Record Enrollment as 2016-17 Academic Year Opens

The fall semester at Cal State San Marcos kicks off with nearly two dozen new faculty, several new programs, the grand opening of The Sports Center and the highest enrollment in campus history.

President Karen Haynes, the most senior president in the CSU system, opened the 2016-17 academic year with her 13^th CSUSM Convocation address on Thursday, Aug. 25.

Speaking to hundreds of CSUSM faculty and staff members, she highlighted recent University achievements and set the tone for the new school year.

“Team work really does make the dream work,” Haynes said at Convocation. “My vision for Cal State San Marcos includes all of us working cohesively as one ‘dream team,’ in appreciation of our collective diversity, to advance our University to the next level.”

CSUSM is expected to welcome 15,000 students as classes begin Monday, Aug. 29, the highest anticipated enrollment in the University’s 26-year history.

Other updates, additions and changes for the fall semester include:

New faculty and programs

CSUSM has 22 new tenure-track faculty members this fall.

Emmanuel Iyiegbuniwe, CSUSM’s first director for Public Health, is leading a new Master of Public Health program that will prepare graduates to be public health professionals and leaders in a variety of fields.

Pat Stall, a faculty member at CSUSM since 2003, has been appointed the new director of the School of Education.

New programs include master’s degrees in public health, kinesiology and healthcare information management; a bachelor’s in Speech Language Pathology; and a new medical assistant training program, created in partnership with the Vista Community Clinic.

Opening of The Sports Center

The Sports Center is the new home for CSUSM men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball. The grand opening is Sept. 1 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Festivities begin at 11:30 a.m.

The women’s volleyball team will host the facility’s first athletic event at 4 p.m. Sept. 1 when the Cougars kick off the 2016 season against La Sierra.

“It’s already a game-changer for our athletic department and teams,” said Morod Shah, associate director of athletics, facilities and operations, and director of The Sports Center. “But it will also be a game-changer for our campus and community.”

The Sports Center includes seating for 1,400 for volleyball and basketball games. The 25,000-square-foot facility also includes a ticket office, student-athlete locker rooms for all sports, offices for coaches and a student-athlete lounge.

In men’s basketball, B.J. Foster takes over as the Cougars’ interim head coach following the departure of Jim Saia, who accepted the head position at Cal State Los Angeles after starting CSUSM’s program and coaching the Cougars for five seasons.

CSUSM is continuing its transition to NCAA Division II membership and expects to be a full member by fall 2017. The Cougars are part of the California Collegiate Athletic Association, which includes 11 other California State Universities and UC San Diego.

See the athletics ticket information page for more information.

New CSUSM app

CSUSM has developed a mobile app that is available in the Android and iTunes app stores. The app includes valuable information for students, faculty and visitors to campus.

The app’s features include calendars for a variety of events, including athletics and Tukwut Life; campus dining hours and locations; a map with walking and driving directions to locations around campus; and the ability to engage with news, video and social media feeds.

Weeks of Welcome

The annual Weeks of Welcome started Aug. 26 and runs through Sept. 10. There are more than 30 events scheduled to welcome students back to campus. Weeks of Welcome events are free and open to all CSUSM students.

See the Weeks of Welcome calendar for a complete schedule.

Campaign update

CSUSM officially launched its historic fundraising campaign, Forward Together, last September. The University has raised more than $30 million, putting it more than 60 percent of the way to its goal of $50 million by the end of 2018.

Visit the Forward Together page for more information on the campaign.

Election Day 2016

With U.S. Election Day 2016 approaching, CSUSM’s website has resources for faculty, staff and students interested in becoming more engaged in the process. The site includes a calendar of on-campus election events, links to election resources and information on registering to vote.

Visit the election activities page for more information.

Summer snippets

• In July, CSUSM received the final decision from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College University Commission that it has been reaccredited for a term of 10 years – the maximum length of time that can be awarded.
• Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine announced that CSUSM is a “Top 100” university for graduating minorities in 10 different disciplines.
• CSUSM’s Office of Graduate Studies and Research reported that the University received more than $9.2 million in grant and contract funding this past fiscal year — a 15 percent jump over the prior year. There also was a nearly 40 percent increase in the number of grant proposals submitted compared to last year — up from $27 million to $43 million.