Students return as classes begin (Photo: David Schmitz).

Students return as fall 2017 classes begin (Photo: David Schmitz).

San Jose State University is pleased to welcome 33,000 students to campus for fall semester 2017. Classes begin Aug. 23

New to SJSU are more than 4,500 frosh—that’s our largest freshman class ever—as well as more than 4,500 transfer students.

Join us in extending a warm Spartan welcome to these students plus the 60 tenure-track faculty members and 30 academic advisers who begin work here this week.

Faculty members and students began flooding campus on Monday, many donning eclipse glasses to view this rare celestial occurrence.

A group of SJSU student researchers were among the first in the nation to study the event. The meteorology majors traveled to Oregon to measure the eclipse’s impact on the weather.

Back on campus, the changes are many. More than 4,000 students moved into the residence halls Aug. 19 and 20.

A recent study shows that these days, approximately 15,000 students live within three miles of SJSU, a commuter campus no more.

Welcome events began Monday for faculty members in all the colleges, and for various student groups, including Educational Opportunity Program juniors or seniors.

They received a pep talk from Peter Khoury, ’03 Civil Engineering. First in his family to graduate and now a successful businessman, he emphasized the value of a college degree.

New banners line the road to CEFCU Stadium (Photo: David Schmitz).

New banners line the road to CEFCU Stadium (Photo: David Schmitz).

President Mary A. Papazian will deliver her second annual Fall Welcome Address at noon Aug. 24 in the Diaz Compean Student Union Ballroom.

Papazian shared her views on current events in a recent message to campus. On Thursday, she will offer a vision for SJSU’s future, embracing liberal arts in an innovation based-economy.

Among the many other changes over the summer are major progress on the Spartan Recreation and Aquatic Center, and have you seen the park-and-ride shuttle buses?

How about the new street banners running from the main campus to South Campus? Check them out on your way to the first football game 4:30 p.m. Aug. 26 against USF.