California State University, Sacramento
California State University, Sacramento is a public university in Sacramento, California, United States. Founded in 1947 as Sacramento State College, it is part of the California State University system.
The university enrolls approximately 30,100 students annually, with 30,833 enrolled in the fall of 2024. It also has an alumni base of more than 290,000 and awards 9,000 degrees annually. The university offers 151 different bachelor's degree programs, 69 master's degree programs, 28 types of teaching credentials, and 5 doctoral degree programs.
The campus sits on, covered with over 3,500 trees and over 1,200 resting in the University Arboretum. The university is home to one site of the National Register of Historic Places, the Julia Morgan House.
Sacramento State is federally recognized as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution. The institution was also recognized by the California Legislative Assembly as the first Black-Serving Institution in the state of California. The Arbor Day Foundation officially declared the university a "Tree Campus USA" in 2012.
History
Early years
The efforts to get a four-year university in Sacramento date back to the 1920s; however, legislation repeatedly failed. Local supporters blamed "pork barrel politics" by Bay Area legislators trying to monopolize higher education. Sacramento State was formally established in 1947 through legislation by State Senator Earl D. Desmond, by playing hardball to get it done – convincing the Senate's finance committee to withhold funding for the University of California until he had a commitment. Later on, Desmond eventually had 11 children and grandchildren graduate from the college.Founded as Sacramento State College on September 22, 1947, during a time of intense demand for higher education after World War II, Sacramento State shared space with Sacramento Junior College. Sacramento State's first semester of classes consisted of 235 students enrolled in 44 sections. During December 1947, the official mascot "Herky" the Hornet was chosen over the Elk, which wasn't considered to be aggressive enough. The college's colors – green and gold symbolizing the foothills and trees, were also established. The next spring, the college held its first graduation ceremony. A single student, history major John J. Collins, who had transferred from UC Berkeley, graduated. By 1948, the college was already fielding intercollegiate teams in basketball, baseball, and tennis. In spring 1949, the winning "Fight Hornet Fight" song was composed by Donald McDonald. The State Hornet and Statesman yearbook were first published in 1949.
Several sites for a permanent home for the college were considered. A site at 5th Street and Broadway, a site near Fruitridge and Stockton Boulevard, and a site in the Pocket Area of South Sacramento were all rejected. In 1949, the state purchased 244 acres of what was then peach farm land to be the site of the new college at $1,650 to $1,800 an acre. In December 1952, the school left the Sacramento City College property and moved to its permanent location on the banks of the American River. On February 9, 1953, the then 289-acre campus opened to approximately 2,400 students with a parade through town called "GO EAST WITH WEST", in reference to President West. Parking has notoriously been a problem at the university, and since the beginning, drivers were confronted by a sea of mud. Students would simply drive as close to the buildings as they could and park.
Construction began in 1951. By 1962, 30 new structures had been built and occupied. A campus landmark was created when the Guy West Bridge was erected – a bridge modeled after the Golden Gate Bridge and named after the college's founding president.
In 1955, the first Hornet football team scored its first victory, against Southern Oregon College. Jackrabbits were a problem in the early years and landscapers were permitted to shoot them on sight through the 1960s. In 1972, the school became California State University, Sacramento. In 2004, it formally adopted Sacramento State as its primary name; it had been used in athletics for some time. Today, Sacramento State is the only major four-year comprehensive university in the city of Sacramento.
The university underwent a major expansion in the Korean War years, with the 'heart' of the campus residing in Douglass Hall, Shasta Hall, Sacramento Hall.
In 1975, the University Union opened its doors, originally comprising. In 1981, the was established. The Center for California Studies was established the following year. In 1986, Sacramento State established a Master Plan that called for over $100 million in growth. During that same year, the university came within hours of being deliberately flooded as officials contemplated blowing floodgates to avoid a massive levee failure in Sacramento. The 1990s saw additional growth, constructing more than 1.2 million square-feet of space. In 1992, Hornet Stadium was renovated, providing capacity for 26,000 patrons.
In 2000 and 2004, the campus hosted the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. In 2003, Dr. Alexander Gonzalez was appointed the 11th president of the university. In his first year, he launched Destination 2010, an initiative focusing on reforming academic programs and constructing new facilities.
In 2007, the faculty overwhelmingly approved a "No Confidence" vote for President Alexander Gonzalez. The vote expressed anger over the President's handling of finances, including a $6.5 million structural deficit the university is facing. They also accused him of pumping money into student recruitment and promotion rather than academic affairs. In response to the vote Gonzalez publicly replied, "in the 28 years I have been a part of the California State University...I have yet to encounter the level of incivility, mean-spiritedness and outright distortion that I have found among some members of the Sacramento State community. It embarrasses and saddens me."
Similarly in 2011, then Sacramento State Police Chief Daniel Davis also received a "No Confidence" vote by 14 out of 15 sworn in officers. The vote came amid seven alleged sexual assaults that occurred the prior fall semester. This was also the second time the police force voiced concerns about the police chief's mismanagement.
Today
Sacramento State is organized into seven academic colleges and a college of continuing education. The university is also a member of the consortium that operates Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, offering curricula in marine sciences. In keeping with its proximity to a burgeoning electronics industry, the university is developing expanded applications of technology to learn through computerized and televised instruction over a wide area of Northern California.The university reached an important strategic milestone. Sacramento State launched Destination 2010, an initiative focused on creating excellent academic programs, new student facilities and a more welcoming campus culture and environment. During that time, the campus constructed the four-story Academic Information Research Center, Parking Structure III, the new Hornet Bookstore, Eli and Edythe Broad Athletic Fieldhouse, and the American River Courtyard residence hall.
Many new buildings and other structural improvements are currently underway or recently completed including:
- The Ernest E. Tschannen Science Complex: The science complex opened in fall 2019. A state-of-the-art building complete with a 2,500-square-foot planetarium and open-roof observatory, it is available to students and the public.
- University Union expansion: A 72,500-square-foot expansion of the University Union was completed in 2019. The renovation accommodates the growing campus population, providing informal recreation space, student offices, campus group meeting rooms, special-event space, casual seating, and a new coffee shop.
- The WELL expansion: Completed in January 2020, the renovation added square footage and renovate current spaces in both the Campus Recreation and Student Health and Counseling areas. Highlights include expanded locker room capacity, additional strength group fitness studios, lounge and free weight fitness space.
- Riverview Hall: Opened in August 2017, the $53 million residence hall is home to 416 first- and second-year students. It was built to LEED Gold specifications.
- Parking Structure 5: $42 million. Parking for 1,750 vehicles. It is one of the first in the CSU.
- Hornet Commons Residence Hall: As part of an ongoing effort to provide more on-campus housing, this $164 million housing project for upper-division students boasts 284 apartments and 1,100 beds in a six four-story buildings surrounding a swimming pool and a resident's common building. It was completed in fall 2021.
Doctoral degrees
In 1999, Sacramento State was given authority to award its first ever Doctoral degree, unique at the time in the California State University System. In the past, authority to award any sort of degree beyond Master's in California's higher public education was given solely to the University of California. The program would be a joint PhD in history with the University of California, Santa Barbara. However, this program later phased out due to declining enrollment.The university was given authority again to award its first ever Doctorate in Education degree in 2007, with its first graduating class in 2010. Since its establishment, the program has branched into several focuses offering different types of degrees.
In 2012, the university was accredited to award its first Doctor of Physical Therapy, with the first class entering in fall of 2012. The program is highly competitive, with over 400 applications for just 32 seats. This program eventually will fade out the Master's in Physical Therapy by 2015, following standards set by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.
In 2019, the university added its most recent doctoral degree, a Doctor of Audiology. Sacramento State is one of four CSUs to receive approval of the proposed doctorate of audiology degree along with San Jose, Northridge, and Los Angeles.