California State University, San Marcos
Encyclopedia
California State University San Marcos (also CSUSM or Cal State 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 after nearly 30 years. The first class was admitted in 1990.
CSU San Marcos offers 44 undergraduate
programs, 10 graduate
programs and a Doctorate
in Education in three colleges and one nursing
school.
date back to 1968. In 1978, state legislator William A. Craven (1921–1999) won state funding for a North County satellite campus of San Diego State University
. In 1989, Gov. George Deukmejian
signed another Craven bill which established a CSU campus in San Marcos.
The state purchased land in San Marcos, including the former Prohoroff Poultry Farms chicken ranch. The hillside site lies approximately 8 miles (12.9 km) due east of the Pacific Ocean
and 35 miles (56.3 km) due north of downtown San Diego. Today the campus comprises 340 acres (137.6 ha).
Bill Stacy was appointed president in June 1989. During the 1989-1990 academic year, Stacy hired 12 "Founding Faculty," who played an important role in the university's early years and today are memorialized in Founders Plaza.
CSUSM admitted upper division students and held classes from September 1990 through August 1992 in rented facilities in a San Marcos business park, alongside the North County campus of San Diego State University. Groundbreaking for the permanent campus occurred on February 23, 1990. Classes began at the current campus in August 1992. Craven Hall was the third instructional building opened in December 1992, and the largest building up to that time at 155000 square feet (14,400 m²).
Since 1992, the campus has been growing steadily. Major additions over the subsequent decade include the Foundation Classroom Buildings (December 1996), University Hall (1998), a second Science building (August 2002) and the Arts building (August 2002). The largest building to date is Kellogg Library, opened January 2004 with nearly 200000 square feet (18,580.6 m²). The most recent addition is Markstein Hall (January 2006), home of the College of Business Administration.
For the 2011-2012 academic year, tuition and fees rose to $6,596, a 31% increase attributed to the state's budget crisis; it is the largest such percentage increase in the United States.
The university's enrollment (as of Fall 2009) was approximately 9,700 students; about two-thirds of the students were from San Diego County. The campus master plan calls for an eventual enrollment of 25,000.
The university has three colleges: Arts & Sciences, Business Administration, and Education as well as a School of Nursing in addition to a robust Extended Learning program.
In less than two decades, the campus has distinguished itself. CSU San Marcos’ programs in teacher education are renowned for their school and community collaboration. The College of Business Administration (COBA) receives national attention for the “Senior Experience” program, which takes teams of students off campus for projects with companies and organizations. Programs in the sciences and in visual and performing arts are regionally acclaimed for academic rigor, innovation, and career preparation.
The university is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
(WASC) for both Bachelors and Masters degree programs, receiving initial accreditation in 1993. The university is undergoing its seven year review, having just completed the Capacity and Preparatory Review visit in March 2007, and is expected to finalize the process in spring 2009 following the Educational Effectiveness Review. The school reduced the number of units needed to graduate. Some have criticized this policy change stating that students will not receive a liberal and broad education.
A large majority of the student population comes from the San Diego and Riverside County areas. Approximately 600 students live in on-campus residence halls. Co-curricular programs and activities are sponsored by Associated Students, Incorporated, Student Life and Leadership, the Clarke Field House/University Student Union, and the University Village Apartments. There are more than 100 student organizations. The school attracts many students from the surrounding community colleges including Palomar College and MiraCosta College, as well as from others located in North San Diego County, Southern Orange County, and Southern Riverside County.
The school paper is called "The Pride."
Cal State San Marcos regularly competes in RecycleMania, a college and university recycling program and competition. In 2010, for the sixth straight year, Cal State San Marcos won first place in the nationwide RecycleMania contest.
According to a local newspaper and the 2007-2008 Clery Report on Crime Awareness and Campus Security, CSU San Marcos is a safe campus with a relatively low crime rate. The University’s police department employs a variety of crime prevention and safety education programs to keep the campus safe. In 2008, seven gang members were arrested at an off-campus, privately-operated apartment complex located next to the University. Originally, there were concerns that this gang was selling drugs to students. However, as a result of the efforts of the local sheriff’s department and the apartment’s new security team, the gang appears to have vacated the apartment complex.
tribe. However, a 1999 student referendum selected the more generic "Cougars" as the name for all CSUSM sports teams.
The school's athletics department has ten teams (women's and men's in each of the following sports): golf, cross country, track & field, soccer, as well as women's softball, and men's baseball. The official colors of the Cougars are bright/royal blue and white. In the early years, burgundy was used sparingly as an accent. Cougar athletic teams compete as independents in Region II of the NAIA
. The school recently hired their first coaches in baseball and soccer; in baseball, Dennis Pugh, who coached at a local high school for decades, and soccer coach Ron Pulvers. In 2007, the softball program's second year, the school hired former UCLA All-American Kelly Warren who was previously the Associate Head Coach at nearby San Diego State University. Steve Scott (aka "The Miler") is the Cougars' Cross Country and Track & Field coach. In Fall 2009, the Women's Cross Country team won their first NAIA National Championship. They went on to defend their title the next year in Fall of 2010. The university also has a surf team that competes in the National Scholastic Surfing Association
(NSSA). The surf team won the NSSA collegiate national championship in 2009. For the academic year of 2011, women's volleyball, and men's and women's basketball, have all been added to the campus.
The university opened in 1990 with the 24 faculty. Today it employs 200 tenure-track and tenured faculty out of a total of 980 employees.
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. located in San Marcos, California
San Marcos, California
San Marcos is a suburb of San Diego in the North County section of San Diego County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 83,781. Outside the San Diego region, it is best known as the home of California State University, San Marcos...
, a suburban town in north San Diego County
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...
. It was founded in 1989 as the 20th CSU campus and was the first after nearly 30 years. The first class was admitted in 1990.
CSU San Marcos offers 44 undergraduate
Undergraduate education
Undergraduate education is an education level taken prior to gaining a first degree . Hence, in many subjects in many educational systems, undergraduate education is post-secondary education up to the level of a bachelor's degree, such as in the United States, where a university entry level is...
programs, 10 graduate
Postgraduate education
Postgraduate education involves learning and studying for degrees or other qualifications for which a first or Bachelor's degree generally is required, and is normally considered to be part of higher education...
programs and a Doctorate
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...
in Education in three colleges and one nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
school.
History
Efforts by community and political leaders to attract a state university to North CountyNorth San Diego County, California
North County is a region in the northern area of San Diego County, California. It is the second most populous region in the county after San Diego, with an estimated population of 826,985. North County is well known for its affluence, especially in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Carlsbad, Del Mar, Rancho...
date back to 1968. In 1978, state legislator William A. Craven (1921–1999) won state funding for a North County satellite campus of San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
. In 1989, Gov. George Deukmejian
George Deukmejian
Courken George Deukmejian, Jr. born June 6, 1928) is an Armenian American politician from California who as a Republican served as the 35th Governor of California and as California Attorney General .-Early life:...
signed another Craven bill which established a CSU campus in San Marcos.
The state purchased land in San Marcos, including the former Prohoroff Poultry Farms chicken ranch. The hillside site lies approximately 8 miles (12.9 km) due east of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and 35 miles (56.3 km) due north of downtown San Diego. Today the campus comprises 340 acres (137.6 ha).
Bill Stacy was appointed president in June 1989. During the 1989-1990 academic year, Stacy hired 12 "Founding Faculty," who played an important role in the university's early years and today are memorialized in Founders Plaza.
CSUSM admitted upper division students and held classes from September 1990 through August 1992 in rented facilities in a San Marcos business park, alongside the North County campus of San Diego State University. Groundbreaking for the permanent campus occurred on February 23, 1990. Classes began at the current campus in August 1992. Craven Hall was the third instructional building opened in December 1992, and the largest building up to that time at 155000 square feet (14,400 m²).
Since 1992, the campus has been growing steadily. Major additions over the subsequent decade include the Foundation Classroom Buildings (December 1996), University Hall (1998), a second Science building (August 2002) and the Arts building (August 2002). The largest building to date is Kellogg Library, opened January 2004 with nearly 200000 square feet (18,580.6 m²). The most recent addition is Markstein Hall (January 2006), home of the College of Business Administration.
For the 2011-2012 academic year, tuition and fees rose to $6,596, a 31% increase attributed to the state's budget crisis; it is the largest such percentage increase in the United States.
Academics
Originally, the university admitted only upper division students; enrollment in 1990-1991 was 448. The first freshman students entered in 1995, when enrollment totaled 3,642.The university's enrollment (as of Fall 2009) was approximately 9,700 students; about two-thirds of the students were from San Diego County. The campus master plan calls for an eventual enrollment of 25,000.
The university has three colleges: Arts & Sciences, Business Administration, and Education as well as a School of Nursing in addition to a robust Extended Learning program.
- College of Arts and Science (COAS)
- College of Business Administration (CoBA)
- College of Education (COE)
In less than two decades, the campus has distinguished itself. CSU San Marcos’ programs in teacher education are renowned for their school and community collaboration. The College of Business Administration (COBA) receives national attention for the “Senior Experience” program, which takes teams of students off campus for projects with companies and organizations. Programs in the sciences and in visual and performing arts are regionally acclaimed for academic rigor, innovation, and career preparation.
The university is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges is one of six official academic bodies responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in the United States and foreign institutions of American origin. The Western Association of...
(WASC) for both Bachelors and Masters degree programs, receiving initial accreditation in 1993. The university is undergoing its seven year review, having just completed the Capacity and Preparatory Review visit in March 2007, and is expected to finalize the process in spring 2009 following the Educational Effectiveness Review. The school reduced the number of units needed to graduate. Some have criticized this policy change stating that students will not receive a liberal and broad education.
Campus culture
| Undergraduate | |
|---|---|
| African American African American African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States... |
2.8% |
| Asian American Asian American Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,... |
10.8% |
| White American White American White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa... |
49.5% |
| Hispanic American | 21.5% |
| Native American Native Americans in the United States Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as... |
0.9% |
| international International ----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries... |
1.8% |
| Ethnicity unreported/unknown | 12.7% |
A large majority of the student population comes from the San Diego and Riverside County areas. Approximately 600 students live in on-campus residence halls. Co-curricular programs and activities are sponsored by Associated Students, Incorporated, Student Life and Leadership, the Clarke Field House/University Student Union, and the University Village Apartments. There are more than 100 student organizations. The school attracts many students from the surrounding community colleges including Palomar College and MiraCosta College, as well as from others located in North San Diego County, Southern Orange County, and Southern Riverside County.
The school paper is called "The Pride."
Cal State San Marcos regularly competes in RecycleMania, a college and university recycling program and competition. In 2010, for the sixth straight year, Cal State San Marcos won first place in the nationwide RecycleMania contest.
According to a local newspaper and the 2007-2008 Clery Report on Crime Awareness and Campus Security, CSU San Marcos is a safe campus with a relatively low crime rate. The University’s police department employs a variety of crime prevention and safety education programs to keep the campus safe. In 2008, seven gang members were arrested at an off-campus, privately-operated apartment complex located next to the University. Originally, there were concerns that this gang was selling drugs to students. However, as a result of the efforts of the local sheriff’s department and the apartment’s new security team, the gang appears to have vacated the apartment complex.
Athletics
The original mascot of the campus was established as the "Tukwut," the name for the California mountain lion in the language of the Luiseño Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribe. However, a 1999 student referendum selected the more generic "Cougars" as the name for all CSUSM sports teams.
The school's athletics department has ten teams (women's and men's in each of the following sports): golf, cross country, track & field, soccer, as well as women's softball, and men's baseball. The official colors of the Cougars are bright/royal blue and white. In the early years, burgundy was used sparingly as an accent. Cougar athletic teams compete as independents in Region II of the NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
. The school recently hired their first coaches in baseball and soccer; in baseball, Dennis Pugh, who coached at a local high school for decades, and soccer coach Ron Pulvers. In 2007, the softball program's second year, the school hired former UCLA All-American Kelly Warren who was previously the Associate Head Coach at nearby San Diego State University. Steve Scott (aka "The Miler") is the Cougars' Cross Country and Track & Field coach. In Fall 2009, the Women's Cross Country team won their first NAIA National Championship. They went on to defend their title the next year in Fall of 2010. The university also has a surf team that competes in the National Scholastic Surfing Association
National Scholastic Surfing Association
The National Scholastic Surfing Association is a surfing association in the United States. It is the highest level for competitive amateur surfing in the country. Founded in 1978 by Chuck Allen, John Rothrock and Tom Gibbons, the association was formed with the purpose of uniting amateur surfers...
(NSSA). The surf team won the NSSA collegiate national championship in 2009. For the academic year of 2011, women's volleyball, and men's and women's basketball, have all been added to the campus.
President and faculty
The university has had four presidents:- Bill Stacy (1989–1997), who left to become chancellor of the Chattanooga campus of the University of TennesseeUniversity of TennesseeThe University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
- Alexander GonzalezAlexander GonzalezAlexander Gonzalez, PhD is the President at Sacramento State University in the eastern section of Sacramento, California since 2003. He previously served as President at Cal State San Marcos from 1997–2003 and as provost at Fresno State from 1991-1997....
(1997–2003), previously the provost of the California State University, FresnoCalifornia State University, FresnoCalifornia State University, Fresno, often referred to as Fresno State University and synonymously known in athletics as Fresno State , is one of the leading campuses of the California State University system, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, USA.The campus sits at the foot of...
who left CSUSM to become president of the larger California State University, SacramentoCalifornia State University, SacramentoCalifornia State University, Sacramento, popularly known as Sacramento State, is a public university located in the city of Sacramento, California. It is part of the California State University system... - Roy McTarnaghan (2003–2004), interim president
- Karen S. Haynes, (2004-), former president of University of Houston–VictoriaUniversity of Houston–VictoriaThe University of Houston–Victoria is a four-year state university, and is a component institution of the University of Houston System. Its campus spans 20-acre in Victoria, with satellite locations at UH System centers in Sugar Land and Cinco Ranch...
, who joined CSUSM in February 2004
The university opened in 1990 with the 24 faculty. Today it employs 200 tenure-track and tenured faculty out of a total of 980 employees.