SDSU to Welcome 8,000 New Students

When classes begin on Monday, Aug. 26, San Diego State University will welcome nearly 8,000 new undergraduate students.  The entering freshman class is one of the highest achieving in the history of the university with an average GPA of 3.61 and SAT score of 1105. Total student enrollment includes nearly 32,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

The new freshman class includes University Honors Program student and SDSU Merit Scholar, Zachary Maches, who graduated from Patrick Henry High School in San Diego with a 4.5 GPA. He is a third generation Aztec whose parents met on campus.

“I am really looking forward to exploring the research opportunities at State, as well as being able to try for a double-major in applied math and international security and conflict resolution,” said Maches, who chose SDSU over UCLA, UC Davis and UC San Diego.  

The incoming class consists of approximately 4,500 first-time freshmen and 3,500 transfer students. SDSU will also welcome nearly 1,800 new graduate students.

The campus community will find several new additions and changes at SDSU this semester, including the following:

Areas of Excellence: As part of SDSU’s new strategic plan, “Building on Excellence,” the university has initiated four Areas of Excellence — interdisciplinary research partnerships designed to address some of the most urgent challenges in science and the social sciences. Pulling faculty together from multiple colleges and departments, each area of excellence builds on SDSU’s existing strengths as a top research university. The four areas of excellence are Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience, Human Dynamics in the Mobile Age, The Viral Information Institute and The Center for Climate and Sustainability Studies.

New Faculty Members: Twenty-two new faculty members will be in the classrooms when SDSU’s fall semester begins. New faculty will teach in six colleges, covering a variety of subjects including Africana studies, political science, history, management, accounting, social work, public health, chemistry, statistics, physics, psychology and film.

This is only the beginning. As part of the strategic plan, SDSU plans to hire 67 new faculty before the start of the 2014-2015 academic year.

New Classes: SDSU will launch a series of 21 new general education classes this fall including Geography 170: Sustainable Places and Practices; Humanities 409: The Future; Linguistics 345: Queer Linguistics; and Religious Studies 356: Hip Hop and Religion.

Community Engagement for Sustainable Cities: In its continued commitment to community engagement, SDSU has partnered with National City to help improve quality of life and sustainability standards for the area's 60,000 residents. Through the Community Engagement for Sustainable Cities program, more than 400 students guided by SDSU faculty, will gain hands-on experience with projects addressing environmental, health, land use and public administration issues. Audiology students, for example, will measure noise levels in certain areas of National City. Public health students will examine air quality. Geography students will analyze land use, and graphic arts students will design banners for many of the city’s neighborhoods. 

Aztec Student Union Update: Construction continues on the new Aztec Student Union. The sustainable student center, which will be the first LEED Platinum building on campus, will benefit multiple generations of Aztecs to come, providing a space for connecting, studying, eating and relaxing. Because of construction, access to certain roads and parking lots is impacted. Construction will be completed in December and grand opening activities will take place throughout the spring 2014 semester.

Storm/Nasatir Update: Construction continues on Storm and Nasatir Halls. This extensive project, which is scheduled to open in January 2014, will house upgraded classrooms for political science, sociology, economics, anthropology, geography, European studies, linguistics and rhetoric and writing departments. To watch the construction unfold, visit the construction camera.

University Towers Renovation: The University Towers Residence Halls underwent a $10.1 million facelift this summer. Renovations include a complete reconstruction of the dining hall, new meeting and conference space, a shared kitchen for occupant use, a new entry and lobby to simplify student access to the building, and expanded and improved exterior seating and landscaping.

Imperial Valley Campus: SDSU’s Imperial Valley Campus welcomes 250 new students this fall including 101 first-time freshmen and 109 transfers, bringing the total enrollment to 788.