Engaging the Region

Since its founding in 1897, San Diego State University has been a partner in the growth of our city, county and region.

Sixty percent of Aztecs remain in San Diego, comprising the strong, resilient foundation of the economy.

The Campaign for SDSU will support our efforts to expand academic programs that prepare students to be day-one ready for professional success.

Top programs

• The L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management and the J.R. Filanc Construction and Engineering Management Program educate students to be first-day ready for careers in two of San Diego’s strongest professional sectors.
• SDSU educates half of San Diego’s accountants within its Charles W. Lamden School of Accountancy, named for a former dean of SDSU’s College of Business.
• The Corky McMillin Center for Real Estate, created with a gift from one of San Diego’s most successful family companies, develops innovative new courses and sponsors research on topics relevant to the industry.
• A gift from Sol Price created the City Heights Educational Collaborative, through which SDSU partners with three San Diego City schools to improve professional development for teachers and educational outcomes for students in one of the city’s most diverse neighborhoods.

Serving the community

San Diego State is also a leader in educating student veterans, a potent but frequently underserved constituency in our region. Cited as a national model, SDSU enrolls 1,100 veterans, active duty personnel and reservists as well as 2,000 military dependents, ROTC cadets and midshipmen.

Many are served through our Troops to College and Troops to Engineers programs. An initial gift from Joan and Arthur Barron inspired more than $2.5 million in donations for SDSU’s veterans initiatives from other donors and foundations, and led to another $1 million gift from the Barrons to name SDSU’s Veterans Center in April.

SDSU’s strong ties to the San Diego community are also evident in its College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts, which prepares students for careers as artists, musicians, dancers, actors, directors  and filmmakers. With the 2010 opening of the SDSU Downtown Gallery, SDSU has become even more of a hothouse environment for the arts in San Diego.

Donor support essential

In each of these endeavors, SDSU collaborates with San Diegans to create dynamic, targeted curriculum for an emerging workforce. Donor support is essential as SDSU grows existing programs and moves forward with new initiatives that enhance San Diego’s reputation as a catalyst for innovation and discovery.