College of Architecture and Environmental Design
Cal Poly Students Win National Design-Build Competition
An interdisciplinary team of construction management and architecture students won top honors at the 2025 National Design-Build Student Competition for its innovative design-build approach, expanding an existing airport in Montana. Cal Poly competed against 32 university teams from across the U.S. As national champions, students brought home a trophy and a cash prize. The prestigious award marks Cal Poly’s first top-honors win in the competition’s history.
Campus Dining
Sign Up Today for Campus Dining Focus Groups
Faculty and staff are invited to join Campus Dining focus groups on Feb. 10 and 12. Leaders are eager to hear your thoughts on all things Campus Dining. Sessions for faculty and staff are Tuesday, Feb. 10, from 1 to 2 p.m., and Thursday, Feb. 12, from 8 to 9 a.m. Snacks and meal vouchers will be provided, so bring your feedback and enjoy a bite on us!
Sign Up for the Campus Dining Focus Group
Employee and Organization Development
Concur Enhancements: Updates to Travel, ProCard and Hospitality
Join the Staff Learning Community (SLC) on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. via Zoom for “Concur Enhancements.” Hosted by Jamie St. Cyr, this session will highlight upcoming Concur updates launching in March 2026. Learn about improvements to ProCard reconciliation and applications, a new hospitality form for non-CSUBUY purchases and related policy updates. This is a great opportunity to stay informed, explore what’s new and connect with the team supporting these enhancements.
Center for Service in Action
Service-Learning Faculty Fellowship Call for Proposals
The Center for Service in Action (CSA) and the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology (CTLT) invite faculty teaching in fall 2026 to apply — individually or in teams — to be Service-Learning Faculty Fellows for spring 2026. The fellowship supports faculty in redesigning fall 2026 courses to integrate service-learning, connecting course goals with community engagement. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23. Program details and the application are available online. Questions? Email faculty liaison Anurag Pande. Learn more at in-person office hours during winter 2026, Mondays from 12:30–1:30 p.m. in the International Center (35-319C).
CSU’s Got Talent
Somebody Should Do Something: How Anyone Can Help Create Social Change
Want to make a real impact on the world’s toughest challenges? Join CSU’s Got Talent from 10 to 11 a.m. on Feb. 18 for an engaging presentation with “Somebody Should Do Something” co-author Alex Madva on how individual choices can drive meaningful structural change. This thought-provoking session explores why issues like climate change, racism and poverty are so hard to solve, and how we can all connect with our everyday decisions and social roles to larger systems of change. Rethink what it means to “do your part” and discover how individual action truly matters in transforming the structures that shape our world.
CSU International Programs
Call for Applications: Faculty Seminar in Mexico
CSU International Programs invites faculty to apply for the International Faculty Seminar in Ensenada, Mexico, taking place June 22 to 26. Hosted in partnership with Universidad Autónoma de Baja California and Centro de Enseñanza Técnica y Superior, the seminar will explore “Two Regions, One Future: Exploring the California–Mexico scientific, economic and cultural ties.” The program supports faculty collaboration and cross-border engagement aligned with Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing mission. Full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty from all disciplines are encouraged to apply. Applications are due March 1. For questions or additional information, contact the International Center at international@calpoly.edu.
University Development and Alumni Engagement
Submit Your Poly Gives Crowdfund Application by Feb. 28
Cal Poly clubs, organizations, programs and departments are invited to submit a fundraising project for a chance to be selected for this year’s Poly Gives Crowdfund cohort. Crowdfunding is an effective way to raise money for special projects, events, conferences and competitions. To qualify, projects must provide an organization account number and be sponsored by a Cal Poly faculty member or advisor. Projects will launch April 9, run through Open House weekend and end May 9. Space is limited, so submit your application today.
Institutional Research
Updated Program Profile Reports
Each year following the fall term, Institutional Research produces a series of Program Profile reports that provide insights into our student population and performance metrics for the past academic year. Provided at the university, college and program levels, this year’s Program Profile reports are published and cover admissions, enrollment and degrees, as well as graduation and retention over time for undergraduate and graduate programs. Please note: Program Profile reports are for internal use only by Cal Poly staff, faculty and management. Send any questions concerning the reports to ir@calpoly.edu.
View the Reports by College and Program
Orfalea College of Business
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance available through March 14
Volunteers with the Cal Poly Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) clinic will once again assist locals with their tax forms, Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. until March 14. The volunteers are trained Cal Poly accounting students who will assist both on and off campus, with locations in Santa Maria and Oceano. See the VITA website for information about locations and times, income requirements and what you’ll need to bring. The tax filing deadline is April 15.
College of Liberal Arts
Attend the ‘Immigration is an Indigenous Issue’ Book Discussion on Feb. 11
The Ethnic Studies Department, co-sponsored by the History Department and College of Liberal Arts, will host co-authors Michael Wilson and José Antonio Lucero to discuss their book, “What Side Are You On?” 4 to 6 p.m. Feb. 11 in the ATL (No. 7, Room 02). Wilson’s memoir shows the “human costs of poverty, racism, border policing and the legacies of colonialism.” Lucero adds political and historical context to Wilson’s narrative. Together, the authors weave a textured, collaborative story. “What Side Are You On?” received the 2024 NAISA Best Subsequent Book Award and the 2025 Oral History Association Book Award.
Music Department
‘Supporting Diverse Learners in Music Theory’ Talk at Cal Poly Set for Feb. 12
Susan de Ghizé, a professor of music at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC), will present a talk titled “Supporting Diverse Learners in Music Theory” at 11:10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, in Room 218 of the Davidson Music Center. At Texas A&M she serves as program coordinator and music theory and aural training coordinator. She developed a “Steps to Harmonic Dictation” website, and the open educational resource “Steps to Music Theory.” At TAMU-CC, she received the Digital Innovator of the Year and the Excellence in Disability Access and Inclusion awards.
Music Department
Mark Applebaum to Present ‘Composing the Unexpected’ Concert on Feb. 12
Guest artist Mark Applebaum will give a concert titled “Composing the Unexpected” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12 in Room 218 of the Davidson Music Center. A composer, improviser and instrument builder, he will present recent work spanning graphic scores, invented instruments and experimental compositions that blur the line between sound, visual art and theater. He’s had notable commissions from the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, the Fromm Foundation, the Spoleto Festival, the Kronos Quartet, Chamber Music America, Ensemble Talea and the Vienna Modern Festival. He is the Edith and Leland Smith Professor of Composition at Stanford University.
Performing Arts Center
See World Ballet Company’s ‘Swan Lake’ on Feb.15
World Ballet Company presents Swan Lake on Sunday, Feb. 15, at 7:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center in Harold Miossi Hall. Experience the world’s most iconic ballet with a live orchestra performing Tchaikovsky’s unforgettable score. Immerse yourself in this mesmerizing journey where dreams, heartbreak and hope unfold right before your eyes.