The groundbreaking ceremony for the Center for Global Innovation (CGI), which is expected to be the new centerpiece of CSUSB, took place in early December 2017, complete with a traditional picture of campus and community members with construction hats and shovels.  At $55 million and 71,000 square feet, directly connected to Coyote Walk by a large outdoor shaded plaza, CGI will be a three-story classroom and administrative office building that includes 24 classrooms designed to accommodate collaborative learning, reconfigurable multi-purpose rooms and casual study lounges. CGI will also include a 250-seat auditorium, retail food services, and opportunities for indoor and outdoor hosting of special programs on the third floor terrace, the exterior plaza and the large global gallery with a featured video wall.  Additionally, CGI will be home to the College of Extended Learning, including all international student programs, said Dean Tatiana Karmanova. The center will provide a more centralized location for international students, where they can better assimilate with the general student population.  “It will result in increased visibility for the college and enhanced access to services and campus life for those who work and learn there,” said CSUSB President Tomás D. Morales. “The center will also contribute much-needed instructional space within the university hub. “The Center for Global Innovation will augment the instructional needs and administrative operations for the college and greatly contribute to this university’s international student programs,” said Morales, a strong advocate for study abroad programs. “As the name indicates, one of its primary goals is to centralize services provided to our international student populations — those who are visiting as well as those matriculating here.” CGI was unanimously approved by the California State University Board of Trustees and is expected to open by fall 2019.