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California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt (Cal Poly Humboldt or Humboldt) is a
public university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...
in
Arcata, California Arcata (; ; ) is a city adjacent to the Arcata Bay (northern) portion of Humboldt Bay (United States), Humboldt Bay in Humboldt County, California, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, 2020 census, Arcata's population was 18,857. A ...
. It is one of three polytechnic universities in the
California State University The California State University (Cal State or CSU) is a Public university, public university system in California, and the List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment, largest public university system in the United States ...
(CSU) system and the northernmost campus in the system. The main campus, situated hillside at the edge of a coast redwood forest, overlooks Arcata, much of
Humboldt Bay Humboldt Bay (Wiyot language, Wiyot: ''Wigi'') is a natural bay and a multi-basin, bar-built coastal lagoon located on the rugged North Coast (California), North Coast of California, entirely within Humboldt County, California, Humboldt County, ...
, and the Pacific Ocean. The
college town A college town or university town is a town or city whose character is dominated by a college or university and their associated culture, often characterised by the student population making up 20 percent of the population of the community, bu ...
setting on the California North Coast, north of Eureka, north of
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, and 654 miles (1053 km) north of
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, is notable for its natural beauty. It is the most westerly four-year university in the contiguous United States. Humboldt is a
Hispanic-serving institution A Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) is defined in U.S. federal law as an accredited, degree-granting, public or private nonprofit institution of higher education with 25% or higher total undergraduate Hispanic or Latino full-time equivalent (FTE ...
(HSI). The university is divided into three colleges: the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; the College of Natural Resources and Sciences; and the College of Professional Studies. It offers 58
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
programs, 14
master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
programs, 76 minors, and 4
credential A credential is a piece of any document that details a qualification, competence, or authority issued to an individual by a third party with a relevant or ''de facto'' authority or assumed competence to do so. Examples of credentials include aca ...
programs. Cal Poly Humboldt does not offer
doctoral degrees A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...
.


History

Humboldt State Normal School was established as a teacher's college on June 16, 1913, by California governor
Hiram Johnson Hiram Warren Johnson (September 2, 1866August 6, 1945) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 23rd governor of California from 1911 to 1917 and represented California in the U.S. Senate for five terms from 1917 to 1945. Johns ...
. It was one of about 180 institutions founded by state governments to train teachers for the rapidly growing public schools. The cities of
Arcata Arcata (; ; ) is a city adjacent to the Arcata Bay (northern) portion of Humboldt Bay in Humboldt County, California, United States. At the 2020 census, Arcata's population was 18,857. Arcata was first founded in 1850 as Union, was officially ...
and Eureka (and to a lesser extent
Fortuna Fortuna (, equivalent to the Greek mythology, Greek goddess Tyche) is the goddess of fortune and the personification of luck in Religion in ancient Rome, Roman religion who, largely thanks to the Late Antique author Boethius, remained popular thr ...
) competed with one another to host the new campus. Arcata was selected after William Preston, and the Union Water company, donated to serve as the site of the new school's campus. It opened on April 6, 1914, before construction at the location was complete, in the former Arcata Grammar School building with 78 students enrolled and five faculty members teaching. On May 26, 1915, the first class graduated: they were 15 women. The school was put under the jurisdiction of the California Department of Education, renamed Humboldt State Teacher's College and Junior College, and moved to its current location in 1921. In 1924, during the presidency of Ralph Waldo Swetman, the Associated Students and the Alumni Association were organized and ''The Foghorn'', the first student newspaper, was published.
Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
s began being offered in 1927. The school was renamed Humboldt State College in 1935, and the following year an official mascot was adopted: the
Lumberjack Lumberjack is a mostly North American term for workers in the logging industry who perform the initial harvesting and transport of trees. The term usually refers to loggers in the era before 1945 in the United States, when trees were felled us ...
. In 1937, the students opened a cooperative bookstore and soda fountain, which would exist for the next 40 years as the center of student life. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
,
Arcata Arcata (; ; ) is a city adjacent to the Arcata Bay (northern) portion of Humboldt Bay in Humboldt County, California, United States. At the 2020 census, Arcata's population was 18,857. Arcata was first founded in 1850 as Union, was officially ...
's city defense council suggested camouflaging Founder's Hall, which is visible from the Pacific Ocean, so it would not be a target for Japanese submarines. The council made its request in 1942, but Founder's Hall was not painted until the spring of 1944. The building remained camouflage green until 1948. Over the course of the war, President Arthur Gist corresponded with hundreds of the students who had left Humboldt State to serve in the war. The "Arthur Gist Letters," an archive of more than 1,000 individual letters from 365 servicemen and women who wrote to Gist while serving in the military, were donated to the school after his death and are available for viewing at Cal Poly Humboldt Library's Special Collections & Archives. Graduate programs were first offered in 1947. Under President Cornelius H. Siemens in 1952, HSU continued expanding by accepting students from abroad, including some from
Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
and the
Near East The Near East () is a transcontinental region around the Eastern Mediterranean encompassing the historical Fertile Crescent, the Levant, Anatolia, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and coastal areas of the Arabian Peninsula. The term was invented in the 20th ...
, as well as U.S. territories such as
American Samoa American Samoa is an Territories of the United States, unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States located in the Polynesia region of the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. Centered on , it is southeast of the island count ...
,
Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
and
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
. KHSU began broadcasting from the school as a 10-watt
carrier current Carrier current transmission, originally called wired wireless, employs guided low-power Radio frequency, radio-frequency signals, which are transmitted along electrical conductors. The transmissions are picked up by receivers that are either conne ...
radio station in 1947 (using the
call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally as ...
KHSC until 1972), and on October 17, 1960, it became the first licensed, non-commercial station operated by a state college in California. Also in 1960, the college became a part of the newly-formed California State College system. The school's junior college program, terminated in 1962, was re-established in 1964 at College of the Redwoods (CR), located only to the south in Eureka. The two institutions maintain a close working relationship, with many students transferring to Humboldt after graduating from CR. Student activism on campus rose through the 1960s and early 1970s, peaking in a protest of about 800 students (out of 3,600) against the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
on October 15, 1969. This was followed by another protest with nearly 3,000 students who planned to boycott classes after the Cambodian campaign. With similar events taking place across the state, Governor
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
shut down the CSC system in May 1970 for five days. The 1970s also saw the rise of
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
,
ethnocultural An ethnographic group or ethnocultural group is a group that has cultural traits that make it stand out from the larger ethnic group it is a part of. In other words, members of an ethnographic group will also consider themselves to be members of a ...
, and
LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...
groups, and though the Women's Center was the only one to survive through the 1980s, most groups reappeared by the mid-1990s. Alumnus David Philips established the Humboldt Film Festival in 1967, now one of the oldest student-run festivals in the world. In 1972, the college was renamed California State University, Humboldt, however it still continued to be popularly referred to as "Humboldt State." Reflecting this, its name was simplified to Humboldt State University in 1974. Enrollment first surpassed 7,500 in 1974, with a peak of 8,790 in 2015, making it one of the smallest in the CSU system throughout its existence. Through the 1980s, adult learners became a large part of Humboldt State's student body, and in 1986, 40% of the students were over the age of 25. That number has since decreased to . In 1987, students and activists founded the optional Graduation Pledge of Social and Environmental Responsibility, with the stated purpose of encouraging graduating students to be mindful of the social and environmental impacts of their employment as they enter the workforce or continue their education. Today, over one hundred
post-secondary Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...
educational institutions worldwide use the pledge in some capacity. On April 22, 2024, dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters occupied Siemens Hall as part of a wider movement of occupation protests against the
Gaza war The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...
. Protesters renamed the building to "Intifada Hall" and managed to repel an initial police incursion. At some point protesters occupied a second building, Nelson Hall. On April 30, a large law enforcement task force stormed both occupied buildings and arrested at least 35 people, bringing the occupation to an end. The
Department of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
's Office for Civil Rights announced on March 18, 2025 that Cal Poly Humboldt was one of 44 schools being scrutinized under Title VI at the direction of
Secretary A secretary, administrative assistant, executive assistant, personal secretary, or other similar titles is an individual whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, program evalu ...
Linda McMahon Linda Marie McMahon ( ; ; born October 4, 1948) is an American politician, business executive, and former professional wrestling promoter who has served as the 13th United States Secretary of Education, United States secretary of education since ...
, in relation to a partnership with The Ph.D. Project, a
nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
that helps underrepresented individuals earn
doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...
s and secure
business school A business school is a higher education institution or professional school that teaches courses leading to degrees in business administration or management. A business school may also be referred to as school of management, management school, s ...
faculty positions. The investigation also included two other public universities in California: Cal State San Bernadino and
UC Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after the Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkele ...
. In response, a spokesperson for CSU stated that the organization is reviewing the claim and intends to cooperate, but that it does not discriminate and complies with all relevant state and federal laws.


Name

The university, founded as Humboldt State Normal College in 1913, took the name of the
county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
and nearby bay, which was originally named after the famous German scientist
Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 1769 – 6 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, natural history, naturalist, List of explorers, explorer, and proponent of Romanticism, Romantic philosophy and Romanticism ...
. On May 23, 1972, fourteen of the nineteen CSU campuses were renamed to "California State University," followed by a comma and then their geographic designation. The five campuses exempted from renaming were the five newest state colleges created during the 1960s. The new names were very unpopular at certain campuses. Over the objections of CSU Chancellor Glenn Dumke, state Assemblyman
Al Alquist Alfred E. Alquist (August 2, 1908 – March 27, 2006) was an American politician who was a California State Senate, California state senator from 1976 to 1996. Biography Born in 1908 in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of a Sweden, Swedish immigrant ...
proposed a bill that would rename the San Jose campus back to San Jose State. A few years later, some other CSU campuses, the Humboldt campus among them, also secured passage of similar legislation, and California State University, Humboldt was renamed Humboldt State University from 1974 until 2022. On January 26, 2022, the university was officially renamed to California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, becoming the third polytechnic university in the state. The change is backed by a $458 million investment from the state of California.


Academics

The university is divided into three colleges: the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; the College of Natural Resources and Sciences; and the College of Professional Studies. There are 48 undergraduate majors and 69 minors. The two largest majors are
biology Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...
and
art Art is a diverse range of cultural activity centered around ''works'' utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, tec ...
, both with over 20 faculty members and extensive facilities on- and off-campus. This CSU campus offers a
wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animals and uncultivated plant species which can exist in their natural habitat, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introdu ...
undergraduate degree. There are several credential programs and fourteen master's programs, of which
natural resources Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest, and cultural value. ...
and
social work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...
are the largest. The new Energy, Environment, and Society graduate program is unique to the CSU, and provides graduates with interdisciplinary training in engineering, economics, and climate policy. The University Library supports students and faculty from all three academic colleges. Humboldt State University Press (now called the Press at Cal Poly Humboldt) was launched in 1991 to showcase research and scholarship across the campus. The Forestry department building's walls are completely paneled with different species of wood. The building was rebuilt in October 1980 after the original building was burned down. The original building stood for 17 years before an arsonist, whose identity is still unknown today, set the building on fire in 1979. Cal Poly Humboldt is one of only two universities in California to offer a major in
botany Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...
; the other is
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona California State Polytechnic University Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) is a Public university, public Institute of Technology (United States)#Polytechnic universities, polytechnic research university in Pomona, California, United States. It is the l ...
. Its botany program is the nation's largest undergraduate program. Cal Poly Humboldt is the only university in California to offer a degree in rangeland resources and wildland soil science. The Native American Studies major and the
Oceanography Oceanography (), also known as oceanology, sea science, ocean science, and marine science, is the scientific study of the ocean, including its physics, chemistry, biology, and geology. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of to ...
major are also unique to the California State University system. The university offers unique minors including multicultural queer studies, scientific diving, and
appropriate technology Appropriate technology is a movement (and its manifestations) encompassing technology, technological choice and application that is small-scale, affordable by its users, labor-intensive, efficient energy use, energy-efficient, environmentally sust ...
. The university's location on the North Coast provides access to the Pacific Ocean, lagoons, marshes, estuaries, and the Fred Telonicher Marine Laboratory, which provides opportunities for "hands-on" experiences and research for the sciences. The Marine Lab was opened in 1966, the lab is open during the academic school year (mid August-mid May). Cal Poly Humboldt's fire science program teaches modern techniques for managing wildfire, and an advanced training program is offered for Forest Service employees and similar professionals. The college of eLearning & Extended Ed (CEEE) is a self-supporting outreach department of Cal Poly Humboldt that provides a variety of academic, professional development and personal enrichment opportunities. While the CEEE programs are open to almost everyone, there is an emphasis on providing access to those community members who are not matriculated students at the university. Non-matriculated students may take some regular university courses through the CEEE Open University program. High school students may take regular university courses through the CEEE High School Concurrent Enrollment Program. Also, those aged 60 and over may take regular classes through the Over 60 Program. There are also a variety of online degree programs offered through the college. The CEEE also offers a wide range of diverse and eclectic programs. Examples include music and art programs for children, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute for those aged 50 and over, foreign language classes, travel-study programs, continuing education for teachers, MFT/LCSW, nurses, and law enforcement. In 1998 Humboldt State University opened the HSU First Street Gallery in Old Town Eureka, expanding community access to the university's cultural and fine arts programs. In 2007, the university further expanded its presence in Eureka with the opening of the HSU Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center, a $4.5 million aquatic facility on the bay in Old Town Eureka. Future plans include a new HSU Bay and Estuarine Studies Center. This new facility will be closer to the ''Coral Sea'' (in 2012 docked at Woodley Island, Eureka), the only vessel in a U.S. educational institution solely dedicated to undergraduate research. The new facility would be considerably larger than the other existing facility, the Fred Telonicher Marine Laboratory in Trinidad, north. Cal Poly Humboldt Professor Steve Sillett has conducted groundbreaking research on
redwood Sequoioideae, commonly referred to as redwoods, is a subfamily of Pinophyta, coniferous trees within the family (biology), family Cupressaceae, that range in the Northern Hemisphere, northern hemisphere. It includes the List of superlative tree ...
forest canopies and was featured in a 2009 cover story in ''National Geographic''. He holds the Kenneth L. Fisher Chair in Redwood Forest Ecology, the only endowed chair in the world dedicated to a single tree species.


Statistics


Student demographics

As of fall 2018 Cal Poly Humboldt had the largest enrollment percentage of Native Americans and the third largest enrollment percentage of multiracial individuals in the Cal State system. Number of enrolled students: 6,045 (fall 2024) * 5,976 (fall 2023) * 5,858 (fall 2022) Gender: * 56.0% female * 44.0% male


Rankings

* Cal Poly Humboldt is one of the colleges profiled in '' The Princeton Review''s book, ''Colleges with a Conscience: 81 Great Schools with Outstanding Community Involvement''. The school was selected because of its record of having excellent service-learning programs and its blending of academics with community work. * '' U.S. News & World Report'' ranked Cal Poly Humboldt tied for 37th out of 127 schools in the Regional Universities (West) category for 2021, and in the same category also ranked it 17th best public school, 22nd best for veterans, 33rd for best value, and tied for 34th best for social mobility.


Student life

The Humboldt Energy Independence Fund (HEIF) is unique to the CSU, and uses student fee money to fund renewable energy and energy efficiency projects on campus. HEIF provides a rare opportunity for students, faculty, and plant operations staff to work together collaboratively towards a goal of a lower-carbon and energy-independent future.
Compost Compost is a mixture of ingredients used as plant fertilizer and to improve soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties. It is commonly prepared by Decomposition, decomposing plant and food waste, recycling organic materials, and man ...
and
recycling Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. This concept often includes the recovery of energy from waste materials. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the propert ...
bins are more common on campus than trash cans and many events are encouraged to be
zero waste Zero waste, or ''waste minimization'', is a set of principles focused on waste prevention that encourages redesigning resource life cycles so that all products are repurposed (i.e. "up-cycled") and/or reused. The goal of the movement is to avoid ...
, all coordinated through the student-run Waste Reduction and Resource Awareness Program (WRRAP). The Associated Students fund WRRAP, the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology, and the
Sustainable Living Sustainable living describes a lifestyle (sociology), lifestyle that attempts to reduce the use of Earth's natural resources by an individual or society. Its practitioners often attempt to reduce their ecological footprint (including their carbo ...
Arts and Music Festival (SLAM fest). Cal Poly Humboldt built the first building in the CSU system to be LEED-gold certified for its eco-friendly features. The Behavioral and Social Sciences Building has facilities for rainwater collection and sustainably harvested wood native-plant landscaping, among others. There are over 200 clubs on campus; these include a variety of options that range from social interests, academic, Greek life and sports.


Student media

The university has multiple publications. '' The Lumberjack'' is the university's only student-run weekly newspaper''.'' The university also has a monthly student-run newspaper, ''El Leñador'', which is bilingual and produced by students with minority backgrounds. ''El Leñador'' received first place in competing against other monthly and bi-weekly papers from four- and two-year colleges and universities across California. ''Osprey'' is the university's student-run magazine, published twice annually. It has won first-place awards in major regional competitions, including the Society of Professional Journalists' "Mark of Excellence" Awards and the California Intercollegiate Press Association awards. Cal Poly Humboldt is also the only university in the CSU system to have a university press. The Press at Cal Poly Humboldt publishes high-quality scholarly, intellectual, and creative works by or in support of the campus community.


Athletics

The Lumberjacks program is affiliated with the
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
on the Division II level and is a member of the
California Collegiate Athletic Association The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) is a List of NCAA conferences, college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the NCAA Division II, Division II level. All of its current m ...
. Cal Poly Humboldt currently sponsors 12 intercollegiate sports programs — men's and women's
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
,
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
, cross country,
track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...
, women's
volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
,
softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...
,
rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...
, and, formerly,
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
(in which it competed in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference). In addition to NCAA sanctioned athletics, Cal Poly Humboldt also supports club sports including,
archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a Bow and arrow, bow to shooting, shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting ...
,
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
, cheer,
climbing Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or other parts of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. the eight thousanders) to small boulders. Climbing is done for locom ...
,
cycling Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world fo ...
, disc golf,
fencing Fencing is a combat sport that features sword fighting. It consists of three primary disciplines: Foil (fencing), foil, épée, and Sabre (fencing), sabre (also spelled ''saber''), each with its own blade and set of rules. Most competitive fe ...
, logging sports, men's and women's
lacrosse Lacrosse is a contact team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game w ...
, men's and women's rugby, men's and women's ultimate Frisbee, men's
crew A crew is a body or a group of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchy, hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard. The word has nautical resonances: the ta ...
, and men's
volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
. *Women's (2) **Softball (2): 1999, 2008


On-campus housing

As of 2022, 2,069 beds were available on campus. As Cal Poly Humboldt enrolls nearly 6,000 students and as there is an acute housing shortage in Arcata, homelessness is prevalent among the student population. The university has sought to restrict and penalize students who are forced to live in cars, RVs or vans on campus. A 2018 study concluded that almost 20% of Cal Poly Humboldt students had experienced recent homelessness,Oden Taylor
'Cal Poly Homeless': Does Northern California's first polytechnic university have the infrastructure to support its growth?
''Cal Matters'' (February 15, 2023).
double the rate of the CSU system as a whole. University housing consists of six living areas: The Hill, Cypress, and Canyon for first-year students, and the College Creek Apartments, Campus Apartments, Creekview, and Cypress for other students. To address a housing shortage, Cal Poly Humboldt contracted with four local hotels—the Motel 6, Super 8, Ramada Inn, and Comfort Inn—to provide approximately 350 beds of "bridge housing" to students.Austin Castro
Cal Poly Humboldt removes some motels as "bridge housing" options for students
KRCR-TV (June 7, 2023).
By 2023, however, the university eliminated three of the four options, leaving only the Comfort Inn as the only motel option. A new off-campus housing complex, Craftsman Mall, will house a thousand residents and is projected to open in fall 2025; new on-campus housing for an additional 600 to 700 students is projected to open in summer 2027. Cal Poly Humboldt announced it was closing the Campus Apartments in late January 2025 on the recommendations of a consultant after mold tests conducted in a recently vacated room. The apartments are expected to be demolished after the new Hinarr Hu Moulik housing complex opens. In April 2025, it was reported that Hinarr Hu Moulik would open for up to 600 students in the Fall 2025 semester.


Klamath Connection Program

The Klamath River is the focus of the Klamath Connection, which is designed to help freshmen learn important skills for future science careers.


Y.E.S. House

The Y.E.S. House (Youth Educational Services) programs are created by students and led by student volunteer programs. There are currently 17 programs running.


Centers and institutes

Centers and institutes at the university include: * The California Center for Rural Policy at Cal Poly Humboldt - a research center to assist policy development. community building community, and promoting the health of rural people and their environments. * Humboldt Science and Mathematics Center - its mission is to enhance science and mathematics education. It was chartered in 2005, and offers programs and professional support for teachers and for students preparing for the professionals. The center is formally affiliated with a number of university programs. * The Humboldt Institute for Interdisciplinary Marijuana Research (HIIMR) - founded in 2012 and seeks to improve the economic, social, physical, and environmental health of individuals and communities through the interdisciplinary scientific study of marijuana and marijuana extracts by working with users of the drug and local cannabis dispensaries to collect data. Since 2016, HIIMR designs, conducts, analyzes, and disseminates research; provides applied expertise to policy makers, researchers, students, health professionals, businesses, and the media; and archives and provides access to source materials (raw data, media). * Institute for Cartographic Design - affiliated with the Department of Geography and its Kosmos Lab for teaching
cartography Cartography (; from , 'papyrus, sheet of paper, map'; and , 'write') is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an imagined reality) can ...
, this institute provides cartography students with an opportunity to engage in applied map design before graduation, provides a centralized cartographic design service on campus, in all formats from paper to web to animation. * The Institute of Health and Human Performance - supports the local community in activities for health promotion. It supports research and training for faculty and students in health, human performance, disease prevention, physical activity and nutrition. * The Institute for Entrepreneurship Education - designed to reach other academic departments on campus as well as the Redwood Coast business community. It is oriented around interdisciplinary study, with a focus on social entrepreneurship and an ethic of social responsibility. * The Institute for Spatial Analysis (ISA) - is devoted to the expansion of spatial analysis methodologies in multiple disciplines and the real world issues. It works with both public and private sector entities. * The Schatz Energy Research Center (SERC) - works to establish clean energy technology. It specializes in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and hydrogen energy systems, especially increasing the efficiency of fuel cells. Its work involves research and development, technology demonstration, project development, energy systems analysis, and education and training. * Museum & Gallery Practices Certification Program


Notable people


Alumni

* Marisa Anderson, guitarist and composer, dropped out at age 19 * Taylor Boggs (b. 1987), football player * Melissa Braden, sculptor and ceramic artist * Dean L. Bresciani, President of
North Dakota State University North Dakota State University (NDSU, formally North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fargo, North Dakota, United States. It was ...
* Ellie Cachette (b. 1985), technology executive, activist and author * Alex Cappa (b. 1995), football player for the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
*
Raymond Carver Raymond Clevie Carver Jr. (May 25, 1938 – August 2, 1988) was an American short story writer and poet. He published his first collection of stories, '' Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?'', in 1976. His breakout collection, '' What We Talk About ...
(1938-1988), author and poet * Mark Conover (1960-2022), winner of 1988 Olympic Marathon trials * Dan Curry, visual effects producer * Chris Dixon (b. 1981), indoor football player and coach * Trevor Dunn (b. 1968), bassist for Mr. Bungle and Fantomas * Jack Fimple (b. 1959), former
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
catcher for the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
* Ken Fisher (b. 1950), billionaire CEO of
Fisher Investments Fisher Investments is an independent money management firm headquartered in Plano, Texas. History Ken Fisher founded the firm in 1979, then served as CEO until July 2016, when he was succeeded by long-time Fisher Investments employee Damian O ...
, long-time ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' columnist, and author of books on investing * Harrell Fletcher (b. 1967), artist * David Gelbaum (c. 1950-2018), businessman, green technology investor and environmental philanthropist * Dave Harper (1966-2021), former NFL linebacker * Wendell Hayes, football player * Danny Herrera, powerlifter * Stephen Hillenburg, creator of
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
's ''
SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American animated television series, animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' C ...
'' * John Kiffmeyer, drummer * Ian "Vaush" Kochinski, political
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
livestreamer and commentator * Jeffrey D. Levine, former United States Ambassador to Estonia * Clinton McKinnon, Mr. Bungle musician *
Michael Moore Michael Francis Moore is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and author. Moore's work frequently addresses various Social issue, social, political, and economic topics. He first became publicly known for his award-winning debut ...
, member of the Instant Composers Pool *
Mike Patton Michael Allan Patton (born January 27, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and voice actor, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock bands Faith No More and Mr. Bungle. He has also fronted and/or played with Tomahawk, The ...
(b. 1968), musician, notable for his work with
Faith No More Faith No More is an American Rock music, rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before September 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist ...
, Mr. Bungle, and film scoring * Steve Selva (b. 1948), botanist and Professor Emeritus at the
University of Maine The University of Maine (UMaine) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Orono, Maine, United States. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the Flagship universitie ...
* Monroe Spaght (1909-1993) research chemist, president and chairman of the
Shell Oil Company Shell USA, Inc. (formerly Shell Oil Company, Inc.) is the United States–based wholly owned subsidiary of Shell plc, a UK-based transnational corporation " oil major" which is among the largest oil companies in the world. Approximately 18,000 ...
* Marla Spivak (b. 1955), entomologist and professor at the
University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...
* Trey Spruance (b. 1969), Mr. Bungle and
Secret Chiefs 3 Secret Chiefs 3 (or SC3) is an American experimental rock group led by guitarist/composer Trey Spruance (of Mr. Bungle and formerly, Faith No More). Their studio recordings and tours have featured different lineups, as the group performs a wide ...
musician * Josh Suggs (b. 1989), current
Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
defender;
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC is a professional Association football, soccer team based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Founded in 2014, the team is a member of the Western Conference (USL Championship), Western Conference in the USL Champions ...
*
Micah True Micah True (November 10, 1953 – March 27, 2012), born Michael Randall Hickman and also known as Caballo Blanco (white horse), was an American ultrarunning, ultrarunner from Boulder, Colorado, who received attention because of his depiction ...
(1953-2012), ultrarunner * Martin Wong (1946–1999), painter and ceramist


Faculty

* Don Gregorio Antón (b. 1956), artist and educator (Emeritus Professor) * Marcy Burstiner, journalist * Jim Dodge (b. 1945), novelist and poet * Robert A. Gearheart (b. 1938) (emeritus), environmental engineer * Victor Golla (1939–2021) (emeritus), linguist * Steven C. Hackett (b. 1960), economist * Vincent Ialenti (b. 1987), anthropologist * Eric Rofes (1954-2006), gay activist, feminist, educator, and author * Stephen C. Sillett (b. 1968), botanist


See also

*
List of forestry universities and colleges This is a list of tertiary educational institutions around the world offering Bachelor's degree, bachelor's, Master's degree, master's or Doctor of philosophy, doctoral degrees in forestry, agronomy, animal sciences, or related fields. Where note ...
* Humboldt Institute for Interdisciplinary Marijuana Research (HIIMR) * Cal Poly Humboldt Natural History Museum


Notes


References


External links

*
Athletics website
{{Coord, 40.876, -124.079, region:US_type:edu, display=title Humboldt 1913 establishments in California Arcata, California Universities and colleges established in 1913 California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt Schools accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Technological universities in the United States