CONTACT: Jack Beresford
SDSU Marketing & Communications
(619) 594-2448
jack.beresford@sdsu.edu

SAN DIEGO, Tuesday, January 18, 2005 – San Diego State, the region’s largest university, today released a draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for its 2005 Campus Master Plan revision. The draft EIR is a comprehensive study of all potential environmental impacts that could result from implementation of the master plan. It will be available for public comment through March 19, 2005.

“The Campus Master Plan revision will allow SDSU to meet the growing demand for higher education and ensure that the university continues to fulfill its role as a major contributor to the region’s workforce,” said SDSU President Stephen L. Weber.

SDSU has embarked on its Campus Master Plan revision during a period of unprecedented growth in student demand for higher education. Despite the recent increases in fees for California State University students, SDSU received a record 49,000 applications for an estimated 7,600 enrollment slots for the Fall 2005 semester.

The SDSU plan proposes to increase the student enrollment ceiling from 25,000 to 35,000 full time equivalent students (FTES) over the next 20 years to accommodate growing demand. (In order to account for both full and part time students, one full time equivalent student may equate to more than one student on campus. 35,000 FTES is projected to equal 44,826 students on campus). It also includes new classroom and support facilities, housing for students, faculty and staff, a hotel and a new student union complex.

The draft EIR studies the impacts the project might have on everything from traffic and transportation to biological resources. While impacts can be expected from an increase in the number of students on campus, the majority of impacts identified in the draft EIR can be mitigated.

Over the next few weeks, SDSU will meet with civic leaders and community groups to present the findings of the draft EIR and answer questions about the project. A public meeting to discuss the EIR is scheduled for March 7 at 7 p.m. at Casa Real at Aztec Center.

A final decision on SDSU’s Campus Master Plan revision is expected to be made by the CSU Board of Trustees in July. For further information about the Campus Master Plan revision, please visit the project website at www.sdsu.edu/masterplan.

San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since it was founded in 1897, the university has grown to offer bachelor’s degrees in 81 areas, master’s degrees in 72 areas and doctorates in 16 areas. SDSU’s nearly 33,000 students participate in an academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu.

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