Campus Health and Wellbeing
New Physical Therapy Program Launches on Campus
In its continued efforts to expand access for students, Campus Health and Wellbeing (CH&W) recently launched its on-campus physical therapy program. Offered in partnership with Movement For Life, the program offers short-term physical therapy (one to three appointments) at $10 per visit to students who have a referral from a CH&W provider. Students receiving short-term physical therapy services will also receive access to the Everflex platform, which provides guided movements aligned with their personal physical therapy needs. Physical therapy sessions will be held in the Cal Poly Recreation Center (Building 43, Room 107).
Campus and Community
Light, Spacious and Bustling: Take a Look Inside a Refreshed Kennedy Library
After a two-year closure, the refreshed Robert E. Kennedy Library — the largest library between Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz — has reopened its doors and assumed its rightful spot as a hub of campus life. The space reopened in September 2025 after its first major remodel since it debuted in January 1981. The $78-million renovation improved accessibility, added classroom space, upgraded heating and cooling systems and expanded the on-site cafe — all while saving energy. The reimagined first floor holds two exhibit spaces for art and historical artifacts from Kennedy Library’s Special Collections and Archives, the expanded Julian’s Café and redesigned courtyard.
Strategic Enrollment Management
Gerrie Hatten
Please join us in celebrating Gerrie Hatten as she retires after 17 1/2 years of dedicated service as executive director of financial aid at Cal Poly. Gerrie’s leadership and advocacy for students in need helped grow financial aid programs to more than $45 million annually, supporting thousands of students and leaving a lasting impact on campus culture and student success. A retirement celebration will be held from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, in the PAC Main Lobby. Light refreshments will be provided, and all are welcome to attend and wish Gerrie well in her next chapter.
Facilities Management and Development
Reminder: Road Closures for Construction on Village Drive and Mountain Lane
Two campus road closures will be in effect due to construction. Village Drive will be closed to vehicles from North Perimeter to Truckee Road until Jan. 20. Sidewalks will remain open, and detours will be posted via East Safety Way and Truckee Road. Mountain Lane will be closed from North Perimeter to Hillcrest Building 81 from Jan. 7 to 30, with limited staff access. Emergency access will be maintained.
Culture and Institutional Excellence
Here are the HSI High-Impact Mini-Grant Awardees AY 25-26
Culture and Institutional Excellence (CIX) is excited to announce this year’s Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) High-Impact Mini-Grant recipients. These grants were awarded to proposals from across the university that demonstrate a strong potential to holistically impact the Latinx/e community at Cal Poly and support our collective efforts toward achieving HSI designation. The selection committee comprising representatives from the HSI Implementation Task Force selected 13 projects to award funding. Faculty, staff and students from the Cal Poly community were eligible to apply for grants in the categories of educational initiatives, cultural and community engagement and research and innovation.
View This Year's HSI Mini-Grant Recipients
Culture and Institutional Excellence
Register for the ‘Building Belonging’ Winter Series
Culture and Institutional Excellence (CIX) invites all Cal Poly employees to attend this quarter’s virtual “Building Belonging” workshop series. Workshops such as “One Cal Poly,” Cultural Humility in Practice” and "Communicating with Care” offer interactive, reflective learning that strengthens our shared commitment to cultivating an inclusive campus. Staff and faculty are encouraged to sign up for one of three upcoming winter sessions, which tend to fill quickly. Our first workshop will be 10 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20. This series is in partnership with Employee and Organization Development and the Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology.
Strategic Enrollment Management
Faculty and Staff, did Your Dependent Apply to Cal Poly?
If you are a full-time faculty or staff member and your dependent (spouse, child or stepchild) applied to Cal Poly, and you haven’t already done so, please complete the Faculty / Staff Dependent Inquiry Form by the Jan. 31 deadline to receive additional consideration. Questions? Please email admissions@calpoly.edu.
College of Liberal Arts
Orchesis Dance Company Presents ‘SLANT’
The Theatre and Dance Department will present the Orchesis Dance Company’s 56th annual concert, “SLANT,” on Friday, Jan. 16 to Saturday, Jan. 17 and Thursday, Jan. 22 to Saturday, Jan. 24 in the Spanos Theatre. All performances will begin at 7:30 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Jan. 17. Tickets for “SLANT” are $30 for the public and $24 for students and children. Purchase tickets online or by phone at (805) SLO-4TIX (756-4849), or at the Performing Arts Center Ticket Office. Ticket prices include facility fees.
Music Department
Guest Pianists to Give Free Presentations Jan. 16
The Music Department will host guest pianists Natasha Kislenko and Tali Morgulis for free presentations on Friday, Jan. 16, in Room 218 of the Davidson Music Center. At 10:10 a.m., Morgulis, associate professor of piano at the Moores School of Music, University of Houston, Texas, will coach Cal Poly students on their performance. At 12:10 p.m., Morgulis and Kislenko, a UC Santa Barbara piano faculty member, will present a recital titled “Tour de France” that will feature two-piano compositions by Olivier Messiaen and Francis Poulenc, and solo compositions by Cécile Chaminade.
Read More on the Department’s Website
SAFER
Join Safer for Stalking Action Month Events This January
Safer honors Stalking Action Month (JanSAM) by hosting a variety of events around the theme “Burst the Bubble: Stand Against Stalking.” Here are two opportunities for employees to get involved on Wednesday, Jan. 28:
12:30-2:30 p.m.
The first 15 employees to stop by the Night Relay Rally booth in the Rec Center lobby will get a free day pass for the Rec Center. You can also enter to win a limited edition JanSAM gold beanie!
5:10 p.m.
Join Safer for trauma-informed yoga at the Rec Center. No prior experience is necessary. Mats will be provided. Space is limited, register ASAP.
Music Department
Bach Week Events Scheduled for Jan. 22-24
The Music Department will present its 2026 Bach Week Jan. 22-24. On Jan. 22 there will be an instrumental master class and continuo workshop, a vocal master class, and a lecture titled “Opera's Virtuous Cousin: The Rise of the Oratorio.” On Jan. 23 the period instrumental ensemble Tesserae Baroque will present “Meera Kahe” with Ravindra Deo, tabla, and Hindustani vocalist Saili Oak. On Jan. 24, there will be two performances of the “Oratorio” finale concerts with members of Cal Poly’s Chamber Choir, Symphony and faculty with guest artists.
Performing Arts Center
Be Transported by ‘Compagnie Hervé KOUBI: Sol Invictus’ on Jan. 27
Cal Poly Arts presents “Compagnie Hervé KOUBI: Sol Invictus” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27, at the Performing Arts Center in Harold Miossi Hall. Combining contemporary and urban dance movements, capoeira and martial arts with powerful imagery and inspired choreography, this unique and utterly original company defies gravity. “A creation of poetic beauty” (The New York Times), “Sol Invictus” is a meditative yet strikingly athletic work about the ties that bind us. This event has a 20 percent discount available for staff and faculty.
Performing Arts Center
Explore the World of ‘National Geographic Live: Wild Cats Revealed’ on Jan. 28
Cal Poly Arts presents “National Geographic Live: Wild Cats Revealed” with filmmaker and explorer Sandesh Kadur at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28, at the Performing Arts Center in Harold Miossi Hall. An unmatched diversity of wild cats lives in India, from the towering Himalaya mountains to arid plains to dense jungles. Kadur is on a mission to highlight his home country’s lesser-known felines to help protect their future. This event has a 20 percent discount available for staff and faculty.
Performing Arts Center
'Dirty Dancing’ Comes Alive on Jan. 29
Relive the film that stole the hearts of generations with “Dirty Dancing in Concert” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29, at the Performing Arts Center in Harold Miossi Hall. This unique, live-to-film concert event features the original film projected in full, accompanied by a live band and singers performing every unforgettable song from the soundtrack. Feel the romance, rhythm and emotion as you watch Baby and Johnny’s love story come to life on a full-size cinema screen, with every iconic moment amplified by the power of live music.