California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) has entered into a partnership with gaming giant ViewSonic to furnish the university’s new Esports Incubation Lab, as well as providing support for other career-building opportunities and activities.
“The CSUDH community is grateful to be working with an industry leader like ViewSonic, who cares about putting students first,” said Ruben Caputo, academic advisor and general manager of the CSUDH Esports Association, which was established in 2017 and currently has over 200 members. “The partnership collaboration will allow us to make an even bigger impact as we enter our brand-new esports facility.”
Under the terms of the agreement, ViewSonic will serve as the official monitor sponsor for the CSUDH Esports Association and provide the Esports Incubator Lab with gaming monitors, large television monitors, an interactive whiteboard, and other equipment. They will also provide funding for jerseys and other apparel for Esports Association members.
According to Caputo, ViewSonic approached the CSUDH Esports Association after seeing several of their social media posts highlighting the ways the university is using esports as a student success strategy. Esports Association’s mentoring program with Compton Unified School District convinced the company that CSUDH would be a like-minded partner in developing esports.
“ViewSonic is committed to its ongoing community outreach efforts as part of their Empowering Future Generations initiative,” said Kenneth Mau, Product and Channel Director, ViewSonic Americas. “It is imperative we extend our reach to not only provide an outlet for youth, but also provide something that is sustainable and beneficial. Within a short time, we have seen the value in esports and what it provides to so many children, teens and young adults. The esports culture not only provides a community, but it develops various skills across all age ranges, prepares students for careers and offers lifelong ingenuity.”
In addition to providing equipment and apparel, ViewSonic will work with the Esports Association to develop an internship pipeline for CSUDH students, allowing them to begin to transfer the skills they are learning in esports to the workplace. ViewSonic will also offer career day opportunities to Toro students, and will provide support for other events and activities as they arise.
In announcing the partnership, CSUDH President Thomas Parham added, “This partnership is vitally important to CSUDH, because esports will be a critical element of our student engagement strategy going forward. We are looking for ways to keep students engaged and on track, while teaching them skills in coding, mathematics, science, and writing that will help them better manage the rigors of a university curriculum–skills they need to master on their way to preparing for the workforce. ViewSonic’s support will enable us to make sure our students have the tools they need to succeed while they’re here on campus, and after they graduate.”
The Esports Incubator Lab is currently under construction, and is expected to be completed by Spring 2022. On October 15, during the CSUDH Grand Opening, the esports program will be digitally unveiling the new Esports Incubator Lab.
