University of San Diego

University of San Diego
Motto	Emitte Spiritum Tuum (Latin, Send Forth Thy Spirit)
Established	1949
Type	Private
Endowment	$220 million (2009)[1]
President	Dr. Mary E. Lyons
Faculty	801
Students	7,832
Location	San Diego, California, U.S. (32°46′18.63″N 117°11′22.17″W / 32.7718417°N 117.1894917°WCoordinates: 32°46′18.63″N 117°11′22.17″W / 32.7718417°N 117.1894917°W)
Campus	Urban
Campus name	Alcalá Park
Colors	Navy blue     , Columbia blue     , and white
Mascot	Toreros (Bullfighters)
Website	www.SanDiego.edu

The University of San Diego (USD)^[2] is a Roman Catholic university in San Diego, California. USD offers more than sixty bachelor's, master’s, and doctoral programs. The university consists of six schools: the School of Business Administration, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the School of Law, the School of Nursing & Health Science, the College of Arts & Sciences, and the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies.

History

Chartered in 1949, the University opened its doors to its first class of students in 1952 as the San Diego College for Women. Most Reverend Charles F. Buddy, D.D., then bishop of the Diocese of San Diego and Reverend Mother Rosalie Hill, RSCJ, a Superior Vicaress of the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, chartered the institution from resources drawn from their respective organizations on a stretch of land known as "Alcalá Park," named for San Diego de Alcalá. In September 1954, the San Diego College for Men and the School of Law opened. These two schools originally occupied Bogue Hall on the same site of University High School, which would later become the home of the University of San Diego High School. Starting in 1954, Alcalá Park also served as the diocesan chancery office and housed the episcopal offices, until the diocese moved to a vacated Benedictine convent that was converted to a pastoral center. In 1957, Immaculate Heart Major Seminary and St. Francis Minor Seminary were moved into their newly completed facility, now known as Maher Hall. The Immaculata Chapel, now no longer affiliated with USD, also opened that year as part of the seminary facilities. For nearly two decades, these schools co-existed on Alcalá Park. Immaculate Heart closed at the end of 1968, when its building was renamed De Sales Hall; St. Francis remained open until 1970, when it was transferred to another location on campus, leaving all of the newly named Bishop Leo T. Maher Hall to the newly merged co-educational University of San Diego in 1972. Since then, the university has grown quickly and has been able to increase its assets and academic programs. The student body, the local community, patrons, alumni, and many organizations have been integral to the university's development.

Significant periods of expansion of the university, since the 1972 merger, occurred in the mid-1980s, as well as in 1998, when Joan B. Kroc, philanthropist and wife of McDonald's financier Ray Kroc, endowed USD with a gift of $25 million for the construction of the Institute for Peace & Justice. Another significant donation to the college came in the form of multi-million dollar gifts from weight-loss tycoon Jenny Craig, inventor Donald Shiley, investment banker and alumnus Bert Degheri, and an additional gift of $50 million Mrs. Kroc left the IPJ upon her passing. These gifts helped make possible, respectively, the Jenny Craig Pavilion (an athletic arena), the Donald P. Shiley Institute for Science and Technology, the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice, and the Degheri Alumni Center. As a result, USD has been able to host the West Coast Conference (WCC) basketball tournament in 2002, 2003 and 2008, and hosted international functions such as the Kyoto Laureate Symposium at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice. Shiley's gift has provided the university with some additional, and more advanced, teaching laboratories that it had previously had. In 2005, the university expanded the Colachis Plaza from the Immaculata along Marian Way to the east end of Hall, which effectively closed the east end of the campus to vehicular traffic. That same year, the student body approved plans for a renovation and expansion of the Hahn University Center which began at the end of 2007. The new Student Life Pavilion (SLP) opened in 2009 and hosts the university's new student dining area(s), offices for student organizations and event spaces. The Hahn University Center is now home to administrative offices, meeting and event spaces, and a new restaurant and wine bar, La Gran Terazza: http://www.sandiego.edu/dining/lagranterraza/.

USD's current enrollment is 7,800 graduate and graduate students.

Environment and location

Alcalá Park sits atop the edge of a mesa overlooking Mission Bay and other parts of San Diego. The philosophy of USD's founderess and her fellow religious relied on the belief that studying in beautiful surroundings could improve the educational experience of students. Thus, the university's buildings are designed in a 16th-century Spanish Renaissance architectural style, paying homage to both San Diego's Catholic heritage^{[clarification needed]} and the Universidad de Alcalá in Spain.

The campus is located approximately two miles north of downtown San Diego, on the north crest of Mission Valley in the community of Linda Vista. From the westernmost edges of Alcalá Park the communities of Mission Hills, Old Town, Point Loma, Ocean Beach, Bay Park, Mission Beach, and Pacific Beach can be seen. Also, the Pacific Ocean, San Diego Harbor, the Coronado Islands, and La Jolla are visible from the campus.

Administration

Though a Catholic university, the school is no longer governed directly by the Diocese of San Diego or any religious order^{[citation needed]}. Today, a layboard of trustees governs the university's operations. However, the Bishop of San Diego, the Most Rev. Robert H. Brom, retains a seat as a permanent member and retains control of the school's designation of "Catholic."

Academics

USD offers more than 60 degrees at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. USD is divided into six schools and colleges. The College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Law are the oldest academic divisions at USD; the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies is the university's newest school. USD offers an honors program at the undergraduate level, with approximately 300 students enrolled annually.

U.S. News & World Report ranks USD 94^th among "National Universities" and the Princeton Review includes USD in its guidebook of the 351 best universities^{[citation needed]}. In 2009, the Princeton Review ranked USD as the #6 Most Beautiful Campus^{[citation needed]}. In 2010, the Princeton Review ranked USD as the #4 Most Beautiful Campus.

For potential applicants, the average GPA of admitted freshmen for fall 2007 was 3.76. The average SAT I score was 1175 and the average ACT score was 26.1. For fall 2009, the average GPA of admitted freshman was a 3.9 on a 4.0 scale and the average SAT I score was a 1240.^[3]

The Institute of International Education said in their Open Doors 2009 Report on International Educational Exchange ^[4] that USD ranks second among national universities for its percentage of undergraduate students participating in study abroad programs. In the '08-'09 year USD had a 78.5 percent undergraduate student participation rate, up from the previous year’s 60 percent participation and No. 6 ranking. The current ranking, USD’s highest ever in the IIE report^{[citation needed]}, continues a sharp increase for the university, which, as recently as 2006, was not ranked. In 2007, USD was ranked 26th among the top 40.^[5]

College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. The university is also a member of Mortar Board national honors society for college seniors, and participates with the National Society of Collegiate Scholars in recognizing the superior academic achievements^{[peacock term]} of first and second year students. Fulbright, Truman, Goldwater and Strauss finalists and scholars^[quantify] have earned their undergraduate degrees at USD.

USD offers an MFA in Dramatic Arts in collaboration with the Old Globe Theater in San Diego's Balboa Park. This partnership makes it one of the top graduate-level acting programs in California and the nation. Only seven students are chosen each year, and they are given full scholarships and stipends (worth more than $50,000/year). Students get to perform at the Old Globe, one of America's top regional theaters. Guest directors have included Jack O'Brien, Daniel Sullivan, Nicholas Martin, John Rando and Matthew August^{[citation needed]}.

School of Law

Founded in 1954, the School of Law is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the American Association of Law Schools. The School of Law is one of only 80 ABA-accredited law schools to hold a membership in the Order of the Coif^[6], a distinguished rank of American law schools. Legal educator Brian Leiter regards the School of Law as having a strong law faculty. In 2003-2004, he ranked the school 22nd in the nation in terms of scholarly impact.^[7] In 2007, Leiter ranked the school's faculty 27th in the nation based on mean scholarly impact.^[8] In 2010, the School of Law was recognized for attracting a strong student body, placing amongst the top 40 US law schools.^[9]

In San Diego, one out of every four practicing lawyers is a graduate of the USD School of Law^{[citation needed]}. Among its several projects is the Center for Criminal Justice Policy and Management of which former United States Attorney General Edwin Meese was director from 1977 to 1981.

Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science

The Philip Y. Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science is among the top 10 percent of graduate-level nursing programs according to the U.S. News & World Report (#47)^{[citation needed]}. USD Nursing was the first Ph.D. nursing program in California^{[citation needed]}. Two important assets of the nursing school are its Simulation and Standardized Patient Nursing Laboratory ^[10] which opened in 2002, and the Master's Entry Program of Nursing (MEPN) ^[11]. The MEPN program allows students who already possess a bachelor's degree in another field but want to get into nursing the opportunity to take an accelerated program to earn a master's degree in clinical nursing. Once the student graduates, they're eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for registered nursing licensure. Graduates are eligible to sit for the Clinical Nurse Leader certificate exam.

School of Leadership and Education Sciences

The School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES) has nearly 700 students at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. Coming from the United States as well as other nations, SOLES students and faculty are culturally and ethnically diverse^{[weasel words][citation needed]}. SOLES academic programs include Counseling, Leadership Studies, and Marital and Family Therapy, as well as the Department of Learning and Teaching. The school offers the following degrees: Ph.D., M.Ed., M.A.T., and M.A. Additionally, SOLES has certificate programs in American Humanics, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, and Character Development.

Institute for Nonprofit Education and Research

The Caster Family Center for Nonprofit Research was launched in 2004 with start-up grants provided by The Westreich Foundation and the Bruce T. Halle Family Foundation. In 2007 the Center received a generous^{[weasel words]} naming contribution from the Caster family. Housed within the School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES) the work of the Center is co-directed and is supported by an active Advisory Committee. The Center is staffed by doctoral students.

The mission of the Caster Family Center for Nonprofit Research is to study issues of strategic importance to the sector and to identify and advance best practices in nonprofit leadership and management. The Center's vision includes: (a) In the next five years^[when?] USD's Center for Nonprofit Research will become recognized as a source of the highest quality^{[weasel words]} research in the nonprofit sector; (b) The Center will serve as a convener of community dialogues around topics of relevance to strategic operations and public policy; (c) The Center will help to define the full landscape of San Diego's nonprofit sector so as to increase the community's understanding of the value and contribution of the sector.

School of Business Administration

The School of Business Administration has AACSB business program accreditation and ABET engineering degree accreditation. The School is also home to the Ahlers Center for International Business, one of the few private endowments for international business in the world.

The school's undergraduate business program is ranked #28 in the country by BusinessWeek, and is one of the top three ranked programs on the west coast. In the ranking, BusinessWeek gave the school A+ grades for teaching quality, facilities and services, and job placement^[12]. The MBA program is ranked #21 in the world for social responsibility in the Beyond Grey Pinstripes Global 100 list, and is the highest ranking program on that measure in Southern California^[13]. The Evening MBA program for working professionals is currently ranked #26 in BusinessWeek's survey of the best part-time MBA programs^[14]. The Princeton Review ranked the school #2 for Best Campus Environment, out of 301 participating schools^[15].

The university also offers a specialized International MBA program. Students enrolled in the International MBA have the option to pursue a joint Masters degree abroad with EGADE Business School at Tec de Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico or the WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management in Vallendar (near Koblenz), Germany.

The school has a number of specialized master degree programs. The Master of Science in Real Estate (MSRE) provides students with a solid foundation and helps them develop the decision-making, negotiating, communication and technology skills needed by real estate professionals. The MSRE degree prepares students for careers in mortgage lending, development, equity investment, brokerage and sales, valuation, consulting, property and asset management, and to become entrepreneurs.^[16] The school also offers an undergraduate major in real estate, which launched in the fall of 2009.

Dean David F. Pyke joined the school in July, 2008 after having previously served as associate dean at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business where he ran Tuck's highly ranked MBA program.

Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies

The Kroc School of Peace Studies has recently^[when?] opened. The Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice was established thanks to Mrs. Kroc's gift of $75 million in-all "to not only teach peace, but make peace". The first Master’s level graduate students entered the Kroc Institute in 2002.

Social justice, ethics, and spirituality related programs

USD has a commitment to issues of social justice, ethics, and spirituality^{[citation needed]}. It has several programs, centers, and institutes that deal with a wide variety of these issues: Center for Community Service Learning, Center for Latino/a Catholicism, Center for Christian Spirituality, the Character Development Center, Ethnic Studies Program, the Romero Center, the Social Issues Committee, the Trans-Border Institute, and the Values Institute. The Center for Inclusion and Diversity was approved in Spring 2010. It is scheduled to open September 1, 2010, the first day of the fall semester in the 2010-11 academic year.

Athletics

USD athletes compete in the West Coast Conference at the Division I level of the NCAA. The football program does not offer scholarships, and competes at Division I-AA in the Pioneer Football League. The women's softball program competes in the Pacific Coast Softball Conference, and in 2004-05 the women's swimming and diving teams began to compete in the Western Athletic Conference. USD athletes and teams are known as the Toreros, which is Spanish for "Bullfighters". Team uniforms and jerseys are in university's colors: navy blue, columbia blue, and white. Facilities include the Jenny Craig Pavilion, McNamara Fitness Room, Varsity Weight Room, Erg Rowing Room, Golf Team Room Sports Center Gym and Pool, East and West Tennis Courts, Torero Stadium, Cunningham Stadium, Torero Softball Complex, USD Mission Bay Boathouse, and two intramural fields. The student spirit club, is called The Frontline.

The Toreros' lone national champion is Zuzana Lesenarova, who won the women's tennis singles championship in 2000 by defeating Stanford's Marissa Irvin 4-6, 6-3, 7-6.

In 2007, Toreros' quarterback Josh Johnson threw for 43 touchdown passes and just 1 interception, a school record. Johnson was later drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In 1992, the Toreros ran off a series of men's college soccer upsets, playing all the way to the finals of the College Cup. There they finally lost 2-0 to a heavily favored University of Virginia team in the midst of their four consecutive NCAA titles.

The 13th seeded Toreros upset the University of Connecticut in the first round of the 2008 Mens' NCAA Basketball Tournament on March 21, 2008. This marked the first time USD had advanced in the tournament, as well as the first time UConn was eliminated in the first round while coached by Jim Calhoun. It was the first ever NCAA Tournament win for any school in the city of San Diego.

• Men's programs: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Rowing, Soccer and Tennis.
• Women's programs: Basketball, Cross Country, Rowing, Soccer, Softball, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track & Field and Volleyball.
• USD's cheerleading squad and dance team are open to men and women.
• Club Sports: Baseball, Cycling, Equestrian, Judo, Men's and Women's Lacrosse, Rugby, Soccer, Surfing, Ultimate, Men's and Women's Volleyball, and Water Polo.
• Intramurals: Basketball, Flag football, Softball, Speed Soccer, Tennis, Volleyball, Innertube Water Polo, and Ultimate.

Bowl Games

Season	Bowl	Champion	Runner-Up
1973	College Division Bowl	Wittenberg	21	San Diego	14
2005	Sports Network Cup	San Diego	26	Duquesne	0
2006	Sports Network Cup	San Diego	21	Drake	3
2006	Gridiron Classic	San Diego	27	Monmouth	7

Student life

The undergraduate student body is represented by official student government known as the Associated Students (AS). The AS Leadership Team serves USD undergraduates as official student representatives who promote opportunities for growth and expression, address student issues, and enrich a diverse, inclusive and engaged community. AS works in areas of programming, student issues, marketing, finance, multicultural relations, academics, and student organizations. Student fees make up AS's $1,000,000 yearly budget. AS also assists in the funding of different "centers" on campus including Center for Awareness, Service & Action (CASA), Torero Days/Orientation, Social Issues Committee, USDtv, United Front Multicultural Center (UFMC or simply, UF), and Women's Center. The university recently acquired an unofficial radio station in the Spring of 2009, which was funded, designed and run entirely by the students themselves. In the fall of 2009 it became official (www.USDRadio.org). The undergraduate student body is also represented by the official student newspaper, The Vista. The Vista is a weekly, student-run publication focused on university and local news as well as relevant national stories.

Student Affairs is the university's division focused on creating an educational environment which motivates and inspires student learning and personal development, serves the University community, and challenges students to make a positive contribution to society. Within Student Affairs is the Wellness Division which includes the Counseling Center, Disability Services and the Health Center. Another Division of Student Affairs is Student Life which includes Associated Students, Student Activities, Student Organizations, Greek Life, Experiential Learning and Adventure Center (formerly Outdoor Programs) and Campus Recreation. The last division of Student Affairs are all programs falling under the Dean of Students and these include Community Service Learning, Career Services, Parent Relations, International Center, University Ministry, United Front Multicultural Center, Summer Conferences, and the Women's Center.^[17]

Campus housing and residence life

Freshman Housing^[18]:

• Maher - co-ed dorms
• Camino - male dorms
• Founders - female dorms
• Missions A - suites
• Missions B - co-ed dorms

Upperclassmen Housing^[19]:

• Alcala Vista Apartments
• Manchester Village
• San Antonio de Padua Apartments
• San Buenaventura
• University Terrace Apartments

Graduate and Law Student Housing^[20]:

• Presidio Terrace Apartments
• Manchester Village

Demographics

In Fall of 2007, there were 4932 undergraduate students, 1423 graduate students, and 1149 law students enrolled in the University for a total of 7504. Twenty-six percent of the entire student body are racial minorities with Hispanics being the largest minority group. Three percent of the student body are international. Fifty-nine percent of the student body are females, in the law school this number drops to 44% and in the graduate programs it rises to 63%. Between July 1, 2006, and June 30, 2007, USD awarded 2124 degrees. There were 766 faculty employed by the University in Fall 2007, 388 men and 378 women with 117 of these being minorities.^[21]

Notable alumni

• Tom Barrack ’71 (J.D.), CEO of Colony Capital
• Bill Bavasi ’80 (B.A.), Former General Manager of the Seattle Mariners
• Shelley Berkley ’76 (J.D.), Member, U.S. House of Representatives
• Bernie Bickerstaff Sr. ’68 (B.A.), General Manager and Head Coach, NBA Charlotte Bobcats
• Robert D. Bohn, U.S. Marine Corps Major General
• Mike Brown '92 (BBA), Former Head Coach, Cleveland Cavaliers, 2009 NBA Coach of the Year
• Brady Clark ’96 (BBA), Outfielder, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, New York Mets (Currently)
• Ryan Coiner '03 (B.A.) Professional soccer player in Major League Soccer
• Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone ’78 (B.A.), Bishop of Oakland, Former Auxiliary Bishop of San Diego (2002–2009)
• Maggie Dixon ’99 (B.A.), U.S. Army Black Knights women's basketball coach
• Theo Epstein ’00 (J.D.), General Manager of the Boston Red Sox
• Lorenzo Fertitta ’91 (BBA), President of Station Casinos Inc.
• Andrew Firestone ’98 (BBA), Reality TV Star-The Bachelor
• Dan Giese, '06 (BBA), Pitcher, Oakland Athletics
• Ryan Guy '06, (B.A.), striker, St Patrick's Athletic
• Josh Johnson, Quarterback Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Robert Kardashian '69 (J.D.), Legal Representation for OJ Simpson
• Nick Leibham, (J.D./MBA) Criminal Prosecutor and Democratic Congressional Candidate in California's 50th congressional district
• Lowell McAdam '83 (MBA), President & CEO, Verizon Wireless
• Eric Musselman ’87 (B.A.), former head coach, Sacramento Kings (NBA)
• Jim Parsons '01 (MFA), Actor, CBS's "Big Bang Theory"
• Steve Poltz ’85 (B.A.), musician
• Pat Quinn, (J.D.), professional hockey player, coach, and executive
• Kevin Reese ’99 (B.A.), Outfielder, New York Yankees
• Lynn Schenk '70, (J.D.), former member, U.S. House of Representatives
• Fran Townsend '84 (J.D.) Former Homeland Security Advisor to President George W. Bush
• Juan Vargas ’83 (B.A.), (former) San Diego City Council, (former) California State Assembly
• Mike Whitmarsh ’85 (B.A.), WCC Basketball, NBA Basketball (Minnesota Timberwolves), AVP Volleyball, Silver Medalist - '96 Olympics
• Ken Zampese ’89 (BBA), Quarterbacks Coach, Cincinnati Bengals

Renowned faculty

• Roy Brooks (Law)
• Jericho Brown (English)
• Frank Partnoy (Law)
• Tom Copeland (Business)
• Norm Miller (Real Estate)

Greek life

USD is home to several Greek organizations. In 2000, nearly a quarter of the undergraduate student body belonged to a fraternity, sorority, or coeducational Greek house. First semester students are not allowed to join Greek organizations.

Sororities at USD

• Alpha Chi Omega, Kappa Lambda
• Alpha Delta Pi, Zeta Pi
• Alpha Phi, Eta Rho
• Gamma Phi Beta, Epsilon Gamma
• Kappa Alpha Theta, Eta Iota
• Kappa Kappa Gamma, Eta Gamma

• Beta Theta Pi, Zeta Omega, chartered at USD since 2006
• Delta Tau Delta, Theta Zeta, chartered at USD since 1988
• Lambda Chi Alpha, Delta Kappa, chartered at USD since 1997
• Phi Kappa Theta, California Phi Delta, established 1963, dis-established 2003, re-established 2006, chartered Spring 2009
• Sigma Phi Epsilon, California Beta Beta, chartered at USD since 2001

Professional/Coeducational Fraternities at USD

• Alpha Kappa Psi, Iota Tau
• Delta Sigma Pi, Lambda Pi
• Phi Alpha Delta
• Phi Delta Epsilon, CA Heta

References

'The First Forty Years: A History of the University of San Diego 1949-1989 (1990) by Iris Engstrand

External links

• Official website
• Official Athletics website