Academic Year Begins for UC San Diego Students with New Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs

Photo by Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego Publications

Approximately 31,000 UC San Diego undergraduate and graduate students are coming back to school Oct. 2 to begin fall quarter. The class includes an estimated 4,900 incoming freshmen and 2,400 new transfer students.

The incoming freshmen have an overall grade-point average of 4.07 and average SAT Reasoning scores of 616, 679, and 639 respectively, for Critical Reading, Math and Writing. The campus’s new transfer students bring with them a 3.61 grade-point average.

This fall also marks the beginning of Juan González’s tenure as UC San Diego’s Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. González has served as Vice President for Student Affairs at a number of prestigious universities over a 22-year period; most recently, he held the position at the University of Texas at Austin, which has a student population of more than 50,000. Prior to that, he served as Vice President for Student Affairs at Arizona State University; Georgetown University; California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; and California State University, San Bernardino.

“UC San Diego is a world-class university and holding this position is a wonderful opportunity to be of service to some of the country’s most talented and dynamic students,” González said. “Students are the foundation of all universities, and I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to this campus’s goal of being a student-centered university.”

González’s responsibilities at UC San Diego will include the development, assessment and improvement of services that meet and support the needs of students and the university’s mission.

Some of the goals he has outlined include creating partnerships and collaborations throughout the UC San Diego campus community on issues affecting the health and wellbeing of students as well as issues relating to retention and academic success of students.

An estimated 4,503 freshmen, or 91 percent, will be living on campus, making up 42 percent of undergraduate housing. More than 900, or 33 percent, new transfer students will be living in the Village at Torrey Pines. Overall, about 10,900 new and continuing students will be living on campus.

New and returning students will find a number of new projects, facilities and initiatives underway on campus. This fall, Revelle College will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the start of fall classes for UC San Diego first undergraduates, who arrived on campus in 1964, with the grand opening of the college’s new dining hall, 64 degrees. The eatery, named by current students, pays homage to both the college’s pioneer class and the average temperature of the ocean off the La Jolla coast. The renovated dining hall is designed to give customers more dining and seating options than its predecessor, the Plaza.

In addition, a food pantry will soon be established at the Student Center. Construction is expected to begin in early fall and the pantry is scheduled to be in operation in winter quarter. The food pantry will provide non-perishable free food to UC San Diego students who may be experiencing food insecurity.

“As cost of living and college expenses increase, some students are faced with difficult decisions as to how their money will be allocated,” said interim University Centers Director, Sharon Van Bruggen. “Establishing a food pantry on campus will provide needed relief to students who may not have nutritious and varied food options on a daily basis. It will help ensure the academic success to students of all backgrounds.”

All registered undergraduate and graduate students will be able to utilize the food pantry with a valid UC San Diego ID card.

Students will also have the opportunity to take part in a campus sanctioned “Graffiti Art Park” at the Student Center. The park will be an outdoor outlet of creative expression, constructed with about eight individual, double-sided 8-by-4-foot plywood billboards. Graffiti Art Park’s opening event will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on October 13th. Event organizers will be providing a limited amount of spray paint cans for students and will be showcasing the graffiti artwork of three artists, two of whom are UC San Diego undergraduate students. The unfenced area will give students access to the park daily.

For more information on the start of fall quarter at UC San Diego, go to: http://welcomeweek.ucsd.edu