College of Engineering
Noyce School of Applied Computing Receives Transformational $60 Million Donation
Cal Poly is home to the first interdisciplinary school of its kind thanks to a $60 million gift from the Robert N. Noyce Trust. The Noyce School of Applied Computing combines three departments — Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Software Engineering, and Computer Engineering — with Statistics joining as an affiliate, paving the way for students and faculty using computer principles, concepts and technologies to address real-world problems. Software Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering accounted for 15% of recent university applications, and those numbers continue to grow every year.
Read more about the transformational gift
Office of the Registrar
Registrar to Relocate to Mustang Business Park
The Office of the Registrar will shift to the Mustang Business Park, located off Broad Street near the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport. The move comes with a Virtual Front Desk — a new way for those with questions to connect. Offered through the Records Unit — available on Zoom, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. — the Virtual Front Desk ensures assistance is readily available to assist with registration issues, leaves of absence, term and course withdrawals, and transcript inquiries. For more information on how best to contact the Office of the Registrar in its new location, visit the Registrar’s email contact details.
Central Coast Social Justice Education Conference
School of Education Hosts 7th Annual Ed Event on May 18
Cal Poly faculty and staff are invited to the free, in-person seventh annual Central Coast Social Justice Education Conference on Saturday, May 18, from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. The daylong campus event focuses on the collective work to name and challenge forms of oppression by bringing together local educators and activists committed to justice and education. The event includes a panel of K-12 educators and Central Coast community activists. Keynote speaker Akiea “Ki” Gross (they/them), is an early childhood educator, creator, former classroom teacher, instructional coach and cultural organizer who established Woke Kindergarten. Free lunch will be provided by Efren’s Restaurant.
For more details and registration
Kennedy Library Transformation
Feedback Sought May 16-28 on New Library Furniture
The Kennedy Library Transformation Team along with project representatives BKM and Miller Hull will display furniture samples to get feedback from library occupants, staff, faculty and students. The campus community is invited to test various furniture items in Room 109-C in Facilities Management and Development Building (No. 70), located next to the H-4 parking lot off Truckee Road. Furniture testing is available Thursday, May 16, through Tuesday, May 28, from 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. A brief survey will be provided to testing participants.
Academic Services for Kennedy Library
Katherine O'Clair Selected for UCLA Library Senior Fellows Program
Katherine O’Clair, associate dean for Academic Services for the Kennedy Library, has been selected for the 2024 cohort of the UCLA Library Senior Fellows program. Renowned as the library profession's most enduring leadership development initiative, this program offers an exceptional platform for growth and strategic learning in academic librarianship. Over three weeks in July, O’Clair will collaborate at UCLA with 19 other top managers of academic libraries across the nation in comprehensive workshops and strategic discussions to foster leadership and innovation in academia.
Read more about UCLA Library Senior Fellows Program
Cal Poly Preschool Learning Lab
Summer and Fall Openings for Children Available
Cal Poly’s Preschool Learning Lab offers a high-quality preschool environment that supports the developmental needs of the whole child. The lab is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Children of faculty and staff receive first priority. The summer program runs June 24- Aug. 30. All children in this session will be automatically enrolled in the regular fall 2024 program if they are continuing in preschool. To be eligible, children must be 3 years old by June 24 and fully potty-trained. The fall program begins Sept. 23. Email Director Patty Clarkson ([email protected]) for tuition rates and more information.
Department of Art and Design
Type Designer James Edmondson to Give Talk May 17
The Department of Art and Design will host type designer James Edmondson of the Oakland-based independent foundry OH no Type Co, on Friday, May 17,at 4 p.m. in the Baker Center (No. 180), Room 102. Edmondson started OH no Type Co. in 2015 out of a love for under-appreciated genres and vernacular typography. He and his team create custom and retail typefaces. All faculty, staff and students interested in design, typography and beautiful letterforms are encouraged to attend the talk. Edmondson studied graphic design at California College of the Arts and graduated from the Royal Academy of Art’s TypeMedia program in the Netherlands.
Cal Poly Athletics
Another Sweep: Track & Field Teams Claim Big West Titles
The word historic doesn't do justice to what occurred at the Miller & Capriotti Athletics Complex May 10-11. As a first-time host of the Big West Track & Field Championships, Cal Poly is the first school in 14 years to sweep the men's and women's conference titles. The Mustang men earned their first conference title, and the women secured their second (since 2021). It comes on the heels of Big West titles won last fall by the men's and women's cross country teams. Cal Poly's remarkable showing on the final day of the track and field conference finals May 11 allowed the program to achieve a feat no other school in the history of the Big West has accomplished.
Cal Poly News
Engineers Embrace the Right to Repair
Though California's new Right to Repair law doesn’t take effect until July, Cal Poly engineers have already embraced repairability to help cut down on e-waste and improve sustainability. Mechanical engineering student Claire Franz is studying why consumers dispose of membrane computer keyboards instead of repairing them. Franz and mechanical engineering Professor Hyeonik Song took the most common complaints in product reviews — like dead or sticking keys — and developed physical solutions using 3-D printed components. Learn more about this project and a new student club, the Repair Café, on the Cal Poly News website.
University Personnel – Employee Wellbeing
Wellbeing Workshops Offered May 22-23
University Personnel – Employee Wellbeing has worked with Cal Poly’s employee assistance program, LifeMatters, to offer synchronous well-being workshops. These include:
- Eat Right, Live Well: May 22 at 2 p.m. Learn how exercise and nutrition support a healthy lifestyle, including a healthy diet, meal planning strategies and practical strategies for including exercise in your day.
- Conflict Management Styles: May 23 at 10 a.m. Learn to assess conflict management styles and determine which is most effective in each situation. Discussion includes types of workplace conflict, identifying chronic conflict situations and strategies to use to avoid conflict.
Questions on well-being workshops? Email Lisa Gray ([email protected]).
Benefits and Employee Services
CalPERS Offers Free Member Education Benefits Event June 7-8
CalPERS Benefits Education Events will host workshops for members at all career stages June 7-8 at Embassy Suites Hotel in San Luis Obispo. Developing an early understanding of benefits will prepare members to make informed decisions and plan for their financial future. CalPERS’s informative classes will discuss retirement and health benefits, retirement options, how to use the tools in their secure myCalPERS account, and more. An Ask the Experts area, hosted by the CalPERS programs and partnering organizations, will answer questions before or after classes.
Bike Month
Community Mountain Bike Ride Planned for May 23
In support of Bike Month, Cal Poly Sustainability and Fleet Services will host a campus community morning mountain bike ride on Poly Canyon Road on Thursday, May 23. All dirt-worthy bikes are welcome, including gravel, hardtails and full-suspension bikes. Cyclists should meet at the Fleet Service Building (No. 71) on Village Drive near Poly Canyon Street, starting at 6:45 a.m. Pedal-out will be at 7:10 a.m., and a light breakfast will be provided after the ride at 7:45 a.m. back at Building 71. Questions? Email Edgar Palacios ([email protected]).
Basic Needs
Resources Workshop for Faculty and Staff on May 20
Faculty and staff are invited to attend the Basic Needs Resources workshop on Monday, May 20, at 11 a.m. in the Health Center Building (No. 27), Conference Room (Room 11). The workshop will highlight basic needs resources available on campus, including food, housing and emergency financial support. Join the Basic Needs team for a free lunch, giveaways and to hear details about the critical support services available to campus community members! Questions? Email Basic Needs Coordinator Hannah Steen ([email protected]).
Music Department
Violinist Sarah Saviet to Present Master Class and Recital May 16
Guest violinist Sarah Saviet will present a master class and recital Thursday, May 16, in Room 218 of the Davidson Music Center (No. 45). At 11:10 a.m. she will coach string chamber music students, then at 5:30 p.m., she turns into a performer for a recital of new music for solo violin, including her own compositions. Saviet, based in Berlin, is dedicated to the performance of contemporary music. She performs as a soloist and chamber musician and is a member of the Saviet/Houston Duo and Ensemble Mosaik. More information is on the Music Department’s website.
Performing Arts Center
Spring Jazz Concert to Feature Bassist Marcus Shelby on May 17
Marcus Shelby, notable Bay Area bassist, bandleader, composer and educator, will be the featured performer at the Cal Poly Spring Jazz Concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 17, in the Performing Arts Center. Shelby, who was also a member of the University Jazz Band (UJB) from 1988-89, will direct the band and play bass in a set of his original compositions and arrangements. Dave Becker will direct UJB for other pieces. The Jazz Combos, directed by Dylan Johnson, and Vocal Jazz Ensemble, directed by Inga Swearingen, will open the concert. More information is on the Music Department’s website.
Spanos Theatre
Spring Dance Concert ‘Polaris’ Set for May 22-24
Polaris, or the North Star, is a historical symbol of direction: Once viewed, the observer knows the cardinal compass point. The Theatre and Dance Department’s spring concert, “Polaris,” will assemble over 100 student dancers from across campus Wednesday through Friday, May 22-24, at 7:30 p.m. in Spanos Theatre (No. 44). The diverse cast promises to deliver a stellar performance. This year’s show is completely directed, choreographed and performed by students. With genres from modern and contemporary to jazz and tap, dancers grow and navigate through dance — their Polaris or guiding light. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for general admission.