Local Vaccine Access Expands to Community Members 16 and Older
San Luis Obispo County community members ages 16 and older, including Cal Poly students within that age group, are now eligible to sign up for the county’s COVID-19 vaccine registry to make a first-dose appointment. All Cal Poly employees are also eligible for vaccines in SLO County, including employees who live outside the county. Those eligible 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.). In addition, an on-campus clinic will open next week to specific student groups with higher risk; stay tuned for more information. Several local pharmacies also offer COVID-19 vaccine appointments to certain age groups and employment sectors; always check with the pharmacy to determine its eligibility criteria. 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 and students 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.
Register Now for 2021 Mustang Mile
ASI Events and the WITH US Center for Bystander Intervention will present the ninth annual Mustang Mile. For the first time, Mustang Mile is going virtual and will offer participants a variety of ways to partake in this Cal Poly tradition. Whether you run, walk, hike, bike, wheel, swim or rollerskate — you can register now through the Cal Poly Ticket Office to complete the 5K your way, anytime from April 17–23! Mustang Mile is held in honor of Cal Poly student Carson Starkey, who passed away in 2008 from alcohol poisoning. This event supports Aware Awake Alive, a national nonprofit organization founded by Carson’s parents, Scott and Julia Starkey, and seeks to provide health and wellness resources to educate students on alcohol poisoning and the dangers of binge drinking. The first 220 registered participants will get a limited-edition swag bag with a Mustang Mile T-shirt, drawstring bag, stickers and more. For more information, visit asi.calpoly.edu.
Cal Poly 2021-22 Catalog Now Available
The 2021-22 Cal Poly Catalog, which is effective summer 2021 through spring 2022, is now available online at http://catalog.calpoly.edu. To view earlier catalogs, select ‘Previous Catalogs’ from the navigation menu. The Cal Poly Catalog is the official listing of academic programs and courses offered by the university. The catalog also includes student-related academic policy and provides information on student services.
College of Architecture and Environmental Design to Host Annual Design Village Conference Virtually on April 17
Cal Poly’s Design Village Conference, a spring ritual for Central Coast architectural students and their counterparts across the state, will be virtual this year. One of the College of Architecture and Environmental Design’s largest and most anticipated events, the annual conference typically draws hundreds of students from colleges and universities throughout California and beyond to participate in Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing philosophy. This year’s event will be at a smaller scale with 10 schools and 15 teams. The public is invited to view the entries and student presentations and to vote online to determine the winner of one of the categories. This year’s competition will be held via Zoom starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 17, when all projects will go live for viewing on the Design Village website. Presentations and judging will begin at 10 a.m., followed by the 5 p.m. awards ceremony — with all links available on the Design Village website. “It’s a great opportunity for students to work as a team to design a unique structure for assembly in Poly Canyon,” said Ricardo Villanueva, president of the Design Village Planning Committee and a fourth-year architecture student. “Looking back, I have fond memories of my group. We experienced fun mishaps and satisfying successes. By organizing the event, I hope to foster an environment in which future participants can have a similar experience.” Read the news release.
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.
Faculty Invited to Submit Proposals for Cal Poly Global Programs
The Cal Poly International Center is offering travel grants to support faculty who are developing proposals for new custom Cal Poly Global Programs. Faculty whose proposals are accepted for funding will be considered for grants of up to $3,000. Grants will help fund faculty visits to single or multiple sites within one region. The deadline to apply is June 1, 2021. Click here for more information.
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. To learn more about Ally, visit the Ally support page. 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:
- 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, 9-10:30 a.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.
- The Art and Science of Building an Organizational Culture, April 30, 10:30 a.m.-noon.
'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. For more information, visit the DRC Disability Tapas webpage. Past presentations are viewable at https://drc.calpoly.edu/disability-tapas. The presentations include:
- April 15: Supporting Students with Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Concussive Symptoms.
- April 22: Accessibility Made Easy: Tech Tools and Tips to Try.
Retired Faculty and Staff Association Meeting Set for April 22
Retired Faculty and Staff Club President Bill Kellogg and Vice President Jim Murphy invite club members to join an interactive virtual presentation and discussion from 2-3 p.m. Thursday, April 22, with College of Science and Mathematics Dean Emeritus Phil Bailey, director of the Frost Fund and former associate vice president for Academic Affairs. Bailey will share pictures of the ongoing construction of the William and Linda Frost Center for Research and Innovation. Members will learn about this historic gift to the university, as well as other construction projects taking place at Cal Poly. During COVID-19, Cal Poly continues to move forward with the construction of facilities that will play an important role to the future of the university. Respond by registering here. The Zoom meeting link, password and instructions will be emailed upon your reply.
- 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.
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. More information on the survey, prizes and a link to participate are available at afd.calpoly.edu/survey. 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.
Submissions Sought for COVID-19-Related Research Showcase
Cal Poly’s Center for Health Research invites faculty, students and staff to submit an abstract that showcases original research, results from innovation and initiative projects, or evidence-based practice related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Research topics may include but are not limited to: health, methods of assessment, social justice, economic impacts, environmental factors and pedagogical tools. Those interested in presenting can fill out the online submission form by April 19. Six authors will be selected to give a 10-minute presentation with five minutes for questions and discussion. The presentations will be live on Zoom and will be recorded and available for viewing after the event. All abstracts will be posted on the Center for Health Research website.
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. To learn more about this unique partnership and to register for the Discovery Day events, visit Cal Poly’s AWS Training website.
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. To learn more, visit Safer’s website for a full list of events and registration information.
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.
Beautifully Designed Bella Montana Home Available for Purchase
A home at 555-A Paseo Bella Montaña (La Cumbre) is now available for purchase and can be viewed at Bella Montana. The 1,029-square-foot home comes equipped with two spacious bedrooms, two-and-a-half cleanly designed bathrooms, a one-car garage and convenient indoor laundry. The Bella Montana living community provides beautiful views of the Central Coast foothills. Living in a Bella Montana home offers an enhanced lifestyle for homeowners and their families. The surrounding location provides walks and hikes in a beautiful location and is very close to many conveniently located shops and restaurants. This home is one of 69 individually owned homes in a 5.3-acre planned housing community that was designed just for Cal Poly employees and their families. Bella Montana homes are located on Highland Drive near iconic Highway 1. 555-A Paseo Bella Montaña (La Cumbre) is truly a must-see unit. Contact Kody Kester at 805-440-5665 or Kody.kester1@gmail.com for more information.
Campus Community Can Access WJS.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. Click the link to sign up.
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.
RSVP to attend. Click here to learn more about the event.
‘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.
Discussion Set for April 15 on Current Events, Political Climate in Myanmar
Join Cal Poly’s International Center and Burmese Student Association to learn about what is happening in Myanmar during a live discussion on Thursday, April 15, at 8 p.m. Margaret B. Bodemer, Ph.D., a lecturer in the History Department, will give a brief historical overview of Myanmar. Afterward, students from Myanmar will share information on what is happening in their country and the current political climate. Follow the current conversation about Myanmar on social media by searching the hashtags #whatshappeninginmyanmar, #savemyanmar and #hearthevoiceofmyanmar. This event will be live on Zoom at https://calpoly.zoom.us/j/82845618973.
Analytics Forum to be Held April 16
The fourth annual Cal Poly Analytics Forum will be held at 12:30 p.m. Friday, April 16. The event brings together Cal Poly professors and students with industry leaders from companies such as Google, AT&T and Informatica to discuss analytics trends, practical applications, the field as a profession and its place in the future of business. It is hosted by the Cal Poly M.S. in Business Analytics program, which is a comprehensive sequence that offers students an accelerated opportunity to advance their professional careers in the fast-growing data analytics field. Click here to RSVP. And click here for more information, including an agenda and bios of our panelists and presenters.
Celebrate Undergraduate Research Week April 19-23
Faculty, staff and students are invited to attend Cal Poly Undergraduate Research Week taking place virtually April 19-23. The event is part of a national celebration of undergraduate research organized each year by the Council on Undergraduate Research. Session topics include research fellowships for undocumented students, conference presentations for undergraduates, summer research opportunities in liberal arts and engineering and more. The full schedule of events is posted on the Office of Student Research website. Questions may be directed to lsamp@calpoly.edu. Undergraduate Research Week is sponsored by the Office of Student Research in coordination with the BEACoN Mentors Program, the College of Engineering, College of Liberal Arts, Dream Center, CSU-LSAMP Program, and Multicultural Engineering Program.
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.” Registration is required.
‘The Muse Hour’ Continues April 24 with Mike Birbiglia
Cal Poly Arts’ lauded virtual music and conversation series, “The Muse Hour,” continues at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 24, with award-winning comedian, storyteller, podcaster, director and actor Mike Birbiglia, whose recent shows, “The New One,” “Thank God for Jokes,” and “My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend,” are streaming on Netflix. Currently he hosts the podcast “Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out,” recently included in a list of Rolling Stone’s “Best Podcasts of 2020.” He has written two bestselling books, “Sleepwalk with Me” and “The New One.” Produced in cooperation with Tacoma Arts Live in Washington and The Luther Burbank Center in Santa Rosa, “The Muse Hour” includes an exclusive 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. Visit calpolyarts.org for more information.
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 Master Calendar.
Scheduling/Booking Venues
25Live: Space and Event Scheduling can help you schedule or book a venue for an upcoming on-campus event.