CSUDH News

The primary source of news and information about California State University, Dominguez Hills, its students, faculty, and staff.

Strategy

Daily Breeze: Cal State Dominguez Hills Opens New Esports Facility

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Compton Unified student gaming at the esports event

Source: Daily Breeze

Cal State Dominguez Hills celebrated the grand opening this week of an esports facility, which university officials said is “a staple strategy to benefit enrollment, retention, recruitment, and career readiness.”

The Toro Esports Academy is on the second floor of the Leo F. Cain University Library. It will serve the entire university community by providing a classroom, an arena and an incubator for students, university officials said in a recent press release.

In recent years, esports has gained traction among various higher institutions, some of which have created facilities and developed curriculum to promote gaming as a collegiate sport. One in five schools had already implemented an esports program and 71% were considering adding one in the future, according to a 2019 study that surveyed 281 leaders across K-12 and higher education iworldwide.

The CSUDH facility houses 38 gaming stations and three broadcast stations, all of which are “equipped with state-of-the-art cameras and equipment to allow for the highest quality broadcast,” the release said. Students will learn about game building, gaming theory and have greater access to STEM disciplines — science, technology, engineering and math — at the facility.

To celebrate the facility’s opening, Compton Unified School District students in grades six to 12 played exhibition games. Live show matches were held between students from CSUDH, Cal State Long Beach and Cal State Fullerton.

Those who attended the grand opening ceremony on Tuesday, April 24, also got to take a student-guided tour of the facility.

KABC: Cal State Dominguez Hills Celebrates Grand Opening of New Toro Esports Academy

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Source: KABC

California State University Dominguez Hills celebrated the grand opening of its new Toro Esports Academy, a facility dedicated to the university’s robust Esports program.

According to the school’s website, the academy features a competitive arena for students with 38 gaming stations, three broadcast stations with new equipment, and classroom space that will enable academic courses to be taught on-site.

“We have an academics and research component where we’re pushing curriculum as well,” explained Kevin Buchmiller, the director of Esports at the university. “We have career development opportunities with workshops and seminars.”

School officials said the academy allows students to acquire skills people may not think of, like working in teams.

“They need strategy. What are they going to do in the game? How to strategize. They have to be fast reaction times and they also need analytical thinking because they have to make split second decisions,” said CSUDH Deputy Chief Information Officer Bill Chang.

Students enrolled in the program said they can transfer what they have learned at the academy into future careers.

“Playing with the games, it allows me to have clear communications with my teams because I have to communicate whatever I’m doing something in the game so then we have an understanding of what’s happening in the games,” said student Bryan Diaz.

For more information, visit CSUDH’s website.