Cal Poly officially named its newest student space Mustang Commons, bringing several cultural and academic support centers under one roof.
Located near North Perimeter Road and Safety Way East, the building now houses the Latinx Center for Academic Success and Achievement (LA CASA), the Black Academic Excellence Center, TRIO Achievers, Cal Poly Scholars and the Educational Opportunity Program. These centers were previously located in Building 52.
The name, Mustang Commons, was chosen from feedback from students, faculty and staff through focus groups and campus-wide input, according to Jamie Patton, associate vice president for strategic enrollment management and student affairs, with a focus on student development and belonging.
“We really wanted to create a space where students knew that they belonged,” Patton said.
The move is part of Cal Poly’s broader space optimization initiative, which aims to create additional classroom space while improving access to student support services. Patton said the transition allowed the university to move programs out of what was primarily a hallway space in Building 52 and into a dedicated building designed to foster community and student engagement.
“We went from having this hallway that was vibrant,” Patton said. “It was community in many different ways, but we knew we could do better.”
The relocation has garnered mixed reactions from students. Biology freshman, Estefania Chavez, said the new building has become one of her primary study and social spaces. Before discovering the space, Chavez spent most of her time studying in her dorm between classes.
“I feel like this location is a little better because Building 52 is just a bunch of random classrooms bunched up in one building,” Chavez said. “Here it’s perfect for everybody.”
However, mechanical engineering sophomore Eduardo Ortiz has a different perspective. While he appreciates the resources available inside Mustang Commons, he believes the location is less convenient than its previous home in Building 52.
“It’s farther than I would like compared to where it was last year,” Ortiz said. “It was like a prime spot.”
The building also serves as part of a larger vision for student support on campus. Mustang Commons offers free scantrons and blue books as well as printing services, open study spaces and a Wellness Hub stocked with school supplies, snacks and other basic necessities. According to Patton, the resources are intended to eliminate small barriers that can impact student success.
Patton said university leaders are still evaluating how Mustang Commons can evolve as student needs change. The building is expected to become part of a larger student support hub when the Student Success Center opens in 2027.
