UCSD
CAMPUS NOTICE
University of California, San Diego
 


OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR

May 3, 2001


ALL ACADEMICS AND STAFF AT UCSD (including UCSD Healthcare)
ALL STUDENTS AT UCSD

SUBJECT:  Managing Future Growth in UCSD's Student Population

Our series of internal communiqués on campus growth issues continues with this message from Joseph Watson, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, on the future growth of the student population. The education of gifted young people is UCSD's primary mission; nothing we do has greater impact on our community or on the world at large. The addition of 10,000 more students will be UCSD's most significant growth surge ever. In this message, Dr. Watson describes some steps we will take to manage that growth effectively while maintaining UCSD's excellence and sustaining our "Principles of Community."


                                                Robert C. Dynes
                                                Chancellor

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OFFICE OF THE VICE CHANCELLOR
STUDENT AFFAIRS

May 3, 2001

All of us in the Division of Student Affairs take great pride in our students. Our goals throughout this decade of growth are to maintain the quality of our student population, enhance their diversity, and improve the quality of student life. We must ensure that UCSD has student programs, services, and facilities to complement its excellent academic programs. And we must provide our future alumni with outstanding graduate and professional school and employment opportunities.

As new students arrive in greater numbers, they will need a campus with adequate resources to serve a range of needs -- housing and dining; student organization support and meeting space; career guidance and internship opportunities; sports and recreation. Quality of student life at UCSD is integral to the quality of the educational experience, and it will be a prime focus over the next decade. This focus must be comprehensive, and it must seek to enhance the quality of experiences for all students: freshmen and transfer, undergraduate, graduate, and professional.

The soon to be six undergraduate colleges at UCSD provide the foundation for undergraduate student life, both academic and co-curricular. When construction of the 12-acre Eleanor Roosevelt College complex along North Torrey Pines Road is completed, all of the colleges will again be able to offer their entering freshmen and transfer students guaranteed housing of 2 years and 1 year, respectively. Because the guarantee to live on campus has a major impact on recruitment, retention, and quality of life, planning for the next set of housing projects will begin this year to ensure that adequate on-campus housing will be available during this decade of growth.

Because the majority of students at UCSD will be commuter students, the staffing and program scope of the off-campus housing office is expanding. This office will evolve into a full-service commuter student services office with more extensive Internet-based listings and services to students and landlords.

On the student services front, we are planning construction of a 75,000 asf Student Service Facility to open in 2006. This one-stop-shopping hub will be located on Myers Drive just west of the flagpole. It will house the Office of Graduate Studies and Research, Admissions and Relations with Schools, Bursar, Cashier, Registrar, and Financial Aid, Judicial Affairs and Student Policies, and Student Research and Information, among several others.

I would like to end by emphasizing how imperative it is that we build diversity within our student population. This unprecedented growth surge gives us a unique opportunity to recruit and retain a student body truly representative of all of the people of California. Our outreach efforts connect with prospective applicants well before the senior year of high school. They extend to K-12 students throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties. Our K-12 outreach is centered upon our TRIO and Early Academic Outreach Programs and the Office of Admissions and Relations With Schools. It involves campus departments such as CREATE and the San Diego Supercomputer Center. It draws upon partnerships with Federal granting agencies and corporations. And it will increasingly use technology to mentor, deliver services, and improve student learning. Once students have applied and are admitted to UCSD, we will encourage them to enroll by means of our joint yield efforts with UCSD colleges, faculty, and departments and also collaborations with alumni and corporations. As these efforts mature, they will enable UCSD to grow by enrolling a truly diverse and academically outstanding student body.


                                                Joseph W. Watson
                                                Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs