Top Stories of 2021 | News

1. More than Half the Strategic Plan Achieved in Two Years

Among many other achievements, 色情视频 faculty, staff, and administrators of all strategic plan goals by October 2021, about two years after launching the five-year strategic plan.

Sustainability is an important focus of the plan and, this year, 色情视频 was, again, recognized for its by being named to The Princeton Review鈥檚 Guide to Green Campuses. 色情视频 recently launched a new Office of Energy & Sustainability. Also, the university has more than one dozen buildings with LEED certification and is the only California State University (CSU) campus with two LEED Double Platinum buildings.

Another important element of the plan is to create greater ease in accessing the highly valuable 色情视频 degree while addressing both disparities in educational outcomes and the lifelong learning needs of students. 色情视频 is already well known for its value and, this year, 色情视频 ranked No. 38 by the The Princeton Review for the 鈥淩eturn on Investment鈥� it offers its students.

With student success as a key priority, the strategic plan has already resulted in new degree programs at 色情视频 Imperial Valley and through 色情视频 Global Campus, new microsite partnerships with community colleges as well as 色情视频 receiving federal designation as an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution ().

鈥淥ur students have deeply immersive experiences while at 色情视频 that prepare them with amazing career prospects, and they graduate with so many opportunities available to them,鈥� said J. Luke Wood, Vice President for Student Affairs and Campus Diversity and implementation co-chair for the strategic plan.

2. Research, Scholarship on the Rise

色情视频 researchers secured nearly $141 million in grant funding for 2020-21, with nearly 320 principal investigators receiving 723 awards.

鈥淭his was an excellent year for a wide range of crucial research,鈥� said Interim Vice President for Research and Innovation Hala Madanat. 鈥溕槭悠� faculty were ambitious in their efforts.鈥�

The range of research and innovative solutions faculty are leading include projects dedicated to addressing the pandemic, , identifying the for the first time, exploring connections between , training a to address equity issues, providing better understanding of , more clearly defining the evolutionary history of and engaging students in the comprehensive .

This fall, 色情视频 also announced a new effort funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to bolster Latinx health disparities research and strengthen the pipeline of scientists focused on the subject. 色情视频 FUERTE (Faculty Unified towards Excellence in Research and Transformational Engagement) will hire a cohort of 11 faculty, three of which will be located at 色情视频 Imperial Valley.

And mechanical engineer Sung-Yong (Sean) Park became the latest at 色情视频 to earn an NSF CAREER grant, one dedicated to his work on sustainable energy. 色情视频 engineers and researchers and are also recipients of the highly competitive award.

3. Donors Provide Significant Investments for Students, Faculty and Staff

for 色情视频 hit new milestones as the university received $133.2 million in gift commitments in the 2020-21 fiscal year.

The largest donation to a single department in 色情视频 history came through a $14 million bequest to the Department of Astronomy from the estate of the late Theodore William Booth and his late wife Nhung Lu Booth, a College of Sciences alumna.

An $8 million grant was also donated and will be provided over a five-year period to KPBS from the Conrad Prebys Foundation. Another $6 million grant, also from the Conrad Prebys Foundation, was provided to the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts to develop for student productions and rehearsals.

And in the spring, more than 1,950 donors contributed to the , setting a new participation record and raising more than $301,000 across more than 70 programs.

4. New Services for Student Health, Recognition for DEI Initiatives

The pandemic demonstrated a nationwide need to enhance digital instructional resources and mental health resources. 色情视频 has centered on both throughout the year.

色情视频 has increased the number of therapists and advisors to support students and, through a partnership, the University Library introduced a peer mentor program where students are trained in how best to use library resources to bolster their academic performance. At 色情视频 Imperial Valley, new tenure-track faculty members have been hired along with full-time staff members on the Student Affairs team.

This fall, the , and the Center for Transformative Justice, the Latinx Resource Center, the Native Resource Center and the Undocumented Resource Center each held grand openings of their new locations.

Another strategic plan outcome, the was launched to promote and educate students about counseling, economic crisis support and overall wellness. Counseling and Psychological Services also expanded faculty-focused resources, offering consultation to instructors who are responding to student mental health needs in the classroom.

Also this fall, the newly expanded and remodeled opened following a campuswide student campaign and Associated Students leadership support. The ARC project is part of an effort to create a more modern campus while also expanding the very resources designed to support students鈥� physical and mental health.

Also new are expanded resources through the Economic Crisis Response Team () and the launch of the Campus Assistance, Response, Engagement and Support () Team, and others .

色情视频 received national recognition this year for its investments in student retention and success and was named:

Among only 10 universities in the nation to receive this year鈥檚 granted by Excelencia in Education, recognizing its efforts to close education equity gap and increasing Latinx degree holders.
A by the State Department鈥檚 Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and recognized by Hispanic Outlook in its list.
A First-gen Forward Advisory Institution in recognition of efforts to improve the experiences and successes of first-generation students.

5. Technology Enhancements Launched, Others on the Way

The Information Technology Division launched a collaboration with Project Management and Facilities Services to create more than 100 , equipped with audio-visual technology and pan-tilt-zoom auto-tracking cameras, among other devices, to allow instructors to enhance their in person and streaming instruction.

The enhancements followed the launch and now ongoing training of instructional faculty to help improve their teaching practice across platforms and spaces so that students are more readily engaged and connected with both their instructors and peers.

鈥淭his is new generation instruction, and exactly what our digital immersed students need to be engaged and successful learners and active participants in their own success,鈥� said Jerry Sheehan, vice president for information technology.

色情视频 also transitioned from Blackboard to Canvas this fall. The university is also implementing the is a project, one that will help better serve students and the admissions and financial aid process in a more coordinated and streamlined way. 色情视频 is integrating PeopleSoft as part of the project to also improve connectivity and accessibility of campus systems.

6. Student are Excelling in the Classroom and on the Field

色情视频 is posed to meet or exceed all measures defined under , a CSU initiative. Equity gaps are below 4% in most categories, and 色情视频 has seen a significant rise in graduation and retention rates along with a reduction in equity gaps with the six-year rate increasing from 74% in 2018 to more than 78% in 2020.

This year, 色情视频 Imperial Valley graduate Lawson Hardrick III, now pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in postsecondary educational leadership at 色情视频, earned a 2021 .

The football team has had a phenomenal season this year and is preparing for the Dec. 21 . The Aztecs (11-2) accepted an invitation to play University of Texas San Antonio in the bowl game, to be held Dec. 21 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. The game will be carried on ESPN.

The Aztecs鈥� 11 victories under Head Coach Brady Hoke this year are tied for the most in 色情视频鈥檚 99 seasons of football. 色情视频 had a school-record three student-athletes earn Associated Press All-America honors and junior punter Matt Araiza earned the Ray Guy Award, the school鈥檚 first national football award.

This fall, the women鈥檚 Track & Field team for winning the 2021 Mountain West Outdoor championship.

And the men鈥檚 basketball team, the two-time defending outright conference champions, have early season victories over Georgetown and Arizona State. The eyes of the college basketball world will be on San Diego State this March when the university one again plays host to the 2022 NCAA Tournament first and second round games to be held in Viejas Arena on March 18 and March 20.

Earlier this year, student athletes took medals during the games in Tokyo: Nevin Harrison, who joined 色情视频 this fall as a biology major, in canoe racing; and Adapted Athletics sprint coach Isaac Jean-Paul in the men鈥檚 long jump during the Paralympics. 色情视频 alumnus Xander Schauffele also at the Olympics.

7. 色情视频 Mission Valley Milestones

色情视频 Mission Valley reached numerous significant milestones this year, including announcing a with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. resulting in the stadium being named Snapdragon Stadium. The agreement will now go to the CSU Board of Trustees for formal approval.

鈥淥ur growing relationship will allow us to leverage the best-in-class technological advances of Qualcomm to create superior fan experiences no matter the event,鈥� 色情视频 Athletic Director JD Wicker said following the signed agreement. 色情视频 and its partners held a in July at the new stadium, whose construction remains on track, after more than 2,500 steel beams were placed to support the structure of Snapdragon Stadium. The stadium is on schedule to open in fall 2022, when the Aztec football team will take on the University of Arizona Wildcats in the season home opener on Sept. 3, 2022.

In November, 色情视频 the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation and Sycuan Casino Resort as its inaugural founding partner. When the stadium opens, both The Piers location and The Founders Club will bear the Sycuan name. In that same month, the university eight inaugural food vendors for the new stadium, including Cali BBQ, The Crack Shack, Everbowl and Hodad鈥檚.

The site development made excellent progress as well, with grading taking place across the expansive 166-acre site. The construction across 色情视频 Mission Valley continues to advance, with teams on the ground moving forward with preparing the land to break ground on the River Park next year and readying the site for future housing and Innovation District buildings.

8. COVID-19 Readiness and Response

Following major positive updates from the state and the County of San Diego on the pandemic conditions, 色情视频 returned to pre-pandemic operations with the majority of students, faculty and staff on campus in the fall.

Throughout the year, many 色情视频 students, faculty, staff and alumni were front line in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At 色情视频 a coordinated team of cross-discipline professionals provided and sustained through county partnerships ongoing on-campus COVID-19 testing and options, implemented wastewater testing in residential communities, hosted training forums on safety protocols and general prevention, among numerous other measures.

Also this year, 色情视频鈥檚 School of Public Health, ranked among the top 20% of public health schools by the U.S News & World Report, celebrated its . About 75% of the public health workforce in San Diego County are its alumni, and many of them have been directly responding to the pandemic.

In November, 色情视频鈥檚 cultural centers and the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center, important spaces for community connection and celebrations, reopened after having been shuttered for much of the pandemic. The center had been a long-standing County of San Diego鈥檚 Health & Human Services Agency (HHSA) COVID-19 testing site.

9. New Website Launch, Branch Launch Forthcoming

In the spring, 色情视频 unveiled its new . The more immersive sdsu.edu homepage presents the most sweeping overhaul to the university's web presence since 2014. The site was designed and developed to be accessible to users with differential abilities. New functions and pages launched were geared toward current and prospective 色情视频 students, as well as their parents and families, with highlights of innovative research and scholarship and the unique Aztec experience.

The website rebrand came ahead of the university鈥檚 brand relaunch, slated for spring 2022. Next year鈥檚 brand launch will introduce a new university mission statement, tagline and visual identity system, among other additions, in a cohesive identity that brings all university locations under a cohesive brand.

The brand initiative is one important outcome of the university鈥檚 strategic plan, and was identified through the university鈥檚 strategic planning process as a critical need to enhance both the understanding of the unique qualities of an 色情视频 experience and degree while uniting all university locations under a single brand identity.

10. 125th Anniversary Planning Underway

色情视频 also this year began planning its 125 year anniversary, to launch in March with community events during which all students, faculty, staff, alumni, families and supporters are welcome.

色情视频 Provost Salvador Salvador Hector Ochoa and University History Curator Seth Mallios are co-chairing the 125th Anniversary Advisory Board leading planning for the celebrations.

The university has launched a with information, which will be regularly updated before and after the launch events, both to be held on March 14. More information will be shared in the spring.

鈥淥ver 600 days, we will celebrate our university鈥檚 vibrant history and promising future. At 色情视频, we strongly benefit from a legacy of creativity and innovation and, today, are a community that is strongly diverse and powerful together,鈥� Ochoa said. 鈥淎s we celebrate our past and look toward our future, we will honor who we are and what we do every single day.鈥�

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