An Estimated 27,500
Students Will Begin Fall
Quarter Classes September 27
at University of California, San Diego

September 4, 2007

By Pat JaCoby

More than 100 Welcome Week activities are planned for an estimated 4,100 incoming freshmen and 1,650 new transfer students as they arrive on the University of California, San Diego campus Sept. 22-26 prior to the start of classes Sept. 27.

The new students swell the university’s total enrollment to a record 27,500 for the fall, 2007, quarter. The freshmen bring with them an average high school GPA of 3.93 and  SAT reasoning test scores of 600 or higher on the three exams. The new transfer students are entering UCSD with an average college GPA of 3.31.

Welcome Week activities officially start at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 23 on the Sun God Lawn with New Student Convocation. The theme, “Uncommon Scholars, Global Citizens,” will be expanded upon by keynote speaker Susan Shirk, director of UCSD’s Institute of Global Conflict and Cooperation. Jorge Huerta, associate chancellor and chief diversity officer, will serve as master of ceremonies, and remarks will be made by Chancellor Marye Anne Fox; Penny Rue, vice chancellor of Student Affairs; Marco Murillo, Associate Students president, and Kate Pillon, ’06 graduate now with Teach America.

During the week events range from the spirited Triton Power Hour’s pep rally in RIMAC and a Student Services Fair along Ridge Walk on Sept. 24, to the six-college UnOlympics competition at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 26 on the North Campus track field. Joining Chancellor Fox in handing out ice cream treats at the Ridge Walk fair will be new Student Affairs head Rue.

Approximately 2,200 international students are projected to attend UCSD this fall, representing abut 100 countries, according to Lynn C. Anderson, dean of International Education. Meanwhile, an estimated 1,140 UCSD students will venture abroad in 2007-08, participating in academic study, internship, field research, volunteer and work abroad programs. Of this year’s UCSD students, 640 will be overseas on the UC Education Abroad program and 500 in UCSD’s Opportunities Abroad program, including an ever-increasing number doing volunteer work in developing countries.

Mark Cunningham, director of Housing and Dining Services, notes that a total 9,907 students, faculty and staff will live on campus. This includes housing for 7,366 undergraduates, 2,318 graduate and medical students, 133 faculty and 83 staff members. The $78 million East Campus Graduate Housing project, with accommodations for 806 graduate students, was completed in time for fall move-ins. Located east of Interstate 5 on La Jolla Village Drive, the project includes a café, central mailroom, laundry rooms and meeting areas.

Additionally, Tenaya Hall, an undergraduate residence hall on Muir Campus, underwent a $5 million extensive interior renovation and remodeling  project during the summer, including interior painting, all new flooring, suite lounge furniture, new fixtures and plumbing with upgrades to existing data and cable services.

Ground will be broken in October for the $122 million North Campus Housing project located north of Eleanor Roosevelt College. Scheduled to open in fall 2009, the new facility will provide over 1,000 beds for transfer students.

Students will find more late night dining hours, as requested in recent surveys. Four of the undergraduate colleges will extend dining services until 11 p.m., and Subway and Espresso Roma in the Price Center food court will be open until 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday.

Later hours also are available in the Perks coffee shop, newly opened by the UCSD Bookstore in the major $77 million Price Center Addition and Renovation project now underway. Work on the addition of more than 172,000 gross square feet to the Center is scheduled for completion in January, 2008, while renovation of the existing Price Center is scheduled to be completed for occupancy in winter quarter, 2008.

Student parking will be eased this year as the new $30 million Hopkins Parking Structure, with 1,406 parking places, is completed for use in September. Also finalized for use next month is an $850,000 lighting project for the Warren Athletic Field.

Boone Hellmann, associate vice chancellor, Design and Construction, said other projects to be completed this academic year include Phase II renovation of the Original Student Center in late fall, 2007;  expansion of the Shiley Clinical Eye Center in March, 2008, and completion of the Scripps Institution of  Oceanography Robert Paine Scripps Center in April, 2008.

Under construction now and extending beyond the academic year are the $48.8 million San Diego Supercomputer Center addition, scheduled for occupancy in June, 2008, and the $55 million Conrad Prebys Music Center, scheduled for occupancy in January, 2009.

Construction is scheduled to begin this fall on the RIMAC Annex, a project to provide approximately 10,000 square feet of new and expanded student services in the developing North Campus neighborhood. The project will provide meeting spaces, lounge, a convenience store, coffee bar, and casual dining spaces to compliment the functions and activities of the area.

 

Media Contact: Pat JaCoby, 858 534-7404