The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has paid $80 million to acquire land in Rancho Palos Verdes and in the San Pedro neighborhood of Los Angeles.
The sites, which had been owned by the now shuttered Marymount California University will enable UCLA to expand its program offerings.
"As demand for our academic offerings continues to grow, this acquisition will allow us to expand student access," says UCLA Chancellor Gene Block.
The University of California Regents approved UCLA’s acquisition of Marymount California University’s 24.5-acre main campus in Rancho Palos Verdes, 30 miles south of UCLA's Westwood campus, and an 11-acre residential site in San Pedro. UCLA estimates that the additional land will enable it to expand enrollment by nearly 1,000 students.
UCLA plans to establish a task force of faculty members and administrators to study how best to use the property to advance institutional goals and expand access to education. Block says the site may host academic programs as soon as next year.
Marymount California University closed permanently last month, after struggling financially because of declining enrollment and rising costs.
Marymount California University president Brian Marcotte says the school chose to sell its property to UCLA "because it has a long track record of educational excellence, and is perfectly suited to build upon the mission of teaching and community service we established here."
