Cal Poly Ranked
The West’s Best Overall Master’s-Level University For a Second Year
Cal Poly has been named best overall master’s-level university in the West for both public and private institutions for the second year in a row in U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Colleges guidebook. It’s the 32nd straight year the Learn by Doing university is ranked best public institution in the West and the second year running it has been ranked tops among all 118 public and private institutions in the region.
Cal Poly Partners with Cuesta, Hancock Colleges
Making it Easier for Local Students to Earn Four-Year Degrees
Cal Poly has announced new 2+2 programs with Cuesta College and Allan Hancock College, designed to expand access for local high school graduates to earn a Cal Poly degree. These partnerships enable qualified students to complete their four-year degrees on the community college campuses while bringing Cal Poly’s renowned Learn by Doing education to even more students in the region. A traditional 2+2 program allows a student to earn a bachelor’s degree by completing two years of study at a community college campus and then transferring to a four-year university for the final two years.
Learn more about the 2 + 2 Programs
Starting on Campus
New Senior Vice President
Allison Baird-James started her tenure as the senior vice president for Administration and Finance on Sept. 3 and immediately dove into her role as chief financial officer for the university. In her first two weeks, Baird-James has immersed herself in everything from the university budget and facilities management to the proposed integration with Cal Maritime. As the financial steward for Cal Poly, Baird-James oversees a broad portfolio that includes budget and fiscal management, facilities management, construction and planning, procurement, risk management, public safety and oversight of auxiliary operations.
Psychology Student
Receives CSU Trustees’ Award and $7,000 Scholarship
A first-generation Cal Poly psychology student who is attending the university alongside her own children has received a 2024 California State University Trustees’ Scholar Award for Outstanding Achievement. The trustee awards are presented annually to one student from each of the CSU system’s 23 campuses. Like her counterparts throughout the Golden State, Maileen Mamaradlo was selected for superior academic performance, personal accomplishments, community service and financial need.
Attend the Virtual Benefits
Open Enrollment Fair on Oct. 2
Attend the Virtual Benefits Open Enrollment Fair on Oct. 2 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., where various health plan and voluntary plan providers will be present to share important information about rates, changes, and key features. This is your opportunity to ask questions as you make important decisions regarding your coverage. Register to attend the Virtual Benefits Open Enrollment Fair.
Visit the Open Enrollment webpage for more information
Ending Oct 11
Benefits Open Enrollment
Benefits Open Enrollment is your annual opportunity to review, enroll, make changes, or cancel your health and voluntary plans effective January 2025. This includes medical, dental, vision, flexcash, dependent care reimbursement account, health care reimbursement account, and voluntary offerings. All plan elections must be completed by Oct. 11.
Visit the Open Enrollment website
Nominations Sought
Faculty Director of Program Improvement
Academic Programs and Planning is seeking nominations for the Faculty Director of Program Improvement, who will provide leadership and direction for academic assessment efforts at the program and institutional levels. This is a full-time faculty position; the successful candidate will be released 100% from teaching and service responsibilities in their home department. Initial appointments run from winter 2025 through spring 2026, with the option for renewal. Applicants must be tenured faculty with academic assessment or leadership experience. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m., Wednesday, Oct.16. Questions? Contact Maureen O’Connor ([email protected]).
The Fall 2025
Admission Application Is Open
Exciting news, the application for fall 2025 is open! And, like last year’s cycle, there are a few updates. The application opened Oct. 1 and will remain open until Dec. 2 (as opposed to Nov. 30 due to the holiday). Decision day for fall 2025 is May 1 (the fall 2024 May 15 extension was due to FAFSA Simplification). For more information about applying, please reference calpoly.edu/admissions.
Secure Your Digital Life
Tips for Strong Passwords and Password Managers
October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and it starts with a focus on strong passwords and using a password manager. Strong passwords should include a mix of uppercase, lowercase, special characters, or a long passphrase. Since these can be hard to remember, using a password manager like LastPass helps securely store and manage them through encryption and multi-factor authentication. Cal Poly partners with LastPass to protect passwords across all devices, notifying users of phishing sites and compromised passwords.
Learn More about LastPass, Cal Poly’s Password Manager
Learning Hub Expands Access to Students
Retiring Skillsoft for Students
We are excited to announce that students now have access to the Cal Poly Learning Hub, replacing the Skillsoft for Students platform, which will be retired Dec. 13, 2024. Please update any links to Skillsoft for Students and direct students to the Learning Hub for training. The Cal Poly Learning Hub now serves students, employees, and auxiliary members, offering thousands of professional development resources, including courses, books, assessments, and AI simulators on topics such as technology, business, leadership, and personal growth. This centralized system streamlines training delivery, reducing administrative time and costs while enhancing the user experience.
Cal Poly Preschool Learning Lab
Openings for faculty/staff!
The Cal Poly Preschool Learning Lab offers a high-quality preschool environment that supports the developmental needs of the whole child in a warm, nurturing, play-based environment. The PLL is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Faculty and staff receive first priority. To be eligible, children must be 3 years old by Sept. 1 and fully potty-trained. Fall program begins Sept. 23. A few spaces are still available! Contact Director Patty Clarkson at [email protected] for tuition rates and more information.
Cal Poly Recreation Center
Become a Member
The Cal Poly Recreation Center is your on-campus hub for wellness, relaxation, fitness and more! For just $45 a month, all Cal Poly faculty and staff have access to this state-of-the-art facility and FREE fitness courses such as yoga, barre, Pilates, cycling and H.I.I.T. Also, take advantage of the Olympic-size lap pool with Aqua Fit, Personal Aquatics Training and more.
View all membership options and course offerings
Santa Maria Commuters
Looking for Vanpool Riders
A small group of Cal Poly workers from Santa Maria have formed a carpool; we are trying to grow this group by a few more riders to start an official Cal Poly vanpool. This van will run Monday through Friday and accommodates an 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. schedule. Transportation and Park Services (TAPS) subsidizes Cal Poly vanpools to make them an extremely affordable option to commute to and from campus. For specific information on the Santa Maria vanpool, please contact Sustainable Transportation Coordinator Colin Pollington at 805-756-6680 or [email protected].
Available for Employees
Election Resources
As the General Election on Nov. 5 approaches, the campus Election Working Group, led by the dean of students, has developed resources highlighting key dates, voter information, and upcoming events to strengthen voter participation and encourage dialogue. Faculty and staff are reminded that it is important to comply with state law and CSU policy regarding the use of CSU resources in connection with election issues. Visit the CSU Handbook of Election Issues to learn what election-related activities are allowed.
Visit the Dean of Students Election Guide
Enjoy Exclusive Dining Membership
Faculty and Staff Savings
There’s still time to buy a Faculty and Staff Dining Membership! The earlier you join, the more savings you can utilize. Choose between two tiers: the Mustang Gold for $350, or the Poly Green for $175. Each option comes with bonus Dining Dollars and entry into the Penny Pick-Me-Up Program at Julian’s every Wednesday. Once you sign up for your membership, head to the third floor of Vista Grande for your free tumbler pre-loaded with fills and begin using it today! Order now through the Money Matters tab in the portal.
SLO Transit
Extended Evening Services Offered
With the return of faculty to campus, SLO Transit has shifted its evening service. Free to faculty and staff with a Cal Poly ID, SLO Transit buses’ new, extended evening fixed-route service hours goes to 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. most weeknights and 8 p.m. on weekends. Additionally, the 6 Express bus is back, running from 6 to 9:20 p.m., directly from campus to the SLO Farmers' Market every Thursday through Nov. 21. SLO Transit encourages riders to plan ahead and download the SLO Transit App, or see the SLO Transit Rider Portal, a web-based version of the app.
First Year GO
Study Abroad Program Takes Flight
Launching Spring 2025, First Year GO (Global Opportunities) is a new study abroad opportunity for first-years in the College of Liberal Arts, Orfalea College of Business, or those with interest in these fields. While exploring the rich Andalusian heritage of Seville, Spain, students will forge lasting friendships with fellow first-years while earning GE, major and/or minor credit. Faculty are invited to encourage eligible students to apply by the Nov. 1 deadline. Scholarships of up to $18,000 are available. Learn more about First Year GO.
Students can register for the upcoming info session on Fri, Oct 4 here
Music Department Announces Its
2024-25 Events Season
The Music Department’s 2024-25 events season will feature guest artists, faculty members and premier student-musicians. Fall highlights include the Faculty Showcase Recital on Oct. 25; violinist Chen Zhao on the Cal Poly Symphony’s Nov. 16 fall concert, “The Butterfly Lovers”; and new faculty member Jamaal Baptiste making make his Cal Poly directorial debut at the Fall Jazz Concert on Nov. 21. Cal Poly faculty and staff receive a 20% discount on individual tickets by calling the ticket office, 6-4849. Contact the Music Department with questions, 6-2406.
Purchase tickets and explore free presentations
Coastal Stewardship, Embodied Activism, and Indigenous Wave Riders
Surf Sovereignty Oct. 9-11
Join Indigenous surfers, coastal stewards, and activists from across the Pacific for a three-day series of events Oct. 9–11 focused on art as activism, coastal conservation and climate futures for Indigenous nations. Surf Sovereignty is a collaboration between Ethnic Studies Professor Lydia Heberling and Simon Fraser University Professor Nicholas Reo, with events including open surf sessions, a beach cleanup, a panel discussion, and a break mapping session. Questions? Contact Lydia Heberling, [email protected]
Office of University Diversity & Inclusion
¡Adelante! 2024 Hispanic-Serving Institution Symposium: Pathway to Becoming an HSI
Join the Office of University Diversity and Inclusion (OUDI) on Wednesday, Oct. 30, for an immersive day that explores Cal Poly’s intentional journey towards becoming a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and the integral role it plays in our university’s mission. The day will include a welcome address from President Armstrong and OUDI leadership, an HSI Student panel discussion, a variety of topic-based workshops for faculty, staff, administrators and students, as well as a student resource fair in UU Plaza.
Cal Poly Art and Design
Celebrates 55th Anniversary
Come and immerse yourself in art, design and nostalgia as the Art and Design Department commemorates 55 years of fostering talent and creativity. The University Art Gallery is celebrating this milestone anniversary with a special exhibit featuring the works of 20 alumni, spanning the graduating generations. The alumni exhibition is free and open to the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, now until Oct. 16.
Get connected with the Art and Design Department
SLO Symphony opens 2024-25 season
‘Organ Spectacular’ at the PAC on Oct. 5
SLO Symphony kicks off its new season with “Organ Spectacular" at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Performing Arts Center. The event will feature guest soloist Felix Hell, one of the most sought-after concert organists in the world, performing the Belgian composer Joseph Jongen’s iconic Sinfonia Concertante for Organ and Orchestra from 1926 on the mighty Forbes Pipe Organ. The Symphony will open with Menuet antique, originally written for piano and later orchestrated by Maurice Ravel. The concert concludes with Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 in E minor op. 98 from 1883, a work of sweeping gestures, soulful yearning and sublime passion.
National Geographic Photographer
Ami Vitale to speak at the PAC on Oct. 11
Join photographer, filmmaker and writer Ami Vitale at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, at the Performing Arts Center for a special “choose-what-you-pay” event presented by the PAC Outreach Program. Ami will take the audience on a journey, sharing powerful stories that drive change and inspire us all to push boundaries and have impact in our daily lives. Ami’s captivating stories are about people learning from wildlife and protecting endangered species such as pandas, rhinos, and elephants. These uplifting narratives show us how hope and collective action are shaping a brighter future for our planet.
“Choose-what-you-pay” tickets start at just $10
OperaSLO Presents
Bizet’s famous opera, “Carmen,” at the PAC on Oct. 19 & 20
Join OperaSLO for their production of “Carmen” at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19 and Sunday, Oct. 20, at the Performing Arts Center. Experience one of the most iconic operas of all time telling a dramatic tale of love, jealousy and tragedy set in 1820s Spain. French composer Georges Bizet’s Spanish-inflected score presents one cascading, unmistakable tune after the other: the famous overture, Carmen’s seductive ‘Habanera,’ Escamillo’s ‘Toreador Song,’ and so much more! The production features an acclaimed cast of opera stars, expansive ballet, spectacular two-story sets, vivid costumes: all accompanied by the OperaSLO Grand Orchestra.