Updates in Student Affairs at SDSU

For those of you who were Ambassadors more than six years ago, you probably have fond memories of the Student Resource Center (SRC), which served as home base for the Ambassadors. As mentioned in the last issue of The Red Polo Times, the old SRC has gone through a number of changes.

The SRC became the office of Student Life and Development in 2001. Later, around 2004, the name changed once again to the Centers for Student Involvement. In early 2007, a new location, major changes to the functions of the office, and a new staff resulted in the latest name change: Student Activities and Campus Life (SACL).

The Ambassadors no longer serve in this office, but have been affiliated with the office of New Student and Parent Programs (NSPP) for the past three years. NSPP, which oversees all orientation programs, was created from functions that were in the old SRC.

So what are the functions of the new SACL?

There are three key programmatic areas related to student involvement. They are Student Organizations, Fraternity and Sorority Life, and Civic Learning and Community Engagement. Timothy Rupe, who joined SDSU in early 2007, serves as the interim director of SACL.

The Student Organizations component is overseen by former Ambassador Robyn Rubenstein Adams. Robyn serves as liaison to more than 200 different student organizations, which are responsible for a majority of the programs and events held on campus each year, including concerts, lectures, special events, cultural and social events, and conferences. She and her staff work closely with students, faculty, staff, Associated Students and the entire campus community to serve students and encourage campus involvement.

Fraternity and Sorority Life, overseen by Doug Case, continues to grow at SDSU. Fraternal organizations have been a core component of the campus community since 1899. Currently, there are 48 social fraternities and sororities, including both general and culturally based organizations, represented by four governing councils. Greek letter social organizations at San Diego State University create smaller communities within the larger university environment for the purposes of facilitating growth in the areas of scholarship, personal and leadership development, campus involvement and community service.

Civic Learning and Community Engagement (CLCE) is the newest of the three SACL components. Formerly known as the Center for Community Based Service Learning, CLCE serves as a resource to encourage the members of SDSU to be actively engaged with the San Diego community, and to assist SDSU students in developing the skills necessary to be civically responsible citizens and to take action on social issues that are important to them. Crystal Schloemer currently oversees CLCE.

If you come to campus, check out the new SACL office located in SSW-1661, where the old Disability Student Services was located. DSS changed its name to Student Disability Services when it moved to the new Calpulli Center. More on Calpulli in the next issue of The Red Polo Times.