San Francisco State University

San Francisco State University

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
Academic affiliation	USU
Endowment	$140.8 million (2020)[1]
Budget	$354.6 million (2023)[2]
President	Lynn Mahoney
Provost	Amy Sueyoshi
Academic staff	1,905 (2022) [3]
Administrative staff	1,398 (2022) [3]
Students	25,046 (2022)[3]
Undergraduates	21,868 (2022)[3]
Postgraduates	3,178 (2022)[3]
Location	San Francisco, California , California , United States
Campus	Large city
Other campuses	Romberg Tiburon Campus San Francisco, California Sierra Nevada Field Campus
Newspaper	Golden Gate Xpress
|u}}rs	Purple and gold[4]
Nickname	Gators
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division II – CCAA
Mascot	Gator
Website	www.sfsu.edu
California Historical Landmark
Official name	San Francisco State Teacher's College
Designated	1/7/2008
Reference no.	N2378[5]

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.

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, 4 billionaires, and 1 astronaut.^[12]

History

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 1924, Burk died and Archibald B. Anderson took over as acting president.

There were three presidents of the teachers college in 1927. Anderson served until his death in the summer of that year. Then, Mary A. Ward, the Dean of Women, served as acting president until the fall, when Alexander C. Roberts was appointed president.

In the 1930s, overcrowding became an issue at the campus. It had been designed for 1500 students, but had to accommodate about 3000. When the Hetch Hetchy project was completed in 1934, the city no longer needed land near Lake Merced for a reservoir. By 1939, the land 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]

When veterans started returning in 1945, the Vets Village, a housing complex, was built at the site of the new campus. Some students commuted from there to the campus at Buchanan and Haight Streets.^[24] In the same year, J. Paul Leonard became president after Alexander C. Roberts retired.^[18]

In 1949, master's degrees were authorized to be offered.^[10]

In 1951, the Gymnasium building was the first major building to be completed at the current campus near Lake Merced. The Creative Arts building was built second. The campus opened for classes for Fall 1953, before it was formally dedicated in October 1954.^[17]

From 1957 to 1961, Glenn S. Dumke was president of San Francisco State.

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]

Demonstrations of the 1960s

1967

On May 2, 1967, 60 students staged a sit-in protest in President John Summerskill's office, opposing the practice of providing students' academic standing to the Selective Service System. On June 22 of the same year, students and faculty picketed administrative offices to protest the California State College Chancellor Glenn S. Dumke's directive to continue providing students' academic standings.^[27]

On November 6, James Vaszko, the campus editor of the Gater, the student newspaper at the time, was assaulted by members of the Black Student Union.^[28] This event became known as the Gater Incident. In an interview the day after the assault, Vaszko said he had no idea why it happened, but something was said during the incident about the Gater not running a photo of the BSU candidate for homecoming queen. However, the Gater had included a photo of the candidate. The District Attorney's office issued arrest warrants on November 9 for three individuals.^[29]

About 450 students participated in a protest on December 2, against President Summerskill and the Vietnam War.^[27]

On December 6, students protested against the suspension of students in the Gater incident. During the protest, students broke into the Administration building.^[27]

1968

President Summerskill announced his resignation, effective in September, on February 22.^[27]

The Third World Liberation Front was a coalition of the Black Students Union, the Latin American Students Organization, the Filipino-American Students Organization, and El Renacimiento. They occupied the school's YMCA office on March 23.^[27]

On May 21, in the Administration building, approximately 400 students held a sit-in protesting various issues, including an end to AFROTC on campus and the hiring of nine minority faculty members. After nine hours, police were called to remove the students. 26 people were arrested.^[27]

Students protested again on May 23. On the following day, Chancellor Dumke asked President Summerskill to resign immediately. Robert Smith, a professor of education, was appointed president on June 1.^[27][16]

On September 10, George Mason Murray, a graduate student in English and Black Panther Minister of Education, was hired as a teaching assistant to teach introductory English classes for 400 students.^[27]

President Smith announced the creation of a Black Studies Department and named Dr. Nathan Hare, a professor of sociology, as acting chair on September 18.^[27]

On September 26, after Murray allegedly made inflammatory remarks at Fresno State College and San Francisco State, the California State College Trustees voted to ask President Smith to reassign George Murray to a non-teaching position.

Smith refused, causing Chancellor Dumke to order him to suspend Murray on October 31. On the same day, the Black Student Union Third World Liberation Front threatened to strike on November 6 and presented their 15 demands.^[27] The demands were not met, and a lengthy student strike erupted. It was the longest student strike in American history.

On November 13, 1968, the campus closed after a week of confrontations between students and police. On November 18, the California State College Trustees ordered Smith to reopen the campus. The faculty didn't want to reopen the campus, but met for a convocation to discuss the issues. On November 26, Black Student Union leaders confronted Smith and the faculty during the convocation. Smith resigned the same day.^[30]

On December 2, S. I. Hayakawa was appointed president. On his first day, he climbed onto a sound truck positioned at 19th and Holloway Avenues. and pulled out the speaker wires. According to a student who was inside the truck, "he was so mad, you could see the foam on his mouth."^[31]

On December 10, Mayor Joseph Alioto organized a citizen's committee to help end the strike.^[30]

The school closed for the holidays a week early, on December 13.^[30]

Also during that month, two bombs were discovered on campus. One was in the Administration building and the other was in the Psychology building (now Ethnic Studies and Psychology building).^[32]

1969

On January 4, 1969, President Hayakawa banned meetings and gatherings on campus and limited picketing activities to the perimeter of the campus.^[30] Picketers ignored the ban.^[33]

About 350 teachers who were part of the American Federation of Teachers picketed around the campus on January 6.^[30]

On January 23, over 500 people had gathered on campus for a rally. Police surrounded the protestors and arrested hundreds of them, backing up San Francisco's court system for months.^[33]

On March 5, Timothy Peebles, a freshman, set off a bomb in the Creative Arts building at night. The bomb injured his hands and face.^[34][30]

The strike officially ended on March 20, after an agreement was signed by representatives of the Black Student Union, the Third World Liberation Front, and the school.^[16][30][33] The school agreed to establish the first College of Ethnic Studies in the country, housing the departments of American Indian Studies, Asian American Studies, Black Studies, and La Raza Studies, and to accept almost all nonwhite applicants for the Fall 1969 semester.^[33]

1970s and onwards

In 1972, the State Colleges system was designated "The California State University and Colleges." 14 colleges met the criteria established by the Board of Trustees and the Coordinating Council for Higher Education, including San Francisco State, which 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]

Hayakawa resigned in 1973. This led to the appointment of Paul F. Romberg.^[35]

The Student Union building (now Cesar Chavez Student Center) was opened in 1975.^[16] It was designed by Paffard Keatinge-Clay.

President Romberg secured a permanent federal lease for 25 acres of shoreline in Tiburon for just $1 in 1978.^[36] 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.^[37]

On May 14, 1985, a pipe bomb in a purse was found in the Business/Ethnic Studies Building (now Business Building).^[38][39] A US Army bomb disposal team removed it.^[40] In September that year, Coy Ray Phelps was arrested and charged for the attempted bombing.^[41] Phelps had also planted bombs in four other locations in San Francisco, but only one exploded at the offices of the local Humanist Party.^[42][43] On September 17, 1986, Phelps was placed in a psychiatric facility after being found not guilty by reason of insanity. He was released in 1999, but after starting a website that advocated for murdering Black people and Jewish people, a panel of three judges ruled that he should not have been released in the first place, and he was rearrested in 2002.^[43] He appealed the ruling, but his case was dismissed in 2004.^[44] On September 23, 2015, he was released from the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners.^[45][46]

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][47]

In 1994, a mural depicting Malcolm X was painted on the Student Union building, commissioned by the Pan-African Student Union and African Student Alliance. The mural's border contained yellow Stars of David and dollar signs mingled with skulls and crossbones and near the words "African Blood." The next week, after demonstrations on both sides, the university's administration had the mural painted over, and subsequently sand blasted.^[48] Two years later, a new Malcolm X mural was painted, without the controversial symbols.^[49]

In 1995, San Francisco State alumni Geoff Marcy and Paul Butler discovered two new Jupiter-sized planets within 35 light-years of Earth, including one that could contain elements for organic life. They discovered another planet about 40 light years away less than three months later.^[50][51]

21st Century

In 2007, the Downtown Campus was opened at 835 Market Street, replacing the Downtown Center. The campus had nearly 47,000 square feet of classroom space in Westfield San Francisco Centre. The campus was used for courses in the College of Extended Learning and Lam Family College of Business.^[52]

The first Rhythms Music Festival happened in March 2011.^[53] The annual music festival is held in a building known as the Annex.^[54]

In 2013, the Science Building was found to have "unsafe levels" of airborne mercury, lead and asbestos in the basement as a result of reports that pesticide-laden Native American artifacts were previously stored with a material now known to be highly hazardous. 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.^[55][56] SFSU previously ran into trouble with its Environmental Health and Safety program when the director prior, Robert Shearer, was accused of accepting bribes from a waste disposal firm in exchange for at least $4 million in university funds.^[57]

In March 2016, a video of a student being attacked for having dreadlocks went viral and sparked discussions about cultural appropriation.^[58][59]

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.^[60]

The Experimental College was revived in Fall 2017. One-unit courses are created and taught by students.^[26][61]

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.^[62][63][64] The students filed two lawsuits focusing on the disruption of a speech by Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat in 2016. One suit was dismissed by a federal judge in 2018.^[65] Another lawsuit was settled in 2019 and included provisions for a $200,000 university fund to promote viewpoint diversity, a new coordinator of Jewish Student Life position for at least four years, and an independent consultant to review the university's non-discrimination policies.^[66]

In May 2019, Lynn Mahoney became the first woman to become president of San Francisco State in a permanent capacity.^[67] Mary Ward had served as an acting president in the summer of 1927, after the death of Archibald Anderson.^[68]

On September 23, 2020, SFSU faculty Rabab Abdulhadi and Tomomi Kinukawa hosted a discussion on Zoom titled "Whose Narratives? Gender, Justice, and Resistance."^[69] The event's speakers included Leila Khaled, a Palestinian political activist and plane hijacker, and Laura Whitehorn, an American political activist and domestic bomber. Zoom and YouTube canceled the broadcast due to Khaled's history of violent actions towards civilians. Facebook also removed a page for the event.^[65][70][71] President Lynn 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. The event had nine speakers scheduled, including Khaled, Whitehorn, and Sekou Odinga, an activist and former Black Panther.^[72][73]

In 2022, the new Downtown Campus opened on the fifth floor and a part of the 12th floor of 160 Spear St., replacing the Downtown Campus at 835 Market Street.^[74] The campus now only occupies the fifth floor.

In 2024, the Science & Engineering Innovation Center opened for the spring semester. The center includes a new 125,000 square-foot building and a renovated 54,000 square-foot building.^[75]

Demonstrations of 2023 and 2024

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.^[76][77] Protesters attended the event and were peaceful. After the event concluded, more protesters arrived.^[78][76] Gaines was escorted by university police officers to shelter in a classroom.^[78][76] Video clips were posted to social media, including by Gaines, that appear to show protesters chanting, shouting, and holding signs.^[78] After the event, Gaines said she had been physically struck twice by a person during the protest.^[79][78] Soon after the event, the university police stated that no arrests have been made, and an investigation is ongoing.^[79]

On September 11, about 300 students rallied and marched against the CSU system's proposed tuition increase.^[80] On September 15, CSU's Board of Trustees voted in favor of the plan to reduce the system's $1.5 billion deficit with annual tuition increases of 6%, starting from the 2024–2025 academic year to the 2028–2029 academic year.^[81][82]

After years of declining enrollment, budget cuts were announced on August 31, totaling $11 million.^[83] The university is also facing a $9 million budget deficit. A plan to eliminate the deficit calls for cutting the equivalent of 125 full-time positions.^[84] The California Faculty Association said it would result in the layoff of about 325 part-time lecturers.^[85]

On October 11, the CFA held a practice rally against the tuition increase and possible layoffs.^[86]

On October 26, the CFA and the university's Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter led about 300 students and faculty in a rally and march against layoffs and the tuition increase.^[87]

The CFA led another rally against layoffs on November 15.^[88]

In response to the 2023 Israel–Hamas War, hundreds of students walked out and rallied on October 25, calling for a ceasefire.^[89] It was part of a nationwide walkout organized by Students for Justice in Palestine.^[90]

On November 14, Teamsters Local 2010 held a one-day strike across all 23 CSU campuses, seeking higher pay.^[91] San Francisco State skilled laborers marched through the university before joining the picket line at the university's 19th Ave and Holloway entrance.^[92]

Students walked out and protested on November 28, in response to 655 courses being cut and over 300 faculty members being laid off in the Spring 2024 semester.^[93]

One-day strikes led by the CFA were held across four CSU campuses from December 4–7, including San Francisco State on December 5.^[94] Faculty and students picketed against budget cuts and possible layoffs and are seeking a raise of 12%.^[95]

SFSU faculty members participated in a strike led by the California Faculty Association across the CSU system on January 22, 2024.^[96][97] The strike was planned to last through the week before the university's spring semester, but ended early due to the CFA reaching a tentative agreement with the CSU.^[98][99]

Milestones

• 1901 – First graduating class consisting of 36 women.^[20][10]
• 1923 – First Bachelor of Arts degree awarded^[10]
• 1930 – Became four-year school^[6]
• 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]
• 1999 – Celebrated 100th birthday^[100]

Governance

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.^[101] The president of SF State reports to the chancellor. The president 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.^[102] Each cabinet, except the Office of the President, is led by a vice president.^[103] 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.^[104] The colleges are comprised of departments, led by department chairs, and schools, led by directors. Departments and schools are at the same administrative level.

Presidents

• Frederic Lister Burk (1899–1924)^[105][106]
• Archibald B. Anderson (1924–1927)
• Mary A. Ward (1927)^[107]
• Alexander C. Roberts (1927–1945)
• J. Paul Leonard (1945–1957)^[108]
• Glenn Dumke (1957–1961)^[109]
• 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)^[110]
• Lynn Mahoney (2019–present)^[111]

Academics

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.^[112] Winter courses are not eligible for financial aid.^[113]

The university has a four-year graduation rate of 49% and a six-year graduation rate of 55%.^[114][115] The student-faculty ratio at SFSU is 20:1.^[114]

In Fall 2022, the university had 1,905 instructional faculty, of which 807 (or 42 percent) were tenured or on the tenure track.^[10]

Colleges

The university's seven colleges are:

• College of Liberal & Creative Arts^[116]
• Lam Family College of Business^[117]
• College of Ethnic Studies^[118]
• College Health and Social Sciences^[119]
• College of Science and Engineering^[120]
• Graduate College of Education^[121]
• College of Professional & Global Education (formerly College of Extended Learning)^[122]

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.^[123]

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.^[124]

Blended master's programs

SFSU offers 34 blended bachelor's and master's degree programs, called San Francisco State Scholars programs.^[125] 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.^[126]

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.^[127] 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.^[128][129] EXCO is part of the Department of Undergraduate Education and Academic Planning.^[130]

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.^[131]

ElderCollege

ElderCollege is a noncredit program provided by the College of Professional & Global Education that allows people 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.^[132] ElderCollege students are expected to attend regularly and participate, but are not expected to take exams or write papers.^[133]

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.^[134][135] 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.^[136] 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.^[137] Mini courses are offered six months per year: January, March, May, July, September, and December.^[136] Courses are not taught at the main campus, and instead are available over Zoom and in person at SFSU's Downtown Campus.^[134] OLLI also offers interest groups and social events.^[138]

Accreditation

The university is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities.^[139] The College of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).^[140] The School of Engineering is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).^[141]

Admissions and enrollment

In Fall 2022, SFSU's total enrollment was 25,046. This included 21,868 undergraduate students and 3,178 postgraduate students. In-state students were 96% of undergraduate students enrolled at the university.^[142]

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.^[143]

The university does not use school rank, personal statements and essays, letters of recommendation, legacy status, or standardized test scores in the admissions process.^[144]

Fall Admissions Data

	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

In 2020, SFSU was ranked the 19th top university in the United States by PayScale and CollegeNET's Social Mobility Index university rankings.^[152] 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.^[153] 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).^[154] The university is the only one in California to offer a bachelor's degree in technical and professional writing.^[154] It is also the only university in the California State University system to offer a master's degree in Classics.^[155]

The Cinema Department, in the College of Liberal & Creative Arts, was named one of the world's best film schools by Variety in 2019.^[156] 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.^[157][158]

The Sutro Library houses the largest collection of genealogical records west of Salt Lake City.^[159]

Demographics

Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2022^[142]

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.^[160][161]

SFSU has the second largest Asian and Filipino American enrollment percentage in the CSU system.^[162]

Main campus buildings

Academic buildings^[163]

• 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)^[164]
• Sutro Library (in LIB)
• Thornton Hall (TH)
• Marcus Hall (MH)

Residence buildings, communities, and services^[163]

• City Eats Dining Center (DC)^[165][166]
• Manzanita Square (MZS)^[167]
• Mary Park Hall (MPH)^[168]
• Mary Ward Hall (MWH)^[168]
• Towers Junior Suites (TJS)^[169]
• The Towers at Centennial Square (TCS)^[170]
• The Village at Centennial Square (VCS)^[171]
• University Park North (UPN)^[172]
• University Park South (UPS)^[173]
• West Campus Green Residential Building (Under construction)^[174]

A dormitory building, Verducci Hall, was imploded in 1999, having sustained damage from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.^[175]

Conference and event facilities^[163]

• Seven Hills Conference Center^[176]
• Student Life Events Center/Annex I (SLEC)^[177]
• Towers Conference Center (TCONF)^[178]

Student and administrative services^[163]

• Administration (ADM)
• Cesar Chavez Student Center (CCSC)^[179]
• Corporation Yard (CYD)
• Gator Health Center (Under construction)^[174]
• Early Childhood Education Center (formerly Child Care Center) (A.S. ECEC)^[180]
• Mashouf Wellness Center (MWC)
• Student Health Center (SHS)
• Student Services (SSB)

Athletic facilities^[163]

• 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
  

Satellite campuses

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.^[181] It is used and managed by the Lam Family College of Business and the College of Professional & Global Education (formerly College of Extended Learning).^[181] 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.^[182] The old Downtown Campus was a replacement for the Downtown Center located at 425 Market Street.^[183]

The campus has a student lounge, a computer lab, and study rooms.^[184] A portion of 160 Spear St.'s 12th floor was part of the campus until 2024.^[183]

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.^[185] The current director of the campus is Darrow Feldstein.^[186]

The campus offers three to seven-day courses and workshops to students as well as the general public.^[187][188] Accredited, one-unit courses are processed by the College of Professional & Global Education. Workshops are not for credit and processed by the University Corporation.^[188] The campus is also used for research by graduate students of the College of Science and Engineering.^[189]

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.^[190][191] The campus has a moderately high elevation of about 5522 feet or 1683 meters.^[192][193]

The campus is supported by Friends of Sierra Nevada Field Campus, a non-profit organization.^[194]

Buildings

There are three buildings at the campus.^[195]

• 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][196] Katharyn Boyer is the interim executive director of the Estuary & Ocean Science Center and manages the campus.^[197][198]

The Tiburon branch of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center's Marine Invasions Lab^[199] and the offices for the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve are also located there.^[200]

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][200]

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.^[201][202]

The campus is at risk of closing due to financial struggles.^[200][198]

Buildings

There are eight occupied buildings at the campus.^[203][204]

• Bay Conference Center (BCC)^[205]
• Delta Hall
• Estuary Hall
• Farallon Hall
• Greenhouse
• Ohrenschall Guest House
• N. Barracks
• S. Barracks

Athletics

The university's intercollegiate athletics teams, the Gators, compete in NCAA Division II and are a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (wrestling competes in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference). SF State fields 12 sports: men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's baseball, wrestling, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and softball.

The Gators have also produced 13 National Football League players, including Billy Baird, Elmer Collett, Maury Duncan, Carl Kammerer, Douglas Parrish, and Floyd Peters. Mike Holmgren got his collegiate coaching start as the team's Offensive Coordinator in 1981. The football program ended in 1995.

SF State has produced three Major League Baseball players, two of whom became All-Stars (former Mets shortstop Bud Harrelson, and former Brewers and Red Sox outfielder Tommy Harper). The soccer program has had one player enter the professional ranks. Jared MacLane played in the soccer Professional First Division in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

SF State Wrestling sent a wrestler to a national championship meet every year from 1963–64 to 2016–17.^[206]

As of 2019, the Gators have earned one NCAA team championship at the Division II level, a 1997 wrestling championship.^[207][208]

Mascot

In the early 20th century, collegiate sports at SF State became more popular, creating a need for a team name, and the search for a mascot started in 1921.^[209] The university's newspaper at the time, the Bay Leaf, asked for suggestions for a mascot.^[210] Students suggested an alligator named "Golden Gater" in reference to the Golden Gate.^[211][212] Students voted in favor of the name and the alligator choice was finalized in 1931,^[209] but after numerous misspellings by the newspaper, use of "Golden Gator" stuck.^[213] In the beginning, two female students were chosen each year as alligator mascots.^[209] The mascot's name was eventually shortened to the Gator.^[212] In 2023, the Gator became Alli Gator and was redesigned.^[214]

Intramural Sports

Intramural sports at SF State include indoor soccer, costume dodgeball, and badminton.^[215]

Student life and traditions

As of December 2023, SFSU has 248 formally recognized student organizations.^[216] In order to receive funding, student organizations must be formally recognized by the Office of Student Activities & Events.^[217]

49 Greek life organizations are formally recognized^[218] and include chapters of Alpha Phi, Sigma Pi Alpha, and Phi Sigma Sigma.

Housing

SFSU has three on-campus housing neighborhoods: the Central Neighborhood, the North Neighborhood, and the South Neighborhood. These neighborhoods are further divided into housing communities.^[219] Also Parkmerced, a planned neighborhood consisting of high-rise and low-rise apartments, is located to the south of the university.^[220]

First-year student accommodations

The Central Neighborhood consists of housing for first-year students. There are two residence halls available: Mary Ward Hall and Mary Park Hall. They are colloquially known as the Maries. In the Fall 2024 semester, a new residence hall will be completed and open to students.^[174] The Towers at Centennial Square has full and partial high-rise suites. The Village at Centennial Square has apartments. The difference between suites and apartments is that apartments are available to be leased year-round, but suites are only available during the academic year. The Central Neighborhood is the closest housing neighborhood to the university's dining center, City Eats.^[221]

Non-first-year student accommodations

The North Neighborhood has high-rise and low-rise garden apartments in the University Park North community. This neighborhood is closest to Stonestown Galleria, a shopping mall.

The South Neighborhood consists of University Park South and Manzanita Square. University Park South offers townhome-style apartments. Manzanita Square is a LEED Gold certified apartment building.^[222] It is owned and operated by American Campus Communities.^[223]

Health

Student Health Services

Student Health Services, or SHS, operates out of the Student Health Center.^[224][225] Primary care, vaccinations, x-rays, pharmacy services, gynecology services, and STI testing are some of the services provided.^{[224][226][227]} Many of the services are low-cost or provided at no charge to students.^[226][228] In 2023, state law required abortion services to be provided at all SHS locations, which are located at all CSU campuses.^[229] SHS is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care.^[226]

Recreation

The main recreation facility at SF State, Mashouf Wellness Center, opened in 2017.^[230] It is named after Manny Mashouf, who donated $10 million towards the $86.5 million construction costs.^[231] The LEED Platinum certified, 118,700-square-foot facility features two heated pools, a hot tub, a sauna, a 41-foot climbing wall, fitness studios, exercise equipment, an indoor running track, a racquetball court, a two basketball courts, a multipurpose activities court.^{[230][232][233]} It was also the university's first LEED rated building.^[234]

In addition, the university's Gymnasium building has a pool and multi-use spaces. The building is mostly used for basketball, volleyball, badminton, and indoor soccer events.^[235]

The Campus Recreation department hosts student-led camping, hiking, and climbing trips, called Gator Outdoor Adventures. The trips are one to four days long and have varying levels of difficulty.^[236][237]

Associated Students

The student government of San Francisco State is known as Associated Students Inc. of SF State.^[238] Associated Students provides funding for student organizations and operates the Cesar Chavez Student Center, the Early Childhood Education Center, two food pantry programs, a weekly farmers' market, and many other programs.^[238][239]

Cesar Chavez Student Center

The Cesar Chavez Student Center was built in the mid-1960s with a capacity of 12,000 students.^[240] Around 2002, it was renovated and expanded to 142,160 square feet across five floors with a capacity of over 30,000.^[240] The building includes staff and student offices, a 500-seat auditorium, conference rooms, an art gallery, a multi-cultural center, student lounges, restaurants, a bookstore, and additional restrooms.^[240] In 2003, the Filipino American Community Mural at the center was unveiled, becoming the first Filipino-American mural on a CSU campus.^[241]

Project Rebound

Project Rebound is a special admissions and support program for formerly incarcerated people.^[242][243] It was founded by John Irwin, a professor of sociology, in 1967.^[244][245] After Irwin served five years at Soledad State Prison in the 1950s for armed robbery, he wanted to create a program that provided educational support to people like him.^[246] The program has grown since its founding at SFSU, with 15 CSU campuses now having Project Rebound programs.^[247][248]

Rhythms Music Festival

Associated Students hosts the Rhythms Music Festival annually. Before the main show, there are two competitions: one for DJs and one for bands. The winners of each competition then open for the main show.^[249]

The annual event started as a joke when a student, Franko Ali, made a Facebook group called “If 15,000 people join this group then the campus will let us have a rave in the Annex.” Over 5,000 people joined. In 2010, a year after Ali made the group, he was elected to the student government. Inspired by Ali's group, the Associated Students Board of Directors voted to hire Travie McCoy for a performance, but couldn't afford his booking fees after one of his songs was used in Glee. Ali proposed a three-day music festival instead and it was approved. The first festival took place in March 2011.^[250]

Year	Headliners
2011	Grieves, Budo, The Hood Internet, Toro y Moi[251]
2012	Toro y Moi[252]
2013	Big Boi[253]
2014	Timeflies[254]
2015	G-Eazy[255]
2016	Kehlani[256][257]
2017	Vince Staples[258]
2018	T-Pain[254]
2019	Hayley Kiyoko[259]
2020	Bishop Briggs[260]
2021	Rico Nasty[261]
2022	Baby Tate[262]
2023	Lupe Fiasco[263][264]

Del the Funky Homosapien, and K Theory also performed in 2012.^[251][252] In 2020, the event was held at the Fort Mason Festival Pavilion instead of the Annex.^[260] In 2021, the festival was held over Zoom.^[265] Phony Ppl also performed in 2022.^[262]

Annual Folk Festival

Associated Students hosted the annual San Francisco State College Folk Festival from 1962 to 1970.^{[266][267][268][269]} The 2nd Annual Folk Festival included performances by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter.^[270]

OneCard

Since 2017, each student has been issued an ID card called a OneCard.^[271] The cards also function as university library cards, Clipper cards, meal plan cards, and campus payment cards.^[272] When the cards' Clipper functions are used during the fall and spring semesters, students can use Muni (excluding cable cars) and SamTrans for free and receive a 50% discount on BART trips to and from Daly City station. Students are charged a "Gator Pass" transit fee each semester, which pays for the transit benefits.^[273]

Media

Golden Gate Xpress

Golden Gate Xpress is the university's daily online student newspaper.^{[59][274][275]} The university's newspaper has changed names several times, but its history can be traced back to 1927.^[276] Golden Gate Xpress has been awarded by the Associated Collegiate Press, College Media Association, and the Hearst Journalism Awards Program.^{[277][278][279]}

Xpress Magazine

Xpress Magazine is a student magazine published during the fall and spring semesters. Four issues are published per semester, two of which are also printed. The magazine was originally known as Prism and dates back December 1969. In October 1999, the magazine was published for the first time under its current name.^[280] Xpress Magazine has been awarded by the Associated Collegiate Press.^[278][281]

Alumni Magazine

SF State Magazine is published by the university's Strategic Marketing and Communications department. The semiannual publication is mailed to over 80,000 alumni.^[282]

Fourteen Hills

Creative Writing graduate students have published Fourteen Hills, an international literary journal, since 1994.^[283][284]

Transfer Magazine

Since 1950, undergraduate students in the Creative Writing department have published Transfer Magazine, featuring literature and art by SFSU students.^{[285][286][287]}

Radio Station

KSFS is a college radio station run by Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts (BECA) students, streaming online, at 100.7 on Comcast Cable radio in San Francisco, and at 88.1 FM near or at the main campus.^[288][289]

Notable faculty and alumni

• 

  Stanley Mazor, co-inventor of the microprocessor

• 

  Yvonne Cagle, NASA astronaut

• 

  Willie Brown, 41st Mayor of San Francisco

• 

  Annette Bening, actress

• 

  Manny Mashouf, founder, bebe Stores, Inc.

• 

  Anne Rice, author of the Vampire Chronicles

• 

  Ron Dellums, 48th Mayor of Oakland

• 

  Danny Glover, actor

• 

  Alex Borstein, actress, voice of Lois on Family Guy

• 

  Melba Pattillo Beals, journalist and member of the Little Rock Nine

• 

  George Miller, U.S. Congressman, 1975–2015

• 

  Ben Fong-Torres, journalist for Rolling Stone and the San Francisco Chronicle

• 

  Kevin Mullin, U.S. Congressman, 2022–present

• 

  Jonas Rivera, producer, Pixar Animation Studios

• 

  BD Wong, actor

• 

  Mohammad Javad Zarif, Former Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs

• 

  John Patitucci, jazz bassist

• 

  Dana Carvey, comedian and actor

• 

  Kirk Hammett, lead guitarist for Metallica

• 

  Oscar Zeta Acosta, attorney, politician, novelist and activist

• 

  Jeffrey Tambor, actor

• 

  Kari Byron, television host and artist

• 

  Rob Schneider, actor and comedian

• 

  Johnny Mathis, singer

• 

  Ronnie Schell, comedian and actor, co-starred as Duke on Gomer Pyle: USMC

• 

  Michael Burkett, a.k.a. Fat Mike, lead vocalist for NOFX

• 

  Michael Medved, author and radio talk show host

• 

  Nina Hartley, pornographic actress, activist and educator

See also

• Bay Area Television Archive
• DOC Film Institute

Notes

References

External links

• San Francisco State Athletics website

[ ⚑ ] 37°43′24″N 122°28′47″W / 37.72333°N 122.47972°W / 37.72333; -122.47972

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