School starts Aug. 28 with new classes, programs and more than three dozen new faculty members.
Press Release – SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Aug. 28, 2017) — San Diego State University will welcome nearly 11,000 new students to campus Monday as the fall 2017 semester officially gets underway.
“The entering freshman class is the highest-achieving in university history, raising the bar for all future students coming here,” said SDSU President Sally Roush. “To support the success of all of our students, both new and returning, we are reaffirming our commitment to our shared values of excellence in teaching, scholarship, creative activities and service, so that all students can grow both academically and personally during their time at SDSU.”
New students
More than 83,000 freshmen and undergraduate transfer students applied for fall 2017 admission to SDSU – tying the previous applicant record.
While final data will not be available until the university’s annual census in September, total student enrollment, including continuing students, is projected to be 34,200. In addition to 5,300 freshmen, approximately 3,250 transfer students and 2,000 new graduate and doctoral students will become part of the Aztec Family this week.
With an average high school GPA of 3.70, the incoming class is among the most academically impressive ever. The incoming class is also among the most diverse in university history. An estimated 31.2 percent of incoming students are underrepresented students of color, including nearly 27 percent who identify as Hispanic or Latino. This is a point of pride for SDSU as it underscores the university’s commitment to providing a high-quality education for all students, regardless of socioeconomic background.
New faculty
SDSU also welcomes 38 new tenured and tenure-track faculty members, making strides on an ambitious five-year goal to add 300 new faculty members. So far, the university has filled more than 220 of these positions – thanks in part to funding from The Campaign for SDSU and the Student Success Fee.
New faculty members this year come to SDSU from Texas A&M, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and other world-class research universities. They are experts in a variety of fields including public health, psychology, history and mechanical engineering.
New classes
SDSU has added 54 new classes representing departments across campus to its 2017-18 course catalog. Among the new classes being offered in the fall are the courses Introduction to Undergraduate Research, Foundations of Cultural Competency and Media Writing for Scientists.
Starting this fall, SDSU is offering its first-ever online undergraduate degree program – a Bachelor of Science in business administration. The program is a collaboration between the Fowler College of Business and the College of Extended Studies. Students can also enroll in three new minors: Cultural Proficiency, Somatic Studies and Text Analytics.
New look
The SDSU community will notice several changes to the physical appearance of campus. Over the summer, crews moved forward on several construction and beautification projects, including the Engineering and Interdisciplinary Science Complex and renovations to Tenochca Hall and its program space.
Those who haven’t been to campus since May, will notice Eureka! and Trader Joe’s are now open at South Campus Plaza. Several other retailers, including Broken Yolk Café, Epic Wings N’ Things, Which Wich and GoWireless are currently building out their spaces inside the mixed-use student housing and retail development and are expected to open in the coming months.
About San Diego State University
San Diego State University is a major public research institution that provides transformative experiences, both inside and outside of the classroom, for its more than 36,000 students. The university offers bachelor’s degrees in 91 areas, master’s degrees in 78 areas and doctorates in 22 areas. Students participate in research, international experiences, sustainability and entrepreneurship initiatives, internships and mentoring, and a broad range of student life and leadership opportunities. The university’s rich campus life features opportunities for students to participate in, and engage with, the creative and performing arts, a Division I athletics program and the vibrant cultural life of the San Diego region. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu.
