By Serah Blackstone-Fredericks
Since Humboldt State University’s transition to Cal Poly Humboldt in 2022, the school has offered additional majors, with plans for a total of ten new programs by 2029. The newly added leadership studies, geared towards upper division transfer students, will be held fully online and supports an increase of the student population and adult learners returning to school.
The new B.A. in critical agriculture studies & agroecology highlights creative career paths — such as a fiber and plant dye artist — while reflecting Humboldt’s choose-your-own-adventure spirit. After all, it’s the breathtaking landscape and peaceful coastline that invokes a certain magic, drawing many students to our campus.
Lilly Snibley, a wildlife major, shared that after multiple transfers, she was finally able to find her people in a nature-oriented community after attending a few colleges and not having positive experiences.
“Humboldt’s very welcoming, very low-key –– it’s a lot quieter,” Snibley said. “It feels very down-to-earth.”
Amid these exciting new programs, campus facilities are also undergoing major transformations. The ceramics building has been demolished to make more space for housing, and per Mike Fisher via Redwood News, this will be the last major project in a new era of change towards the Cal Poly Humboldt designation.
The uninhabitable campus apartments were demolished over the summer, with construction of a student health building commencing. Hinarr Hu Moulik — the new campus dorms off St. Louis Road — are officially open, adding housing for up to 964 additional students and are almost 90% occupied.
The current 6,182 student population is rapidly growing, with hopes that additional programs and funding will expand the school’s capacity to 8,500. This fall saw a 9% increase in the transfer student population and the transfer student welcome dinner was noticeably larger than in spring.
As the CSU target is 6,347, the goal is that 165 more students will enroll. With Humboldt’s draws — smaller class sizes, a more personable approach to academia, excellent faculty and strong student services — many hope that word will spread. Jordyn Jones, a psychology M.A. student shared her reasons for attending.
“What drew me here was the ocean and the trees,” Jones said. “The campus is beautiful. I really wanted to do my masters in person and this was the closest one.”
Thankfully, housing is now being addressed after poor planning left many students struggling to complete their degrees. Jones shared some of her inconveniences, which include parking challenges due to being a commuter student.
As many who live here are aware, housing can be a major challenge at Cal Poly Humboldt and hopefully, the new dorms will add a bit of relief to the housing insecurity and homelessness that is a part of a larger problem within California universities. With almost 70% of students reporting that they reside off-campus, housing has been a point of contention, affecting both students and the local community. For incoming transfer students, these changes signal a campus in transition — growing programs, improving housing, and offering an intimate learning environment in one of California’s most unique regions.
Serah Blackstone-Fredericks is a cross-disciplinary anthropology major, minoring in arts in health and narrative medicine. A writer, musician, and mother, she weaves together her studies with creative practices like gardening, cooking, fermenting, and natural dye experiments. Her work explores the ways culture, storytelling, and connection shape how we live and heal. Feel free to connect with her at sb625@humboldt.edu