San Diego State University
Encyclopedia
San Diego State University (SDSU), founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area (generally the City and County
of San Diego), and is part of the California State University
system. It is the third-oldest university in the California State University system, and one of the oldest universities in California. SDSU has a student body of approximately 29,256 (as of the beginning of the Fall 2009 academic year) and an alumni base of more than 200,000. San Diego State University received nearly 60,000 undergraduate applications for the 2011 Fall semester. The school accepted 14,480 high school seniors and 2,748 transfers with an acceptance rate of 28.7% for the 2011 academic year.
The Carnegie Foundation
has designated San Diego State University a "Research University with high research activity." SDSU is the only California State University campus with this classification, which places it among the top 200 higher education institutions in the country conducting research. Notably, pursuant to the Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index (FSP Index)
released by the Academic Analytics organization of Stony Brook, NY, SDSU is the number one small research university in the United States as of the last four (4) academic years, from 2005-2006 through the 2009-2010 academic years. In 2010, The Daily Beast
ranked SDSU No.21 in its list of "Tech's 29 Most Powerful Colleges."
San Diego State University awards bachelor's
, master's
, and doctoral
degrees (Ph.D.
, Ed.D
, and Au.D
) in a total of 151 fields. SDSU offers the most doctoral degrees of any campus of the California State University system, currently in sixteen academic and research disciplines
.
San Diego State University is a member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)
, the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, the Southwest Border Security Consortium
, and the Oak Ridge Associated Universities
, a national organization of universities that promotes science and technology education and research.
system. Finally in 1970 San Diego State College became San Diego State University (SDSU).
One in seven San Diegans with a college degree attended SDSU, making SDSU a primary educator of the region's work force. Committed to serving the diverse San Diego region, SDSU ranks among the top ten universities nationwide in terms of ethnic and racial diversity among its student body, as well as the number of bachelor's degrees conferred upon minority students.
San Diego State University has been designated a "Research University" by the Carnegie Foundation
. University faculty consistently attract hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars annually in grants and contracts for research and program administration, and SDSU's research and graduate degree programs lead all other campuses of the California State University
system. In the 2009-10 academic year, the university obtained $150 million for research, including $26 million from the National Institutes of Health
.
For the beginning of the 2006-2007 academic year, SDSU expanded its classrooms and support space by more than 200000 square feet (18,580.6 m²) with the opening of three new buildings, the College of Arts and Letters, the Calpulli Center and BioScience Center. The buildings, respectively, feature high-technology classrooms, upgraded health and wellness facilities, and scientific research laboratories.
SDSU's Astronomy Department owns the Mount Laguna Observatory
located in the Cleveland National Forest
. It operates the observatory concurrently with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
.
John F. Kennedy
, then the President of the United States of America, gave the graduation commencement address at San Diego State University on June 6, 1963.
:
Other buildings on campus include:
at Quetzal Hall, causing $1,000 in damages. Police arrested 13 of the students and the dorm girls later retaliated by attacking the Pi Kappa Alpha
fraternity house. In 1968, the coed dorm Zura Hall was built, and more rooms were added later. Chapultepec Hall held 580 students when first built.
(joint with UCSD ) or Ed.D degrees, currently awarding such degrees in 16 academic disciplines. As a result of recent statutory changes (SB 724), SDSU intends to expand the scope and number of doctoral degree programs that it offers its graduate students. SDSU has been referred to as the research flagship campus of the California State University system.
The permanent financial endowment
of San Diego State University (SDSU) is currently valued at $120.3 million U.S. dollars (USD) as of the end of the 2007 academic year.
The primary philanthropic
arm of San Diego State University is The Campanile Foundation, controlled by the University Advancement division of the university. The San Diego State University Research Foundation, an auxiliary corporation owned and controlled by the university, is the manager and administrator of all philanthropic
funds and external funding for the university and its affiliated and auxiliary foundations and corporations.
As of June 30, 2006, permanent assets of the SDSU Campanile Foundation totaled $134 million.
For the 2004-2005 academic year, SDSU received over $157 million USD in external funding from grants and contracts, as well as an additional $57 million USD in donations and charitable giving. For 2005-2006, SDSU received $152 million USD in grants and contracts to support research. This is followed by $47.7 million USD in donations, gifts and other charitable giving.
An auxiliary to The Campanile Foundation is the Aztec Athletic Association, which primarily raises funds for the student athletes in the San Diego State University athletics programs (see discussion of Athletics below and at SDSU Aztecs
).
In addition to its permanent endowment, San Diego State University raises over $55 million U.S. dollars per year (approximately) in philanthropic gifts to support its research and academic affairs.
The California State University system budget is being cut by $564 million this year, with SDSU's budget being reduced by $55 million. As a result of California’s state budget cuts, student enrollment is being reduced by 4,618 by Fall 2010.
Students began publishing The White and Gold in 1902, which was a literary magazine and newspaper. In 1913, a new newspaper was established entitled Normal News Weekly. The school newspaper Paper Lantern (Normal News Weekly was renamed after the addition of the junior college) became The Aztec in September 1925. It was later expanded to its current name, The Daily Aztec. The school's annual yearbook was named Del Sudoeste (Spanish for "of the southwest") in the early 1920s.
The Koala, a comedy newspaper that is widely known around the San Diego State area, is also distributed monthly on campus but is not directly connected to the school at the moment.
SDSU media and publications
Official SDSU campus newspapers
, but it initially had no coaches or tournaments. Other sports that developed early in the campus's history were tennis, basketball, golf, croquet, and baseball. The school's football program had such a limited selection of players that faculty had to be used to fill the roster. When the college merged with the junior college in 1921, SDSU became a member of the Junior College Conference. After the school won the majority of the conference titles in a variety of sports, the league requested that SDSU leave out of fairness to the smaller schools. For its football program, the team outscored its opponents 249 to 52 in ten games, resulting in the first sales of season tickets in 1923. From 1925-26, SDSU played as an independent. It then joined the Southern California Conference
in 1926, where it did not win a football conference championship until 1936. However, in other sports including tennis and basketball, it excelled. SDSU remained with the conference until 1939, when it joined the California Collegiate Athletic Association
.
The basketball team reached and won multiple championships games during the 1930-40s, including a conference title in 1931, 1934, 1937, and 1939. It reached the national championship in 1939 and 1940, losing in the final rounds. However, in 1941 SDSU returned and won the college's first national title. In track, the team won conference titles in 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, and 1939. The football team won conference titles in 1936 and 1937, and the baseball team won three conference titles and placed second three times between 1935-1941.
In 1955, the Aztec Club was established and raised $20,000 a year by 1957. The club worked in increasing athletic scholarships, hiring better coaches, and developing the college’s intercollegiate athletic programs. In 1956, students approved through a vote of allowing a mandatory student activity fee, with a portion going to athletics. By the end of the decade the budget had doubled to $40,000. The campus’s most successful sports program during the 1950s was cross-country as the team won eight straight conference titles, AAU
regional titles, and placed high in national competitions. Basketball ranged from last in the conference to multiple conference, regional, and national appearances. The football program had its first undefeated team in 1951, but in the last part of the decade earned the worst records in the school’s football program under the direction of head coach Paul Governali
.
Under Governali, the campus’s football program suffered, due to Governali’s policy of not recruiting new players. To improve the program, Love hired Don Coryell
in 1961, which helped the program to win three consecutive championships (1966–68), and end with a record of 104 wins, 19 losses, and 2 ties by the time he left SDSU. Coryell was assisted by John Madden
, Joe Gibbs
, and Rod Dowhower
, among others. In Coryell’s first year, attendance at home games averaged 8,000 people, but by 1966 it had doubled to 16,000. This later jumped to 26,000-41,000 per game with the addition of the new San Diego stadium. At some games, attendance was larger than at San Diego Chargers
games. There were several undefeated seasons and multiple players broke records for most catches, touchdowns, and passing yards, among others. In 1969, SDSU moved into NCAA
Division 1, leaving the California Collegiate Athletic Association
. In 1972, Coyrell left to pursue coaching in the NFL.
Basketball also did well, with the 1967-68 team being ranked the number one college-level team in the nation, although it did not win a national title. The Aztecs also won the 1960 CCAA baseball title, and won multiple national championships throughout the 1960s in track, cross country, and swimming.
By 1970-71, the campus had 14 NCAA sports. The 1973 men’s volleyball team won the NCAA national championship which was the first NCAA national title since moving to Division I status.
SDSU competes in NCAA
Division I FBS. Its primary conference is the Mountain West Conference
; its women's water polo
team participates in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
and its men's soccer team participates as an Associate Member of the Pacific-12 Conference (the "Pac-12" Conference). The ice hockey team competes in the ACHA
with other western region club teams (www.sdsuhockey.com). The crew team's championship regatta is in the WIRA (Western International Rowing Association). The university colors are scarlet (red)
and black, SDSU's athletic teams are nicknamed "Aztecs", and its current mascot
is the Aztec Warrior
, historically referred to as "Monty - Montezuma". Athletics revenues have been down recently.
Football
Basketball
Baseball
Volleyball
Soccer
Ice Hockey
Other sports
and the first sorority was Alpha Xi Delta
.
On April 27, 1974, the Phi Beta Kappa honor society established a SDSU chapter. It was the first in the CSU system as well as the San Diego area. During the 1960s and early 1970s, the Greek population had dwindled to 699, but gradually began to increase in the 1980s, reaching 2,900 in 1988. There were 20 fraternities and 13 sororities officially affiliated with the Inter Fraternity Council and Panhellenic Council as well as six independent fraternities/sororities. This made it one of the largest fraternity and sorority systems in the western U.S. On April 6, 1978, Gamma Phi Beta
sorority hired a plane to drop marshmallow
s on fraternity houses during Derby Week, but the plane crashed near Peterson Gym, injuring four students aboard. In 1983 a USA Today
article reported that SDSU Greeks GPAs were below the campus average, so SDSU tightened restrictions and supervision and by 1989 their grades had increased to slightly above University average. Between 1989-91, several riots among the fraternities occurred, including one numbering 3,500 people, and another requiring 34 police officers to end it. The 2008 drug bust
resulted in the suspension of several fraternities as well as the arrests of multiple fraternity members. Currently there are over 48 social fraternities and sororities, including both general and culturally based organizations, represented by four governing councils.
. The giant S was lit at night for the opening football game of a season (performed by the freshman to build school spirit) along with pep rallies, and was repainted throughout its history. At the time, it was the largest collegiate symbol in the world. During World War II, the S was camouflaged to prevent it becoming a reference point for enemy bombing aircraft. It was returned to its normal state in April 1944. In the 1970s students stopped painting it and brush obstructed the symbol. After a 1988 brush fire it was exposed, and students repainted it. In fall, 1997, a group of 100 volunteers climbed Cowles Mountain after dusk to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the school by using flashlights to once again outline the "S" on the side of the mountain. In 1990, a high school prank defaced the S to read as "91" in honor of their graduating class.
were white and gold. When the junior college was added to the campus in 1921, its colors of blue and gold were merged together, resulting in a blue, gold, and white color scheme. New colors were later chosen as gold and purple, until being replaced by crimson and black on January 28, 1928.
The school's prior nicknames for its mascot included "Normalites", "Professors", and "Wampus Cats". However, after a 1924 committee met to address the issue, the name "Aztecs" was decided on. In 2003, the Aztec Warrior was approved by a student and alumni vote to become the official university mascot after the school's prior mascot, Monty Montezuma, was discontinued.
1996 campus shooting
The San Diego State University shooting occurred on August 15, 1996. A 36-year-old graduate engineering student, while apparently defending his thesis, shot and killed his three professors, Constantinos Lyrintzis, Cheng Liang, and D. Preston Lowrey III, at San Diego State University. The shooter, who was suffering from certain mental problems, was convicted on July 19, 1997, and was sentenced to life in prison. As a memorial, tables with a plaque with information about each victim have been placed adjacent to the College of Engineering building.
2008 student drug arrests
On May 6, 2008, the Drug Enforcement Administration
announced the arrest of 96 individuals, of whom 33 were San Diego State University students, on a variety of drug charges in a narcotics sting operation
dubbed Operation Sudden Fall
. It was originally reported that 75 of the arrested were students, but the inflated number included students who had been arrested months earlier, in some cases for simple possession. The bust, which was the largest in the history of San Diego County, drew a mixed reaction from the community.
In addition, Associated Students President, James Poet was arrested on October 17, 2008, for driving under the influence and possession of marijuana. Poet expressed full support for the actions of Operation Sudden Fall and the Zero Tolerance Policy.
San Diego County, California
San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
of San Diego), and is part of the California State University
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
system. It is the third-oldest university in the California State University system, and one of the oldest universities in California. SDSU has a student body of approximately 29,256 (as of the beginning of the Fall 2009 academic year) and an alumni base of more than 200,000. San Diego State University received nearly 60,000 undergraduate applications for the 2011 Fall semester. The school accepted 14,480 high school seniors and 2,748 transfers with an acceptance rate of 28.7% for the 2011 academic year.
The Carnegie Foundation
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1905 and chartered in 1906 by an act of the United States Congress, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching is an independent policy and research center, whose primary activities of research and writing have resulted in published reports on every level...
has designated San Diego State University a "Research University with high research activity." SDSU is the only California State University campus with this classification, which places it among the top 200 higher education institutions in the country conducting research. Notably, pursuant to the Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index (FSP Index)
Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index
The Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index , a product of Academic Analytics, is a metric designed to create benchmark standards for the measurement of academic and scholarly quality within and among United States research universities....
released by the Academic Analytics organization of Stony Brook, NY, SDSU is the number one small research university in the United States as of the last four (4) academic years, from 2005-2006 through the 2009-2010 academic years. In 2010, The Daily Beast
The Daily Beast
The Daily Beast is an American news reporting and opinion website founded and published by Tina Brown, former editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker as well as the short-lived Talk Magazine. The Daily Beast was launched on October 6, 2008, and is owned by IAC...
ranked SDSU No.21 in its list of "Tech's 29 Most Powerful Colleges."
San Diego State University awards bachelor's
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, master's
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
, and doctoral
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
degrees (Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
, Ed.D
Doctor of Education
The Doctor of Education or Doctor in Education degree , in Latin, Doctor Educationis, is a research-oriented professional doctorate that prepares the student for academic, administrative, clinical, or research positions in educational, civil, and private organizations.-Differences between an Ed.D...
, and Au.D
Doctor of Audiology
The Doctor of Audiology is a first professional degree for an audiologist. The Au.D. program is designed to produce audiologists who are skilled in providing diagnostic, rehabilitative, and other services associated with hearing, balance, and related audiological fields. There is an emphasis on...
) in a total of 151 fields. SDSU offers the most doctoral degrees of any campus of the California State University system, currently in sixteen academic and research disciplines
Academic discipline
An academic discipline, or field of study, is a branch of knowledge that is taught and researched at the college or university level. Disciplines are defined , and recognized by the academic journals in which research is published, and the learned societies and academic departments or faculties to...
.
San Diego State University is a member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)
American Association of State Colleges and Universities
The American Association of State Colleges and Universities is an organization of state-supported colleges and universities that offer degree programs leading to bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees...
, the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, the Southwest Border Security Consortium
Southwest Border Security Consortium
The Southwest Border Security Consortium is a joint venture of nine U.S. universities in the states of Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas to develop and promote scientific and policy solutions to issues facing the United States-Mexico border region.The SBSC is also addressing border issues...
, and the Oak Ridge Associated Universities
Oak Ridge Associated Universities
Oak Ridge Associated Universities is a consortium of American and British universities headquartered in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, with an office in Washington, D.C., and staff at several other locations across the country.- History :...
, a national organization of universities that promotes science and technology education and research.
History
Established on March 13, 1897, San Diego State University first began as the San Diego Normal School, meant to educate local future female elementary school teachers. In 1923, the San Diego Normal School became San Diego State Teachers College, "a four-year public institution controlled by the state Board of Education." In 1935, the school became San Diego State College. In 1960, San Diego State College became a part of the California College System, now known as the California State UniversityCalifornia State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
system. Finally in 1970 San Diego State College became San Diego State University (SDSU).
One in seven San Diegans with a college degree attended SDSU, making SDSU a primary educator of the region's work force. Committed to serving the diverse San Diego region, SDSU ranks among the top ten universities nationwide in terms of ethnic and racial diversity among its student body, as well as the number of bachelor's degrees conferred upon minority students.
San Diego State University has been designated a "Research University" by the Carnegie Foundation
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1905 and chartered in 1906 by an act of the United States Congress, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching is an independent policy and research center, whose primary activities of research and writing have resulted in published reports on every level...
. University faculty consistently attract hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars annually in grants and contracts for research and program administration, and SDSU's research and graduate degree programs lead all other campuses of the California State University
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
system. In the 2009-10 academic year, the university obtained $150 million for research, including $26 million from the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
.
For the beginning of the 2006-2007 academic year, SDSU expanded its classrooms and support space by more than 200000 square feet (18,580.6 m²) with the opening of three new buildings, the College of Arts and Letters, the Calpulli Center and BioScience Center. The buildings, respectively, feature high-technology classrooms, upgraded health and wellness facilities, and scientific research laboratories.
SDSU's Astronomy Department owns the Mount Laguna Observatory
Mount Laguna Observatory
The Mount Laguna Observatory or MLO is an astronomical observatory operated by the Astronomy Department of San Diego State University...
located in the Cleveland National Forest
Cleveland National Forest
Cleveland National Forest encompasses 460,000 acres , mostly of chaparral, with a few riparian areas. A warm dry mediterranean climate prevails over the Forest. It is the southernmost National forest of California. It is administered by the United States Forest Service, a government agency within...
. It operates the observatory concurrently with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
.
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, then the President of the United States of America, gave the graduation commencement address at San Diego State University on June 6, 1963.
Campus
Several buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
:
- Scripps Cottage was finished in September 1931, funded with a donation of $6,000 from Ellen Browning Scripps matched with $5,000 from the state. It was the headquarters for the Associated Women Students and was used for meetings, women's activities, and served as a lounge. On September 3, 1968 the building was moved to make room for the new library. It was used mainly as a conference and meeting building, and in 1993, began serving as a center for international students.
- Aztec BowlAztec Bowl (stadium)Aztec Bowl was a stadium in San Diego, California. It hosted the San Diego State University Aztecs football team until they moved to Qualcomm Stadium in 1967. The stadium held 12,592 people at its peak and was opened in 1936. Currently Viejas Arena , the school's basketball arena, sits on the...
, costing $500,000, the stadium was dedicated on October 3, 1936 before 7,500 people, after being completed earlier that year. The stadium was initially supposed to be expanded to 45,000 seats, but instead was only expanded once with 5,000 seats in 1948. Aztec Bowl was the only state college stadium in California at the time of its construction. - Open Air Theatre contained 4,280 seats and was financed by the Works Progress Administration and the state for $200,000. It was dedicated in 1941.
- On January 19, 1976, the Montezuma Mesa building was renamed to Walter R. Hepner HallHepner HallHepner Hall, designed by the senior architectural designer of the , Howard Spencer Hazen, and completed in 1931, is the iconic academic building in the center of San Diego State University 's campus, just north of Malcolm A...
, and on May 1, 1977 the humanities building was named after John Adams, a teacher, administrator, and archivist. The Humanities-Social Sciences building was renamed in 1986 after geographer Alvena Storm and historian Abraham P. Nasatir. - In the 1980s the Open Air Theatre added new support facilities and fencing. Peterson GymPeterson GymPeterson Gym is a 3,668 seat multi-purpose arena in San Diego, California. It opened in 1961. It was home to the San Diego State University Aztecs basketball teams until Cox Arena opened in 1997. Peterson Gym is currently the home of SDSU's varsity women's volleyball team.-References:*...
was finished in 1961, making the original gym the Women’s Gym until it was remodeled and reopened in 1990 as the Physical Education building. In 1990, 14000 sq ft (1,300.6 m²) were added to Storm and Nasatir Halls. In 1986, a large student apartment complex was added along with a 11-story $13,000,000 residence hall (west side of campus). - Hardy Memorial TowerHardy Memorial TowerHardy Memorial Tower at San Diego State University, constructed as a Works Progress Administration project in 1931, is 11 stories tall; it contains the Fletcher Symphonic Carillon , consisting of 204 bells over 6 octaves...
, in the Mission Revival style, resembles a Mediterranean church tower and is one of the most recognizable buildings on campus. It also performed a utilitarian function: The tower concealed a 5000 gallon water tank that provided pressure for the campus plumbing system. The building housed the university's first library, which featured muralMuralA mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
s painted by the Works Progress AdministrationWorks Progress AdministrationThe Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
. - The Communications Building, Exercise & Nutritional Sciences, Faculty Staff Club, Life Science Building and Annex, Little Theatre, Physical Plant Boiler Shop, and the Physical Science Building are also listed on the National Register.
Other buildings on campus include:
- The campus library, now known as the Malcolm A. Love LibraryMalcolm A. Love LibraryMalcolm A. Love Library , opened in 1971, is the primary academic library building on the campus of San Diego State University in San Diego, California...
, acquired its 100,000th book on May 21, 1944. By the end of World War II it was adding about 8,000 books a year. In 1959, a 40000 sq ft (3,716.1 m²). addition to the library was finished, but it was already deemed too small. In 1952, the library had 125,000 books, and state regulations required that old books be eliminated before new ones could be added. By 1965, there were more than 300,000 books housed in a library that could hold 230,000. This was ranked highest in state colleges in terms of library size. In the 1960s, construction of a new library began, which required the relocation of Scripps Cottage. The $8,000,000 building was designed with 300000 sq ft (27,870.9 m²). of space to accommodate one million books. In February 1971, the library opened, housing 700,000 books, and was named after President Malcolm A. Love for his popularity on campus and his role in bringing State to university status. Governor Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
said the library would "...serve as a lasting memorial to the man who led the college through its growing pains...to one of the finest state colleges in California." The building was five stories high and was the largest building on campus. A four-story sculpture entitled "Hanging Discus" by sculptor George Baker was specifically designed for the library and added to an interior staircase in November 1973.
- Construction of a $11 million alumni center began in May 2008. The center is expected to be opened in fall 2009 and house the SDSU Alumni Association, the Campanile Foundation, as well as the university relations and development staff.
Residence halls
In 1937, Quetzal Hall, the first dormitory, opened for 40 women students and was located off campus. In 1952, 50 college youth conducted a panty raidPanty raid
A panty raid is a prank in which male students steal the panties of female students by intruding into their living quarters. The term dates to February 1949...
at Quetzal Hall, causing $1,000 in damages. Police arrested 13 of the students and the dorm girls later retaliated by attacking the Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:...
fraternity house. In 1968, the coed dorm Zura Hall was built, and more rooms were added later. Chapultepec Hall held 580 students when first built.
Branch campuses
- Imperial Valley CampusSan Diego State University Imperial Valley CampusThe Imperial Valley Campus is a satellite campus of San Diego State University in Calexico, California, near the U.S.-Mexico border.Established in 1959 by act of the state legislature, it serves residents of California's Imperial County...
- Located in Calexico, CaliforniaCalexico, CaliforniaCalexico is a city in Imperial County, California. The population was 38,572 at the 2010 census, up from 27,109 at the 2000 census. Calexico is about east of San Diego and west of Yuma, Arizona...
- Additional campus in Brawley, CaliforniaBrawley, CaliforniaBrawley is a city in Imperial County, California, United States. Brawley is located north of El Centro. The population was 24,953 at the 2010 census, up from 22,052 at the 2000 census. The town has a significant cattle and feed industry, and hosts the annual Cattle Call Rodeo. Year-round...
along with research park and related facilities - Upper division, teacher certification, and graduate classes only
- Located in Calexico, California
- North County Campus
- Formerly located in northern San Diego County
- Closed; converted to California State University, San MarcosCalifornia State University, San MarcosCalifornia State University San Marcos is a public, coeducational university and one of the 23 general campuses of the California State University system. located in San Marcos, California, a suburban town in north San Diego County. It was founded in 1989 as the 20th CSU campus and was the first...
- South Bay Campus
- Formerly located on the first floor of the parking structure across from the Holiday Inn in National City, CaliforniaNational City, CaliforniaNational City is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 58,582 at the 2010 census, up from 54,260 at the 2000 census. National City is the second oldest city in San Diego County and has a historic past.-History:...
. - Shared facilities with Southwestern CollegeSouthwestern College (California)Southwestern College is a public, two-year community college located in the city of Chula Vista, California. Southwestern College's football stadium hosts Bonita Vista High School's football games...
. - Closed indefinitely.
- Formerly located on the first floor of the parking structure across from the Holiday Inn in National City, California
Research affairs
San Diego State University is the leader in the California State University system in awarding Ph.D.Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
(joint with UCSD ) or Ed.D degrees, currently awarding such degrees in 16 academic disciplines. As a result of recent statutory changes (SB 724), SDSU intends to expand the scope and number of doctoral degree programs that it offers its graduate students. SDSU has been referred to as the research flagship campus of the California State University system.
Rankings and distinctions
- For four years in a row, SDSU has been ranked the No. 1 most productive research university, among schools with 14 or fewer Ph.D. programs based on the Faculty Scholarly Productivity IndexFaculty Scholarly Productivity IndexThe Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index , a product of Academic Analytics, is a metric designed to create benchmark standards for the measurement of academic and scholarly quality within and among United States research universities....
. - SDSU has been designated a "Research University" with high research activity by the Carnegie Foundation.
- Since 2000, SDSU faculty and staff have attracted more than $1 billion in grants and contracts for research and program administration.
- SDSU is the largest university in San Diego and the fifth largest in California.
- SDSU ranks No. 2 among universities of its type nationwide and No. 1 in California for students studying abroad as part of their college experience.
- One in seven adults in San Diego who holds a college degree attended SDSU.
- SDSU is home to the first-ever MBA program in Global Entrepreneurship. As part of the program, students study at four universities worldwide, including the United States, China, the Middle East, and India. Corporate partners include QualcommQualcommQualcomm is an American global telecommunication corporation that designs, manufactures and markets digital wireless telecommunications products and services based on its code division multiple access technology and other technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, USA...
, InvitrogenInvitrogenInvitrogen Corporation was a large, multinational biotechnology company headquartered in Carlsbad, California. In November 2008, a merger between Applied Biosystems and Invitrogen was finalized...
, Intel, MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, and KPMGKPMGKPMG is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the Big Four auditors, along with Deloitte, Ernst & Young and PwC. Its global headquarters is located in Amstelveen, Netherlands....
. - In 1970, SDSU founded the first women's studiesWomen's studiesWomen's studies, also known as feminist studies, is an interdisciplinary academic field which explores politics, society and history from an intersectional, multicultural women's perspective...
program in the country. - Modern HealthcareModern HealthcareModern Healthcare is a weekly, 70,037-circulation business publication delivering news and information to executives in the healthcare industry...
ranked SDSU No.2 Graduate school for physician executives in relation to their Master's in Public Health program.
Schools and colleges
- College of Arts & LettersSan Diego State University College of Arts & LettersSan Diego State University, College of Arts & LettersThe College of Arts and Letters provides liberal arts education at San Diego State University...
- College of Business AdministrationSan Diego State University College of Business AdministrationThe San Diego State University College of Business Administration is a business school in San Diego, California, United States. The school offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programs.-History:...
- College of EducationSan Diego State University College of EducationSan Diego State University, College of EducationThe San Diego State University College of Education seeks to attract and serve a student population reflective of California's diversity through programs, curricula, instructional practices, and a more diverse professoriate, all of which meet...
- College of EngineeringSan Diego State University College of EngineeringSan Diego State University, College of Engineering provides San Diego State University students with a quality undergraduate and graduate engineering education, to prepare graduates for professional careers and life-long learning, to promote the creation and dissemination of knowledge, to serve...
- College of Health & Human Services (and Graduate School of Public Health)San Diego State University College of Health & Human ServicesThe College of Health and Human Services faculty, through advising, teaching, and supervising, offers students academic study, field placement, clinical experiences, and research opportunities. The College offers professional education in the health and human service disciplines...
- College of SciencesSan Diego State University College of SciencesThe San Diego State University College of Sciences is the San Diego region's largest center for science education and research. Comprising eight departments and various specialties, the College offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, as well as curricula for pre-professional students in...
- College of Professional Studies & Fine ArtsSan Diego State University College of Professional Studies & Fine Arts-Degrees:* BA* BM* BS* MA* MCJ* MCP* MFA* MPA* Ed.D* Ph.D-Departments:The College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts includes several academic departments:* Aerospace Studies * Art, Design and Art History* Child & Family Development...
- College of Extended Studies (and American Language Institute)San Diego State University College of Extended StudiesThe San Diego State University College of Extended Studies is one of the several colleges of the San Diego State University, located on the main university campus in San Diego, California.-Programs:...
Endowment
- See also San Diego State University Research Foundation for additional information
Financial endowment
A financial endowment is a transfer of money or property donated to an institution. The total value of an institution's investments is often referred to as the institution's endowment and is typically organized as a public charity, private foundation, or trust....
of San Diego State University (SDSU) is currently valued at $120.3 million U.S. dollars (USD) as of the end of the 2007 academic year.
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
arm of San Diego State University is The Campanile Foundation, controlled by the University Advancement division of the university. The San Diego State University Research Foundation, an auxiliary corporation owned and controlled by the university, is the manager and administrator of all philanthropic
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
funds and external funding for the university and its affiliated and auxiliary foundations and corporations.
As of June 30, 2006, permanent assets of the SDSU Campanile Foundation totaled $134 million.
For the 2004-2005 academic year, SDSU received over $157 million USD in external funding from grants and contracts, as well as an additional $57 million USD in donations and charitable giving. For 2005-2006, SDSU received $152 million USD in grants and contracts to support research. This is followed by $47.7 million USD in donations, gifts and other charitable giving.
An auxiliary to The Campanile Foundation is the Aztec Athletic Association, which primarily raises funds for the student athletes in the San Diego State University athletics programs (see discussion of Athletics below and at SDSU Aztecs
SDSU Aztecs
The San Diego State Aztecs are the collegiate athletics and sports teams for San Diego State University .San Diego State has organized programs for baseball, basketball, football, soccer, golf, gymnastics, rowing , softball, tennis, track, swimming, diving, women's volleyball, and water polo.The...
).
In addition to its permanent endowment, San Diego State University raises over $55 million U.S. dollars per year (approximately) in philanthropic gifts to support its research and academic affairs.
The California State University system budget is being cut by $564 million this year, with SDSU's budget being reduced by $55 million. As a result of California’s state budget cuts, student enrollment is being reduced by 4,618 by Fall 2010.
Media, newspapers, and magazines
The Koala, a comedy newspaper that is widely known around the San Diego State area, is also distributed monthly on campus but is not directly connected to the school at the moment.
SDSU media and publications
- San Diego State University Press
- The oldest university press in the California State University system with noted specializations in Border Studies, Critical Theory, Latin American Studies, and Cultural Studies.
- Hyperbole Books
- Hyperbole Books
- KPBS Public Broadcasting TV/FMKPBS-FMKPBS-FM is a non-commercial public radio station licensed to San Diego State University, broadcasting in San Diego on 89.5 MHz, 89.1 MHz K206AC in La Jolla, and on 97.7 MHz KQVO in Calexico, Imperial County. The station is affiliated with National Public Radio, with programming...
- TelevisionTelevisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, digital televisionDigital televisionDigital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
, and FM radioFM broadcasting in the USAFM broadcasting in the United States began in the 1930s at engineer and inventor Edwin Howard Armstrong's experimental station, W2XMN. The use of FM radio has been associated with higher sound quality in music radio.-History of FM radio in the U.S.:...
for the San Diego community - Official site of KPBS
- An affiliate of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)Public Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
network - "A Broadcasting Service of San Diego State University"
- Television
- KCR (AM)KCR (AM)KCR is an independent, free-form, student-run, live broadcast radio station located at the Aztec Center on the campus of San Diego State University in San Diego, California.-Operations and broadcasting:...
- Student-run broadcast station
- 360 Magazine
- The quarterly SDSU alumni and San Diego community magazine
Official SDSU campus newspapers
- The SDSU News & Media webpage
- SDSUniverse news service
- News and information for the SDSU community
- The Daily Aztec - The largest daily collegiate newspaper in California, publishing daily since 1960.
Athletics
The first major sport on campus was rowingRowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
, but it initially had no coaches or tournaments. Other sports that developed early in the campus's history were tennis, basketball, golf, croquet, and baseball. The school's football program had such a limited selection of players that faculty had to be used to fill the roster. When the college merged with the junior college in 1921, SDSU became a member of the Junior College Conference. After the school won the majority of the conference titles in a variety of sports, the league requested that SDSU leave out of fairness to the smaller schools. For its football program, the team outscored its opponents 249 to 52 in ten games, resulting in the first sales of season tickets in 1923. From 1925-26, SDSU played as an independent. It then joined the Southern California Conference
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference that operates in the NCAA's Division III. The conference was founded in 1915 and it consists of twelve small private schools which are located in Southern California and organized into nine athletic programs...
in 1926, where it did not win a football conference championship until 1936. However, in other sports including tennis and basketball, it excelled. SDSU remained with the conference until 1939, when it joined the California Collegiate Athletic Association
California Collegiate Athletic Association
The California Collegiate Athletic Association or CCAA is an intercollegiate athletic conference in the Division II of the NCAA. All of its current members are public universities, and all except for UC San Diego are members of the California State University system.It was founded in December 1938...
.
The basketball team reached and won multiple championships games during the 1930-40s, including a conference title in 1931, 1934, 1937, and 1939. It reached the national championship in 1939 and 1940, losing in the final rounds. However, in 1941 SDSU returned and won the college's first national title. In track, the team won conference titles in 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, and 1939. The football team won conference titles in 1936 and 1937, and the baseball team won three conference titles and placed second three times between 1935-1941.
In 1955, the Aztec Club was established and raised $20,000 a year by 1957. The club worked in increasing athletic scholarships, hiring better coaches, and developing the college’s intercollegiate athletic programs. In 1956, students approved through a vote of allowing a mandatory student activity fee, with a portion going to athletics. By the end of the decade the budget had doubled to $40,000. The campus’s most successful sports program during the 1950s was cross-country as the team won eight straight conference titles, AAU
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
regional titles, and placed high in national competitions. Basketball ranged from last in the conference to multiple conference, regional, and national appearances. The football program had its first undefeated team in 1951, but in the last part of the decade earned the worst records in the school’s football program under the direction of head coach Paul Governali
Paul Governali
Paul Vincent "Pitchin' Paul" Governali was a professional American football quarterback in the National Football League. An All-American at Columbia University, he was the 1942 recipient of the Maxwell Award for College Player of the Year and the first runner-up for the Heisman Trophy...
.
Don Coryell
Donald David Coryell was an American football coach, who coached in the NFL first with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1973–1977 and then the San Diego Chargers from 1978-1986. He was well known for his innovations to football's passing offense. Coryell's offense was commonly known as "Air Coryell"...
in 1961, which helped the program to win three consecutive championships (1966–68), and end with a record of 104 wins, 19 losses, and 2 ties by the time he left SDSU. Coryell was assisted by John Madden
John Madden (American football)
John Earl Madden is a former American professional football player in the National Football League, a former Super Bowl-winning head coach with the Oakland Raiders in the American Football League and later the NFL, and a former color commentator for NFL telecasts. In 2006, he was inducted into...
, Joe Gibbs
Joe Gibbs
Joe Jackson Gibbs is a former American football coach, NASCAR Championship team owner, and two time NHRA Pro Stock team owner. He was the 20th and 26th head coach in the history of the Washington Redskins...
, and Rod Dowhower
Rod Dowhower
-External links:...
, among others. In Coryell’s first year, attendance at home games averaged 8,000 people, but by 1966 it had doubled to 16,000. This later jumped to 26,000-41,000 per game with the addition of the new San Diego stadium. At some games, attendance was larger than at San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
games. There were several undefeated seasons and multiple players broke records for most catches, touchdowns, and passing yards, among others. In 1969, SDSU moved into NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division 1, leaving the California Collegiate Athletic Association
California Collegiate Athletic Association
The California Collegiate Athletic Association or CCAA is an intercollegiate athletic conference in the Division II of the NCAA. All of its current members are public universities, and all except for UC San Diego are members of the California State University system.It was founded in December 1938...
. In 1972, Coyrell left to pursue coaching in the NFL.
Basketball also did well, with the 1967-68 team being ranked the number one college-level team in the nation, although it did not win a national title. The Aztecs also won the 1960 CCAA baseball title, and won multiple national championships throughout the 1960s in track, cross country, and swimming.
By 1970-71, the campus had 14 NCAA sports. The 1973 men’s volleyball team won the NCAA national championship which was the first NCAA national title since moving to Division I status.
SDSU competes in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I FBS. Its primary conference is the Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
; its women's water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
team participates in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation is a college athletic conference whose member teams are located in the western United States. The conference participates at the NCAA Division I level.-History:...
and its men's soccer team participates as an Associate Member of the Pacific-12 Conference (the "Pac-12" Conference). The ice hockey team competes in the ACHA
Acha
Acha is a HINDI word for OK.Acha is also an Ewokese word for OK. Ewokese is a language used in the Star Wars Ewok Adventures: Caravan Of Courage / The Battle For Endor* Acha, Argyll and Bute, Scotland...
with other western region club teams (www.sdsuhockey.com). The crew team's championship regatta is in the WIRA (Western International Rowing Association). The university colors are scarlet (red)
Scarlet (color)
Scarlet is a bright red color with a hue that is somewhat toward the orange. It is redder than vermilion. It is a pure chroma on the color wheel one-fourth of the way between red and orange. Scarlet is sometimes used as the color of flame...
and black, SDSU's athletic teams are nicknamed "Aztecs", and its current mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
is the Aztec Warrior
Aztec army
Aztec warfare concerns the aspects associated with the militaristic conventions, forces, weaponry and strategic expansions conducted by the Late Postclassic Aztec civilizations of Mesoamerica, including particularly the military history of the Aztec Triple Alliance involving the city-states of ...
, historically referred to as "Monty - Montezuma". Athletics revenues have been down recently.
Football
-
- See San Diego State Aztecs footballSan Diego State Aztecs footballThe San Diego State football team represents the San Diego State Aztecs in college football. The Aztecs, a Division I FBS team and a member of the Mountain West Conference, play their home games at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The field is natural grass and has a maximum capacity of...
- The football team plays at Qualcomm StadiumQualcomm StadiumQualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area....
(formerly known as "Jack Murphy" Stadium).
- The football team plays at Qualcomm Stadium
- See San Diego State Aztecs football
-
- See San Diego State Aztecs men's basketballSan Diego State Aztecs men's basketballThe San Diego State Aztecs basketball team is the basketball team that represent San Diego State University Aztecs in San Diego, California. The school's team currently competes in the Mountain West Conference, and play their home games in Viejas Arena...
- The basketball teams play at Viejas Arena on the SDSU campus.
- See San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball
Baseball
- The baseball team plays in Tony Gwynn StadiumTony Gwynn StadiumTony Gwynn Stadium is the home field of the San Diego State University Aztecs college baseball team. In addition, the San Diego Surf Dawgs of the independent Golden Baseball League use the park as their home field.-Stadium history:...
on the SDSU campus, named after the SDSU baseball and basketball player and current head coach, Tony GwynnTony GwynnAnthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
.
Volleyball
- The women's volleyball team plays in Peterson GymPeterson GymPeterson Gym is a 3,668 seat multi-purpose arena in San Diego, California. It opened in 1961. It was home to the San Diego State University Aztecs basketball teams until Cox Arena opened in 1997. Peterson Gym is currently the home of SDSU's varsity women's volleyball team.-References:*...
on the SDSU campus. - The men's volleyball team won the NCAA Championship in 1973NCAA Men's Volleyball ChampionshipThe NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship is the tournament that determines the national championship of American college volleyball.The "Final Four" is a term used exclusively by NCAA Basketball but is commonly used to describe the Men's Volleyball Championship...
, but the team has since been disbanded.
Soccer
- Both the men's and women's teams both play at the Sports Deck on the SDSU campus. The women compete in the Mountain West ConferenceMountain West ConferenceThe Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
while the men compete in the Pacific-12 Conference (Pac-12).
Ice Hockey
- Participates in the ACHA Men's Division 2.
- Advanced to National Championship final game in 2008 for ACHA Men's Division 3 and lost 7-3 to California University of Pennsylvania.
- San Diego State University Ice Hockey
Other sports
- The new $12 million dollar aquatic sports complex (known as the Aztec AquaplexAztec AquaplexThe Aztec Aquaplex, located on the San Diego State University campus in San Diego, California, USA. The facility is operated and managed by the , which provides passes for access.-Intercollegiate sports:...
), includes an Olympic-size swimming pool, a separate recreational pool and beach, and a hydrotherapy spa. This facility is home for the swimming and diving teams, in addition to providing recreational use for all SDSU students and community members.- SDSU Campus Recreation pool web page
- In conjunction with the UCSD, the Associated Students organization of San Diego State University runs the Mission Bay Aquatic Center (MBAC) in Mission Bay, CaliforniaMission Bay, CaliforniaMission Bay is a saltwater bay or lagoon located south of the Pacific Beach community of San Diego, California. The bay is part of the recreational Mission Bay Park, which is the largest man-made aquatic park in the country, consisting of , approximately 46% land and 54% water...
, just a few miles west of the main campus. The MBAC provides for all manner of outdoor activities and sports for SDSU students, administration, and faculty.
Clubs
Initial clubs that were first started on campus including the Debating Club, the Associated Student Body, YWCA, and in 1906, an alumni association. The oldest club on campus was The Rowing Association.Student body and Greek life
The first fraternity on campus was the Delta chapter of Epsilon Eta, which formed on October 25, 1921. By the end of the decade there were six other fraternities and eight sororities. The fraternities and sororities were all local, and did not attain national status until after World War II. In 1925, in order to encourage higher grades, the Inter-Fraternity Council and Inter-Sorority Council published the average grades of the fraternity and sorority members. On a 3.0 scale, the average GPA (grade point average) for all students was 1.49, for fraternities was 1.35, and sororities was 1.47. By the mid-1930s there were eight fraternities and eleven sororities, and later expanded to fifteen fraternities and twelve sororities in the 1940s. The first fraternity to go national was Theta ChiTheta Chi
Theta Chi Fraternity is an international college fraternity. It was founded on April 10, 1856 as the Theta Chi Society, at Norwich University, Norwich, Vermont, U.S., and was the 21st of the 71 North-American Interfraternity Conference men's fraternities.-Founding and early years at Norwich:Theta...
and the first sorority was Alpha Xi Delta
Alpha Xi Delta
Alpha Xi Delta is a women's fraternity founded on April 17, 1893 at Lombard College, Galesburg, Illinois. Alpha Xi Delta is one of the oldest women's fraternities as well as one of the ten founding fraternities of the National Panhellenic Conference...
.
On April 27, 1974, the Phi Beta Kappa honor society established a SDSU chapter. It was the first in the CSU system as well as the San Diego area. During the 1960s and early 1970s, the Greek population had dwindled to 699, but gradually began to increase in the 1980s, reaching 2,900 in 1988. There were 20 fraternities and 13 sororities officially affiliated with the Inter Fraternity Council and Panhellenic Council as well as six independent fraternities/sororities. This made it one of the largest fraternity and sorority systems in the western U.S. On April 6, 1978, Gamma Phi Beta
Gamma Phi Beta
Gamma Phi Beta is an international sorority that was founded on November 11, 1874, at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. The term "sorority," meaning sisterhood, was coined for Gamma Phi Beta by Dr. Frank Smalley, a professor at Syracuse University.The four founders are Helen M. Dodge,...
sorority hired a plane to drop marshmallow
Marshmallow
The marshmallow is a confection that, in its modern form, typically consists of sugar, corn syrup, water, gelatin that has been softened in hot water, dextrose, vanilla flavourings, and sometimes colouring, whipped to a spongy consistency. Some marshmallow recipes call for egg whites...
s on fraternity houses during Derby Week, but the plane crashed near Peterson Gym, injuring four students aboard. In 1983 a USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
article reported that SDSU Greeks GPAs were below the campus average, so SDSU tightened restrictions and supervision and by 1989 their grades had increased to slightly above University average. Between 1989-91, several riots among the fraternities occurred, including one numbering 3,500 people, and another requiring 34 police officers to end it. The 2008 drug bust
Operation Sudden Fall
Operation Sudden Fall was a 2008 joint operation between the United States Drug Enforcement Agency and San Diego State University campus police. It was the largest campus drug bust in San Diego County history and one of the largest college drug busts in U.S. history.-Background:The sting operation...
resulted in the suspension of several fraternities as well as the arrests of multiple fraternity members. Currently there are over 48 social fraternities and sororities, including both general and culturally based organizations, represented by four governing councils.
Traditions
- The San Diego State Marching Aztecs and Pep and Varsity Bands are often seen at many sporting events including Football, Basketball and even Volleyball.
- The San Diego State University (SDSU) campus is known as "Montezuma Mesa", as the university is situated on a mesaMesaA mesa or table mountain is an elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs. It takes its name from its characteristic table-top shape....
overlooking Mission ValleyMission Valley, CaliforniaMission Valley is a wide river valley trending east-west in San Diego, California, through which the San Diego River flows to the Pacific Ocean...
and is located at the intersection of Montezuma Road and College Avenue. - Undie RunUndie RunAn Undie Run is an event where a large number of people disrobe until they are only wearing underwear, and then run. The site of Undie Runs are typically college campuses, but they may occur on other sites such as streets. Undie Runs may be purely for entertainment, a form of protest, or as with...
through campus that takes place during finals week each semester.
S mountain
"S" mountain was created by the Council of Twelve and initially supported by President Hardy. On February 27, 1931, he allowed 500 students to paint rocks, forming a 400-foot "S" on Cowles MountainCowles Mountain
Cowles Mountain is a prominent mountain within the city limits of San Diego, California and also within Mission Trails Regional Park, in a neighborhood known as San Carlos, San Diego. The mountain is named after George A. Cowles, an early ranching pioneer in San Diego County. Its summit is the...
. The giant S was lit at night for the opening football game of a season (performed by the freshman to build school spirit) along with pep rallies, and was repainted throughout its history. At the time, it was the largest collegiate symbol in the world. During World War II, the S was camouflaged to prevent it becoming a reference point for enemy bombing aircraft. It was returned to its normal state in April 1944. In the 1970s students stopped painting it and brush obstructed the symbol. After a 1988 brush fire it was exposed, and students repainted it. In fall, 1997, a group of 100 volunteers climbed Cowles Mountain after dusk to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the school by using flashlights to once again outline the "S" on the side of the mountain. In 1990, a high school prank defaced the S to read as "91" in honor of their graduating class.
School colors and mascot
The initial colors of the schoolSchool colors
School colors are the colors chosen by a school to represent it on uniforms and other items of identification. Most schools have two colors, which are usually chosen to avoid conflicts with other schools with which the school competes in sports and other activities...
were white and gold. When the junior college was added to the campus in 1921, its colors of blue and gold were merged together, resulting in a blue, gold, and white color scheme. New colors were later chosen as gold and purple, until being replaced by crimson and black on January 28, 1928.
The school's prior nicknames for its mascot included "Normalites", "Professors", and "Wampus Cats". However, after a 1924 committee met to address the issue, the name "Aztecs" was decided on. In 2003, the Aztec Warrior was approved by a student and alumni vote to become the official university mascot after the school's prior mascot, Monty Montezuma, was discontinued.
Notable events and popular culture
Film and television- The two main characters from the 2004 Academy AwardAcademy AwardsAn Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
-winning comedy/drama film SidewaysSidewaysSideways is a 2004 comedy-drama film written by Jim Taylor and Alexander Payne and directed by Payne. Adapted from Rex Pickett's 2004 novel of the same name, Sideways follows two forty-something year old men, portrayed by Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church, who take a week-long road trip to...
were roommates during their college days at SDSU. - The SDSU campus is the setting of Hearst College, the fictional university in The CW television network show Veronica MarsVeronica MarsVeronica Mars is an American television series created by Rob Thomas. The series premiered on September 22, 2004, during television network UPN's final two years, and ended on May 22, 2007, after a season on UPN's successor, The CW Television Network. Veronica Mars was produced by Warner Bros...
. - The exterior shots of Rancho Carne High School in the movie Bring it OnBring It On (film)Bring It On is a 2000 teen comedy film about two competing high school cheerleading squads, starring Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford, and Gabrielle Union...
were mainly filmed at San Diego State University - Portions of The Real World: San DiegoThe Real World: San DiegoThe Real World: San Diego is the fourteenth season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships. The San Diego season...
were filmed around the SDSU campus - SDSU is mentioned by Bart Simpson in The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "The President Wore Pearls" (Season 15, 2003). Lisa becomes president of Springfield Elementary and unknowingly strips the school of all of its recreational activities, leading Bart to say, "Lisa, you made this school even worse. And it wasn't exactly San Diego State to begin with."
1996 campus shooting
The San Diego State University shooting occurred on August 15, 1996. A 36-year-old graduate engineering student, while apparently defending his thesis, shot and killed his three professors, Constantinos Lyrintzis, Cheng Liang, and D. Preston Lowrey III, at San Diego State University. The shooter, who was suffering from certain mental problems, was convicted on July 19, 1997, and was sentenced to life in prison. As a memorial, tables with a plaque with information about each victim have been placed adjacent to the College of Engineering building.
2008 student drug arrests
On May 6, 2008, the Drug Enforcement Administration
Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
announced the arrest of 96 individuals, of whom 33 were San Diego State University students, on a variety of drug charges in a narcotics sting operation
Sting operation
In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person committing a crime. A typical sting will have a law-enforcement officer or cooperative member of the public play a role as criminal partner or potential victim and go along with a suspect's actions to gather...
dubbed Operation Sudden Fall
Operation Sudden Fall
Operation Sudden Fall was a 2008 joint operation between the United States Drug Enforcement Agency and San Diego State University campus police. It was the largest campus drug bust in San Diego County history and one of the largest college drug busts in U.S. history.-Background:The sting operation...
. It was originally reported that 75 of the arrested were students, but the inflated number included students who had been arrested months earlier, in some cases for simple possession. The bust, which was the largest in the history of San Diego County, drew a mixed reaction from the community.
In addition, Associated Students President, James Poet was arrested on October 17, 2008, for driving under the influence and possession of marijuana. Poet expressed full support for the actions of Operation Sudden Fall and the Zero Tolerance Policy.