In 2022, College of the Sequoias (COS) began planning of the University Center and Student Union with $95 million in Measure C bonds, put forth by COS and approved with 55.84% of the vote on Nov. 8, 2022. As of July 2024, the District sold $95 million in Measure C bonds, obtaining the funding needed to move forward with design, and construction.
According to Ron Perez, Vice President of Administrative Services, meetings discussing the layout and designs of each building have started.
“Both facilities will support and enhance the COS student experience by providing a quality education, two-year or four-year, while staying in the community,” he says.
The University Center
The University Center is an expansion of COS’s current partnership with California State University, Fresno, also known as Fresno State.
The Fresno State South Valley Campus (FSSVC) was established in 2016 in Visalia. It currently offers the South Valley Integrated Teacher Education Program, Criminology Law Enforcement program, and an online Registered Nurse (RN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. By expanding on FSSVC’s bachelor’s degree programs, students gain access to more educational opportunities they may not otherwise have been able to take advantage of.
Perez says, “The University Center would allow students to get a four-year degree while living at home, eliminating the cost of room and board, commuting time as well as saving on the cost of fuel.”
The Student Union
In addition to the University Center, the District is authorized to construct a Student Union. The new building will contain the cafeteria, Activities and Affairs, student government, some student services functions, and the bookstore.
“The Student Union will be a much larger facility than what the campus currently has in [the] cafeteria,” Perez says. “It will not only contain the cafeteria, it will be a gathering place for all students.”
Later this year, the District will demolish various properties it owns along West Tulare Avenue, South Woodland Street, and Mooney Boulevard to make room for the facilities. Both buildings are scheduled to be completed by mid-2028.
