Fall Conference week
Start your academic year with this comprehensive week-long event.
The Fall Conference schedule incorporates events tailored to faculty, staff and students, including college and department assemblies, workshops, events promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as student move-in and orientation, among other offerings. President Armstrong's Convocation address stands as a prominent feature of the week, accompanied by recognition of exceptional achievements within the campus community.
The Fall Conference schedule will be announced soon.
Convocation
Our formal launch to the academic year will be held Monday, Aug. 17 at 2 p.m.
The 2026 Convocation program will highlight our 125-year history, including key accomplishments of the last year. Among our many achievements is the conversion to a semester schedule, which we will celebrate by highlighting a senior project in which students created a time capsule to commemorate this ambitious change that required the efforts of every faculty and staff member at Cal Poly.
We also will hear from a range of speakers, including President Jeffrey D. Armstrong, setting the vision for 2026 and beyond. And we will present awards to distinguished Cal Poly faculty and staff honorees. Convocation will be followed by a reception in the Performing Arts Center in San Luis Obispo and the Solano Campus Rizza Auditorium.
View last year’s Fall Convocation on the Cal Poly YouTube channel.
Awarding A tradition of excellence
The Cal Poly community acknowledges exceptional service within our campus each year during Fall Conference. This year, we celebrate six remarkable spheres of contribution and the individuals who have profoundly enriched and elevated our community.
Distinguished Teaching
Distinguished Teaching Awardees are recognized for their excellence in teaching, contributions to student engagement and achievement, innovative instruction and commitment to student success.
Distinguished Scholars
Distinguished Scholars exemplify the teacher-scholar model by involving students in their research and applying Cal Poly expertise in direct contributions to our region, state and nation.
Outstanding Faculty Advisor
The Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award, established by the Academic Advising Council, recognizes one faculty member annually who has had a positive influence on students through academic advising.
Outstanding Staff
Outstanding Staff Award winners are selected based on their dedication, loyalty, expertise and contributions to Cal Poly.
Provost’s Leadership Award for Partnership in Philanthropy
The Provost’s Leadership Award celebrates visionary leaders who have forged critical partnerships to advance Cal Poly’s mission.