2008 Woodie Awards
First-time freshmen flood campus
MySJSU confusion affects housing and G.E. class availability
David Zugnoni and Adam Murphy
Issue date: 8/27/08 Section: News
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In May, 1,057 high school seniors who were accepted to SJSU were notified that their applications were being withdrawn because they had not signed up for student orientation. About half of those students had planned on attending SJSU, while the other half consisted of students who chose to attend other universities, Lopes Harris said.
After receiving letters through U.S. mail, a handful of students and parents called and showed up to the SJSU Student Affairs office to say they had planned on enrolling at SJSU but were unaware of the three-step, intent-to-enroll process at MySJSU.
"Most of them felt like they had done what they needed to do, and they were frustrated when they received the letter," said Veril Phillips, SJSU's vice president of Student Affairs. "And some were very delighted when they found out they would in fact be admitted."
Don Kassing, who served as SJSU president until Aug. 1, made the decision to admit those students because some were "counting on" attending SJSU, Lopes Harris said.
"That was the deciding point for him," she said, "that if these students really wanted to come here, let's see what we can do."
An unofficial head count of first-time freshmen is 3,584, said Sutee Sujitparapitaya, associate vice president of institutional research.
Campus Housing
As a result of a large group of incoming freshmen, some students are on a paid waiting list for campus housing, said Kevina Brown, community relations coordinator for University Housing Services.
"We filled up a lot sooner, and our numbers increased a lot sooner than they have in the past," Brown said.
About 100 people were on a waiting list for housing as of Tuesday, Brown said.
"That does not mean that they won't be assigned a space," she said. "It just means as soon as there is a cancel, they will have a place."
Lopes Harris said that in the first few weeks of school, residents often drop out, opening spaces for other residents.
Malcolm Purdy, a freshman aerospace engineering major, said he now pays $895 a month to live off campus.
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