San Francisco State University
Public university in San Francisco, California / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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San Francisco State University (San Francisco State, SF State and SFSU) is a public research university in San Francisco. It was established in 1899 as the San Francisco State Normal School and is part of the California State University system.
Former name | San Francisco State Normal School (1899–1921) San Francisco State Teachers College (1921–1935) San Francisco State College (1935–1972) California State University, San Francisco (1972–1974) |
---|---|
Motto | Experientia Docet (Latin) |
Motto in English | "Experience Teaches" |
Type | Public research university |
Established | 1899; 125 years ago (1899) |
Parent institution | California State University |
Accreditation | WSCUC |
Academic affiliation | USU |
Endowment | $140.8 million (2020)[1] |
Budget | $354.6 million (2023)[2] |
President | Lynn Mahoney |
Provost | Amy Sueyoshi |
Academic staff | 1,822 (2023) [3] |
Administrative staff | 2074 (2023) [3] |
Students | 23,700 (2023)[3] |
Undergraduates | 20,673 (2023)[3] |
Postgraduates | 3027 (2022)[3] |
Location | , , United States |
Campus | Large city, 141.1 acres (57.1 ha)[4] |
Other campuses | |
Newspaper | Golden Gate Xpress |
Colors | Purple and gold[5] |
Nickname | Gators |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division II – CCAA |
Mascot | Gator |
Website | www |
Official name | San Francisco State Teacher's College |
Designated | 1/7/2008 |
Reference no. | N2378[6] |
It offers 119 bachelor's degree programs, 105 master's degree programs, and 3 doctoral degree programs, along with 22 teaching credential programs among seven colleges.[7][8][9] The 144.1-acre main campus is located in the southwest part of the city, less than two miles from the Pacific coast.[10] The university has 12 varsity athletic teams which compete at the NCAA Division II level.
San Francisco State is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity."[11] It is also a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) and is eligible to be designated as an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander serving institution (AANAPISI).
San Francisco State's past and present faculty and alumni include 21 Pulitzer Prize winners, 16 Academy Award winners, 49 Emmy Award winners, 10 Grammy Award winners, 12 Tony Award laureates.[12]
19th Century
In 1857, the San Francisco Board of Education created the San Francisco Weekly Normal School,[13][14] also known as the Minns' Evening Normal School.[15] In 1862, it became the California State Normal School, the first postsecondary institution established by the state.[14] Only six students were enrolled on its first day. By 1866, enrollment had increased to 384.[16]
In 1867, the principal of Girls' High School and Normal School, Ellis Holmes, realized that the California State Normal School was not meeting the demand for teachers. The city approved the addition of a new year-long teacher-training program to his high school's curriculum, for girls who wanted to pursue a career in education. This program is what would eventually become San Francisco State University. When the California State Normal School was moved to San José in 1871, Girls' High became the only publicly-supported teacher-training institution.[16]
In 1895, the teaching program was split from the school and became San Francisco City Normal School.[16] Due to a lack of funding, the school closed in 1898.[13] A group of teachers, students, and supporters pressured the California State Legislature to convert it into a state-funded institution.[16]
On March 22, 1899,[17] the California State Legislature approved the creation of the San Francisco State Normal School, with an appropriation of $10,000. Frederic Lister Burk was appointed as the first president and chose the school's motto, Experientia Docet.[18] The school rented[16] space in a building on Powell Street between Clay and Sacramento Streets and 31 women were enrolled in the first year.[19][20]
20th Century
The 1906 earthquake and fire forced the school to relocate from Nob Hill to a temporary campus at the Grant School in Oakland.[20]
In 1921, the school began offering Bachelor's degree options and was renamed San Francisco State Teachers College.[16][21] Teachers Colleges in California received authorization to grant Bachelor of Arts degrees in 1923.[14]
Also in 1921, construction for a new campus started at a property bound by Laguna, Haight, Buchanan and Hermann Streets. The campus consisted of four Spanish Colonial Revival style buildings designed by George McDougall, a California state architect.[22][23]
In the 1930s, overcrowding became an issue at the campus. It had been designed for 1500 students, but had to accommodate about 3000. By 1939, land near Lake Merced had been acquired to build a new campus, but plans were paused due to World War II. Many students took part in the war, causing enrollment to decline.[24]
During the 1920s and '30s, State Teachers Colleges expanded beyond being only vocational schools to train teachers. They were formally authorized to offer four-year liberal arts curriculums and renamed State Colleges in 1935.[25] So, the school became known as San Francisco State College.[21]
In 1949, master's degrees were authorized to be offered.[10]
San Francisco State College became part of the California State College system established under the Donahoe Higher Education Act in 1960.[16] Dumke resigned to become the system's vice chancellor for academic affairs, before becoming the second chancellor of the system for 20 years.
In Fall 1965, the Experimental College was started by students Cynthia Carlson, Donna Michaelson, Sharon Gold, and James Nixon, in an effort to teach untraditionally. In 1927, over 2000 students enrolled in courses offered by the Experimental College.[16] The original Experimental College stopped operating after 1969.[26]
On November 6, 1967, James Vaszko, the campus editor of the Gater, the student newspaper at the time, was assaulted by members of the Black Student Union.[27] This event became known as the Gater Incident.[28][29]
In 1967, 1968, and 1969, there were many demonstrations, including the Third World Liberation Front strike at San Francisco State, longest student strike in American history, which lasted from November 6, 1968 to March 20, 1969.
In 1972, the State Colleges system was designated "The California State University and Colleges." As a result, San Francisco State was renamed California State University, San Francisco.[14] This name was not popular with students, and the university was soon renamed San Francisco State University in 1974.[16]
President Romberg secured a permanent federal lease for 25 acres of shoreline in Tiburon for just $1 in 1978.[30] The Romberg Tiburon Campus would eventually expand to 53 acres.
In 1983, Chia-Wei Woo became the 11th president of the university. Woo was the first Chinese-American to head a major American university.[31]
On May 14, 1985, a pipe bomb in a purse was found in the Business/Ethnic Studies Building (now Business Building).[32][33] A US Army bomb disposal team removed it.[34]
In 1993, the College of Extended Learning (now College of Global and Professional Education) opened the Downtown Center in San Francisco's Multimedia Gulch, at 425 Market St. [16][35]
21st Century
In 2007, the Downtown Campus was opened at 835 Market Street, with nearly 47,000 square feet of classroom space in Westfield San Francisco Centre.[36]
The first Rhythms Music Festival happened in March 2011.[37] The annual music festival is held in a building known as the Annex.[38]
In 2013, the Science Building was found to have "unsafe levels" of airborne mercury, lead and asbestos in the basement. Over $3.6 million was spent for remediation of the pervasive contamination. University administration terminated several employees who reported the contamination, resulting in several wrongful termination and whistle-blower lawsuits, including one by the recently hired director. In July 2014, Cal/OSHA cited the university for various health and safety violations in the Science Building, which included SFSU failing to locate asbestos in the building and warn employees about the hazards of mercury.[39][40]
In March 2016, a video of a student being attacked for having dreadlocks went viral and sparked discussions about cultural appropriation.[41][42]
In response to the College of Ethnic Studies being underfunded since 2008, four students held a ten-day hunger strike from May 2–11, 2016, resulting in one hospitalization. The strike ended when President Leslie Wong agreed to commit nearly $500,000 to the college and meet a portion of their demands.[43]
The Experimental College was revived in Fall 2017. One-unit courses are created and taught by students.[26][44]
Also in 2017, a group of Jewish students and local residents accused SFSU of encouraging antisemitism and excluding Jewish student pro-Israel activist groups from campus activities.[45][46][47] The students filed two lawsuits focusing on the disruption of a speech by Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat in 2016. One suit was dismissed amd the other was settled.
In May 2019, Lynn Mahoney became the first woman to become president of San Francisco State in a permanent capacity.[48] Mary Ward had served as an acting president in the summer of 1927, after the death of Archibald Anderson.[49]
On September 23, 2020, SFSU faculty Rabab Abdulhadi and Tomomi Kinukawa hosted a discussion on Zoom titled "Whose Narratives? Gender, Justice, and Resistance."[50] The event's speakers included Leila Khaled, a Palestinian political activist and plane hijacker. Zoom and YouTube canceled the broadcast due to Khaled's history of violent actions towards civilians. Facebook also removed a page for the event.[51][52][53] President Mahoney wrote a letter about the incident. A second event titled "Whose Narratives? What Free Speech for Palestine?" was scheduled for April 23, 2021, and was also blocked.[54][55]
In 2022, the new Downtown Campus opened on the fifth floor of 160 Spear St., replacing the Downtown Campus at 835 Market Street.[56]
On April 6, 2023, former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines visited SFSU for a Turning Point USA student chapter event and spoke publicly about her campaign against transgender athletes in women's sports.[57][58] This sparked a protest.[59][57] After the event, Gaines said she had been struck during the protest.[60][59]
In September, October, and November, students and staff held numerous demonstrations in response to the 2023 Israel–Hamas War, tuition increases, layoffs, and budget cuts.[61][62][63][64]
SFSU faculty members participated in a strike led by the California Faculty Association across the CSU system on January 22, 2024.[65][66][67] Faculty had held earlier demonstrations in an effort to prevent layoffs and receive a 12% raise.[68][69]
Milestones
- 1901 – First graduating class consisting of 36 women.[20][10]
- 1923 – First Bachelor of Arts degree awarded[10]
- 1930 – Became four-year school[4]
- 1929 – Grace Hackett became the first known African-American to graduate from the school[20]
- 1949 – Master's degree first offered[10]
- 1972 – Received university status
- 1974 – Renamed San Francisco State University[21]
- 1975 – Cesar Chavez Student Center opened its doors to students[16]
- 1983 – Chia-Wei Woo became the first Chinese-American to head a major American university[70][71]
- 1999 – Celebrated 100th anniversary[72]
- 2019 – Lynn Mahoney became the university's first female president in a permanent capacity[73]
San Francisco State University is part of the California State University system. The CSU is governed by a 25-member Board of Trustees who oversee the system's chancellor.[74] The president of SF State reports to the chancellor and oversees six cabinet units. Cabinet units collaborate via 13 committees and work in conjunction with three semi-independent 501(c)(3) organizations that support the university.[75] Each cabinet, except the Office of the President, is led by a vice president.[76] The vice president of Academic Affairs is also university's provost and oversees 15 administrative units, including the university's seven colleges. Each college is led by a dean and consists of departments, led by department chairs, and schools, led by directors.[77] Departments and schools are at the same administrative level.
Presidents
- Frederic Lister Burk (1899–1924)[78][79]
- Archibald B. Anderson (1924–1927)
- Mary A. Ward (1927)[80]
- Alexander C. Roberts (1927–1945)
- J. Paul Leonard (1945–1957)[81]
- Glenn Dumke (1957–1961)[82]
- Frank L. Fenton (1961–1962)
- Paul A. Dodd (1962–1965)
- Stanley F. Paulson (1965–1966)
- John Summerskill (1966–1968)
- Robert R. Smith (1968)
- S. I. Hayakawa (1968–1973)
- Paul F. Romberg (1973–1983)
- Chia-Wei Woo (1983–1988)
- Robert A. Corrigan (1988–2012)
- Leslie Wong (2012–2019)[83]
- Lynn Mahoney (2019–present)[84]
The university operates on a semester calendar. Students generally enroll in courses during the fall and spring semesters, but courses are also offered during the summer semester and winter session.[85] Winter courses are not eligible for financial aid.[86]
The university has a four-year graduation rate of 49% and a six-year graduation rate of 55%.[87][88] The student-faculty ratio at SFSU is 20:1.[87]
As of 2024, the university has 1,822 instructional faculty comprising 807 (43%) tenured or tenure-track faculty and 1039 lecturers (57%).[10]
Colleges
The university's seven colleges are:
- College of Liberal & Creative Arts[89]
- Lam Family College of Business[90]
- College of Ethnic Studies[91]
- College Health and Social Sciences[92]
- College of Science and Engineering[93]
- Graduate College of Education[94]
- College of Professional & Global Education (formerly College of Extended Learning)[95]
Undergraduate programs
SFSU offers 119 bachelor's degree programs across its seven colleges.
The most popular undergraduate majors are Business Administration, Biology, Kinesiology, Engineering, English, Communication Studies, Psychology, Criminal Justice Studies, Sociology, and Cinema.[96]
The College of Health and Social Sciences also offers accelerated Bachelor of Science degrees in nursing in partnership with the City College of San Francisco and College of San Mateo.[97]
Blended master's programs
SFSU offers 34 blended bachelor's and master's degree programs, called San Francisco State Scholars programs.[98] The programs provide students an accelerated path to a graduate degree by allowing students to earn graduate credit while in their junior and/or senior years.
Graduate and professional programs
The university offers 105 master's degree programs across six colleges: College of Liberal & Creative Arts, Lam Family College of Business, College of Ethnic Studies, College Health and Social Sciences, College of Science and Engineering, and Graduate College of Education.[99]
The Graduate College of Education offers two doctoral programs: Ph.D in special education, in partnership with University of California, Berkeley and Ed.D in Educational Leadership.[100] The College of Health and Social Sciences offers a DPT program in partnership with University of California, San Francisco. The Graduate College of Education also offers 22 teaching credential programs.[9]
Other academic programs
Experimental College
The original Experimental College, known as E.C., was created in 1965 and lasted until 1969. The revived Experimental College, known as EXCO, allows students to create curriculums and teach one-unit courses about any topic.[26] It is similar to Oberlin College's ExCo program and University of California, Berkeley's DeCal program. Recent course offerings include BDSM 101, Lucid Dreaming, Adventures in SF, Thematic Analysis of Studio Ghibli Films, and United States Foster System.[101][102] EXCO is part of the Department of Undergraduate Education and Academic Planning.[103]
Open University
People without formal admission to the university can enroll in undergraduate or graduate courses on a space available basis, through the College of Professional & Global Education's Open University program. Up to undergraduate 24 units can be applied towards a bachelor's degree or six units towards a master's degree at San Francisco State. The program costs $395 per unit and is open to everybody except SFSU students. This includes high school students, community college students, and international students. This program is the university's concurrent enrollment program.[104]
ElderCollege
ElderCollege is a noncredit program provided by the College of Professional & Global Education that allows people aged 50 and older to sit in on courses on a space-available basis, with the approval of an instructor. There are no official records of enrollment, attendance, or grades as ElderCollege students participate only for their personal benefit.[105] ElderCollege students are expected to attend regularly and participate, but are not expected to take exams or write papers.[106]
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
SFSU's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, or OLLI, was founded in 2003. OLLIs are education organizations for older adults that are operated independently. SFSU's OLLI provides six-week courses and "mini courses" intended for people 50 and older, but people under 50 may join.[107][108] The courses are not for credit. OLLI does not use SFSU's semester calendar and has its own five-session academic calendar in which six-week courses are taught; the sessions are spring, summer, late summer, fall, and winter.[109] Membership is required to attend six-week courses, while mini courses are open to non-members. Mini courses consist of one to three class meetings and are offered six months per year: January, March, May, July, September, and December[110].[109] Courses are not taught at the main campus, and instead are available over Zoom and in person at SFSU's Downtown Campus.[107] OLLI also offers interest groups and social events.[111]
Accreditation
The university is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities.[112] The College of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).[113] The School of Engineering is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).[114]
Admissions and enrollment
In Fall 2023, SFSU's total enrollment was 23,700. This included 21,868 undergraduate students and 3,027 postgraduate students (2,746 graduate students and 281 earning second baccalaureate degrees).[10] 96% of undergraduate students enrolled at the university in 2022 were California residents.[115]
SFSU uses Cal State Apply, the centralized application system for all 23 CSU campuses. There is a $70 fee per application, but fee waivers are available.[116]
The university does not use school rank, personal statements and essays, letters of recommendation, legacy status, or standardized test scores in the admissions process.[117]
2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Applicants | 31,924 | 30,966 | 27,777 | 31,429 | 34,631 | 35,605 | 34,521 | 36,220 | 35,121 | 31,963 | 34,929 | 31,461 | 30,096 | 29,395 |
Admits | 28,719 | 28,180 | 25,782 | 26,431 | 23,310 | 25,550 | 24,327 | 24,703 | 23,841 | 21,088 | 20,889 | 20,070 | 19,569 | 18,401 |
Admit rate | 90% | 91% | 92.8% | 84.1% | 67.3% | 71.8% | 70.5% | 68.2% | 67.9% | 66% | 59.8% | 63.8% | 65% | 62.6% |
Enrolled | 2,984 | 3,339 | 3,148 | 2,779 | 3,689 | 4,286 | 4,323 | 3,570 | 4,259 | 3,751 | 3,611 | 3,785 | 3,537 | 3,659 |
Rankings and distinctions
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In 2020, SFSU was ranked the 19th top university in the United States by PayScale and CollegeNET's Social Mobility Index university rankings.[125] In 2022, the Philosophical Gourmet Report listed San Francisco State University as one of the top eight universities to earn a terminal MA in philosophy.[126] SFSU was one of the first California State University campuses to offer a doctorate of education. It was also instrumental in the establishment of the International University of Kyrgyzstan (1993).[127] The university is the only one in California to offer a bachelor's degree in technical and professional writing.[127] It is also the only university in the California State University system to offer a master's degree in Classics.[128]
The Cinema Department, in the College of Liberal & Creative Arts, was named one of the world's best film schools by Variety in 2019.[129] SFSU was also listed as one of the nation's top 25 film schools by The Hollywood Reporter, having produced many leading filmmakers, with over 13 Academy Award wins among its alumni.[130][131]
The Sutro Library houses the largest collection of genealogical records west of Salt Lake City.[132]
Race and ethnicity | Total | |
---|---|---|
Hispanic | 38% | 38 |
Asian | 24% | 24 |
White | 15% | 15 |
Foreign national | 4% | 4 |
Black | 6% | 6 |
Pacific Islander | 1% | 1 |
Other[lower-alpha 1] | 10% | 10 |
Economic diversity | ||
Low-income[lower-alpha 2] | 48% | 48 |
Affluent or middle-class[lower-alpha 3] | 52% | 52 |
In 2021, SFSU was ranked fifth for diversity nationwide and third for diversity in the western U.S. by the Wall Street Journal.[133][134]
SFSU has the second largest Asian and Filipino American enrollment percentage in the CSU system.[135]
The university uses abbreviations to refer to buildings.[136]
Academic buildings[136]
- Burk Hall (BH)
- Business (BUS)
- Creative Arts (CA)
- Ethnic Studies & Psychology (EP)
- Fine Arts (FA)
- Health & Social Sciences (HSS)
- Hensill Hall (HH)
- Humanities (HUM)
- Liberal and Creative Arts (LCA)
- J. Paul Leonard Library (LIB)
- Science (SCI)
- Science & Engineering Innovation Center (Under construction)[137]
- Sutro Library (in LIB)
- Thornton Hall (TH)
- Marcus Hall (MH)
Residence buildings, communities, and services[136]
- City Eats Dining Center (DC)[138][139]
- Manzanita Square (MZS)[140]
- Mary Park Hall (MPH)[141]
- Mary Ward Hall (MWH)[141]
- Towers Junior Suites (TJS)[142]
- The Towers at Centennial Square (TCS)[143]
- The Village at Centennial Square (VCS)[144]
- University Park North (UPN)[145]
- University Park South (UPS)[146]
- West Campus Green Residential Building (Under construction)[147]
Conference and event facilities[136]
Student and administrative services[136]
Athletic facilities[136]
- Cox Stadium
- Gymnasium (GYM)
- Maloney Field
Gallery
- Marcus Hall
- Burk Hall
- Administration Building
- Mashouf Wellness Center
- Ethnic Studies and Psychology Building
- J. Paul Leonard Library
- J. Paul Leonard Library seating area
- The Quad
- Open24
- Thornton Hall and Hensill Hall
- Humanities Building
- Student housing
In addition to the main campus, the university also has three satellite campuses.
Downtown Campus (DTC)
The Downtown Campus located on the fifth floor of 160 Spear St., in San Francisco, California.[153] It is used and managed by the Lam Family College of Business and the College of Professional & Global Education (formerly College of Extended Learning).[153] The campus spans approximately 15,850 square feet.[10]
SF State has maintained facilities in Downtown San Francisco since the 1950s. The current Downtown Campus replaces the previous, underused campus that was located in the San Francisco Centre.[154] The old Downtown Campus was a replacement for the Downtown Center located at 425 Market Street.[155]
The campus has a student lounge, a computer lab, and study rooms.[156] A portion of 160 Spear St.'s 12th floor was part of the campus until 2024.[155]
Sierra Nevada Field Campus (SNFC)
The 7.1-acre Sierra Nevada Field Campus is located in Sierra County, near Yuba Pass and the Sierra Valley, at 35400 Hwy 49 in Calpine, California.[10] It is over 200 miles north of the main campus.[157] The current director of the campus is Darrow Feldstein.[158]
The campus offers three to seven-day courses and workshops to students as well as the general public.[159][160] Accredited, one-unit courses are processed by the College of Professional & Global Education. Workshops are not for credit and processed by the University Corporation.[160] The campus is also used for research by graduate students of the College of Science and Engineering.[161]
Due to its remote location, there is no cell service and extremely limited internet access at the campus. Accommodations at the campus consist of tents with mattresses. Students and visitors can to bring their own tents or vehicles to sleep in, or stay off campus.[162][163] The campus has a moderately high elevation of about 5522 feet or 1683 meters.[164][165]
The campus is supported by Friends of Sierra Nevada Field Campus, a non-profit organization.[166]
Buildings
There are three buildings at the campus.[167]
- Director's Cabin
- Staff Cabin
- Dining Hall
Romberg Tiburon Campus (RTC)
The Romberg Tiburon Campus is a 53.7-acre research campus located in Marin County, at 3150 and 3152 Paradise Drive in Tiburon, California. It is home to the only marine and environmental science lab on San Francisco Bay.[10][168] Katharyn Boyer is the interim executive director of the Estuary & Ocean Science Center and manages the campus.[169][170]
The Tiburon branch of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center's Marine Invasions Lab[171] and the offices for the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve are also located there.[172]
The campus was a former U.S. Navy base. SF State has operated a marine lab on the site since 1978, when it began acquiring the land from the federal government for $1, under the condition that the site be used for education.[16][172]
A master plan is being currently being drafted for the campus. It has never had a master plan formally prepared and adopted by the campus or the CSU Board of Trustees. An approved master plan and certified environmental impact statement are required before the university can begin significant construction projects at the campus.[173][174]
The campus is at risk of closing due to financial struggles.[172][170]
Buildings
There are eight occupied buildings at the campus.[175][176]
- Bay Conference Center (BCC)[177]
- Delta Hall
- Estuary Hall
- Farallon Hall
- Greenhouse
- Ohrenschall Guest House
- N. Barracks
- S. Barracks