Indian Wells residents Ward and Patricia Fredericks have taken the inaugural step in supporting the next phase of growth for the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus. A new estate gift of $250,000 will go on to support the construction of a future clock tower, part of the draft campus master plan introduced to the community in May.
“Like so many people throughout desert, Pat and I believe that our CSUSB Palm Desert campus is the conduit to our region’s economic and social growth,” said Dr. Ward Fredericks. “The new master plan is a roadmap towards the building of a destination campus, designed for our local students as well as others from across the country and around the world. This will be an extraordinary university in a world-class setting.”
While still requiring approval by The California State University Board of Trustees, the draft master plan would provide academic and student-centric design elements totaling about 1.6 million square feet. Build out allows for the construction of several new academic and co-curricular facilities, including a program in hospitality management. There is also placements for student housing, athletic fields, a library, parking and a multi-purpose student union. The Palm Desert Campus currently serves nearly 1,200 bachelors, masters and doctoral students, while the draft plan would allow for the equivalent of 8,000 students.
The clock tower would serve as the flagship of a new central plaza, visible from Cook Street, as well as Frank Sinatra and Gerald Ford Drives.
“You could not ask for better visionaries and friends than Pat and Ward Fredericks,” said Palm Desert Campus Dean Sharon Brown-Welty. “They both immediately recognized the importance of the new master plan in the greater development of the campus and the entire Coachella Valley. Their gift is inspirational and we look forward to elevating opportunities for our next phase of growth.”
The Palm Desert Campus resides on 167 acres along Cook Street and borders Frank Sinatra and Gerald Ford Drives. Built exclusively from a community of philanthropists and civic leaders, it currently consists of four buildings: the Mary Stuart Rogers Gateway Building, the Indian Wells Center for Educational Excellence, the Indian Wells Theater and the Palm Desert Health Sciences Building.
For more information about the Fredericks gift, contact Shawn Shepherd at (760) 341-2883, ext. 78116 or email Shawn.Shepherd@csusb.edu.
For more information about the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus, contact Mike Singer in the campus’s Office of Public Affairs at msinger@csusb.edu or (760) 341-2883, ext. 78107 or visit the campus website.
For more information on Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Strategic Communication at (909) 537-5007.