Breaking down the Master Plan, part four: Enhanced Learn By Doing

Celina Oseguera and Tim Wetzel
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This is the fourth in a continuing series about the Cal Poly Master Plan. Read the first here, second here and third here. 

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 effects on students, faculty and the community.

Goal four: Enhanced Learn By Doing

Learn By Doing.

The Cal Poly mantra can be found anywhere; in classes, an outdoor lab, at an on-campus internship. And, in this case, in the Master Plan.

According to Interim University Planning Officer Linda Dalton, there are two ways the Master Plan will promote Learn By Doing: facility placement and indoor renovations of facilities.

Facility location

Having related facilities close to each other would be logical and make Learn By Doing easier for students, Dalton said.

For example, constructing the Agricultural Events Center and Equestrian Pavilion near the current equine unit — which is north of the baseball fields — would make moving between the two easier for class or activities.

According to the Master Plan, some of the facilities may be moved to agricultural land, something many College of Agricultural and Food Sciences (CAFES) have disagreed with.

Though he understood some land and facilities may be moved around to promote Learn By Doing, Students for Agriculture and agricultural and environmental plant sciences sophomore Joel Leonard still wants to preserve as much agricultural land as possible.

He still wants it around for CAFES students to use for their own Learn By Doing purposes.

“(Adding and moving facilities onto agricultural land is) one of those things that shouldn’t come at the cost of our education and the education of future students on campus,” Leonard said.

Indoor improvements

The Master Plan calls for renovating the inside of existing buildings as well.

Though things such as adequate lighting and classroom furniture may seem like luxuries, they are necessary to promote Learn By Doing, Dalton said.

“It’s comfort, but it’s really comfort for learning,” Dalton said.

Ethnic studies professor Grace Yeh thought some buildings on campus had already achieved this level of comfort.

“That first floor gallery space has been a nice space to offer for class projects,” Yeh said.

But, according to Yeh, there are a lot of facilities that still need to be revamped, especially the Mathematics and Science (building 38).

“Prime location, sad building,” Yeh said about the building. “Even at least a good paint job and scrubbing and power washing outside would really help.”

Other buildings need to be renovated as well.

“Desks are terrible in many of the classrooms I teach in. They look like nothing has changed since the ’60s,” Yeh said.

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.