SDSU Imperial Valley partners with Imperial Public Library to expand admission resources

San Diego State University Imperial Valley has partnered with the city of Imperial to utilize space inside the city’s public library to provide support for prospective students and their families. 

The agreement, signed on Feb. 19, will allow SDSU Imperial Valley’s recruitment and outreach team to access the Imperial Public Library’s workstations and its children’s area to host workshops on California State University applications, financial aid, scholarships, and guest lectures, as well as educational sessions for parents. 

“Our recruitment team will offer support and guidance to prospective students in order for them to have a smooth transition into their higher education journey and demystify the barriers of the admission process,” said Guillermina Gina Nuñez-Mchiri, SDSU Imperial Valley dean. “Our workshops are also meant to be for parents, as they are an important part of our students’ lives. This will create a more clear pathway for students graduating from high school or community college into a four-year university.”

As the definite schedule is yet to be confirmed, the recruitment team plans to begin sharing its resources and support around mid-March on a weekly basis. The space will be provided at no cost to the university under the library’s agreement. Additionally, the resources will be open to anyone in the community interested in learning more about the university. 

SDSU Imperial Valley will have an even greater presence in the northern part of the county, as it will soon open its upcoming Sciences and Engineering Laboratories at SDSU Imperial Valley, Brawley in fall 2025. Through this new partnership, the new agreement will allow the university to strengthen ties with its surrounding communities.

“Many of our nursing students, for example, grew up and live in Imperial,” said Nuñez-Mchiri during the signing ceremony. “Your students are well represented in our student population. We aim to have more accessible spaces for students, such as your local library, that are close to home so that they can come in person and connect with our recruitment team.”

“This partnership is a key example of how as public service institutions, we can come together to create more accessible hubs for learning, knowledge and advancement,” said Amber Haller, Imperial Public Library administrator. “Our public library is there to leverage higher education outreach to our local community.” 

In the past year, SDSU Imperial Valley has seen significant growth in its academic programs, including fall 2024’s launch of a bachelor’s degree in public health with an emphasis in environmental health and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics.

In October, the university opened research laboratories for public health at its Brawley campus. These labs will provide students in the new public health bachelor’s program with hands-on experience, further expanding research opportunities in the Imperial Valley.