You are in the official 2006-2007 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.
Campus
The University.
In 1911, California State University, Fresno began with 150 students as a two-year state normal school that largely prepared teachers for their profession.
Today, at the threshold of a new century, this university is a stimulating
center of intellectual and cultural activity, dedicated to academic excellence,
integrity, and freedom. With more than 20,000 students registered, the university
recognizes its commitment to develop qualified professionals who will become
tomorrow's leaders in every walk of life.
California State University, Fresno offers challenging and innovative programs
in the liberal arts and sciences, in the professions, in applied fields,
and in special and interdisciplinary areas. Departmental programs provide
unusual and exciting opportunities for a proficient and enriching university
experience.
The excellence of our faculty is documented in a variety of ways, including
recognition from national and international associations. Ninety percent
of the full-time tenured track faculty hold doctoral degrees in their areas
of study. However, the most important characteristic of our faculty is their
ability to care about students and their willingness to give of their time
on an individual basis.
The Campus.
Under a dense canopy of 4,000 trees, the campus sits at the northeast
edge of Fresno, against a backdrop of the beautiful Sierra Nevadas. The
campus was officially designated as an arboretum in 1978. Its parklike setting
creates a beautiful environment for making new friends and pursuing a quality
education. 
The 388-acre main campus features more than 46 traditional and modern buildings.
An additional 34 structures are on the 1,011-acre University Farm, which
is considered one of the most modern and best equipped agricultural facilities
in the West.
Outstanding research facilities (computer, engineering, electronics, and
industrial technology laboratories) are complemented by cultural and recreational
facilities. The campus has two student unions, indoor and outdoor theaters
for drama and music, and swimming facilities. Students can make use of many
individual and team sport facilities, a baseball stadium at Beiden Field
that seats 6,575 spectators, a football/soccer stadium that seats over 41,031,
and Bulldog Diamond, a 5,467-seat softball stadium.
The Downing Planetarium features a computer-controlled Spitz A3P star projector and a main theater which seats 74 under a thirty-foot dome. The facility includes a teacher resource center and presents multimedia shows on a daily basis.
The 73,000-square-foot, three-story Science II building is the latest addition to campus. Located immediately east of the Downing Planetarium, Science II includes lecture halls and instructional labs for earth and environmental sciences and psychology classes, as well as space for more than 100 faculty offices. The facility includes graduate research and special instructional areas for the physics department to support the research needs of the Downing Planetarium.
Smittcamp Alumni House is a 10,000-square-foot, two-story structure that houses the Alumni Association's offices and serves as the university's visitor information center. The building includes conference rooms, a kitchen, reception and social areas, a chapter/volunteer resource center, garden courtyards, and an alumni library.
The Save Mart Center
at Shaw and Chestnut avenues is a 13-story facility with 16,000 seats. It
serves as the new home for Fresno State basketball, volleyball and wrestling,
as well as a venue for events. The facility also has state-of-the-art classrooms,
computer labs, and conference rooms.
The Telecommunications Infrastructure Initiative (TII) is a two-year
project that began fall 2004 to upgrade computer and networking infrastructures
on all 23 CSU campuses. The new network significantly speeds up data transmission
rates and makes things like video conferencing commonplace and distant learning
more real-time, interactive, and accessible. It also prepares the campus
for future technologies.
The campus is fully accessible and students with mobility impairments will
find the naturally flat terrain easy to navigate.
Features