San Jose State University

San José State University, often called San José State or SJSU, is a public research university in San Jose, California. It was founded in 1857, making it the oldest public university in the western United States and the first school in the California State University system.

The university's main campus is in downtown San Jose and covers about 154 acres. It offers over 250 different programs for students to choose from, with around 37,000 students attending each year.

San Jose State is known for its strong sports teams, called the Spartans. They compete in the NCAA Division I and the Mountain West Conference, and have won many national championships. Their athletes have also participated in every Olympics since 1948 and have won 21 medals.

History

Main article: History of San Jose State University

San José State University started in 1857 as a school to train teachers, called the Minns Evening Normal School. It was the first public university in the western United States. The school moved to San Jose in 1871, where it still is today.

Over the years, the school changed its name several times. It became the California State Normal School, then the State Teachers College at San Jose, and later San Jose State College. In 1972, it became a university and was named California State University, San Jose. In 1974, the name changed again to San José State University.

During the 1960s and 1970s, students at the university were very active in protests, especially against the Vietnam War. One big protest happened in 1967 when a company that made weapons for the war tried to recruit students.

In 2003, a new library opened that combined the university’s library with the city of San Jose’s library. It was the first library of its kind in the United States.

Campus

See also: Tower Hall

The main campus of San José State University has about 55 buildings on a big area in downtown San Jose. The campus is surrounded by streets on all sides. A part of the school called South Campus is about 1.5 miles away and has many places for sports.

A long time ago, the school moved to San Jose and had simple wooden buildings. After a big earthquake, these buildings were replaced with stronger stone ones. Some of these old buildings are still standing today.

Over the years, the school has added many new buildings and spaces for students to walk safely between classes. Some important buildings include a big library, a student center with many fun places, and a health center for students.

Residence halls

The school has seven places where students can live on campus. Plans are to build more housing soon.

Additional on-campus facilities

San José State University has special places for science experiments, sports events, and fun activities for students. There is also a new building for science classes and research.

South Campus

South Campus is where many sports teams practice and play. It also has parking for students. Buses go back and forth between the main campus and South Campus.

Off-campus facilities

The school also uses buildings not on the main campus. These include places for students from other countries, a place for studying airplanes, and a science lab by the ocean.

Organization

San Jose State University is part of the California State University System and is led by the California State University Board of Trustees and the chancellor of the California State University. In November 2022, Cynthia Teniente-Matson became the new university president, starting her role in January 2023. She was previously president of Texas A&M University–San Antonio.

The university has nine main colleges, including the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business, Connie L. Lurie College of Education, and the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering. It also includes seven focused schools, such as the School of Art and Design, the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business, and the School of Music and Dance.

Academics

San José State University offers many different degrees to help students learn new skills. As of spring 2023, the university had 150 programs for earning a bachelor’s degree, 95 for a master’s degree, and 5 for a doctoral degree. It also offered 11 credential programs and 42 certificates.

The university’s largest college is the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering, with over 7,000 students. The Lucas College and Graduate School of Business is the second largest, and the College of Social Sciences is the third largest. Many students choose to study engineering, business, or social sciences at San José State.

Faculty and research

San José State University is known for its research and has many talented teachers. As of fall 2024, it had over 2,000 teachers, with most working full-time.

The university spends a lot of money on research. In 2023, it spent about $88 million, making it one of the top research schools in California.

SJSU has special collections for studying famous people and topics, like Beethoven and Steinbeck. It also works with places like NASA and Cisco on important projects. The university has centers for studying transportation, the environment, and cybersecurity, helping to solve real-world problems.

Air Force ROTC

San José State University has a special program called the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, known as Detachment 045. It is one of only two such programs in the San Francisco Bay Area. Students from San Jose State and other nearby schools like Santa Clara University, Stanford University, and UC Santa Cruz can join this program. In it, they learn important leadership skills and take part in many activities that prepare them to become officers in the U.S. military.

Student life

San José State University is one of the oldest and largest schools in its system, attracting students from all over California, the United States, and many other countries. As of fall 2022, there were 35,751 students, with most being undergraduates.

Students have many ways to get involved. There are over 475 student groups, including academic clubs, cultural groups, sports clubs, and more. Some students join social groups that have been part of the university since 1896. The school's marching band performs at football games and includes students from all majors. The campus newspaper, The Spartan Daily, has been published since 1934 and is run by students studying journalism. There are also student television and radio programs.

Athletics

Main article: San Jose State Spartans

San José State University has had sports teams since 1890, when it first started a baseball team. The teams are called the Spartans and compete in the Mountain West Conference in NCAA Division I.

The university’s teams have won national titles in track and field, golf, boxing, fencing, and tennis. Alumni have won medals in the Olympics, including in swimming, judo, water polo, and boxing. The track team was once known as “Speed City” for producing many great runners.

Club sports

San José State University also has many club sports, with about 25 different sports and 50 teams. These teams are often run by students, and some have coaches and support from alumni. Club sports include archery, badminton, baseball, basketball, bowling, boxing, cycling, dancesport, dragon boat racing, esports, fencing, figure skating, gymnastics, ice hockey, judo, lacrosse, mountain biking, powerlifting, quidditch, roller hockey, rugby, salsa, soccer, softball, swimming, track and field, triathlon, ultimate Frisbee, volleyball, water polo, and wrestling.

Traditions

The old campus bell was bought and put up in 1881. It rang every morning until the 1906 San Francisco earthquake stopped it. Later, it was placed in Tower Hall and rang for special events until new chimes were added in 1946. The bell is still on display today.

In 1922, the school chose the Spartans as its mascot. Before that, the teams had other names like the Daniels and the Teachers.

Students decided to keep the school colors as gold and white in 1925, even though some wanted to change them to purple and white. Blue was added as a third school color before 1929.

Spardi Gras began in 1929 as a fun event for students and became an annual tradition. Another tradition, Spartan Revelries, was a big student musical show that started around the same time.

There was also an event called Sparta Camp from 1953 to 1965, where students learned about leadership. A similar camp helped new students adjust to school each fall.

The chimes on campus are called Westminster chimes, a gift from the class of 1947. They play the same tune as the famous Big Ben chimes in England. Students show their school spirit by wearing Spartan blue and gold every Thursday. During homecoming week, there are many events leading up to the homecoming football game.

Alma mater

The school song, “Hail! Spartans, Hail!”, was written by a student in 1933 and officially adopted in 1929. Students are asked to stand and sing along when the alma mater is played. The university also has a fight song for sports events.

Alumni

Main article: List of San Jose State University people

San Jose State University has many famous graduates. Musicians like Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, best known for their work with Fleetwood Mac, attended the university from 1968 to 1970. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, the first Native American elected to the United States Senate, also graduated from SJSU.

Other notable alumni include John Carlos and Tommie Smith, track and field athletes famous for their protest in 1968, and Dian Fossey, a scientist who studied mountain gorillas. Lou Henry Hoover, a former First Lady of the United States, also studied there.

The university is well known for preparing students for jobs in technology. Many graduates work for big companies like Apple Inc. and Facebook. Some alumni started their own successful companies, such as Intel Corporation and Oracle Corporation.