As the No. 1 producer of bachelor’s degrees in the Central Valley, California State University, Fresno will welcome a record-setting number of new undergraduate students and transfer students (6,541) this fall. These students and a freshman class numbering 3,676 — the second highest cohort of first-time freshmen — will converge on campus for classes beginning Aug. 21 — some for the first time and others returning from summers filled with work, professional development or even summer school.
From traveling the globe on study abroad programs to competing in the 2024 FISU World University Championships Powerlifting in Estonia, Fresno State students have spent their summers gaining invaluable experiences that emphasize commitment to community engagement, personal growth and professional development.
Dr. Kent Willis, vice president for the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, said these experiences will propel students forward into meaningful careers and leadership roles. Take, for example, junior Marco Florez, vice president of External Affairs with Associated Student Inc., Fresno State’s student government organization. Florez spent his summer crisscrossing the country, attending various leadership development programs through ROTC while also preparing for his leadership role back on campus.
“Our Bulldogs make a positive impact in the very neighborhoods they call home, uplifting their communities through service and leadership,” Willis said. “At Fresno State, we believe that capturing our students’ attention from the start is crucial for setting them on a path to success that benefits the entire Valley. Through programs like Parent Scholars and the Humanities Internship Program, we’re empowering our students to become agents of positive change, both in the classroom and beyond. By beginning with a strong, engaging experience, we’re building a brighter future for the Valley, one student at a time.”
Serving Valley students
Fresno State anticipates an incoming class of about 6,541 new undergraduate students — 3,676 freshmen and 2,865 transfer students. Nearly 95% of continuing undergraduate students have registered for the fall semester. Total enrollment for the university’s 114th academic year is projected to be about 24,234. (Enrollment numbers are not final until the campus census is conducted in early fall.)
Fresno State truly serves the Valley — 57% of its students come from Fresno County, while 82% come from the broader six-county region (Fresno, Madera, Kings, Tulare, Merced and Mariposa counties).
As one of the most affordable, high-quality options for higher education in the Central Valley, Fresno State is committed to affordability and making education accessible to all.
Recognizing the widespread challenges students are facing with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (commonly referred to as FAFSA), the university implemented the Tuition Advantage program, setting aside additional funds to close unexpected financial gaps students faced as a result of FAFSA processing delays.
Tuition Advantage ensures that all first-time freshmen and new undergraduate transfer students who meet the necessary criteria receive enough grant and scholarship aid to cover 100% of their tuition and mandatory campus fees for the 2024-25 academic year.
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. 26 at the Memorial Garden (in front of the Kennel Bookstore), featuring activities, giveaways and a campus resource fair.
Students can discover student organizations, community service opportunities and connect with the teams behind campus traditions and programs during Traditions Day on Aug. 28. 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.
Several events during Fresno State Welcome Week will take place in the evening:
- Aug. 27: Free bowling and billiards during the Bulldog Bowl’s Back to School Bash, 7 to 10 p.m. in the lower level of the University Student Union.
- Aug. 28: Speed Friending will give students the opportunity to meet new friends and make new memories, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Resnick Student Union.
- Aug. 29: Celebrate the start of the semester with roller skating, caricature artists, tattoo artists and student discounts at the shops at Campus Pointe during Fresno State Night at Campus Pointe, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Aug. 30: Fresno State students can attend a Central Valley Fuego Football Club game for only $5 at the Fresno State Soccer Stadium.
- Aug. 31: Students can gather together for a watch party of the Fresno State vs Michigan game at 4 p.m. at the Resnick Student Union.
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. 7, as a part of the campus tradition called the Run to Victory. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Dorm move-in
Students will move back into the residence halls on Saturday, Aug. 17. Demand for on-campus housing continues to be strong. This year, 1,350 students will be living on campus.
Facilities updates
Later this fall, Fresno State will break ground on a new affordable student housing project that will add 228 apartment-style beds to the portfolio for Fresno State Student Housing. This new building will be four stories, and will include 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom units. The new building will also offer a limited number of apartments for students with children. The new building will be located on the corner of Shaw and Cedar, adjacent to existing residence hall buildings.
Office of Compliance and Civil Rights
Housed in Room 316 of the University Student Union, the Office of Compliance and Civil Rights is a newly restructured office that brings together the Offices of Title IX and Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation (DHR).
The Office of Compliance and Civil Rights addresses issues of discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation, and oversees the University’s compliance with federal and state laws and regulations and CSU system policies. This office offers training/education, outreach, and consultation to the campus community on these important topics.
Students, employees and/or third parties who believe they have experienced harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation based on a protected status should promptly contact the office for more information on resources and options. Click here for more information or call 559.278.5003.
Parking/transportation updates
P27 Parking Lot Restricted to Residents Only: Effective Aug. 1, Lot P27 will only be available for students living in Student Housing, to prepare the contractor staging area for a new student housing project that will break ground later this fall. Students parking in Lot P27 will need to have the “Resident” parking permit displayed on their dashboard as proof of residency. This permit will only be permissible for use in P27 (no other student parking lots). Student Housing residents will receive information from Student Housing on how to request a Resident parking permit.
Questions can be directed to Derek Brantley, parking and transportation manager at dbrantley@mail.fresnostate.edu or Erin Boele, director of Student Housing at eboele@mail.fresnostate.edu.
Temporary parking lot transit shuttle: Traffic Operations is offering complimentary shuttle service between the Save Mart Center Parking Lot 1 and the Campus Drive Circle (near the north/south gym). Shuttles will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, approximately every 20 minutes. Because seating is limited, priority will be given to students who have parked their vehicles in Save Mart Center Parking Lots.
For ADA (wheelchair) transportation requests, students should utilize the SCOUT program.
Additional information is available by contacting Traffic Operations at 559.278.2950.
FAX and V-Line free ridership: Students and employees can ride for free on V-Line and all Fresno Area and Clovis Transit buses at any time.
V-Line: Fresno State has partnered with the City of Visalia to provide free, convenient and easy-to-use shuttle service for students and employees commuting to campus from the Visalia area. Those who qualify may obtain a complimentary V-Line permit by visiting the Fresno State Police Department Parking Lobby. Appropriate identification is required. The V-Line stop is located at the Maple Avenue turnaround just north of Shaw Avenue. Schedule information is available on the V-Line website.
FAX Buses: Fresno State students and employees can ride City of Fresno FAX buses for free anytime by swiping their bulldog card while boarding. Detailed route information can be found on the official FAX website.
Clovis Transit: Fresno State students and employees can ride Clovis Transit for free by showing their bulldog card while boarding. Route 10 is the recommended route for those utilizing the service to and from campus. Route information can be found on the Clovis Transit website.
New cabinet member
The President’s Cabinet comprises senior leaders from across campus to provide advice and counsel in leading the university. New this academic year is Garrett Klassy, who started as Fresno State’s director of athletics on July 23. Klassy came to Fresno State from Houston, where he served as deputy athletics director and chief revenue officer.
New Initiatives from the Student Health and Counseling Center
Parent Scholars: With an estimated 1 in 5 college students being student parents, we recognize the unique challenges faced by this population — balancing school, work and parenting responsibilities, managing the cost of education, finding reliable childcare and a supportive community. In an effort to meet the needs of this population, Parent Scholars now receive priority registration as a result of Assembly Bill 2881. Parent Scholars are also connected to campus and community resources via a listserv and invited to participate in various programming opportunities, including resource fairs, giveaways, holiday and graduation celebrations and more. For more information, please email parentscholars@mail.fresnostate.edu.
Wellness To Go Vending Machine: The Wellness To-Go vending machine will launch in fall 2024 and will be located on the first floor of the Resnick Student Union. In an effort to ensure greater accessibility to essential items, students can purchase and/or receive free over-the-counter medications, hygiene and harm-reduction products. While most products are free, there is a charge for some. Only currently enrolled Fresno State students will have access to the products dispensed in this machine.
Funding for the machine was provided by Anthem Blue Cross through the Central Valley Opioid Safety Coalition and in partnership with the Fresno Madera Medical Society. Funding for the free harm-reduction and hygiene products has been made available through Associated Student, Inc. and the Student Health and Counseling Center.
Ongoing immunization requirement for incoming students: All incoming students must submit proof of their childhood immunizations to the Student Health and Counseling Center before Sept. 19, to avoid a registration hold for their second semester. For more information or questions please contact the Student Health and Counseling Center at 559.278.2734.
Fresno State Library
The Fresno State Library is under new leadership with the appointment of Janet Crum as the new dean of library services, effective Aug. 1. Crum is an accomplished library leader from the University of Arizona and a prolific scholar publishing research in library leadership and the impact of academic libraries on campuses and communities.
The Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children’s Literature welcomes Karina Cardenas as its new curator and librarian. Cardenas returns to Fresno State where she was a library employee in the University Archives. Most recently, she expanded her portfolio at CSU Los Angeles where she worked in Special Collections.
The Fresno State Library is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed weekends through Aug. 20 and resumes new academic year hours on Aug. 21. As of the fall semester 2024, the library building will be open Mondays through Thursdays from 7:45 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fridays from 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 11 p.m. For more information on library services, please visit library.fresnostate.edu.
New program updates
The Humanities Internship Program, housed in the College of Arts and Humanities and funded by the Mellon Foundation, will begin to roll out this fall to provide paid internships to humanities students.
The Craig School of Business will offer a new student support program, the Gender and Leadership program, starting fall 2024. The Gender and Leadership program prepares students to manage gender disparities in the workplace by instilling confidence, providing mentorship and networking opportunities and equipping students to pursue leadership roles. Student members of the cohort will have opportunities to be mentored by local business professionals, creating the foundations of a personal network to support them throughout their careers.
New Executive MBA classroom at Campus Pointe: The Craig School has opened a new classroom for its Executive MBA program at the Campus Pointe center. The classroom features a state-of-the-art dual projector with full sound and can accommodate up to 115 people. The classroom is available for rental by the public through the University Business Center.
Resources for graduate students
All graduate students are welcome to attend the Graduate Student Resource Fair from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5, 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.
