Syracuse University Coming to Sherman Oaks

Sherman Oaks is to become the home of a new satellite campus being created by Syracuse University, the first out of-state school to set up a formalized presence in Los Angeles, said Joan Adler, the senior director of Syracuse University's Los Angeles programs.

"We got a great deal on space," said Adler, who noted that the high vacancy rate on commercial properties in Sherman Oaks created a bargain price for the move.

The facility is expected to open in May at 4312 Woodman Ave., the site of a three-story building just north of Ventura Boulevard. The campus is relocating from a smaller location in West Los Angeles and will provide more services to serve a growing number of the university's students who want to study in L.A., she said.

"The center will involve three purposes," said Adler. "First, it will offer classes for students who are hoping to break into the entertainment industry. It will also serve as a recruitment center, and it will be a place where Syracuse alumni in Los Angeles can get together."

With tuition costs rising at California universities, Adler believes more students are considering out-of-state options when looking to choose a college.

Last year, the number of Syracuse students from Los Angeles rose 35 percent, she said. "There are about 9,000 Syracuse graduates living in Southern California, so the new satellite campus will be a place where they can connect."

Some of the instructors who will teach classes at the Woodman Avenue campus are Syracuse graduates who are prominent in the entertainment industry, Adler said.

Among the alumni whom students could expect to meet would be Aaron Sorkin, writer, producer and Oscar winner for best adapted screenplay for The Social Network.

Other Syracuse alumni include Rob Light, managing partner of Creative Artists Agency, and Brian Frons, president of Disney-ABC television group.

The school launched a semester in L.A. program last year. "The building in Sherman Oaks is close to the temporary housing where the students will stay at the Oakwood Apartments on Barham," said Adler.

"Of course, in recruiting students from Los Angeles we have to prepare them for the winter weather in Syracuse," added Adler. "Many of these people have never seen the kind of snowstorms we get in Upstate New York."