San Diego State’s College of Extended Studies has a new name, joining a host of other campus departments that have undergone a strategic rebrand.
SDSU World Campus is a name that will better reflect the former College of Extended Studies’ mission to bring SDSU degree programs to the world through a wider variety of non-traditional learning modalities, Dean of SDSU World Campus Radhika Seshan said.
“The change to SDSU World Campus from the College of Extended Studies is more than a name change, it’s an expansion of our vision to bring access to SDSU to learners everywhere, without boundaries,” Seshan said in a statement.
For many full-time students at SDSU, the former College of Extended Studies did not register on their radar. However, a new name and expanded mission hope to change that, according to Casey Rothenberger, the executive director of program development and administration of SDSU World Campus.
“The impetus was answering the question, ‘What is a name that would be more clear to the students we serve?'” Rothenberger said.
Currently, SDSU World Campus offers more than 40 certificate programs and 10 degree programs, as well as winter and summer sessions, according to the World Campus website.
While several of the certificate and degree programs are offered on campus, the majority of the classes available for students are online, and this is something the university is looking to expand into the future, Joe Brock, World Campus executive director of marketing said.
“We currently have these online degree programs, and we’re looking to expand that considerably over the next several years,” Brock said.
A significant component of this expansion is a new “concierge-style service model,” which, according to Brock, will bring the resources available to traditional students on campus such as financial aid advice, career counseling and academic advising, into one online space.
“We are building an (online) service center to bring all of those things into one spot, so the student has a centralized point of contact to help them navigate through the process,” Brock said.
Narelle Mackenzie, a Fowler College of Business professor, teaches in World Campus’ online business degree program and winter session. She said she enjoys teaching in online programs because they attract students from all over the country.
“The majority of students are from outside San Diego, so SDSU would not otherwise be an option for them,” Mackenzie said. “I am thrilled that SDSU World Campus makes our program available to them.”
She is also excited by the name change, she said.
“I look to engage my students in understanding the international issues that face businesses and want to see more cooperation and dialog cross-border with Mexico and other parts of the world,” Mackenzie said. “We are a part of a global community. The branding of SDSU with a World Campus focus and not merely San Diego or CA or the USA will allow our shared values of Diversity and Inclusion to be a continuing driving force for our World Campus.”
SDSU World Campus is entering an exciting phase of development, Brock said.
To learn more about the different programs offered by SDSU World Campus and the various changes coming to the department in the coming months, visit https://ces.sdsu.edu/.
