As Fresno State students return to classes on Monday, Aug. 21, one program at Fresno State marks a special milestone. The Smittcamp Family Honors College is turning 25 years old. In the years since it began, close to 1,100 high-achieving students have graduated, many going on to distinguished careers in business, law, education, medicine, engineering and other professional fields.
A $1 million gift from Earl and Murial Smittcamp and family launched the Smittcamp Family Honors College in late 1998, and the first cohort of students enrolled in fall 1999. In a competitive process, 50 top high school graduates from a pool of more than 500 are admitted each year. They take a series of specially designed honors courses, perform community service and interact in educational and social activities.
Serving Valley students
Fresno State anticipates an incoming class of about 6,000 new undergraduate students — 3,500 freshmen and 2,500 transfer students. More than 93% of continuing undergraduate students have registered for the fall semester. Total enrollment for the university’s 113th academic year is projected to be about 23,507. (Enrollment numbers are not final until the campus census is conducted in early fall.)
Fresno State truly serves the Valley — 58% of Fresno State’s students come from Fresno County, while 85% come from the broader six-county region (Fresno, Madera, Kings, Tulare, Merced and Mariposa counties).
“Our Bulldogs make a positive impact on the very neighborhoods they grew up and live in, often serving the Valley’s most marginalized communities, both as students and after graduation,” said Dr. Kent Willis, vice president for the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. “Fresno State also opens opportunities in and out of the classroom for our students to have a broader, global impact. We’re excited to welcome students to campus for the fall semester and see all that they accomplish.”
Welcome Week provides opportunities for entertainment, giveaways and resources for new and returning students to celebrate the start of the fall semester. Staff members host welcome stations to provide directions and information. These welcome stations will be held from 7:30 to 10 a.m. Aug. 21 and 22 adjacent to parking lots and main walkways around campus.
Big Bulldog Welcome will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 21 at the Memorial Garden (in front of the Kennel Bookstore), featuring free food, giveaways and a campus resource fair.
Bulldog Breakfast — from 9 to 11 a.m. on Aug 22 at the Memorial Garden — will feature free breakfast burritos (while supplies last) and entertainment.
Several evening events during Welcome Week will take place from 7 to 10 p.m.:
- Aug. 23: Free glow-in-the-dark bowling and billiards during the Back-To-School Bowl Bash.
- Aug. 24: Live DJ and games during Fresno State Night at Campus Pointe.
- Aug. 25: Line dancing, a mechanical bull and live country music at the Sunset Picnic, on the south lawn outside of the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Student Union.
Students can discover student organizations, community service opportunities and connect with the teams behind campus traditions and programs during Traditions Day on Aug. 30. Student organizations will provide information on the University Student Union balcony from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and community organizations with volunteer opportunities will be at the Memorial Garden from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Incoming first-year, transfer and graduate students will be invited to run across Jim Sweeney Field at Valley Children’s Stadium before kickoff at the first Fresno State football home game on Saturday, Sept. 9, as a part of the campus tradition called the Run to Victory. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.
Dorm move-in
Students will move back into the residence halls on Thursday, Aug. 17. Demand for on-campus housing continues to be strong. This year, 1,228 will be living in the campus dorms. Another 150 students will be housed at the Holiday Inn Express and TownePlace Suites for the fall semester or until space opens up in on-campus housing.
Construction updates
The contractor continues to make progress on the central utility plant replacement project, evidence of which can be seen in areas of campus that are fenced off for construction.
In the largest public-private partnership for utility infrastructure in the California State University system, the project will modernize Fresno State’s central utilities. The project includes energy conservation measures, with a target to provide more than 30% energy savings to Fresno State during the 33-year contract.
Though undertaking such a comprehensive project on a campus that continues to operate year-round is challenging, campus leaders continue to work with the contractor to minimize disruptions.
The central plant contractor has completed the main underground piping loop; over 80% of the project piping has been installed. For the remainder of 2023 and into spring 2024, the contractor will be working to connect the new underground piping to each building.
As this work proceeds, the main safety fences along Maple Mall and by the Library will be adjusted or removed, and smaller fenced areas will be installed as each building connection occurs. Work on this project is expected to be completed in late spring 2024, barring construction delays.
The solar photovoltaic installation in parking lots P5 and P6 is expected to be completed by the end of 2023. For the fall semester, parking will be available in most of Lot P5. Areas of Lot P6 will reopen throughout the semester as work progresses. Alternative parking is available in the Save Mart Center north parking lot.
Heavy traffic is expected along Woodrow Avenue. Traffic Operations will continue to provide a limited shuttle service to assist those who park in the Save Mart Center North Lot. Both lots will be fully open and available in spring 2024.
In addition to providing shade for 1,500 parked cars, the photovoltaic canopies will generate 4.5 megawatts of electricity during peak hours and reduce the campus’ reliance on the electrical grid.
Please refer to the interactive map for construction updates and up-to-date ADA pedestrian paths of travel during this project. Signage will be in place to direct pedestrians to accessible entries and safe paths of travel.
As a reminder, SCOUT, an on-campus transportation service for students with permanent or temporary mobility disabilities, is available to support those who need help getting around campus. The Fresno State mobile app features an interactive map of construction updates.
“This project will ensure that we have a reliable, energy-efficient infrastructure to support the heating and cooling for our campus for the next 40 years, and it will support future campus growth,” said Tinnah Medina, associate vice president of Facilities Management. “We recognize this project has been a major disruption to our campus, but once completed, it will ensure sustainability, energy efficiency and system reliability for the future. Please know that we continue to work closely with the developer to minimize the inconvenience and ensure our campus community’s safety.”
Three new dining options in the Resnick Student Union — Habit Burger, a full-service Taco Bell and Toss-N-Chop — will have staggered openings after the beginning of the fall semester. Hours and official opening dates for each concept will be announced soon. Dining Services also operates Paws-N-Go on the ground level of the Resnick Student Union. Paws-N-Go offers coffee, beverages and grab-and-go food items from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays during the academic semesters.
An architect has been selected to design the new Affordable Student Housing project. In the fall, the CSU Board of Trustees is expected to approve the schematic plans and the revised master plan for the new building. The $59 million project will provide 175 apartment-style bed spaces, including units designed for students with children. Funding is being provided by a $31 million grant from the State for Affordable Housing projects and the balance from a debt issuance by the Association (Auxiliary) through the CSU Systemwide Revenue Bond program. This is the first new construction for Fresno State Student Housing since the late 1960s.
Work has begun to replace the six electric vehicle stations with new, upgraded equipment in parking Lot P2. Two additional units are being added, providing eight charging stations for the campus community. Work will be completed by the end of September. The electric vehicle stations will not be operational until work on the project is completed. This upgrade is a result of a grant awarded by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District via their Charge Up! Incentive Program.
Through funding provided by the State of California for the four CSU campuses with farms, $18.75 million will be invested in Fresno State’s farm laboratory. These projects include the automated irrigation and photovoltaic infrastructure; climate-smart farm vehicle fleet upgrade (sustainable field and orchard farm equipment); climate-smart grape growing practices and energy-efficient winery processing/sanitizing equipment; modernization of horticulture research facilities and renovation of the Meats Lab.
New leadership
Two new cabinet members will begin their first full academic year. Dr. Kent Willis, vice president of the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, and Dr. Rashanda Booker, Fresno State’s first university diversity officer, both started at Fresno State in January.
Another new cabinet member — Brady Crook, the new vice president of University Advancement — will start on Sept. 8. Crook succeeds Paula Castadio, who retired in February. He comes to Fresno State from the Texas Tech University system, where he has served as the senior associate vice chancellor of institutional advancement since 2019.
Terree Stevenson will become the new associate vice president and dean of students for the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, starting Sept. 1. Stevenson succeeds Dr. Carolyn Coon, who retired earlier this year. Most recently, she was the dean of students at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio.
New minors, program updates
Fresno State’s College of Arts and Humanities will offer a new minor in music technology. The 20-unit minimum program curriculum includes five new courses in audio and music for visual media, composing for media, live sound reinforcement, music recording techniques and computer music.
The Reserve Officers’ Training Corp programs at Fresno State are now housed under the College of Health and Human Services. This includes the Air Force ROTC’s Department of Aerospace Studies and the Army ROTC’s Department of Military Science and Leadership. These programs prepare students to become U.S. Army or U.S. Air Force officers upon completion of their undergraduate or graduate degree programs. The ROTC was previously housed within the Craig School of Business.
The College of Social Sciences now offers an LGBTQ+ studies minor, which introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of queer studies, exploring lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and two-spirit communities in media, art, literature, activism, health, education, politics and history. This minor is designed to complement and support the majority of majors and minors at Fresno State.
The Lyles College of Engineering will offer a new surveying engineering minor. Previously, only a bachelor’s degree in geomatics engineering was offered. The new minor will bridge a relationship and communication gap that commonly exists between civil engineers and construction managers due to a lack of understanding of each other’s specific roles and how to accomplish each other’s responsibilities.
Division of Continuing and Global Education
This fall, the Division of Continuing and Global Education welcomes a new cohort into the Veterans Education Program. This unique pathway to Fresno State provides educational support, resources and dedicated course offerings to veterans seeking college degrees. Visit the Veterans Education Program website to learn more.
Now entering its 19th year, Fresno State’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute offers an array of workshops and seminars for community members ages 50 and better. Members learn about academics, current events, popular culture, local history and more from Fresno State’s renowned faculty and local experts. Visit the website to learn about membership.
Resources for graduate students
All graduate students are welcome to attend the Graduate Student Resource Fair from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7, at the Leon S. Peters Event Plaza outside the Resnick Student Union. Graduate students can visit with representatives from a variety of campus organizations. In addition, students are encouraged to bring their families to enjoy food, music and fun science demonstrations. The large, inflatable Bulldog will be set up for photo opportunities.
M.K. Gandhi Center: Inner Peace and Sarvodaya
The recently established “M.K. Gandhi Center: Inner Peace and Sarvodaya” will open its physical space on Oct. 18, in Room 3109 on the third floor of the Fresno State Library. The Gandhi Center will offer a space for students to come together and discuss Gandhian principles, including human dignity, social justice and equity, as well as explore creative ways for developing inner peace and a culture of Sarvodaya — “uplift of all.”
Library hours
The Fresno State Library is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed weekends through Aug. 20 and resumes regular hours on Mon., Aug. 21. Regular library hours are 7:45 a.m. to midnight Mondays through Thursdays, 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, and noon to midnight on Sundays.
