Anthropology
Students Prepare to Display Artifacts They Excavated
In winter quarter, students in ANT 311: Archaeological Laboratory Methods cleaned and cataloged hundreds of century-old artifacts, which the same cohort of students unearthed during a three-day archaeological excavation of a Japanese American farmstead land in 2024. The land belonged to the Yoshida family, who were forced off the land in 1942, when Executive Order 9066 led to the mandatory incarceration of all Japanese and Japanese Americans. A student-produced exhibit on the farmstead opens at the History Center of San Luis Obispo County.
Read More at Cal Poly News
ChatGPT Edu
New Cal Poly AI Resource is Live 
The new ChatGPT Edu is now live and available to all Cal Poly students, faculty and stateside staff as an optional resource to help streamline work, improve communication and simplify complex tasks. The CSU’s agreement with OpenAI includes language that ensures staff, faculty and student ChatGPT Edu interactions and data are not used to train the underlying large language models or improve their services. Training, guidance and policies for effective and ethical AI use is available on CSU’s AI Commons and the Cal Poly ChatGPT Edu Knowledge Base Articles. ChatGPT Edu is not currently available to auxiliary employees. Sign in through ChatGPT Edu link under My Apps in the Cal Poly Portal
Review Knowledge Base Articles
National and International Fellowships and Scholarships
Two Cal Poly Students Selected for JET Program
Cal Poly seniors Whitney Rienks and Jonah Rienks have each won the prestigious Japan Exchange Teaching (JET) Scholarship to teach English in Japan. Whitney is a liberal studies major with a Japanese minor and a transfer student from Cuesta College with an associate degree for transfer in education. Jonah is a communications major with a Japanese minor. The JET Program is highly competitive, receiving around 5,000 applications yearly for 1000 English teaching assistant positions across Japan.
Learn More About Fellowships and Scholarships at Cal Poly
National and International Fellowships and Scholarships
Cal Poly Alumna Awarded Erasmus Mundus GLOBE Scholarship
Cal Poly alumna Sarah Lord has won the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (EMJM) GLOBE Scholarship to pursue a two-year Master’s in Global Change Ecology and Biodiversity Management. Lord graduated in June 2024 with a bachelor’s in biology, concentrating in ecology, evolution, biodiversity and conservation and received the award for Academic Excellence in Biological Sciences. She currently works as a seasonal field technician for the Spatial Wildlife Ecology Lab at Cal Poly. As part of EMJM, Lord will study in Spain, the UK, Mexico and Portugal.
Save the Dates
CENG Dean Finalists' Visits
Cal Poly will soon host campus visits for four finalists for the Dean of the College of Engineering. Please note the updated campus visit dates:
- May 5-6, 2025
- May 12–13, 2025
- May 15–16, 2025
- May 19–20, 2025 (new date)
Note: The visits on May 7-8 have been cancelled.
Open forums will be held on the second day of each visit, in person and via Zoom. Information about the Open Forum and the finalists will be shared in advance.
Upgrade by May 29
Windows 10 Support Ending
Microsoft will end support for Windows 10, and it will no longer receive security updates or technical support. To ensure security and compliance, all university-managed Windows 10 devices will be automatically upgraded to Windows 11 on May 29, 2025. Users are encouraged to upgrade on their schedule before this date to avoid disruptions. For self-service upgrade instructions, visit Upgrade to Windows 11 on a Cal Poly Owned PC. Need help? Contact the Cal Poly Support Center.
Learn More from Microsoft’s Official Announcement
Faculty and Staff Health
Wellbeing Fair
Cal Poly faculty and staff are invited to attend the inaugural Nutrition ACES Health Fair on Wednesday, May 7, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the University Union, Conference Room 220. Hosted by Cal Poly’s Assessment, Counseling and Education Specialists (ACES), a student-run instructionally related activity (IRA). This event provides students the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge by conducting primary prevention activities for faculty and staff. Attendees can benefit from educational resources and health screenings focused on diabetes prevention, cardiovascular health and weight management, along with booths sponsored by local organizations.
Email Assistant Professor Anna Cahn with Questions
Employee and Organization Development
Unlock New Skills With Cross Campus Collaboration Workshops
Enhance your professional journey with engaging Cross Campus Collaboration workshops. Strengthen leadership skills in "Practicing Leadership in Hectic Times – Part 2." Recharge with "Weekly Dose of Mindfulness," a guided practice for reducing stress. Build financial confidence in "Credit Basics, Credit Cards and Credit Scores." Communicate effectively in "Assertive Communication," and explore equity in "Exposing Hidden Bias." Support change with "Preparing Teams for Change," designed to help teams navigate transitions. All sessions are held via Zoom. Connect with peers across the CSU, grow your skills, and bring new tools, designed to support well-being and professional success, back to your workplace.
Wellbeing Webinar
Conflict Management Styles
University Personnel, in collaboration with Cal Poly’s Employee Assistance Program, Empathia LifeMatters, is offering a wellbeing webinar on Conflict Management Styles at 3 p.m. May 9. Learn to assess conflict management styles and determine which style is most effective in each situation. We will discuss common types of workplace conflict, how to identify chronic conflict situations, and strategies to use when conflict is best avoided. For more information, contact Human Resources at humanresources@calpoly.edu.
Transfer Center
Transfer Inclusion Training
Cal Poly’s Transfer Center will host Transfer Inclusion Trainings for staff and faculty who want to learn more about the transfer student experience. These trainings will cover the unique needs of Cal Poly transfer students, common obstacles and challenges they face, and helpful strategies you can implement in your interactions with transfer students. These virtual trainings will last one hour and will be offered twice this spring quarter. Additional sessions will be offered in the fall. Please contact the Transfer Center with questions at transfer@calpoly.edu.
Cal Poly Summer
Course Registration is Open
Cal Poly has increased summer course offerings to ensure our students have options to catch up or get ahead on their degree. This summer, we’re offering four different sessions from all six colleges (including certificate and graduate courses), making it simple for students to complete additional coursework without enrolling elsewhere or worrying about submitting transcripts.
Facilities, Management and Development
Cal Poly to Participate in Construction Safety Week 2025
Cal Poly’s Facilities, Management and Development department is participating in the national Construction Safety Week on May 5–9. This year’s theme, “All In Together. Plan. Own. Commit.,” represents our collective dedication to safety, ensuring that every team member is supported. Cal Poly joins more than 70 national and global construction firms in this industrywide effort to strengthen safety culture, share best practices and reaffirm our shared goal that every worker returns home safely at the end of the day.
International Engagement Symposium
Bridging Borders Through Innovative Global Research, Teaching and Programming
Faculty and staff are invited to join the International Center for the International Engagement Symposium from 4 to 6 p.m. May 7 at the 1901 Marketplace Pavilion. This year’s theme, “Bridging Borders through Innovative Global Research, Teaching and Programming,” highlights cross-cultural dialogue and diverse perspectives on enhancing Learn by Doing in a global context. Hear from speakers Ahmed Deif, Nick Babin, Silvia Marijuan and Cari Vanderkar; connect with internationally minded colleagues; and discover how you can help shape a more inclusive, globally engaged Cal Poly.
Campus is Invited
Learn by Doing Good Awards Ceremony May 6
The campus community is invited to celebrate the recipients of the Learn by Doing Good Awards at 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 6, in the Performing Arts Center Grand Lobby. The awards commemorate members of the campus community demonstrating excellence and distinction in leadership and engagement on campus and highlight faculty, staff, students and community partner agencies for their spirit of civic engagement and off-campus contributions to the quality of life in San Luis Obispo County. Refreshments will be served, and live music will be provided by Cal Poly Jazz students.
A 5k with Purpose
13th Annual Mustang Mile
Join ASI Events from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 7, for an evening of fun and purpose at Mustang Mile! This FREE 5k walk/run provides health and wellness resources to help raise awareness of the signs of alcohol poisoning and the dangers of binge drinking, in honor of Carson Starkey, a Cal Poly student who lost his life after a fraternity hazing incident. Enjoy live music, Paradise Shaved Ice, and Woodstock’s Pizza after the race — and don’t forget to wear your best costume! Open to all faculty, staff, students, and community members. Lace up and let’s go!
Retired Faculty and Staff Association
New Retiree Reception and Wine Tasting
Please join the Retired Faculty and Staff Association as we host our first-ever “New Retiree Reception” to honor faculty and staff who have retired from Cal Poly over the past year. The reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, at the Justin and J. Lohr Center for Wine and Viticulture Conference Room. This free event includes tastings of new Cal Poly wines, hors d’oeuvres and non-alcoholic beverages. Commentary on the new wines will be delivered by the Wine and Viticulture Department Head Benoit Lecat. This event is open to all retirees.
Coming to Spanos Theatre
PASSAGE
PASSAGE is coming to the Spanos Theatre May 8-11 and 15-17. A fantasia inspired by E.M. Forster’s “A Passage to India,” PASSAGE is set in the fictional Country X, which is a neocolonial client of Country Y. B, a local doctor, and F, an expat teacher, begin to forge a friendship that is challenged after a fateful trip to a local attraction. A meditation on how power imbalances affect personal and interpersonal dynamics across a spectrum of situations, the play allows a director wide latitude in casting the roles by race, ethnicity and gender, with different casting choices highlighting different societal structures.
National Broadway Tour - May 7 & 8
"TINA - The Tina Turner Musical" - presented by Cal Poly Arts
Photo By Julieta Cervantes
TINA – The Tina Turner Musical is the triumphant story of the Queen of Rock and Roll set to the pulse-pounding soundtrack of her most beloved hits! TINA–The Tina Turner Musical presents Tina’s journey against all odds to become one of the world’s most beloved artists of all time. Featuring her much-loved songs, TINA – The Tina Turner Musical is written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Katori Hall.