SDSU students will be getting more, paying less in 1999-2000

CONTACT: Louise Snider, (619) 594-5204, lsnider@mail.sdsu.edu, (619) 594-5956 (Fax)

SAN DIEGO, Wednesday, August 18, 1999 -- An estimated 25,400 undergraduate and graduate San Diego State University students returning to campus this month will benefit from the largest number of new faculty in the classrooms in 10 years, six new degree programs, and the lowest fees in seven years.

FEES: Students this year will enjoy a five-percent reduction in fees taking place throughout the California State University system. Full-time, SDSU undergraduate students will now pay $888.00 per semester instead of $927.00, and full-time graduate students will pay $927.00 per semester instead of $966.00. The reduction was made possible by a $24.2 million appropriation in the State budget.

FACULTY: Students also will benefit from the addition of 61 new tenured or tenure-track faculty on the University's roster, including Lionel "Skip" Meno, a nationally recognized education reformer, who steps in as dean of the College of Education. This is the single largest addition to the faculty in the last decade, and the first instance of what is anticipated to be a series of increased faculty hirings over the next five years.

DEGREES: Students can choose from more degree programs this year, especially those desiring the edge that comes with graduate education. SDSU has launched new master's degrees in three specialization areas: regulatory affairs, computational science, and criminal justice and criminology, plus a new doctor of education degree offered through a joint program with the University of San Diego. Additionally, the University has initiated a bachelor of science degree in computer engineering and another in environmental engineering. All these programs meet demands from students and industry alike for specialized education and job readiness.

San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution
in the San Diego region. Since it was founded as a teacher-training program in 1897, it has grown to offer bachelor's degrees in 76 areas, master's degrees in 58 areas and doctoral degrees in 11 areas. The more than 30,000 students participate in an academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with professors and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future.
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