Editing Golden Gate University

{{Short description|Private university in San Francisco, California, US}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
{{Infobox university
 | name                   = Golden Gate University
 | image_name             = Golden Gate University Seal.jpg
 | image_size             = 150px
 | motto                  = ''Civium in moribus rei publicae salus'' ([[Latin]])
 | mottoeng               = "The welfare of the state depends upon the morals of its citizens"
 | established            = {{start date and age|1901}}
 | type                   = [[Private university]]
 | endowment              = $40.3 million (2020)<ref>As of June 30, 2020. {{cite report |url=https://www.nacubo.org/-/media/Documents/Research/2020-NTSE-Public-Tables--Endowment-Market-Values--FINAL-FEBRUARY-19-2021.ashx |title=U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2020 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY19 to FY20 |publisher=National Association of College and University Business Officers and [[TIAA]] |date=February 19, 2021 |access-date=February 21, 2021}}</ref>
 | president              = David J. Fike
 | faculty                = 653<ref name="btn">{{cite web |title=GGU by the Numbers|work= GGU Magazine|date= July 13, 2011 |url=http://ggumagazine.com/2011/07/ggu-by-the-numbers/ |access-date=2011-09-11 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111116014749/http://ggumagazine.com/2011/07/ggu-by-the-numbers/ |archive-date=November 16, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
 | students               = 5,220 (2023)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ggu.edu/student-success-enrollment-trends/ |title=Student Success - Enrollment Trends Golden Gate University |access-date=2024-12-06}}</ref>
 | undergrad              = 
 | postgrad               = 
 | city                   = [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]]
 | state                  = California
 | country                = US
 | coordinates            = {{Coord|37.7893|N|122.3989|W|type:edu_region:US-CA|display=inline,title}}
 | campus                 = [[Urban area|Urban]]
 | former_names           = YMCA Evening College (1901–1923)<br /> Golden Gate College<br>(1923–1972)
 | colors                 = Blue and White {{Color box|#003468}}{{Color box|#FFFFFF}}
 | mascot                 = [[Griffin]]
 | accreditation          = [[WASC Senior College and University Commission|WSCUC]]
 | website                = {{URL|https://www.ggu.edu}}
 | logo                   = 
}}

'''Golden Gate University''' ('''GGU''' or '''Golden Gate''') is a [[private university]] in [[San Francisco, California]], United States. Founded in 1901, GGU specializes in educating professionals through its schools of law, business, taxation, technology, accounting, and undergraduate studies. The university offers 4 undergraduate degrees and 18 graduate degree programs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ggu.edu/academic_programs |title=Degrees & Certificates |website=Ggu.edu |access-date=July 7, 2012 |archive-date=March 22, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040322021747/http://www.ggu.edu/academic_programs |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==History==
[[Image:GoldenGateUniversity.JPG|left|thumb|GGU Campus]]
Golden Gate University evolved out of the literary reading groups of the San Francisco Central [[YMCA]] at a time when, according to one contemporary estimate, only one of every two thousand men had a college education.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=San Francisco Call | title=Law for Busy Men | date=September 6, 1902 }}</ref> GGU shares its YMCA roots with a number of other U.S. universities, including [[Bentley University]], [[Capital University Law School]], [[Michigan State University College of Law]], [[Northeastern University (Boston, Massachusetts)]], [[Northern Kentucky University]] [[Salmon P. Chase College of Law]], [[Roosevelt University]], [[South Texas College of Law]], [[University of Toledo College of Law]], [[Western New England University]], and [[Youngstown State University]]. On November 1, 1881 at the YMCA building at 232 Sutter Street, which the organization had occupied since 1868, the YMCA Night School was established. Classes were offered in [[bookkeeping]], [[mathematics]], [[stenography]], [[elocution]], Spanish and [[gymnastics]].<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=The (San Francisco, Calif.) Morning Call  | title=For Young Men Only: Thirteenth Season at the Young Men's Christian Association | date=October 31, 1893 | page=8 col. 6 }}</ref>  Successful completion of these courses led to a certificate that was recognized by more than 100 colleges and trade schools. Other offerings of the association would include a [[common school]] for boys. In April 1894 the YMCA moved to a new five-story building at the northeast corner of Mason and Ellis Streets.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=The (San Francisco, Calif.) Morning Call  | title=Light of Learning May Shine for All | date=September 6, 1899 | url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1899-09-06/ed-1/seq-5/;words=school+Christian+Association+night?date1=1836&sort=date&rows=20&searchType=basic&state=California&date2=1922&proxtext=christian+association+night+school&dateFilterType=yearRange&index=1 | format=p. 5 col. 6 }}</ref>
[[Image:GGU exterior 1.JPG|thumb|West Wing of GGU's SF Campus]]

The night school was renamed the Evening College on October 1, 1896, and became a full-fledged operation in 1901 with the creation of a law school. The law school was the first of the Y's educational departments to offer a full degree-level course, and thus the university traces its founding to the law school's establishment. Courses in [[Accountancy]] and [[Business Administration]] leading to the degree of [[Bachelor of Science|Bachelor of Commercial Science]] began in 1908. Later, courses in [[foreign trade]] were added. The YMCA building was destroyed in the fire that followed the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]]. Following the earthquake, the school was conducted out of tents, and later leased space at 1220 Geary St. (now [[Geary Boulevard]] near Franklin Street in the [[Western Addition, San Francisco, California|Western Addition]]). In November 1910 the school moved into the YMCA's new building (closed in 2009) at 220 Golden Gate Avenue at Leavenworth Street, in the [[Tenderloin, San Francisco|Tenderloin]] neighborhood.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=San Francisco Call | title=Educational Section of Y.M.C.A. To Open | date=September 9, 1909 | url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1909-09-09/ed-1/seq-2/ | format=PDF }}</ref>

A student contest in 1927 resulted in the adoption of the new name Golden Gate because contest judges thought it symbolized "romantic California".<ref name="miner">{{cite book |title=The Golden Gate University Story, Volume 1 |last = Miner |first=Nagel T. |year=1983 |publisher=Golden Gate University Press |location=San Francisco 94105 |isbn=0-943844-01-0 |page=14 |quote=The author was the president of GGU from 1931 to 1958.}}</ref> The institution was separately incorporated from the Central YMCA on May 18, 1923, as Golden Gate College with the power to confer degrees as California law then provided.<ref>{{cite book | title= History of Higher Educational Annual 2001  | page=62 }}</ref> The college became fully independent of the [[YMCA]] in 1962; however, the "Y" contributed members to the school's Board of Trustees for some time thereafter.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=Transcript of Oral History by Louis H. Heilbron | title=MOST OF A CENTURY: LAW AND PUBLIC SERVICE, 1930s TO 1990s | date=October 28, 1992 | url=https://archive.org/stream/mostofacentury00heilrich/mostofacentury00heilrich_djvu.txt }}</ref>

The college continued to share the YMCA's building until June 1968, when it moved into the Allyne Building, a warehouse at 536 [[Mission Street]] originally built in 1924 as the [[showroom]] and [[wholesale]] department of [[Sherman Clay]], a large retailer of [[pianos]], [[Gramophone record|records]], [[phonograph|record players]], and other [[musical instruments]].<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=Music Trade Review | title=Sherman, Clay & Co. Now Occupying New Wholesale Building in San Francisco | date=May 24, 1924|page=45 | url=http://mtr.arcade-museum.com/MTR-1924-78-21/MTR-1924-78-21-49.pdf }}</ref> The college had purchased the building at [[auction]] in April 1964, and the law school had occupied the first two floors since December 1964.<ref name="sharpe">{{cite book |title=The Golden Gate University Story, Volume 2 |last = Sharpe |first=Russell T. |year=1990 |publisher=Golden Gate University Press |location=San Francisco 94105 |isbn=0-943844-02-9 |page=272 |quote=The author was the president of GGU from 1958 through 1970.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Golden Gate University's place in San Francisco history |url=http://www.laurenhauptmanink.com/samples/GGU_timeline.pdf |access-date=May 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713190252/http://www.laurenhauptmanink.com/samples/GGU_timeline.pdf |archive-date=July 13, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1972, the college expanded and elevated itself to university status. In 1979, a new "west wing" of the university was completed, where most of the classroom space is located today.

==Academics==
Golden Gate University is primarily a post-graduate institution focused on professional training in law and business, with its smaller undergraduate programs linked to its larger graduate and professional schools. Its six schools, with the year a university degree was first offered in the academic discipline, are:

*[[Golden Gate University School of Law]] (1901)
*Edward S. Ageno [[School of Business]] (1908)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edumaritime.com/california/golden-gate-university-san-francisco |title=Supply Chain Programs |work=Edumaritime.com |access-date=2013-12-04}}</ref>
*School of [[Accountancy|Accounting]] (1908)
*Bruce F. Braden School of Taxation (1970)
*School of Undergraduate Studies (2019)

Golden Gate University School of Law was founded in 1901. The School of Law offers the [[Master of Legal Studies|MSL]], [[Master of Laws|LLM]], and [[Doctor of Juridical Science|JSD]] degrees. The school is no longer accepting students seeking the [[Juris Doctor|JD]] degree.<ref>{{cite web |title=National Jurist |url=https://nationaljurist.com/national-jurist/news/golden-gate-to-close-jd-program-keep-graduate-law-degrees/ |website=nationaljurist.com |date=December 2023 |access-date=17 January 2024}}</ref>

The School of Undergraduate Studies offers the degrees of [[Associate of Arts|AA]], [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]], and [[Bachelor of Science|BS]].

The Ageno School of Business offers the degrees of [[Master of Arts|MA]], [[Master of Science|MS]], [[MBA]], Executive (part-time) MBA (EMBA), [[Master of Public Administration|MPA]], and [[Doctor of Business Administration|DBA]].

Additionally, the degrees of Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology and Master of Arts in Industrial-Psychology are offered.

The Braden School of Taxation offers a [[Master of Taxation]], and the School of Accounting offers an MS in Accounting Data & Analytics ([[Master of Accountancy|MSA]]).

===Undergraduate admissions===
Golden Gate University requires a minimum 2.0 high school [[Academic grading in the United States#Grade conversion|GPA]] for admission and does not require submission of either [[SAT]] or [[ACT (test)|ACT]] scores. Some of the bachelor’s degree programs may have additional application requirements.<ref>{{cite web |title=Undergraduate Admissions |url=https://ggu.edu/admissions/ |website=ggu.edu|publisher=Golden Gate University |access-date=30 January 2025}}</ref> Golden Gate University has not reported high school GPA data for its accepted students..<ref>{{cite web |title= Golden Gate University Admission Requirements |url=https://www.collegesimply.com/colleges/california/golden-gate-university/admission/|website=collegesimply.com |publisher=CollegeSimply {{!}} U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics |access-date=30 January 2025}}</ref>

===Accreditation===
Golden Gate University has been accredited by the [[Western Association of Schools and Colleges]] (WASC) or its successor organization, the [[WASC Senior College and University Commission]] since 1959. It had previously been accredited by what is now the [[Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities]] since 1950.<ref>{{cite book | author= Drury, Clifford Merill | title= San Francisco YMCA: 100 years by the Golden Gate, 1853–1953 | year= 1963 }}</ref> Additionally, the school of law has been accredited by the [[American Bar Association]] (ABA) since August 1956 and the Committee of Bar Examiners of the [[State Bar of California]] since 1940 (standards for accreditation having been adopted in 1937).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ggu.edu/school_of_law/about_ggu_law/history/1930s |title=Law |publisher=Ggu.edu |access-date=2013-12-04}}</ref> The university's financial planning program is registered with the [[Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cfp.net/become/programs.asp |title=Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. - List of CFP Board-Registered Programs |publisher=Cfp.net |date=November 12, 2007 |access-date=July 7, 2012}}</ref> and students completing either the undergraduate minor in financial planning <ref>{{cite web|url=https://ggu.edu/minors/ |title=Minors Golden Gate University |publisher=GGU.edu |access-date=2024-12-06}}</ref> or the certificate in financial planning qualify to sit for the [[Certified Financial Planner]] (CFP) certification exam.

===Online programs===
Golden Gate first offered [[distance education]] programs in 1993 via correspondence, online courses in 1997, then began offering fully accredited [[online degree]] programs in 1998. Online offerings include 13 graduate degrees, two undergraduate degrees, seven graduate certificates, and 10 undergraduate certificates, all of which can be completed entirely online.<ref>n{{cite web|url=http://www.ggu.edu/cybercampus/DegreesCourses |title=Degrees & Certificates |publisher=Ggu.edu |access-date=July 7, 2012}}</ref> GGU currently uses the [[Moodle]] online learning platform to manage and deliver course content.

===Rankings===
In 2025, ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'' did not rank Golden Gate University's undergraduate programs. The only Graduate School Rankings by ''U.S. News'' were for the [[Golden Gate University School of Law]] (No.178-196 out of 196, bottom 8% at most, and which school discontinued its [[Juris Doctor|JD]] program beginning November 30, 2023),<ref name=lawschool/> and its Public Affairs Program (tied for No.247 out of 271 programs).<ref>{{cite web |title=Golden Gate University |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/golden-gate-university-115083/overall-rankings |website=usnews.com |publisher=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |access-date=30 January 2025}}</ref>

==Administration==
At its incorporation as a separate institution from the YMCA in 1923, the college governance was divided between a four-member (increased to nine members in 1948) Board of Governors, which ran educational programs of the college including the conferral of degrees, and a five-member Board of Trustees to hold the college property. The appointments of the director, governors and trustees were made by the San Francisco [[YMCA]]. A 1948 reorganization raised the director of education to president, the incumbent director, Nagel T. Miner (since 1931), becoming president. In September 1949 the board of governors and board of trustees were merged, with all current trustees retiring, and the members of the board of governors being elected onto the board of trustees, which had 14 members out of a possible maximum of 21 members.

Currently, the university is managed by a self-sustaining board of trustees of between 15 and 20 members. Trustees serve 3-year terms with one-third up for election annually. The president of the university and the president of the [[Alumni Association]] hold voting seats on the board. Additionally, there are four non-voting [[ex officio]] members, the President of the [[Student Government]], the President of the Student Bar Association (law school [[student government]]); the President of the University Faculty Senate, and the chair of the law faculty. The trustees are selected from the worlds of [[business]], [[law]], [[accounting]], [[taxation]], and [[philanthropy]].<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=State Treasurer of California |title=Executive Summary, Golden Gate University CFEA Bond Issue |date=June 2005 |url=http://www.treasurer.ca.gov/cefa/staff/20050330_224.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101009071110/http://www.treasurer.ca.gov/cefa/staff/20050330_224.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2010 |df=mdy }}</ref>  Since 2003 the majority of trustees have been alumni of the university. Of the current trustees<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ggu.edu/about-ggu/board-of-trustees/ | title=Board of Trustees }}</ref> all but three have at least one academic degree (excluding honorary degrees) from GGU.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=Businesswire  | title=Golden Gate University Elects New Officers to Board of Trustees; New Officers, New Members -- Mostly GGU Alumni | date=November 5, 2002 }}</ref>

The day-to-day operation of the university is in the hands of a president, provost, vice-presidents, and the deans of the schools (Accounting, Business, Law, Undergraduate Studies, and Taxation).

===Presidents===
Before 1948, the top executive was called the educational director.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! No. !! Name !! Term
|-
| 1.|| Arthur A. Macurda || 1901–14<ref name="Miner1941"/><ref name="Miner1950"/>
|-
| 2.|| Archie R. Mack || 1914–31<ref name="Miner1941"/><ref name="Miner1950"/>
|-
| 3.|| Nagel T. Miner || 1931–58<ref name="Miner1941">{{cite web |last1=Miner |first1=Nagel |title=The Law School 1930-1941 |url=https://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=history |website=digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu |publisher=Golden Gate University School of Law |access-date=10 January 2021 |pages=Chapter 7 in: The Golden Gate University Story, Volume One, pp. 69–82. (Golden Gate University Press, 1982.) |language=en |date=1982}}</ref><ref name="Miner1950">{{cite web |last1=Miner |first1=Nagel |title=The Law School 1944-1950 |url=https://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=history |website=digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu |publisher=Golden Gate University School of Law |access-date=10 January 2021 |date=1982}}</ref><ref name="100Yrs">{{cite web |title=Celebrating 100 Years |url=https://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=aboutggulaw |website=digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu |publisher=Golden Gate University School of Law |access-date=10 January 2021 |pages=Digital Commons: Articles About GGU Law |language=en |date=2001}}</ref>
|-
| 4.|| Russell T. Sharpe || 1958–70<ref>{{cite web |title=Russell T. Sharpe; Former President of Golden Gate University |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-04-20-mn-460-story.html |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=10 January 2021 |language=en |date=20 April 1992}}</ref>
|- 
| 5.|| Otto W. Butz || 1970–92<ref name="Butz">{{cite web |last1=Butz |first1=Otto W. |last2=Butz |first2=Velia |last3=Donnelly |first3=Nisa |title=The Law School Comes of Age (1970-1992) |url=https://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=history |website=digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu |publisher=Golden Gate University School of Law |access-date=10 January 2021 |page=Chapter 7 in: Voyage of Discovery, A History of Golden Gate University, Volume III 1970–1992, pp. 153–193. (Golden Gate University Press, 2008) |language=en |date=2008}}</ref>
|-
| 6.|| Thomas M. Stauffer || 1992–99<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chiang |first1=Harriet |title=Golden Gate University President Resigns / Board of trustees names successor to beleaguered chief |url=https://www.sfgate.com/education/article/Golden-Gate-University-President-Resigns-Board-2938295.php |website=sfgate.com |publisher=SFGate |access-date=10 January 2021 |language=en |date=3 April 1999}}</ref>
|-
| 7.|| Philip Friedman || 1999–2007<ref>{{cite web |title=Philip Friedman, PhD |url=https://www.ggu.edu/undergraduate/faculty/bio/philip-friedman |website=ggu.edu |publisher=Golden Gate University |access-date=10 January 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| 8.|| [[Dan Angel (politician)|Dan Angel]] || 2007–15<ref name="DanAngel">{{cite web |last1=Examiner Staff |title=Dan Angel: New president at Golden Gate University |url=https://www.sfexaminer.com/national-news/dan-angel-new-president-at-golden-gate-university/ |website=sfexaminer.com |publisher=San Francisco Examiner |access-date=6 January 2021 |date=12 January 2007}}</ref>
|-
| 9.|| David J. Fike || 2015–present<ref name="Fike">{{cite web |title=Dr. David J. Fike Named Seventh President of Golden Gate University |url=https://www.ggu.edu/press-room/press-releases#05-04-15 |website=ggu.edu |publisher=Golden Gate University |access-date=6 January 2021 |date=4 May 2015}}</ref>
|}

==Campus==
[[Image:Looking SW from Mission and Ecker St, SF, night.jpg|thumb|right|GGU shown at night--second building from the right (the taller building behind is the Chase Bank)]]
The GGU campus is located at 536 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94105 <ref>{{cite web |title=ED.GOV College Navigator - Golden Gate University |url=https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=golden+gate&s=CA&id=115083 |website=nces.ed.gov |access-date=19 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Golden Gate University |url=https://my.ggu.edu/media/law/documents/about/2013-law-school-timeline.pdf |website=Golden Gate University |access-date=19 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231119090437/https://my.ggu.edu/media/law/documents/about/2013-law-school-timeline.pdf |archive-date=19 November 2023 |language=en}}</ref> in the Financial District of San Francisco.

==Students==
Roughly 67 percent of students who attend Golden Gate University are in graduate business programs, 12 percent are in undergraduate programs, and 21 percent were law students, the law school announcing that it would discontinue its [[Juris Doctor|JD]] program on November 30, 2023.<ref name=lawschool>{{cite web |title=Golden Gate teach-out plan approved by ABA amid legal dispute |url=https://nationaljurist.com/national-jurist/news/golden-gate-teach-out-plan-approved-by-aba-amid-legal-dispute/ |website=nationaljurist.com |publisher=preLaw / National Jurist |access-date=16 April 2025}}</ref>

According to Data USA, "The enrolled student population at Golden Gate University-San Francisco is 32.4% White, 17.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 12.7% Black or African American, 1.65% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, 1.32% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 1.11% Two or More Races."<ref>{{cite web |title=DATA USA |url=https://datausa.io/profile/university/golden-gate-university-san-francisco |website=datausa.io |access-date=17 January 2024}}</ref>

==Notable alumni and faculty==
{{Main|List of Golden Gate University people}}- [[David Benjamin Oppenheimer]], Former associate dean at Golden Gate University. Currently, a clinical professor of law at [[UC Berkeley School of Law]] and the director of UC Berkeley's Center on Comparative Equality and Anti-Discrimination Law.<gallery perrow="5">
Image:Terence_Henricks.jpg|[[Terence Henricks]], MPA '82, one of the former commanders of the [[Space Shuttle Columbia]]     
Image:Mary_Hayashi.jpg|[[Mary Hayashi]], MBA, [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] former [[California State Assembly]] member. First [[Korean-American]] woman in California's legislative history.  
Image:Philip_Burton.jpg|[[Phillip Burton|Philip Burton]], LLB '52, deceased former US Congressman
Image:Fiona_Ma.jpg|[[Fiona Ma]], MS '93, 34th [[California State Treasurer|Treasurer of California]] and former member of the [[California State Assembly]]
</gallery>

== See also ==
{{Portal|San Francisco Bay Area}}
* [[List of colleges and universities in California]]
* [[List of business schools in the United States]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Golden Gate University|position=left}}
*[http://www.ggu.edu/ Official website]

{{Financial District, San Francisco}}
{{South of Market, San Francisco}}
{{San Francisco Colleges}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|37.78923|N|122.3988|W}}

[[Category:Golden Gate University| ]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1901]]
[[Category:Schools accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges]]
[[Category:Financial District, San Francisco]]
[[Category:South of Market, San Francisco]]
[[Category:1901 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges founded by the YMCA]]
[[Category:Private universities and colleges in California]]