On April 4, Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong sent out an email outlining his goals for the campus community moving forward that would promote sustainable growth.
“That means that classes must be available when students need them, that we continue to fund the enhanced financial aid that is helping Cal Poly better reflect the diversity of California, and that we don’t overburden our physical or human resources,” he wrote in the email.
The central goal outlined by the email is to expand student enrollment to increase university revenues without having to raise the cost of attendance.
With this additional revenue, Cal Poly would be able to pursue other goals such as “raising employee compensation to be both competitive with salaries at peer schools and adequate to meet the Central Coast’s high cost of living” and “upgrading and expanding facilities on campus,” according to the email.
To reach these goals, Armstrong believes Cal Poly needs “to make the most efficient use possible of the resources and facilities we do have.”
One method the university plans to institute is a shift to a year-round calendar after Cal Poly has fully transitioned from quarters to semesters.
“Students would study on campus for one or two summers and off campus for one or two typical academic terms,” Armstrong wrote.
The university was unable to provide specifics on this project at this time.
“Conceptually, we know this is the direction Cal Poly must take, in order to maintain the excellence of Learn by Doing, adequately compensate our dedicated employees, and provide the opportunity for a Cal Poly education to as many students as possible,” university spokesperson Matt Lazier told Mustang News.
Another way the university plans on making use of the resources currently available is to move some non-academic staff offices to hybrid or remote models due to limited campus space, according to Lazier.
The campus community will be able to provide feedback on these proposed plans in the coming months. The university was unable to provide specifics on how this feedback would be collected at this time.
“The campus community should rest assured that we will provide ample opportunity for students’ and employees’ voices to be heard,” Lazier said.