New Enrollment Management Policies - 12/20/2001 Press Release

Service Areas Approved for San Diego State University and Cal State San Marcos Separate Enrollment Management Policy Affecting Students with Remedial Needs Also Approved

CONTACT:Jason Foster
SDSU Marketing & Communications
(619) 594-2585 office, (619) 620-1184 pager
foster@mail.sdsu.edu

SAN DIEGO, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2001—Unprecedented enrollment demands at San Diego State University and aggressive planned enrollment growth at Cal State San Marcos has prompted the establishment of distinct service areas for the two California State University campuses.

The policy, approved Wednesday by the California State University Chancellor's Office, establishes two service areas north and south of State Route 56. The boundary will not divide any high school or community college district. CSU-eligible students south of the line could attend either university. Students north of the line who meet SDSU's out-of-service-area standards could also attend either campus. CSU-eligible students north of the line who do not meet SDSU's out-of-service-area standards will be admitted to Cal State San Marcos.

University officials estimate that the service area policy will affect approximately 250 first-time freshmen and approximately 150 community college transfer enrollees.

SDSU admits 80 percent of its incoming undergraduate class on academic performance. For admission in the 80-percent group, first-time freshmen must meet a freshmen eligibility index1 - an index for admission to the California State University -- that combines an incoming freshman's grade point average and SAT score. For fall 2001, SDSU's minimum eligibility index for the 80-percent group was 3,525. SDSU's freshmen eligibility index for fall 2002 is expected to be higher for the 80-percent group.

For fall 2001, upper division community college transfer students seeking admission to SDSU from within the service area needed a minimum transfer grade point average of 2.0 for admission. Upper division community college students from outside SDSU's service area needed a transfer GPA of 2.5 to be admitted for the fall 2001 semester. In light of the overwhelming application demand, SDSU officials expect the minimum GPA for out-of-service-area upper division transfers to be higher for fall 2002.

The remaining 20 percent of admissions are determined by a combination of academic performance, special talent, local residency, socio-economic status and other factors. This 80-20 model enables SDSU to admit a high quality, diverse student body.

The service area policy addresses enrollment challenges facing each campus. For SDSU, demand for enrollment has for many years outstripped available capacity, forcing the university to employ enrollment management policies to balance the demand with available capacity. Cal State San Marcos, with its current student population of 6,497, is a fast-growing, young campus with capacity to serve additional students.

SDSU currently has a student population of 34,171, which ranks it as the 23rd- largest university in the U.S.2 and second-largest in California (after UCLA).

The application period for admission to SDSU for the fall 2002 semester closed Nov. 30. SDSU officials estimate that by the time the applications are tallied, the university will have received approximately 41,000 applications for fall 2002, up nearly 13 percent from just one year ago. Since fall 1994, applications for SDSU have risen nearly 122 percent. If the current trends continue, among California institutions, only UCLA will receive a greater number of undergraduate applications.

The challenge for SDSU is compounded by the fact that the campus is currently over-enrolled by 1,740 students (or 6.6 percent). The university does not receive state funding of about $6,000 for each over-enrolled student. This $10.5 million in lost revenues results in reduced levels of service for all students (e.g. increased class sizes, fewer library services, reduced academic and student life advising and overcrowding in computer labs and other facilities).

To manage its enrollment demand, SDSU has employed a series of strategies designed to match enrollment with funding and the campus' capacity to serve. These strategies include: continuing to grow the main campus, implementing year-round operations and growing off-campus centers. Using these strategies, SDSU plans to accommodate a student population of 40,631 in 2009-2010 (including enrollment in off-campus centers). That enrollment today would make SDSU the nation's 10th-largest university. Without enrollment management strategies, university officials estimate student population would grow to 44,212 by 2009-2010, a figure that would make the university the sixth largest in the country. The campus, officials believe, would be inundated with students it would be ill equipped to serve.

"San Diego County has two fine California State University campuses to serve our growing population," said Stephen Weber, president of SDSU. "The service area policy appropriately recognizes these assets and seeks to strike a better balance between demand and capacity to serve.

"Cal State San Marcos provides an excellent collegiate experience and has the capacity to serve even more students at a time when SDSU is faced with crushing demand," Weber said.

Weber and Cal State San Marcos President Alex Gonzalez have briefed officials from North County community colleges and high school districts on the service area policy.

In a separate but related action, the CSU Chancellor's Office has approved a policy by SDSU to partner with designated San Diego community colleges in a program in which in-service-area entering freshmen in 2002 with remedial education needs will attend the community college to complete their remedial coursework. Under the program, these students will gain dual admission to SDSU and designated San Diego community colleges. They will be permitted to enroll at SDSU after their remedial needs have been completed at the community college. These students will retain their SDSU admission for up to one year while they complete their remedial coursework.

SDSU officials estimate that 300 students seeking enrollment for fall 2002 will enroll under this dual-admission program.

"The dual-admission policy recognizes two very compelling facts," Weber said. "First is an unprecedented enrollment demand for SDSU. Second, this is an academically sound alternative that recognizes clearing remediation needs at a four-year institution is far more costly to California taxpayers and students than doing so at a community college. This alternative is especially needed in times of great budget pressures."

SDSU's enrollment management practices have been designed to ensure SDSU is one of the nation's most diverse campuses. SDSU's fall 2001 undergraduate enrollment by ethnicity is: 4.1 percent African-American; 0.8 percent American Indian; 6.8 percent Asian; 6.5 percent Filipino; 18.4 percent Hispanic; 4.3 percent international; 0.6 percent Pacific Islander, 46 percent white; and 12.6 percent other.

SDSU is ranked number 5 in the nation and number 1 in California for bachelor's degrees awarded to Hispanics, according to the May 2001 issue of Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, which lists the top 100 colleges and universities for Hispanics. SDSU was named one of the top 25 universities in the U.S. for Hispanics by Hispanic magazine (March 2001). SDSU is ranked number 7 in the nation for bachelor's degrees in Business Management and Administration awarded to Hispanics and number 10 for all minorities, according to Black Issues in Higher Education (June 2001).

SDSU is ranked number 10 in the nation for bachelor's degrees award to minorities overall, according to the June 2001 issue of Black Issues in Higher Education, which lists the top 100 colleges and universities for minorities.

"SDSU is a national leader in diversity," Weber said. "We are immensely proud that we have been able to develop a system by which we can manage a crushing demand for enrollment on our campus and maintain high academic standards while successfully attracting and graduating minority students."

SDSU's success in diversity is especially true for the California's growing Hispanic population. Hispanics account for 16.5 percent of all San Diego county, CSU- and UC-eligible 12th grade public high school graduates. SDSU's current first-time freshmen Hispanic student population of 18.8 percent is more than 2 percent higher than the San Diego county pool of CSU- and UC-eligible high school Hispanic graduates.

In fall 2001, SDSU enrolled the highest number of Hispanic students in its 105-year history.

Individuals with questions about SDSU's admission requirements, including the service area boundary and dual admission policy, may call SDSU's Prospective Student Center at (619) 594-6336 or email to admissions@sdsu.edu.

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 78 areas, master's degrees in 61 areas and doctorates in 13 areas. Students participate in 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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Footnotes:

1 The eligibility index is a cumulative score of a student's high school GPA multiplied by 800, plus the student's SAT score. An index rating of 3,525 can be achieved by any combination of GPAs and SAT scores that produce 3,525 points or higher. For example, a student with a 3.25 GPA would only need an SAT score of 925 to qualify. A student with a 3.0 GPA would need an SAT score of 1,125 to qualify for admission to SDSU.

2 The Chronicle of Higher Education Almanac, Campuses With the Largest Enrollments, Fall 1999.