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San Francisco State University
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San Francisco State University (informally referred to as San Francisco State, SF State, State and SFSU) is a public university located in San Francisco, California, bordering Lake Merced and Stonestown Galleria, at the corner of 19th and Holloway Avenues. The university, as part of the 23-campus California State University system, offers 117 areas of study for bachelor's degrees, 96 for master's, 27 credential programs and 34 certificate programs, from eight academic colleges.4 San Francisco State University is currently ranked as the 48th best master's-granting university in the Western United States by U.S. News & World Report.5
In the year of 2006–2007, approximately 29,628 students were enrolled at San Francisco State University, of which 80.47% were undergraduate students and 19.53% were graduate students.3 San Francisco State University was founded in 1899, making it one of California's oldest public universities.
History
- 1899 - Founded as San Francisco State Normal School.
- 1901 - First graduating class
- 1906 - The 1906 earthquake and fire forces the school to relocate from Nob Hill to a new campus at Buchanan and Haight Streets.
- 1921 - Renamed San Francisco State Teachers College
- 1923 - First bachelor of arts degree awarded
- 1935 - Renamed San Francisco State College
- 1953 - Present campus near Lake Merced opens; it is formally dedicated in October, 1954.
- 1966 - Beginning of the era of campus protests led by student organizations including the Black Students Union and the Third World Liberation Front. The protests against college policies and off-campus issues such as the Vietnam War included sit-ins, rallies, marches, teach-ins, and on several occasions violent conflicts with police. The protests were marked by counter-protests and widespread charges of corruption and election fraud in the student newspaper.
- 1968 - A lengthy student strike erupted that developed into an important event in the history of the U.S. in the late 1960s. It was as significant, or more so, than events that occurred at UC Berkeley.citation needed The strike was led by the Third World Liberation Front, and it demanded an Ethnic Studies program as well as an end to the Vietnam War. This became a major news event for weeks in the aftermath of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. At one point, University president S.I. Hayakawa famously pulled the wires out of the speakers on top of a van at a student rally. During the course of the strike large numbers of police drawn from many jurisdictions occupied the campus and over 700 people were arrested on various protest-related charges.
- 1969 - In March, the strike officially comes to an end, with the administration retaining control of hiring and admissions, and the creation of the School (now College) of Ethnic Studies.
- 1972 - Received University status as California State University, San Francisco
- 1974 - Renamed San Francisco State University
- 1993 - Downtown campus opened
- 1999 - Celebrated 100th birthday
- 2007 - New Downtown Campus opened at 835 Market Street
Academics
The university's colleges are:
- Behavioral and Social Sciences
- Business
- Creative Arts
- Education
- Ethnic Studies
- Health and Human Services
- Humanities
- Science and Engineering
In addition, the university features an extended learning program, open university, and for mature learners.
The university awards bachelor's degrees in 112 areas of specialization and master's degrees in 96. It jointly offers three doctoral programs; a doctorate in education in partnership with University of California, Berkeley for aspiring principals and school administrators, and two doctorates in physical therapy with University of California, San Francisco.
The Cinema department, in the College of Creative Arts, was named one of the nation's "top film schools" by Entertainment Weekly in 2000 [1]. Alumni of the program have worked on such films as Titanic, Schindler's List, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.citation needed
Accreditation
The university is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities, a subgroup of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The College of Business is accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).
Distinctions
- The university is currently ranked as the 48th best master's-granting university in the Western United States by U.S. News & World Report.5
- U.S. News & World Report ranks San Francisco State University 1st in reputation among its "Western University peers" in 2000. [2][3].
- Among Western Universities, of which there are 112, San Francisco State was ranked 10th in terms of campus diversity by U.S. News and World Report [4].
- U.S. News & World Report ranks San Francisco State as 8th nationally in the number of transfer students [5].
- San Francisco State University's physical therapy master's program is consistently ranked among the top 20 in the country by U.S. News and World Report [6].
- San Francisco State University ranks 1st nationwide in the number of biological sciences undergrads who go on to earn biology Ph.D.s according to the most recent National Science Foundation report [7].
- San Francisco State University is among the top 201 colleges and universities that offer "real world," job-focused services and skill development, according to Great Colleges for the Real World by (Michael P. Viollt, Octameron Associates, 2002) [8].
- San Francisco State University is listed as having "one of the nation's top film schools" by Entertainment Weekly [9].
- Each year San Francisco State University's College of Business awards more business degrees than Stanford, UC Berkeley and the University of San Francisco -- combined [10].
- San Francisco State University sends more master's graduates into Ph.D. programs than any other masters'-granting university in the country [11].
- San Francisco State University is the only university in California to offer a bachelor's degree in technical and professional writing [12].
- The Academy of Management, the leading professional association for management scholars in the world, honored San Francisco State University's College of Business' Ohrenschall Center for Entrepreneurship with the McGraw-Hill/Irwin Innovation in Entrepreneurship Pedagogy Award (2002) [13].
- San Francico State University's College of Extended Learning offers the only American Bar Association-approved paralegal studies program in San Francisco [14].
- San Francisco State University was one of the first California State University campuses to offer a doctorate of education [15].
- San Francisco State University is the first and only university in the United States to house a College of Ethnic Studies [16].
Diversity
Quad and J. Paul Leonard Library
In 1968, what was then the longest student strike in the nation's history[17], resulted in establishment of a College of Ethnic Studies, and increased recruiting and admissions of students of color. The University's extensive and sustained efforts at addressing tensions between Pro-Israel and Pro-Palestinian students[18] in 2002 have become a national modelcitation needed for addressing civil discussion and disagreement on college campuses.
The university's public enrollment data for Fall 2006[19] shows a slight under-representation of two minority groups when compared with the U.S. population. It reports a Native American enrollment of 0.8% (compared to 1.0% for the national population), and an African-American enrollment of 6.8% (compared to 12.8%). However there is a combined Chicano and other Latino enrollment of 16.9% (compared to 14.4% persons of Hispanic or Latino origin in the national population), and a total Asian or Pacific Islander enrollment of 24.5% (versus 4.5% of the national population), which shows that the enrollment may be more in line with citywide and statewide demographics[20]. It is notable that the report's demographic categories and U.S. census categories use different language, and are therefore only broadly comparable.
Mascot
The school first adopted their mascot, the Gator, in 1931. After a call for a mascot by the student newspaper the Bay Leaf, students suggested the "alligator" for its strength and steadfastness. The student also suggested the spelling "Golden Gaters," with an "e," in reference to the Golden Gate. Students voted in favor of the name, but after numerous "misspellings" by the newspaper, the use of Gator, with an "o," stuck. 6
The team was called the Golden Gaters until the late 40's. At that time, they began having two live alligators at football games, Oogee (oo-gee) and Ougee (aug-gee). The name was changed to the Golden Gators. The alligator mascots were dropped shortly and Golden was dropped from the name in the early 70's.
Campus buildings
Classes and Services
- Administration (ADM)
- Burk Hall (BH)
- Business Building (BUS)
- Cesar Chavez Student Center - a unique building with an unusual floor plan. The ground floors are shaped like hexagons, containing open areas, concessions, the book store and the cafeteria. Each hexagon is topped by a thin pyramid approximately five stories tall. Both pyramids lean at approximately 45 degrees towards each other. The inside of the pyramids contain a stacked set of ever-higher living-room-like areas with couches and tables.
- Creative Arts Building (CA)
- Fine Arts Building (FA)
- Gymnasium (GYM)
- Hensill Hall (HH)
- Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) Building
- Humanities Building (HUM)
- J. Paul Leonard Library (currently under renovation expected completion date 2011)
- Ethnic Studies and Psychology (EP)
- Science Building (SCI)
- Student Health Center - An underground building with a center open-air court area.
- Student Services Building (SSB)
- Thornton Hall (TH)
Residence Buildings, Communities, and Services
- Café in the Park [21] [22]
- City Eats Dining Center [23] [24]
- Mary Park Hall [25]
- Mary Ward Hall [26]
- Science and Technology Theme Community (STTC) [27]
- The Towers at Centennial Square [28]
- The Village at Centennial Square [29]
- University Park North [30]
- University Park South [31]
Conference Facilities
- Seven Hills Conference Center [32]
- Towers Conference Center [33]
- Downtown Campus [34]
Athletics
The school's athletic teams, called the Gators, compete in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (except in wrestling, that is in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference), in the Division II of the NCAA. SFSU fields eleven sports for men and women for the fall, winter, and spring seasons. Fall sports for men include cross country and soccer. Fall sports for women include cross country and soccer. Winter sports for men include basketball and wrestling. Winter sports for women include basketball and indoor track and field. The spring sport for men is baseball. Spring sports for women include outdoor track and field and softball.
SFSU has produced three major league baseball players, of which two later became All-Stars (former Mets shortstop Bud Harrelson, and former Brewers and Red Sox outfielder Tommy Harper).
The Gators have also produced thirteen National Football League players, including Billy Baird, Elmer Collett, Maury Duncan, Carl Kammerer, and Floyd Peters.
Wrestling has been the most successful sports team in SFSU history. The Gators have scored at a National Championship meet every year since 1963-64. They currently have the sixth longest scoring streak of any collegiate squad. Lars Jensen has been the head coach since 1983-84 and has had an All-American in 22 of his 24 seasons. He has coached nine individual NCAA Champions, 50 All-Americans and in 1996-97, he led SFSU to the NCAA Division II National Championship.
Controversy
Recent controversies have included accusations of racial profiling surrounding the 2005 arrest of Dr. Antwi Akom, at the time a tenure-track assistant professor of Africana Studies. Akom allegedly fought with and was subsequently arrested by campus police outside his office. He had previously expressed his concerns regarding police conduct to the administration in a letter. In reporting on the incident, the university’s paper [35] also cites another controversial incident in 2004. The local ABC news affiliate reported that Akom was charged with two felonies in the incident [36] and that some witnesses corroborate the University Police department's version of events. Charges against Akom were eventually lifted by the San Francisco district attorney.
The incident prompted supporters to create a website that advocates the end of what they term racial profiling at San Francisco State. [37] The administration defended its role in the entire incident. It commissioned an investigation by former City Attorney Louise Renne and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, the latter an alumnus of the university and popular advocate of diversity in California politics. [38][39]The president's public statements marketed the investigation as an independent commission. The investigation concluded that no racial profiling took place.[40]
Additional controversies include:
- Student protests of military recruiters on campus (in which the administration defended its actions [41]), and confrontations between students with differing views on the Iraq War (in which the administration defended its actions again [42]).
- The National Lawyers Guild charged that the university violated due process rights of campus anti-war activists. [43]
- The Campus Antiwar Network (CAN) has charged that the university violated due process rights of campus anti-war activists [44]
- A near-riot occurred on May 7, 2002, when a pro-Palestinian group attended a pro-Israel demonstration on campus. The pro-Israel students say that the Palestinian supporters chanted anti-semitic epithets at them, such as "Hitler should have finished the job." The pro-Palestinian group say the pro-Israelis started the conflict by calling them terrorists and using epithets such as "camel jockey." No violence occurred, but campus and city police were called in to defuse the situation. [45]
- 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 school administration had the mural painted over, and subsequently sand blasted.[46] Two years later a new Malcolm X mural was painted, without the controversial symbols.[47]
Notable alumni
Entertainment
- Gary Austin - actor, teacher, founding director of the Groundlings
- Kari Byron - artist, cast member on the Discovery Channel show MythBusters
- Tory Belleci - special effects engineer and cast member on MythBusters
- Annette Bening - Academy Award-nominated actress, American Beauty, The American President
- Alex Borstein - comedian, actress, voice actress
- Christopher Boyes - Academy Award-winning sound designer and mixer
- Rachel Brice - belly dancer
- David Carradine - actor
- Dana Carvey - comedian
- Vernon Chatman - co-creator of Wonder Showzen
- Lisa Cholodenko - director and screenwriter High Art, Laurel Canyon
- Peter Coyote - actor and author
- Michael Curtis - television, film writer, and producer
- Roger Dobkowitz - former producer of The Price is Right
- Arthur Dong - Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker
- Keir Dullea - actor
- Danny Glover - actor, best known for his role in the Lethal Weapon series
- Richard Goodman - television writer
- Nina Hartley - porn actress
- Ed Haynes - folk singer and songwriter
- Ellen Idelson - television writer and producer
- Sarah Lane - former host of Attack of the Show
- John Lee - co-creator of Wonder Showzen
- Delroy Lindo - actor
- Rosie Malek-Yonan - actress
- Mike McShane - actor and improvisational artist
- Mary Mara - actress
- Ed Marques - actor, comedian and MTV VeeJay
- Rex Navarrete - comedian
- Kenn Navarro - animator, creator of Happy Tree Friends
- Melissa Ng - actress
- Steven Okazaki - filmmaker
- Greg Proops - actor and stand-up comedian
- Reg Rogers - actor and Tony Award nominee
- Cyrus Saatsaz - creative director and host for KNBR, freelance sports writer.
- Ggreg Snyder - actor
- Ronnie Schell - actor and comedian
- Frank Silva - set dresser and actor
- Jeffrey Tambor - actor
- B.D. Wong - actor
- Steven Zaillian - Academy Award-winning screenwriter, film producer and director. Wrote or co-wrote American Gangster, Schindler's List amongst others.
Business
Politics
Music
Literature
Journalism
- Ken Bastida - news anchor, CBS affiliate in San Francisco, California
- Stan Bunger - news anchor, KCBS (AM), San Francisco, California
- Ben Fong-Torres - writer, broadcaster, editor at Rolling Stone
- Mike Galanos - CNN Headline News anchor
- Kimberly Hunt - Award Winning News Anchor, KGTV 10 News, San Diego
- Frank Munnich - traffic reporter for Shadow Traffic, KCBS (AM)
- Bill Nichols - sportswriter, Dallas Morning News
- Malou Nubla - former television host on KRON and KPIX
- Frank Somerville - news anchor for KTVU
- Christopher Ternate - Journalist and Notable Professional Male Model
- Jan Wahl (movie critic) - journalist and movie critic for KRON and KCBS
- Pierre Salinger - press secretary to President John F. Kennedy and longtime chief of ABC's Paris bureau
- Dylan de Thomas - environmental journalist (Resource Recycling Magazine)
Other
References
External links
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Coordinates: 37°43′24″N 122°28′47″W / 37.72333, -122.47972
