Humboldt State taking next steps to become third Cal Poly

Last week, California’s Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom agreed to allocate more than $400 million in the 2021-22 budget for Humboldt State to become the California State University system’s third polytechnic institution, joining the campuses in Pomona and San Luis Obispo.

For Humboldt State, the next step before officially getting that designation is to complete a self-study, according to the Sacramento Bee.

Humboldt State spokesman Grant Scott-Goforth told the Bee that the self-study will act “as an argument for the designation.” Once the self-study is finalized, the campus will go before CSU’s Board of Trustees and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the body that accredits Humboldt State and other CSU campuses.

Scott-Goforth told the Bee that Humboldt State expects to finish a draft of the self-study by this summer and plans to make a formal request to the system’s Board of Trustees for the polytechnic designation by January 2022.

As a Cal Poly, Humboldt State would have a stronger emphasis on science, technology and engineering. More seats at the campus could open up for students pursuing majors in those fields and the campus could also be eligible for more research funding, both from public and private funders.