San Marcos,
25
August
2014
|
14:04 PM
America/Los_Angeles

Fall Semester Underway at CSUSM

By Margaret Chantung

Nearly 13,000 students were welcomed to campus on the first day of fall semester at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) on Monday, August 25. This is the first time in institutional history that enrollment has broken the 12,000 mark, with a total of 12,853 students enrolled at the main campus and the Temecula campus.

Enrollment includes 2,175 new freshmen and 1,644 new transfer students. Today CSUSM also welcomed 676 graduate, post-baccalaureate and credential students.

Orientation and New Student Programs has planned a series of events and activities to welcome new and continuing students to the 2014-2015 academic year. Weeks of Welcome (WoW) takes place Monday, Aug. 25 – Friday, Sep. 5, 2014 and is designed to introduce students to an array of resources, while providing opportunities to meet new people and make new friends. View the complete calendar online.

Other new additions and changes for the fall semester include:

New Faculty, New Degree Programs

The University also welcomes 24 new tenure-track faculty members to teaching positions across the campus and is launching several new programs including a M.S. in kinesiology, a B.S. and M.S. in speech language pathology, and a B.A. in environmental studies.  For the first time CSUSM is also offering a pre-health professions post-baccalaureate certificate which will provide students with the science and mathematics courses they need for entrance into various health professions programs.

School of Arts Launches

The new CSUSM School of Arts (SoA) is home to the interdisciplinary programs delivered by the Visual and Performing Arts Department, including arts and technology, dance studies, music, theater and visual arts/visual culture. The SoA in the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences positions CSUSM as a hub for the arts in our region. Attracting significant external support for our arts programs will be a key priority for the School’s founding director, Dr. Jacquelyn Kilpatrick, who assumed this role on July 1 after a national search.

Largest Number of Residential Students in Campus History

The third phase of The QUAD, affiliated student housing, officially opened its doors to 300 new residents on move-in day, Friday, August 22.  Phase three added a rooftop deck and barbecue, retail space, two classrooms and modern apartments with seven new floor plans. With the latest addition of The QUAD, the total number of students living in CSUSM housing now stands at just over 1,500 – a growth of 150 percent in just three years.

Construction Continues for New Student Health and Counseling Services Building

The new Student Health and Counseling Services Building, a 20,000-square-foot, two-story building, is slated to be completed by the end of the year.  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 new health center will include clinical and counseling offices, health and wellness education spaces and a pharmacy, as well as a conference and resource room. When doors open in January 2015, it will be the first time in 17 years that students will receive health care on campus. 

A New Home for Veterans

CSUSM’s Veterans will have a new home beginning next month. Adjacent to Markstein Hall, the 1,000-sq-ft. building was designed and donated by students at Stevens Institute of Technology, replacing a smaller facility that opened in Craven Hall in 2008. The Veterans Center will be a place where military-affiliated students can receive support in achieving their academic and career goals with services tailored to their unique needs. Staff will assist students to navigate the admissions process, obtain their GI benefits, register for courses, access campus resources and get involved in leadership and social activities. The ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for September 23 at noon.

Cougar Sports Center on the Horizon

This academic year, Cal State San Marcos will begin construction on a state-of-the-art, on-campus Cougar Sports Center. The 1,400-seat multipurpose facility promises to become another hub of student life at CSUSM, complementing the recently opened University Student Union and bringing all athletic events to campus. In addition to hosting home games for men’s and women’s basketball, and women’s volleyball, the new facility will be used for campus recreation opportunities, lecture series and numerous community events. Construction will commence in early 2015 and be completed for the start 2016-2017 Cougar volleyball and basketball seasons.