California State University, Northridge

California State University, Northridge began like many other institutions in Los Angeles’s San Fernando Valley, with trees cleared and foundations poured at sites that were once orange, lemon, or avocado groves. While it passed its first years as the San Fernando Valley campus of Los Angeles State College, it became San Fernando Valley State College (SFVSC) before the 1958 fall term. As the campus and student body rapidly grew, SFVSC saw waves of political activism promoting equal opportunities in higher education, protesting racism and discrimination, and denouncing war. Negotiations between student groups, campus administration, and the Faculty Senate ultimately led to the establishment of some of the nation’s earliest programs in ethnic and area studies. In 1972, the campus became California State University, Northridge (CSUN). Today, over 2,000 faculty members serve 40,000 students pursuing bachelor’s degrees in 69 disciplines, master’s degrees in 58 fields, doctorates in two fields, and 14 teaching credential programs.