California State University, East Bay


California State University, East Bay is a public university in Hayward, California. The university is part of the California State University system and offers 136 undergraduate and 60 post-baccalaureate areas of study. Founded in 1957, California State University, East Bay had a student body of approximately 11,544 as of Spring 2025. As of Fall 2024, it had 760 faculty. The university's largest and oldest college campus is located in Hayward, with additional centers in the nearby cities of Oakland and Concord.

History

The university was established as State College for Alameda County, with its primary mission to serve the higher education needs of both Alameda County and Contra Costa County. Its construction was part of the California Master Plan for Higher Education as proposed by Clark Kerr and the original site for the school was Pleasanton, California. The campus was moved to Hayward before plans were finalized due to the efforts of State Assembly member Carlos Bee and other boosters from the Hayward community, including S.E. Bond Jr, and E. Guy Warren, namesake of Warren Hall. At the time of its opening in 1959, classes were first held on the campus of Sunset High School and then Hayward High School. With the addition of the school, higher education in the San Francisco Bay Area became more accessible. To the south was San Jose State College serving the South Bay counties. To the west was San Francisco State College serving San Francisco and San Mateo Counties. To the north is Sonoma State University, serving Marin, Napa and Sonoma counties. Chabot College, a part of the California Community College system, opened nearby in Hayward in 1961.
The university has undergone numerous transitions in its history, making name changes accordingly. In 1961, the school was moved to its present location in the Hayward Hills and renamed Alameda County State College. In 1963, the name was changed to California State College at Hayward. The school was granted university status in 1972, changing its name to California State University, Hayward. In 2005, the university implemented a new, broader mission to serve the eastern San Francisco Bay Area and adopted the name California State University, East Bay. The proposal to rename the campus to California State University, East Bay was approved by the California State University Board of Trustees on January 26, 2005.

Presidents

, an Oakland native and alumnus of two other California State University institutions: Humboldt State University and San Francisco State University, became the sixth president of CSU East Bay on January 4, 2021, following the announcement of her appointment to the position by the Board of Trustees on October, 29, 2020. She previously served as chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage. Prior to her time at UAA, Sandeen served as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin Colleges and University of Wisconsin-Extension from 2014 to 2018. In that role, she served as leader and chief administrator and was responsible for the academic, financial and administrative activities of two statewide higher education institutions.

Campus

The school's main campus is located in Hayward, California on a plateau east of the Hayward fault that overlooks the southeast part of the city. CSUEB also has a branch in Concord, California in Contra Costa County, and a professional development center in Oakland.
For 40 years, Warren Hall was CSUEB's signature building; the building was visible from cities throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and served as a landmark for Hayward and the surrounding Eastern San Francisco Bay Area. Warren Hall was rated the least earthquake-safe building in the California State University system by the CSU Seismic Review Board. In January 2013 the CSU Board of Trustees authorized $50 million to demolish the former administrative building and replace it with a new structure. Warren Hall was demolished by implosion on August 17, 2013. Construction for the new 67,000 square foot-building began in November 2013, and doors opened in December 2015 on the completed structure.
California State University, East Bay is also known for its Solar Energy Project. Solar panels were installed on four campus rooftops and are used to generate supplemental power during peak periods and is one of the largest photovoltaic systems in Northern California.
On April 8, 2010, the California Public Utilities Commission approved a fuel cell project of Pacific Gas and Electric Company allowing Cal State East Bay's Hayward campus to become one of the first college campuses in Northern California to have a fuel cell. Once installed, the waste heat generated by the fuel cell will be converted into hot water to be used in campus buildings.
Since 2004, the Pioneer Amphitheatre on campus has been home of the KBLX Stone Soul Picnic, a day-long festival of R&B, soul and Urban Adult Contemporary music. Featured performers have included Ronald Isley, The Whispers, Teena Marie, Rick James, and The O'Jays. California State University, East Bay's Associated Student Incorporated also hosts concerts with artists like Lupe Fiasco and Goapele.
In 2005, Cal State East Bay began to build three new facilities: the Wayne and Gladys Valley Business and Technology Center, the Pioneer Heights student housing expansion and the University Union annex. The VBT center was dedicated in February 2007, making it the first new academic building on the Hayward Campus in more than 30 years. The building houses programs in business, technology management, engineering, multimedia, science, and online degree programs. An expansion to Pioneer Heights was dedicated in fall 2008. Student housing was able to accommodate more than 450 new residents and offer a dining commons. An annex to the existing University Union opened in January 2007.
The campus is home to the C. E. Smith Museum of Anthropology, created in 1975. The museum, open to the public, has rotating exhibits, and archives including records of 18 Bay Area archaeological sites.

Academics

The university is best known for its College of Business and Economics; a strong Education Department, where a large percentage of California teachers receive their certification; and the thriving Music Department where the California State University, East Bay Jazz Ensemble, directed by Dave Eshelman, holds annual performances in Yoshi's at Jack London Square in Oakland and frequently tours Europe and parts of South America. The Biotechnology Program developed at California State University, East Bay affords the university a status as the center of research and development in the Life sciences, Bioinformatics and technologies for the Eastern San Francisco Bay Area.
California State University, East Bay also participates in the Internet2 project, a collaboration led by over 200 U.S. universities, private industries, and governments to develop advanced network technologies for research and higher education in the 21st century.
California State University, East Bay offers 48 undergraduate degree programs and 34 Master's degree programs in addition to its teaching credential program. The university also has a doctoral program in Educational Leadership held in cooperation with the University of California, Berkeley, San Francisco State University and San José State University. The most popular undergraduate majors are: Business administration, Psychology, Health science, Kinesiology, Criminal justice, Biological sciences, Sociology, Computer science, Human development, Fine art.
The five most popular majors for 2019 graduates.
The academic departments of the university are organized into four colleges. Two of these are Liberal Arts colleges,
  • College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
  • College of Science
and two of these are vocational colleges:
  • College of Business and Economics
  • College of Education and Allied Studies
First year students are put into Freshman Learning Communities which help students to:
  • earn higher GPAs
  • develop superior writing and communication skills
  • graduate reliably in four years.

    Rankings

Student life

The university's Department of Communications publishes a weekly newspaper called The Pioneer, its name referring to the school mascot, Pioneer Pete. The paper is staffed by faculty and students. East Bay is a diverse state university as indicated by the annual headcount report. As of fall 2018 CSU East Bay has the largest enrollment percentage of Filipino Americans, the second largest enrollment percentage of Pacific Islanders, African Americans and non-residents in the Cal State system.

Associated Students Incorporated

Associated Students Incorporated is a student-run and student-owned organization that represents the student body at California State University, East Bay. Elected by the California State University, East Bay student body, the 15-member ASI Board of Directors is the governing body of Associated Students, Inc. The Board makes policy and oversees the fiscal responsibility of ASI. Additionally, the Board assists the university in planning, implementing, and evaluating campus programs, events, and curriculum. ASI currently has four departments: ASI Presents, ASI Business Office, Student Government, and the Early Childhood Education Center. In 2007 the university administration did not allow ASI to hold a student referendum on increasing student fees to fund a recreation and wellness center. It substituted 'alternative consultation'. In 2008, the administration again did not allow ASI to hold a referendum on increasing student fees to fund athletic scholarship for a move to Division II sports. Again, it substituted 'alternative consultation'.