Spring Semester Begins at Cal State San Marcos

California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) kicks off spring semester today.

10,170 students have registered for classes so far.  The last day to add/drop a class is Monday, Jan. 27.

University Student Union Opens

CSUSM’s new student union, built to LEED Gold certification standards, opened to students for the first time today. The new four-story, 89,283-square-foot building is located near the center of campus, adjacent to Cesar Chavez Circle, with the fourth floor entrance opening onto Kellogg Plaza. Features include an outdoor amphitheater with seating for 400; an activity center with a game lounge; six new food options; a 3,000-square-foot green roof with outdoor seating areas; and a 9,000-square-foot ballroom. The outdoor pavilions and rooftop patio add an additional nearly 10,000 sq. ft. of useable space. The $43.9 million project was funded through student fees.

A formal grand opening ceremony is planned for Tuesday, Apr. 15.

On-going Construction Update

Construction continues for the University’s new Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) building with the installation of the roof at the end of this month. The new 20,000-square-foot, two-story building will be located adjacent to Parking Structure One and across the street from the University Student Union, on the corner of Campus Way and Campus View Drive. The Center is returning to campus after being housed across from campus in the Palomar Pomerado Health Building for the last 17 years. Construction is scheduled to be completed in fall 2014. The SHCS Building will feature clinical and counseling offices, a group conference/library room, a laboratory, waiting areas, health education spaces and a pharmacy. The $9.5 million project is funded through student fees.

The new stand-alone Veterans Center will start to take shape this semester. The new 1,000-square-foot house, donated by the Stevens Institute of Technology, will be constructed on a currently empty lot to the west of Markstein Hall and behind Science Hall 1, replacing a much smaller facility that opened in Craven Hall in 2008. The center will include an office, a conference room, a kitchen and a lounge and event space.  Unique technological features and innovations include solar shingles; a rainwater harvesting system with green wall and green roof; and energy-saving and water-saving heating, cooling and plumbing systems.

In support of CSUSM’s School of Nursing, renovation of an entire floor (approximately 11,000 square-feet) in University Hall will begin in February. The School of Nursing was established in 2006 in a medical office building across from campus. This project will allow the School of Nursing to be located on campus for the first time. The $2.5 million project is funded through the CSU Chancellor’s Office. Construction is expected to be completed in October 2014, with the opening scheduled for January 2015. The renovated floor includes art skills labs, simulation labs, mock exam rooms and administrative spaces.