husband believed in the Carson site for over six decades. State Sen. Laura Richardson also spoke, stating that the new amenities have transformed the school into a university of choice rather than a last resort for students.

The expansion also includes 203 electric vehicle charging stations, making CSUDH the CSU campus with the most chargers. The Orthotics and Prosthetics hub includes a 3D printing lab and is set to serve as an equipment repair space for the LA28 Paralympics.

Protests occurred alongside the celebration as California Faculty Association members joined statewide rallies over the cost of living. Paul Fornelli, co-president of the CSUDH CFA chapter, said the union is negotiating for higher wages and protections against AI replacing faculty roles, with the previous contract having expired in 2024.