Breaking down the Master Plan, part seven: More diversity

Celina Oseguera and Nina Doering
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This is the seventh and last installment in a continuing series about the Cal Poly Master Plan. For more information, read the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth installments. 

The Master Plan is a long-term plan Cal Poly must update and have approved by the California State University Board of Trustees. The most recent update to the plan includes changes the university wants to see in the next 20 years, setting guidelines for the campus’ physical development.

The Master Plan has the following goals:

1. Phase growth north     
2. Modal shift
3. Environmental sustainability
4. Enhanced Learn By Doing
5. More students living on campus
6. A compact, cross-disciplinary academic campus core
7. More diverse students, faculty and staff/more vibrant evening and weekend activity

One by one, Mustang News will break down these goals and their affects on students, faculty and the community.

Goal seven: More diverse students, faculty and staff/more vibrant evening and weekend activity

The last goal of the Master Plan can be summed up in one word — diversity.

According to Interim University Planning Officer Linda Dalton, the Master Plan seeks to increase the diversity of students, faculty and staff by increasing the diversity of on-campus food choices — foods that appeal to cultural dietary habits or general food restrictions — and recreational activities during the evening and weekend.

And when there are more students, faculty and staff living on campus, these diverse food and activity options will only increase, Dalton said.

Diverse food choices

According to Dalton, some food choices will include more international foods and foods that appeal to students, faculty and staff with dietary restrictions.

Some on-campus dining establishments already have diverse food options that tend to these demographics.

For those with dietary restrictions, there are vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free and peanut-free foods.

Campus Dining also has food options for those who eat Kosher or those who eat Halal foods — foods that are acceptable to eat under Islamic Shari’ah law.

19 Metro Station serves gluten-free students in particular with its gluten-free buffet section. Most Campus Dining facilities serve these kinds of foods as well.

As for religious dietary restrictions, Village Market and Campus Market offer Kosher foods while several Campus Dining facilities also serve Halal-appropriate foods.

For Dalton, increasing these diverse food options will bring more diverse students, faculty and staff, something psychology sophomore and Connections for Academic
Student Success worker Maxamillion Polo says the university is achieving rather slowly.

“I think we are improving, though on the

diversity front — in small steps,” Polo said, “The percentage of African-American students is extremely low but it is the greatest it has been in Cal Poly history, which is interesting.”

Diverse evening and weekend activities 

Another way to gain diversity and keep it is to have activities that appeal to different groups of students, faculty and staff.

Some of these activities will appeal to different cultural groups.

“You run the risk of stereotyping, but if people really like to do a certain activity outside and there’s enough of them, you can have those facilities,” Dalton said.

Though these different activities may make students feel more at home, MultiCultural Center coordinator Sandi Wemigwase said they need support in more than just one area of student life.

“Students need more support on campus — from not only a select few people, but from campus as a whole,” Wemigwase said,” Administrators, instructors, down to office staff. I think that’s important.”

Anyone can address their concerns and opinions about the Master Plan to the university through the Master Plan contact page. The university will accept comments until the end of the quarter.