The 1970s
1970
Bishop Leo T. Maher is named chancellor of the men's University of San Diego.
San Diego Diocese gives final subsidy to the College for Men and School of Law. College ends fiscal year with loss of nearly $700,000.
First class catalog with consolidated class listings is published.
1971
Author E. Hughes, vice president and provost of Northern Arizona University, is named first lay president of the merged University of San Diego. Priorities are merger and deficit reduction.
Sister Sally Furay, academic dean for the College for Women, is named USD vice president for curricular development and student affairs. Henry Martin, academic dean for the College for Men, is named USD vice president for academic affairs.
Joint Faculty Senate is formed.
School of Law opens Civil Clinic and Criminal Clinic to foster trial advocacy training. Clinics program since expanded to include child advocacy, environmental law, entrepreneurship, mental health, small claims, land development and more.
Therese Truitt Whitcomb '53, first College for Women graduate and later member of the art faculty, opens Founders Gallery.
Men's tennis wins division nationals. Subsequent teams win national championships in 1974, 1975 and 1978. Coach drives teams to tournaments in a station wagon equipped with a small television.
1972
Completion of Colleges Merger Snapshot Enrollment 2,516 Faculty 149 Annual undergraduate tuition $1,760 (16 units) Annual room & board $1,400 (women)
$1,200 (men)
Degrees awarded 460 Campus buildings 15 Square footage 771,277
Casa de Alcalá, the president's home, is built at the west end of campus.
Merger documents approved by both institution's boards of trustees.
Merger of colleges is approved by the State of California. Deficit acquired through the merger totals nearly $1.25 million.
USD's College of Arts and Sciences established. The new School of Business Administration opens in Serra Hall and the new School of Education opens in De Sales (now Maher) Hall. Nearly 250 students enroll in the business school; enrollment quadruples within 10 years.
USD announces $7.2 million fund-raising drive.
Men and women are allowed to visit each other's dorm rooms.
1973
James S. Copley Library (formerly Camino Library) is dedicated. Combines the holdings of the Knights of Columbus Library at the College for Men and the Camino Library at the College for Women. The Knights of Columbus building becomes the library for the School of Law.
M.B.A. degree begins as a part-time evening program. Degree program is accredited in 1981 by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business.
Student residence rules relaxed to permit all juniors and seniors to live off-campus. Prior to 1973, only senior women had the privilege, and junior and senior men, or other men over age 21.
Football team begins competing in NCAA Division III independent.
1974
Philip Y. Hahn School of Nursing is founded. Classes commence in 1975.
Home baseball field with bleachers to seat 1,200 people is dedicated.
Freshman preceptorial program is launched to increase freshman retention. Freshmen select from several courses with a limited class size, and their professor remains their adviser until they declare a major.
1975
School of Law introduces master of laws in taxation, general master of laws and master of comparative law.
Lawyer's Assistant Program is founded in the Division of Continuing Education.
USD posts its first balanced budget following the merger.
Men's tennis wins second consecutive division championship.
1976
New law library, remodeled from the men's Knights of Columbus Library, is dedicated as the Marvin Kratter Law Library, and later the Lillian and Marvin Kratter Law Library.
Philip Y. Hahn School of Nursing receives full accreditation from the National League for Nursing, only the fifth school to receive national accreditation.
Master's degree in nursing is approved. Classes begin in 1977 with 17 students.
1977
Center for Criminal Justice Policy and Management founded under Professor Edwin Meese (later U.S. attorney general in President Ronald Reagan's administration).
Student participation in intramural sports reaches 1,000, growing to 4,000 students by 1988.
1978
The Philip Y. Hahn School of Nursing building - named the Muriel Marsh Hahn Pavilion - is completed on Marian Way.
Board of trustees approves a School of Education doctoral degree with an emphasis on leadership, USD's first doctoral degree outside of the School of Law. Classes begin in January 1979.
USD debuts two community outreach learning programs: Invisible University, a lifelong learning program for interested groups throughout San Diego County, and University of the Third Age, a campus-based seminar program for persons 55 and older.
Baseball team wins second consecutive championship.
1979
San Dimas Missions residence complex (phase A) built; accommodates 250 students.
School of Business Administration moves from Serra Hall to the House of Studies of the Verona Fathers at the east end of campus.
USD initiates $15 million Discovery capital campaign.
School of Education begins period of growth that includes two minors - leadership and youth leadership administration -specialized training in early childhood education, and a master's program in marriage, family and child counseling.
Honors program, approved by faculty in 1978, opens to students.
By the end of the 1970s, 33 percent of undergraduates and 40 percent of faculty are non-Catholic.
Men's sports teams (excluding football) move into NCAA Division I, the highest competitive level for universities. The university commits to developing seven women's sports, with basketball a priority.
30th Anniversary Snapshot Enrollment 4,123 Faculty 263 Annual undergraduate tuition $3,250 Annual room & board $1,400 to $2, 000 Degrees awarded 721 Campus buildings 18 Square footage 867,000