In 1994, a former military base became a promise of social mobility and economic development when Fort Ord was transformed into a public university. That moment represented more than the opening of a campus. It was a bold commitment to educating the residents of the Central Coast, expanding opportunity and strengthening the future of the region.
Today, we celebrate another transformation as Cal State Monterey Bay is honored by the American Council on Education with the ACE/Fidelity Investments Award for Institutional Transformation, one of two universities in the nation to receive the recognition.
The award acknowledges one of the most consequential renewals in Cal State Monterey Bay’s history between 2022 and 2025, when a response to enrollment decline and a structural budget deficit became a reinvention that strengthened the university and reaffirmed its essential role in the economic vitality of our region. In 2022, the university faced seven consecutive years of enrollment decline. Student headcount had fallen to 6,424. Budget challenges threatened long-term sustainability. Without decisive action, the ability to fulfill our mission would have been compromised.
Instead of retreating, we listened and we acted. Through campuswide conversations and meetings with business leaders, elected officials, community colleges and civic partners, one truth was clear: the Central Coast depends on a strong public university. The region needs graduates prepared for careers in sustainability, agriculture, health care, education, the arts and business, and who are prepared to work with emerging technologies such as AI across all disciplines. Families need accessible pathways to higher education. Employers need a skilled and diverse workforce.
We responded with intention and discipline. While we identified and made operational improvements, we made critical movement on developing and expanding degree programs that will support the needs of leading industry and nonprofits. We launched new programs to align with workforce needs in mechatronics engineering, agribusiness supply chain management, accounting and music technology. The university is expanding access to health care programs through the development of a four-year bachelor’s and master’s in nursing that will complement our existing two-year program for transfer students, a bachelor’s in social work, and we are exploring other potential pathways. We are also aligning some concentrations into majors to better align what students and employers are looking for in degrees, and through our advisory boards, we keep a pulse on industry trends and needs.
Through our efforts, enrollment increased by 27 percent in three years, reaching 8,187 students by fall 2025. The university balanced its budget and reinvested in faculty and student support. During the same time period, Cal State Monterey Bay was the only campus in the California State University system to achieve its six Graduation Initiative 2025 targets. Equity gaps for historically underserved and Pell-eligible students were eliminated, and we increased graduation rates significantly for both first-time freshmen and transfer students. For three consecutive years, U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges ranked the university among the top institutions in the West for social mobility.
The true measure of our success is found in our students and in the strength of the Central Coast. Every graduate entering the workforce strengthens the regional economy. Every student who achieves upward mobility strengthens a family and a community. The alignment between academic programs and employer demand ensures that the transformation of the university translates directly into regional resilience and growth.
Community partnership has been central to this success. Businesses expanded internships and experiential learning. Community colleges strengthened transfer pathways. Civic leaders advocated for higher education as a cornerstone of economic vitality. Philanthropic partners invested in opportunity. The transformation of the past three years reflects a shared commitment across sectors.
The first transformation in 1994 converted a military base into a university. The second transformation renewed the promise of that university for a new generation. Cal State Monterey Bay now stands financially stable, academically aligned with workforce needs and nationally recognized for expanding opportunity.
The future of the Central Coast depends on continued collaboration. The strength of our university and the strength of our region are inseparable. The promise made 32 years ago remains alive, sustained by partnership and purpose.
The first transformation built a campus. The second transformation strengthened its mission. The next chapter will be written together.
Vanya Quiñones is the president of Cal State Monterey Bay.
