An open house was held Saturday at the Temecula satellite campus of California State University San Marcos to heighten awareness of the college and what it has to offer the community.
The 15,000-square-foot satellite -- at 43890 Margarita Road -- complements an expanded course list at the college, according to university officials.
The building can accommodate up to 500 full-time students. It includes eight classrooms -- there are two mock hospital rooms -- a biology lab and a distance learning center, a student lounge and faculty offices.
The open house was held between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to allow members of the community to get a look at the campus and learn more about the curricula offered.
Food trucks from Bitchin’ Burger and Flippin’ Pizza were present to sate hunger, while CSUSM’s iconic “Crash the Cougar” mascot danced to live radio remote broadcasts courtesy of K-FROG 92.9FM, KGGI 99.1FM and KATY-The Mix -101.3 FM.
The school offers not only degree programs but personal enrichment and certification courses, officials said.
A special feature of the event was a 2012 Ford Fiesta car raffle, courtesy of Heller Ford, raising funds for CSUSM athletic scholarships.
Local music legend Jon Laskin and his jazz band also performed. Laskin is slated to teach a Performance Jazz Band class at the Temecula campus, starting in June.
CSUSM at Temecula currently offers undergraduate degrees in Nursing, Kinesiology and Business and graduate degrees in Nursing and Business.
Professional development certification programs include human resource management, meeting and event planning, teacher credential prerequisites, digital arts and bio-technician arts.
Osher Lifelong Learning personal enrichment courses are also available on campus for adults 50 years and older.
“This is the best of both worlds for Temecula-area residents,” said Suzanne Lingold, Associate Dean of CSUSM at Temecula. “Students have access to state-of-the-art coursework and training labs, as well as world-class professors right here in downtown Temecula."
The satellite is at the site of the former Sparkman School, officials said.
