University Welcomes Nearly 17,000 Students

University Welcomes Nearly 17,000 Students

By Bri Phillips

Biology student Vasanti Prasad shares some favorites on the first day of classes Monday. Photo by Kirra Robusto

Cal State San Marcos welcomed nearly 17,000 new and returning students, the most in school history, to kick off the fall semester Monday.

President Ellen Neufeldt expressed excitement and optimism during her annual convocation address to faculty and stafflast Thursday.

"Our collective achievements continue to grow, and what I cherish most is how all our efforts are deeply tied to student success and social mobility," Neufeldt said.

Neufeldt also highlighted the importance of the university's fundraising efforts, which brought in $26.6 million in the last fiscal year, more than double the previous year's record.

"As a university, we are always committed to opening doors and creating new opportunities for our students," she said. "Our record-breaking fundraising activity this year is a testament to that commitment. …

"This just shows the strength of our community and commitment to supporting our important mission of student success and advancing economic and social mobility in our region."

A year of generosity

The university celebrated a milestone in its fundraising efforts with a record $26 million raised for fiscal year 2023-24 - more than double the previous record of $12.5 million set a year earlier.

Generous donors contributed a total of 5,290 gifts, highlighting the community's commitment to programs that promote social and economic mobility and ensuring student success across the university's diverse student population.

CSUSM named to best colleges list

CSUSM was named to the"Best Colleges in America 2024" list by Money magazine. CSUSM received a rating of 4 stars out of 5 in the new system developed this year by Money.

Weeks of Welcome

The annual Weeks of Welcome, which started Aug. 23, includes dozens of events for students to meet new people and kick off the academic year.

Visit the Weeks of Welcome calendarfor a complete schedule.

Arts & Lectures for fall

The university's longstanding Arts & Lectures series recently released its fall lineup. This season boasts a diverse selection of five events.

Attendees can reserve tickets online via the Arts & Lectures website.

Summer highlights

• CSUSM hosted its first REP4 summit, a two-day event to gather fresh ideas from young students to improve equity and remove some of the barriers to college.
• CSUSM, together with the Cyber Center of Excellence, National University and San Diego State University, was selected to receive $1 million in grant fundingand wraparound support from Google's Cybersecurity Clinics Fund to establish a San Diego Cyber Clinic.
• On July 1, CSUSM was awarded a new grant from the Office of Naval Research for 5 years and up to $12.5 million dollars to broaden the scope of the program and further grow partnerships with the Navy bases and personnel.
• The Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving team won two Global CASE Awards, just the second time in campus history that Cal State San Marcos has been bestowed the honor.
• Business student Tanner Vodraskabecame the first surfer in university history to win an individual national title.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

[email protected] | Office: 760-750-7314