On behalf of San Diego State University, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to a new academic year.
SDSU was recently named one of the nation’s top “up-and-coming” universities, and our community’s accomplishments last year furthered our establishment as one of the nation’s leading public universities.
We were nationally recognized for improving graduation rates and expanded student support by creating our Honors College, Commuter Resource Center, Pride Center and Writing Center.
SDSU ranks high for global perspective, and a record 2,000 students studied abroad while another six received Fulbright awards.
The university is known for entrepreneurship – Forbes rated us No. 18 – and “Shark Tank” casting directors came here to audition student entrepreneurs.
Our researchers made an extraordinary number of significant breakthroughs. Among them: using Twitter to track flu outbreaks, identifying brain anomalies in autism and finding a virus that could affect digestion.
We opened the new Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union – a national model for sustainability– and the renovated Storm-Nasatir-Hostler hall. Attendance at campus arts events nearly doubled through our Arts Alive SDSU initiative.
In athletics, our teams won seven conference titles, went to a fourth consecutive football bowl game and advanced to the Sweet 16 in men’s basketball. Shanieka Thomas is the national triple jump champion – our fourth national championship in track and field in three years.
Working together, our community raised 227,000 pounds of food for San Diegans in need and improved the quality of life in National City.
This year we welcome the highest-achieving and most diverse freshman class in our history and more than 100 new faculty and staff. We will launch innovative programs in music entrepreneurship and LGBT studies, expand our learning communities for commuter students and create a women’s resource center. We also are building our basketball performance center and beginning construction on South Campus Plaza to provide housing for 600 students.
I want to thank all of our students, faculty and staff for everything you do for the university. I look forward to working with each and every one of you this year.
Elliot Hirshman
President
