Cal Poly and Its Students Infuse $1 Billion into Central Coast, Economic Impact Study Reports
Cal Poly’s economic contributions ripple throughout the county, region and state, supporting thousands of jobs and generating more than $1.6 billion in industry activity and over $105 million of state and local tax revenue, according to an economic impact study commissioned by the CSU. During 2018-19, the campus spent more than $1 billion, including up of $535.1 million in operational expenditures, $132.5 million in auxiliary costs and $70.1 million on construction projects. In addition, Cal Poly’s more than 20,000 students spent nearly $280 million. Researchers from ICF International Inc., a global advisory and digital services provider, utilized data from the 2018-19 academic year. Additionally, Cal Poly alumni who live on the Central Coast — a region of five counties that include Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey and San Benito — earned an additional $996.4 million, thanks to their degrees, and alumni who remained in the Golden State earned an additional $3.8 billion in 2019.
CAFES Seeks Input on Future of Swanton Pacific Ranch
The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences is in the process of re-envisioning the purpose of Swanton Pacific Ranch after much of it was destroyed by the CZU Lightning Complex Fires in August 2020. The college is seeking input on what the future of Swanton Pacific Ranch should look like. The campus community is invited to participate in this process by taking a survey and providing input. The survey is short and should only take about 10 minutes. The college’s guiding principle for this process is honoring Al Smith’s vision of Swanton Pacific Ranch as a unique Learn by Doing living and learning laboratory for Cal Poly students, dedicated to providing students, faculty, staff and the community with unparalleled learning and research opportunities for understanding sustainable land management practices. Campus responses will help inform the development of the strategic intent — the college’s roadmap — for Swanton Pacific Ranch.
Take the Swanton Pacific Ranch Survey
A&F Focus Forward is Live; Give Feedback, Win Prizes
The new Administration and Finance survey, Focus Forward, is now live. With this reimagined survey, A&F leadership is reaching out to its constituents across campus for feedback on the division’s response to the pandemic over the past year. This information will help leadership learn from customers’ experiences with each department in a way that shares their knowledge and values. Open to all faculty, staff and students, Focus Forward will be available until April 30. The survey covers every unit and department within A&F; however, campus community members are only being asked to complete the sections relevant to them. For every section that participants complete, they will be entered into a drawing for an iPad Mini or more than 60 other prizes. The information gathered from the survey will be used to reassess A&F unit offerings and deliverables. This survey gives A&F leadership an opportunity to reflect on and assess needs, necessities and requests so they can continue to evolve to meet them.
Learn more about and participate in the Focus Forward survey
COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility Continues to Expand in SLO County
The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department announced that SLO County community members ages 30 and older are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine locally. This includes Cal Poly students in this age group. The county’s eligibility also includes a list of specific employment sectors, including all Cal Poly employees and residents with specific medical conditions or disabilities. Those eligible can look for first-dose appointments at several local pharmacies or at one of three SLO County mass vaccination sites. Employees can sign up for the county’s vaccine registry online or through the County Phone Assistance Center at 805-543-2444 or 805-781-4280 (seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). University employees who live outside the county are still eligible for a vaccine at a county site based on their employment at Cal Poly. Review these frequently asked questions on Cal Poly’s vaccine page to help prepare for your appointment. SLO County Public Health advises everyone to plan to receive their second dose, if necessary, wherever they received their first dose. Second-dose appointments through a county-run vaccine clinic can be scheduled on the recoverslo.org website and should follow the timeline given to you at your first-dose appointment. Employees are highly encouraged to receive the vaccine when eligible but are not currently required to be vaccinated. Learn more about the vaccines and the vaccination process on the recoverslo.org frequently asked questions page and the Cal Poly coronavirus website’s vaccine page.
Sign up for the vaccine registry
COVID-19 Vaccine Fact Check: Why Should Young People Consider Getting Vaccinated?
Welcome to the COVID-19 Vaccine Fact Check, weekly insights on the COVID-19 vaccines presented by Campus Health and Wellbeing. This week’s fact check addresses why young people should consider the COVID-19 vaccine. Here's what our campus experts say: Vaccines can protect the health of young people by reducing the risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19. Though young people tend to exhibit less severe symptoms of COVID-19, they can still become severely ill, have lingering health effects from the virus, and transmit the virus to others — especially those who may be more vulnerable — whether they're symptomatic or not. Also, young people don't always know if they have an underlying health condition that might make them more vulnerable to serious disease. Young people, specifically students, make up a significant portion of our local community. A strong vaccination rate among them will help campus and the Central Coast reach a degree of community protection — or herd immunity — that will make in-person activities possible and will help our economy reopen safely. Look for more COVID Vaccine Fact Check posts in future editions of the Cal Poly Report.
How Cal Poly's Jazz Ensembles Kept Making Music in a Pandemic
In February 2020, music Professor Arthur White and the students in Cal Poly's Jazz Ensemble and Vocal Jazz Ensemble were planning to record a CD when the coronavirus pandemic changed their plans. More than 365 days and one pandemic later, that CD, titled “another time, another place,” is out and available on streaming services — a testament to their grit and determination to put music out into the world in a time when playing music in a physical group is nearly impossible. “Normally we’re all out performing and playing gigs and interacting with people,” said White, the Music Department’s director of jazz studies. “We didn’t have that option this year, so we’ve done what we can. This was a way to commit to creating music in this environment.” The process of making the CD taught second-year music major and Vocal Jazz Ensemble member Danna Dumandan about her own ability to persevere as a musician in a difficult time. “The fact that I got it done and just didn’t put it down and quit, I’m proud of myself for that and I’m glad I kept going," she said.
Read the full article on the Jazz Ensemble
Transfer Academic Coaching Appointments Available
Free transfer academic coaching appointments are available to all transfer students. Faculty and staff are encouraged to share with any transfer students they work with that they can sign up to meet with one of the Cal Poly Transfer Center’s two current academic coaches. These coaches offer one-to-one support on topics including but not limited to: study tips, time management, mapping out course assignments for the quarter, connecting with faculty, navigating group projects and more. Student coaches can also refer students to other campus resources. Questions? Reach out to Heather Domonoske at hdomonos@calpoly.edu.
All Grades from PolyLearn Must be Exported and Saved
Per CSU policy, faculty must access their old PolyLearn courses to export their gradebooks (fall 2017 to summer 2020) and save them to OneDrive (safe for level two data) before Aug. 29, 2021. The policy, CSU: Records/Information Retention and Disposition Schedule: 4.2.22, can be viewed online. The policy requires faculty to save full gradebooks for up to five years. Canvas courses starting fall 2019 will remain in Canvas until the start of spring 2022. Faculty can also export the grades and save to OneDrive.
Learn more about how to access PolyLearn and export your gradebook
Do-It-Yourself Video Captioning Training Available to Campus Community
The Disability Resource Center (DRC) offers monthly DIY video captioning trainings via Zoom for faculty, staff and/or their student assistants. The next training will be held from 3-4:30 p.m. Monday, April 12. Attendees will learn how to use various automated transcription tools to create accurate closed captions for videos uploaded to YouTube. Visit accessibility.calpoly.edu to register for this training and to request accommodations as needed. Once registered, participants will automatically receive a Zoom link for the training. Questions? Email John Lee at jlee245@calpoly.edu. This training session will have live captions and transcripts available.
Register for the April 12 Training
Join the Spring ‘Opt in’ to Ally to Improve Student Success
Ally is now integrated into Canvas to help faculty create accessible course materials to improve usability and quality for all students. By opting in to Ally this spring, faculty can easily see which resources need improvements and are provided with step-by-step instructions on how to fix them. Students cannot see the course/files accessibility reports (only faculty can), but students will have access to alternative format options. Faculty who are interested in trying Ally this spring, can request for their course to be Ally enabled. Ally is scheduled to be enabled for all Canvas Courses starting summer 2021.
Cross-campus Collaboration Courses Allow Professional Development with CSU Colleagues
Many professional development workshops provided by Employee and Organization Development and the CSU campuses that were formerly in-person are now offered online. This gives the campus community a unique opportunity to extend learning beyond campus borders and offer a new way to share professional development across the CSU. New courses were recently added, with additional dates that participants can view and register for using the links below. Registration is limited and on a first-come basis. Don’t delay. The courses are:
- Self-coaching | April 6, 1-2:30 p.m.
- DIY Career Development and Planning | April 8, 1:30-3 p.m.
- Leaders @ change | April 9, 9-11 a.m.
- Exposing Hidden Bias | April 13, 1:30-3 p.m.
- SMART Goals | April 15, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Virtual Facilitation | April 16, 9 a.m. to noon
- Crucial Conversations | April 20, 10 a.m. to noon
- Work Life Integration | April 20, 1-2:30 p.m.
- Mindfully Managing the Heart Side of Change | April 22, 2-3:30 p.m.
- Employee Engagement | April 23, 10 a.m. to noon
- Resume 101 | April 27, 10-11 a.m.
- Self-Care Strategies for Wholehearted Living | April 27, 10-11:30 a.m.
- Respect in the Workplace | April 28, 10:30 a.m.-noon
- Positive Psychology | April 29, 1-3 p.m.
- The Art and Science of Building an Organizational Culture | April 30, 10:30 a.m.-noon
New Ninjio Information Security Video About Personally Identifiable Information
This month’s information security video from NINJIO concerns personally identifiable information (PII). At Cal Poly, campus community members aren’t just responsible for their own personally identifiable information, some are responsible for employee and student data too. In this NINJIO episode, see how Louie plans to steal PII from a company and resell it to make money. You’ll learn how PII can be used by criminals, so you can make more informed decisions about how and when to share sensitive data. All NINJIO training videos are available on the Cal Poly Learning Hub under the Staff and Faculty Training tab on the My Cal Poly Portal. NINJIO videos are available to emeritus at the InfoSec Microsoft Stream.
Watch the PII information security video
Faculty Invited to Submit Proposals for Virtual Exchange
The Cal Poly International Center seeks proposals from full-time faculty members to integrate virtual exchange activities into their course curriculum for courses taught fall 2021 to summer 2022. Faculty whose proposals are accepted for funding will receive one grant of up to $1,000 toward professional development funds that can be used for equipment, educational materials, student assistants and/or other approved purchases. The deadline to apply has been extended to May 3.
Learn more about Virtual Exchange proposals
SSO Upgrade and Migration to Occur April 3
Information Technology Services (ITS) will upgrade Cal Poly’s single sign-on (SSO) service and migrate it to the cloud at 7 a.m. Saturday, April 3. No service interruptions are anticipated. If you are logged in to My Cal Poly Portal, Canvas or any other services tied to SSO at the time of the migration, you may be asked to log in again after the transition is complete. The ITS Service Desk is available to help anyone with questions. Request support online via Support Center, email servicedesk@calpoly.edu, or call ext. 6-7000.
'Disability Tapas' Presentations to be Held on Thursdays Through Spring Quarter
Disabilities come in many different forms and can vary greatly. Join the Disability Resource Center (DRC) for some snack-size information and interactive discussions on a variety of disability-related topics. Presentations are geared toward faculty and staff (students are welcome), and offered every Thursday from 11:10 a.m. to noon via Zoom. Past presentations are viewable at https://drc.calpoly.edu/disability-tapas. The presentations include:
- April 8: Introduction to Disability Resource Center (DRC) Services
- April 15: Supporting Students with Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Concussive Symptoms
- April 22: Accessibility Made Easy: Tech Tools and Tips to Try
- April 29: Introduction to Disability Allyship
- May 6: Understanding Chronic Invisible Illness
- May 13: Supporting Students with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
- May 20: The Why and DIY of Video Captioning (1.5 hours)
- May 27: Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities
- June 3: Supporting Students with Autism
Learn more about the Disability Tapas series
New Self-Service Software Center Available for Windows Users
By the end of April, all campus-managed PCs running Windows will be upgraded to an administration platform that enables automatic security updates and self-service software downloads. The roll-out of the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) is well underway and is happening in phases. Any users with a PC running Windows will either be notified by their local tech support personnel about the upgrade, or their computer will automatically upgrade in the background. After the upgrade, campus Windows users will be able to open the Software Center application and download enterprise-licensed software from Microsoft, Adobe, Autodesk and more. The ITS Service Desk is available to help anyone with questions. Request support online via Support Center, email servicedesk@calpoly.edu, or call ext. 6-7000.
Free AWS Cloud Training Available April 14 and 21
Cal Poly Extended Education is offering two opportunities for campus community members to receive free cloud training through Amazon Web Services (AWS) Discovery Day events. On April 14 from noon-3 p.m., Cal Poly will offer a Discovery Day session at the virtual UC Cyber Security Summit. On April 21 from 1-4 p.m., another Discovery Day session will be hosted on Zoom. These events are free and an opportunity for those who are interested to learn more about AWS fundamental cloud concepts and services. The university joined the AWS Partner Network (APN) Training Partner Program in October, which enables authorized instructors at Cal Poly to deliver training developed by AWS.
Learn more about the partnership and register for the Discovery Day events
April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month
Safer will host Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month in April with the theme “Connected in our Collective Power.” Throughout the month, topics will be centered on raising marginalized voices, identifying paths to healing, and developing strategies for collective care. Ignacio Rivera, founder and director of the Heal Project, will lead a workshop titled “Sexual Liberation at the Intersections” from 4-5 p.m. Tuesday, April 13. Take Back the Night, an international movement to end sexual violence and one of Safer’s cornerstone events, will take place on Thursday, April 29. The event is being adapted to a virtual format and will feature programming throughout the day, including healing workshops and a survivor “speak out.” Safer encourages the campus community to get involved on social media for continued education and opportunities to win some great prizes. Follow Safer on Instagram at @safercalpoly.
Learn more and register for the SAFER events
Statistical Consulting Service Available During Spring
The Statistics Department provides a statistical consulting service to the university community to facilitate research design and data analysis in a wide variety of disciplines. Consulting will be available through June 11 by appointment only. Ulric Lund and John Walker will serve as the consultants. They are available to advise on data collection, experimental design and analysis of research projects. In addition, they are available to lead seminars or tutorials on requested topics and offer advice on various computer packages available at Cal Poly. Faculty, staff and students interested in utilizing the consulting service are encouraged to access the Statistics Department website for additional information, including what to bring to a consulting session. To schedule a consultation, email statconsulting@calpoly.edu.
Learn more about about Statistical Consulting
Campus Community Can Access WSJ.com
Cal Poly and The Wall Street Journal have partnered to provide free school-sponsored WSJ subscriptions to all students, faculty and staff. Through the partnership, members have full digital access to WSJ.com and the app — including curated career content at students.wsj.com and The Journal podcast. The Wall Street Journal also offers students focused insight into politics, college rankings, technology and more, including content created by a dedicated Young Audiences team, which is creating additional media for and by students. Meanwhile, its editors are working to help integrate content into courses and curricula with custom professor tools and resources, such as WSJ Context.
Sign Up for your free wsj subscription
Balance Café Receives Allergen-Free Certification
Following a thorough inspection and audit, Campus Dining was recently notified that Balance Café, a dining venue in Vista Grande, will receive allergen-free certification from Kitchens with Confidence for its efforts and commitment to providing food and facilities safe for customers with dietary restrictions. Kitchens with Confidence is an independent accreditation/certification entity founded to help dining facilities become safer for diners with food allergies and to imbue those facilities with credibility through trusted certification. Balance Café is receiving its “Certified Free From” seal, confirming it is free from the “Big 8 Allergens,” including peanuts, wheat, milk, soy, shellfish, fish, eggs, and tree nuts plus gluten. Balance Café prepares meals that are free of the top eight allergens — foods that account for 90% of food allergic reactions — plus gluten and sesame. The cafe is completely self-contained, with a dedicated kitchen, cold storage, cook and serve ware, dishwasher and team of chefs. This certification recognizes Campus Dining’s commitment to serving food that is safe for customers with dietary restrictions and food allergies and is dedicated to meeting the community’s evolving dietary needs.
Own a Home Within Walking Distance of Campus
A beautifully appointed home is available for purchase at Bella Montana. The unit, at 555-B Paseo Bella Montaña (La Cumbre) is 1,029 square feet with two bedrooms, 2.5 baths, convenient indoor laundry, a spacious one-car garage, a beautiful deck for outdoor living, attractive baths and energy-saving appliances. Surrounded by beautiful coastal foothills, Bella Montana offers an opportunity to own a home in San Luis Obispo, one of the most livable cities in California. The nearby location offers an enhanced lifestyle as homeowners enjoy more time for the things they love, a hike after work, lunch at home, or more time with family. The home is ideally located in a 5.3-acre planned housing community that was designed and crafted with Cal Poly employees and their families in mind. Located within walking distance of campus, shops and restaurants, Bella Montana encompasses 69 individually owned homes on Highland Drive near iconic Highway 1.
Panel Discussion: ‘Addressing Racism and Diversity in Music Institutions’ on April 8
The Cal Poly Music Department will present a virtual panel discussion titled “Addressing Racism and Diversity in Music Institutions” at 11:10 a.m. Thursday, April 8. The presentation is a continuation of one made in November with guest panelists Stephanie Shonekan, associate dean of the College of Arts and Science and professor of music at the University of Missouri (MU), and Keith Jackson, dean of the College of Creative Arts at West Virginia University (WVU). Cal Poly Director of Jazz Studies Arthur White will again moderate the discussion. More information on the panelists is on the Music Department website. The event is free and open to the public.
Register for the Panel Discussion
Cal Poly Virtual Open House Recital Set for April 10
The Music Department will present a virtual Open House Recital at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 10. The recital, featuring both instrumentalists and vocalists, is part of Cal Poly’s 28th annual Open House, which will be completely virtual this year. The presentation will begin with a compilation of performances recorded from 2019-21. The department’s large, premier ensembles will be featured, including Cal Poly’s Arab Music Ensemble, Choirs, Symphony, University Jazz Bands, Wind Orchestra and Wind Ensemble. Some chamber ensembles will be included as well. Members of these groups are from a variety of majors. A live Q&A session with students and faculty members will follow. The presentation is free and open to the public.
Cal Poly Student Opera Theatre to Present ‘Musical Theater Duets’ on April 10
Student Opera Theatre (CPSOT) will present a collection of musical theater duets at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 10, during Cal Poly’s 28th annual Open House. The duets, from some of the most classic and beloved American musicals, will be performed by 17 music majors who have collaborated remotely through extensive virtual rehearsals, recordings and online workshops. The students produced a series of well-known \ ensemble numbers, including “Anything You Can Do” from “Annie Get Your Gun,” “The Rain in Spain” from “My Fair Lady,” “If I Loved You” from “Carousel,” and “All ‘er Nuthin’” from “Oklahoma!” “Viewers will see two students perform on screen at once, masterfully gesturing and interacting with one another while miles apart,” said Amy Goymerac, CPSOT producer and director. Music Department faculty and staff member Paul Woodring provided piano accompaniment for the performances. Music Department faculty member Dave Becker mixed and mastered the recorded performances. Tickets are sold at the Performing Arts Center ext. 6-4849. For more information, visit the Music Department calendar website.
‘The Muse Hour’ to Feature Audie Cornish on April 11
The next episode of Cal Poly Arts’ visual music and conversation series, “The Muse Hour,” will start at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 11, featuring the incomparable Audie Cornish, co-host of NPR’s “All Things Considered.” Prior to “All Things Considered,” Cornish served as host of NPR's “Weekend Edition Sunday” and reported from Capitol Hill for NPR News, covering issues and power in both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate and specializing in financial industry policy. Produced in cooperation with Tacoma Arts Live in Washington and The Luther Burbank Center in Santa Rosa, California, this event is a live virtual conversation followed by a moderated audience Q&A session. Tickets to the second season of “The Muse Hour” are $11.50 per device, per event. Current Cal Poly Arts VIP Members at the $75 cameo level and up receive free access to all of “The Muse Hour” events.
Learn more about the Muse Hour with Audie Cornish
OCOB Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Townhall to be Held April 14
The campus community is invited to sign up to attend the Orfalea College of Business Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Townhall from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, April 14. The Zoom conversation will be moderated by campus leaders, including OCOB Interim Dean Al Liddicoat, Interim Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Denise Isom, Multicultural Business Program Coordinator Yovani Alexander and OCOB Interim Associate Dean Stern Neill. The goal of the event is to heal, listen and express ourselves together — and also to help propose real solutions in programing, policy and training that the college can implement to help inform further DEI efforts going forward. The more voices and perspectives the moderators can bring into this conversation — from faculty, students, staff and alumni — the more representative it will be of all members of the campus community.
‘Women and Migration’ to Air April 14
For the past two years, Cal Poly Arts, in partnership with the Performing Arts Center, has presented a popular series of evocative speakers from National Geographic Live. During this pandemic closure, Cal Poly Arts is proud to continue that tradition with a new four-part, virtual speaker series. Each 60-minute event will include stories and visuals; live, moderated conversation; and an audience Q&A session. Tickets are $16.50 per device, per event. The fourth and final event in the series, “Women and Migration,” airs via the Cal Poly Arts website at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 14. This roundtable discussion will illustrate that in 2019 more than 135 million women were living in countries other than the one in which they were born. Drawn by the promise of a better future, women increasingly have traveled to wealthier countries, taking jobs in child/eldercare and domestic work, as well as in manufacturing and agriculture — a shift described as “the feminization of migration.” For women who are forced to leave home because of famine or violence, migration is a gamble for their very survival.
Learn more about Women and Migration
Symposium on Just Schools for LGBTQ+ Students and Staff to Be Held April 24
The Educational Leadership and Administration Program's annual symposium will be held virtually from 9-11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 24. Titled “Educational Leaders for Equity and Inclusion: Just Schools for LGBTQ+ Students and Staff,” the symposium offers area educational leaders an opportunity to learn, collaborate and reflect. A three-person panel will speak about leadership, equity and inclusion for LGBTQ+ students and staff. Attendees will be entered into a raffle for digital downloads of Laurie Frankel's book, “This Is How It Always Is.”
Event Postings
Events.calpoly.edu is a new platform that shines a spotlight on high-profile special events at Cal Poly and throughout our community, focusing on the wide and diverse range of activities on and around our campus. This site is designed to help our colleges, programs, departments and facilities promote exciting events that can be seen by a selected audience. It will update regularly and include events happening in the next 30-45 days. It is not a calendar of all events, and it does not include student club events. Here are some links to help you navigate:
Submitting an Event to Events.calpoly.edu
To submit your event for consideration, please send the event title, date, time, duration, ticket information, intended audience(s) and image (1600 bpi wide) to event-submission@calpoly.edu.
University Events Calendar
To find a listing of all events — such as performances, lectures, workshops and more — visit our University Events Calendar.
Scheduling/Booking Venues
25Live: Space and Event Scheduling can help you schedule or book a venue for an upcoming on-campus event.