As San Diego State University (SDSU) heads toward 2025, students reflected recently on their campus experiences, identifying safety, housing and academic flexibility as key areas that could be improved to enhance their time at the university.

One of the most pressing concerns for SDSU students is campus safety.

Third-year student Felicity Desuasido said, “Some things that I feel could be improved would be the overall safety on campus, since I have frequently witnessed people not affiliated with SDSU walking around student spaces and yelling profanities and other random things in a pretty scary and off-putting manner.”

Calista Stocker, a third-year student, echoed this sentiment, noting her apprehension when walking from the parking structure and back on the nights she works on campus.

“There have been times I had to take an alternate, longer route to get to my car if I saw somebody causing a scene on my normal path. I think we can invest more in campus security near the public transportation stops, as I feel like a lot of the patrols are sent to various parties at night,” she explained.

Fourth-year student Elizabeth Tervet added to the conversation by saying, “I think that SDSU campus safety is always something that can be improved. Our campus has really amazing protocols, but there are still many incidents on campus involving weapons. Creating a safer campus should always be a main goal for SDSU.”

Concerns over housing and academic scheduling 

Students are also voicing concerns about housing and academic scheduling. 

Tervet spoke about the ongoing struggles with housing affordability, saying, “I also think that affordable housing is a pressing issue as housing continues to increase each year. It is becoming extremely rare to find solid housing at reasonable pricing.”

Stocker, who experienced the impact of housing changes firsthand, shared, “The dorms have been changed from doubles to triples and they are super expensive. Though I’m not dealing with that anymore, it made a huge impact on my first two years of college and often in a negative way.”

Limited class options and scheduling conflicts 

Desuasido highlighted another challenge—limited class options and scheduling conflicts. 

“One of my biggest struggles with SDSU this year has been the lack of multiple options for the classes I need to take. I’m a journalism major, and so many of my required classes only have one option per semester. There’s one time slot, and once that class gets full, there’s nothing else, and you just have to hope you can take it in another semester,” she explained.

Stocker shared a similar experience, emphasizing the need for more scheduling flexibility: “As a journalism major, I have to take the same upper-division courses as everyone else, but many are offered at the same time with only one section, so they fill up quickly. I would like to see each class offered in at least two sections, potentially with different professors too.”

Fourth-year student Mac Pham pointed out that many students commute to school, and class

accommodations should be a top priority. 

“Some students commute an hour or two, and I think having more online class options would help. Or make sure that required classes within a major are all either M/W/F or T/T. It would be hectic for students that have to go to class five days a week.”

When it comes to implementing solutions to address campus safety and affordable housing, Tervet explains the potential impact on students: “I think that this change will take stress off of the students at SDSU and allow campus life to not cause any uneasy feelings towards our safety and financial burdens. I think that these changes, in the end, would benefit every student that attends SDSU.”

With her suggestions of increased campus security, Stocker explains, “ I think that increased security, or even just more security cameras on campus, might make people nervous at first, but that it could potentially discourage harmful activity.”

Desuasido emphasizes that more class options would reduce the stress of class planning and improve students’ schedules in her program. “We would feel more secure when class registration season rolls around, instead of feeling worried and paranoid about whether or not our schedules will work out. I also think spreading out classes throughout the week instead of making them all on the same day would allow students to balance class better with all the other aspects of our lives.” She added that increased class options would be a positive addition to the entire student body: “More class options and more available teachers and classrooms for those additional classes would benefit everyone at SDSU tremendously. Class registration is always such a stressful process.”

While SDSU continues to evolve, students’ insights offer a valuable roadmap for addressing challenges and enhancing the campus experience. 

Although safety is a general concern among students, SDSU has made strides in this area. 

In SDSU’s 2025 Campus Safety Plan, the school details its initiative to address students’ safety concerns. This plan, which started in June 2023 and continues through December 2024, provided a range of improvements.

Safety initiatives have expanded with the addition of a Licensed Clinical Social Worker to the Psychiatric Crisis Assessment Support Team (P-CAST), the hiring of five new police officers and the recruitment of one police dispatcher and 10 part-time special event officers. The university has also brought on three Community Safety Specialists (CSS) to strengthen campus security and has adopted and updated the SDSU Safe Ride Program to provide safe evening and late-night transportation for students, faculty and staff. Public education campaigns and community engagement on safety topics have been enhanced through SDSU’s Police Department’s public information officer. 

Moreover, nearly 80% of a new Access Control System (ACS) has been put in place to advance the campus-wide security infrastructure.

Appreciation for events and organizations on campus

Despite areas that could be improved, students also expressed their appreciation for the vibrant events and organizations that SDSU offers. Desuasido mentioned, “Some parts of campus life that I really enjoy at SDSU would be the farmer’s markets on Thursday afternoons and the occasional clothing and jewelry pop-up shops outside of the bookstore.”

Stocker spoke about her experience taking advantage of campus events: “There are a lot of opportunities for various casual social events at SDSU through Associated Students at the Student Union that I definitely took advantage of as a freshman. I also think that there are a ton of clubs, some of which are very niche, that students can join.”

Pham highlighted how the activities offered on campus contribute to personal and professional development: “I enjoy all the organizations, clubs and extracurricular activities that I’m involved in. It’s a great way to build a resume. For example, I’m currently serving (and about to end my term) as vice president for SDSU’s Asian American Journalist Association. Fulfilling the role of vice president is a great resume booster.”

Tervet also shared her positive experiences, saying, “As a lifeguard at SDSU, I love working with Associated Students. I have found this to be a great way to connect with campus life. Associated Students puts on many events for their various employees. SDSU has phenomenal campus jobs that can make its students feel involved at SDSU without being a part of Greek life. I also thoroughly enjoy being able to go to games on campus. Whether it be basketball or football, it’s so fun to come together as students and cheer on our school.”

Students at SDSU have clear ideas about what changes could enhance their college experience, from improved campus safety and more class options to affordable housing. 

While SDSU has already taken steps to address safety concerns, ongoing efforts will be necessary to create a campus environment that prioritizes student well-being and success. 

By listening to student voices and continuing to adapt, SDSU can strive to meet these needs, reinforcing its reputation as a university that not only educates but supports and enriches the lives of its students.

Top photo credit: Natali Gonzalez