UC San Diego opens for the 2024-2025 academic year with new student residence halls and the introduction of the School of Computing and Information and Data Sciences. Additional housing and learning facilities are expected to be constructed on campus this coming year.
Housing Neighborhoods
This fall marks the grand opening of the new undergraduate housing buildings in the Pepper Canyon West District, as well as the Thater District Living and Learning Neighborhood. Located next to the UC San Diego Central Campus trolley station, the Pepper Canyon West student housing holds 1,300 beds in apartment-style units for transfer and upper-division students.
Thurgood Marshall College junior Zachary Reisner lives in the brand new Pepper Canyon West Vela Apartments.
“There has not been a proper major community for transfers,” Reisner said. “Finally, UCSD has fixed this issue and created a pristine part of campus.”
“The apartment is spacious, beautiful, and modern. All of the appliances and furniture are brand new, and the view from my apartment is great,” he adds.
Although he enjoys his new space, Reisner also raised some concerns.
“[HDH] is not helpful with fixing the building issues. Due to the building still being under construction, all issues must be addressed with the contractor of the project,” said Reisner.
Associate Director of University Communications Leslie Sepuka responded to students’ concerns on who to contact in regards to housing related issues.
“Residents of Pepper Canyon West Living and Learning Neighborhood are encouraged to contact the “fix it” line with any housing related issues at 858-534-2600. From there, the housing team can determine the best contact to help,” Sepuka said. “For example, something like a loose cabinet hinge may go to the contractor.”
Delays in construction have also restricted students’ accessibility to certain amenities.
“The gym equipment, vending machines, and some furniture are still missing. A major struggle is how there are no food options close to either building. [HDH] is trying to put in different food vendors to the complex, but currently there is only dead space on floors one and zero of the buildings,” he adds.
In response to student concerns about the delays in construction at the Pepper Canyon West residence buildings, Sepuka provided tentative dates for when such amenities will become available to students.
“Pepper Canyon West Living and Learning Neighborhood residences opened first, and the retail dining options — including everything from hot chicken sandwiches to pho — are anticipated to open summer 2025.”
“Now that the majority of residents have moved in, the game room is open. The gym equipment arrived on Monday and should be available in early October. The vending machines will be available within the next month,” she added.
Similar to Pepper Canyon West housing, construction in the newly built Eighth College residence halls is still not complete.
Home of the recently established Eighth College, the Theater District Living and Learning Neighborhood provides 2,000 beds for undergraduate students, administrative offices, classrooms, and underground parking for approximately 1,150 cars. The project also enhanced entry to Revelle College’s campus, creating a transit hub for campus transportation and drop-off zones.
Eighth College sophomore Caden Roberson lives in the Pulse residential building and is satisfied with the features his new space provides.
“The new buildings in Eighth provide lots of areas where we can study and even hangout with friends,” he said.
Similar to Reisner’s experience in the Pepper Canyon West District, Roberson does not have full access to all the amenities in the Pulse and Survivance residence halls.
“There are some delays, though, such as the game room, Pulse’s roof access, and the food court that is being built in Survivance,” he adds.
School of Computing, Information and Data Sciences
The new School of Computing, Information and Data Sciences at UCSD brings together faculty from a wide array of disciplines to improve students’ understanding of data with an emphasis on its contemporary uses, such as the rising advancements in AI.
“The School of Computing, Information and Data Sciences exemplifies UC San Diego’s commitment to addressing one of the most compelling needs of modern times — transforming data into actionable knowledge,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “Computing and data literacy are key to meeting the needs of students and the state of California, advancing critical research areas like the future of artificial intelligence, and bolstering the university’s mission of public service.”
The school is a coalition of the San Diego Supercomputer Center and the Halicioğlu Data Science Institute, both institutes leading in data-intensive computing and research. SDSC uses the National Data Platform, a project focused on broadening access to scientific data among underrepresented researchers, enhancing the integration of said data into educational content and settings.
SCIDS is located on the fourth floor of the Data Sciences Building, hosting five degree programs: BS, MS, online Master’s and PhD in Data Science, and a MAS in Data Science and Engineering.
Future Housing and Learning Facilities
The Multidisciplinary Life Sciences Building aims to provide teaching and research spaces for intersecting areas of study among UCSD Health Sciences. This includes neurodegenerative disease, immunology, and infectious disease. Located west of the Skaggs Pharmaceutical Sciences Building, construction of the new facility is anticipated to begin in fall of 2024 and be completed by 2027.
“This exciting new space will allow our researchers to more rapidly translate foundational biological discoveries to improvements in human health and provide our students a space
designed for interdisciplinary education at the critical interface of biology, machine learning, and advanced instrumentation in preparation that is increasingly critical for a wide array of careers,” said School of Biological Sciences Dean Kit Pogliano.
The university also plans to expand housing for students by developing the 20-acre Pepper Canyon East District with 5,000 beds in apartment-style units. Amenities including food, retail, study spaces, and recreation fields are all part of the multi-phase plan. The first phase of the project is set for completion in the summer of 2029.
“During the 2024-25 year, we will continue to transform our campus by investing in education and research programs and building state-of-the-art facilities for living, teaching, research, health care delivery, arts and community engagement,” read Chancellor Khosla’s welcome email for the upcoming school year.
“Across many dimensions, we are making great strides toward our goals to be a global destination university, to transform a diverse global society by educating the next generation of leaders and changemakers, to provide world-class health care, and to engage in public service,” he said.
