CSUDH Allocated Over $60M in State Budget Package
California’s 2021-22 state budget includes $60 million earmarked for CSUDH, to help fund campus revitalization efforts.
CSUDH received outstanding news in the 2021-22 California state budget signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in July. The $262.2 billion package included $60 million earmarked for a trip of CSUDH campus infrastructure projects, and $1 million for the Mervn M. Dymally African American Political and Economic Institute.
CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham enthusiastically welcomed the news, saying, “The state’s 2021 allocation of resources to address critical infrastructure needs on the Dominguez Hills campus is an investment that will yield long-term dividends. Targeting these funds to a campus bursting with potential, yet long neglected and insufficiently resourced, is what authentic equity looks like in the realm of public policy and state budgeting.
“I am grateful for the support of State Senator Steven Bradford and the California Legislative Black Caucus, who advocated for both the CSU system and Dominguez Hills specifically. This allocation is a game changer for the campus.”
CSUDH Vice President of Administration and Finance Deborah Wallace added, “The significance of this one-time allocation to CSUDH will be a transformative investment and will further aesthetically enhance the physical campus and address much-needed infrastructure improvements and student support facilities.”
The allocation provides seed money for three on-campus projects:
- $20 million toward a new electric substation
- $20 million toward the construction of a new student residents’ dining hall
- $20 million toward a health, wellness, and recreation facility
Planning and design for the three earmarked projects is commencing, said Wallace. She expects construction to begin within two or three years but noted that additional investment will be required.
“CSUDH is fortunate to have a leader in Dr. Parham, who dares to dream and knows how to utilize various systems, including the state budget process, to achieve those dreams,” said Senator Bradford (BA ’85), whose support was instrumental in getting the funding included in the budget. “It has been an absolute honor for the California Legislative Black Caucus to work with Dr. Parham to obtain $60 million in funding for CSUDH. This vital funding will help put CSUDH on a strong footing when compared with other CSU campuses, and ensures a first-in-class educational experience for its ethnically diverse students.”
The budget also included $1 million in recurring funding for the Dymally Institute, located on the CSUDH campus. According to Executive Director Anthony Samad, the money will allow the institute to expand its operations and flourish on campus.
“The Dymally Institute is pleased to have received ongoing support in this year’s state budget,” said Samad. “Annual funding of $1 million will allow us to engage in long-term sustainability planning. We can now plan for operations and programming expansion, and even long-term infrastructure planning toward the institute having its own building on campus one day. We can finally put the days of dormancy and year-to-year funding uncertainty in our rear-view mirror. Nothing but positive things ahead now.”
“The funding for the Dymally Institute will allow it to help educate the student body, state, nation, and world about the myriad ways that African American leaders have impacted our society, and to study and debate public policy and their impacts on the Black community,” added Senator Bradford. “Our past is full of greatness, and our future can be even brighter if we are grounded in the truth of our struggles and our potential. The additional resources being provided by the state will facilitate all that we have to offer.”