Four hours north of San Luis Obispo lies Cal Poly’s newest addition, Cal Poly Maritime Academy. As of July 1, the universities merged their administrations into one, and exactly one year later, they will academically merge into one university. Following the merger, a shift in leadership and student culture is already underway.
The merge was primarily executed to financially stabilize the Maritime campus funds, bringing in approximately $35 million over the next seven years. It was a match academically, since both universities are known for their niche majors and hands-on experiences. The merger will also help provide the Maritime campus with more national recognition.
READ MORE: Integration of campuses approved in 2024
Cal Poly Maritime Academy, formerly known as Cal Maritime, was founded in 1929 and joined the Cal State system in 1995. The campus is one of seven degree-granting maritime academies in the United States. These are schools that specify studies around maritime training throughout the country. Cal Poly Maritime Academy is the only one along the West Coast.
Since the 2016-17 academic year, Cal Maritime shed 31% of its students, with enrollment dropping from 1,107 students to 804 last fall, according to Cal State data.
The Maritime Academy has set up their classes and hands-on curriculum to prepare their students for jobs working at sea straight out of school, according to Eric Jones, the campus’s new superintendent. Many of their programs and tech resources on campus are meant to give students industry experience, heavily falling in line with Cal Poly’s ‘Learn by Doing’ philosophy.
Maritime students will typically start work days early in the morning and go until 10 p.m., with classes built around hands-on learning and application based projects, according to Tyler Venator, mechanical engineering senior and Commander of the Core Cadets.
“It’s a great time with your friends, but you also have a great time learning. I don’t think there’s anything like it,” Venator said.
Even in a work-first environment, the cadets are able to find joy and bond from spending time on the ship together.
“Inclusivity is a big thing that we’re trying to work on,” Venator said. “Not just because we want to get more workers in the industry, of course we have a mariners shortage, but because I believe this is such a great industry you can learn from personally and professionally.”
There has been a consistent deficit of mariners to meet United States shipping needs for years, according to the Department of Transportation.
“My father went here and my grandfather before him, so I was instilled a little bit of pride about this school before I even came here,” Venator said. “As things change and as things develop and grow, I think it’s been quite nice to see the school become what it is today and what it can be in the future.”
Maritime traditions
International business and logistics sophomore Kate McGowan has enjoyed her experience at Maritime Academy. She is currently the president of the propeller club and a resident advisor.
“I’ve just had a lot of hands-on experience as a business major here,” McGowan said. “It’s a big community and everyone knows everyone here. It’s nice to have a huge network.”
After graduating, she hopes to go into maritime brokerage or contracting in the industry.
“I felt like I immediately belonged here and in the maritime industry. It’s a rough industry but it loves the people that are a part of it.”
Kate McGowan, international business and logistics sophomore
As a part of the culture on campus, some of the popular clubs include aquarium odyssey club, propeller club and collegiate wind club according to international business and logistics senior and former President of the Associated Students Nikhil Hunter.
Hunter also enjoys traditions such as “The Clap.” The tradition is a round of applause within the dining hall whenever a dish accidentally drops on the floor. Since the dining hall at the academy is relatively small, any fall or drop is echoed and heard throughout the entire building.
The academy offers a summer term at sea where cadets are able to apply their training directly on the training ship while at sea.
“Our deck cadets do something called celestial navigation,” Venator said. “For the 65 days they are sailing, they need to track the stars and figure out their positions. I can say it’s stressful.”
The Sinbad Games, a longstanding Maritime Academy tradition, takes place on the ship during summer sea term. Venator describes the Sinbad Games as the “Olympics on water,” where students dress up and compete in a series of obstacles. The winner is able to disembark the ship first at the end of the term.
Typical training includes opportunities such as the full-mission bridge simulator, also known as the ‘sea sickness simulator,’ which replicates the experience of different boats in varying locations. It costs around $1 million and needs $100,000 maintenance annually, according to Marine Transportation Department Chair Elizabeth McNie.
“Some days the weather doesn’t agree,” assistant professor of Marine Transportation Anthony McDevitt said. “We can retreat back to the simulator. I can put it anywhere I want and under any conditions, and suddenly I can push these students without actually damaging anything.”
How Maritime is developing
The Maritime Academy’s new leadership will include the new CEO and Vice President Corey Cook. He previously served as vice president and provost at St. Mary’s College of California and also was the founding dean of the School of Public Service at Boise State University.
READ MORE: Cal Poly appoints new leaders for Maritime Academy
Jones, the new superintendent, will oversee the academy’s hands-on programs and is backed by 35 years of service in the U.S. Coast Guard, where he oversaw 57,000 members and coordinated multiple emergency responses during Hurricanes Irma, Dorian and Maria.
With the new funding and expansion of the Maritime Academy, the university has been able to add to their total number of programs. One new project includes the construction of a pier on campus, meant for a new multi-mission ship named the Golden State, arriving in the fall of 2027.
According to Jones, the new ship will be longer and tonnage-wise larger than their current training ship allowing it to carry 600 students, double the previous amount.
The Golden State will contain a command center with a separate communication network, which aids in housing up to thousands of displaced people in case of an emergency, according to Jones.
Back down south to Cal Poly
While the merger is not changing anything significant for current Cal Poly students, it will pose some changes to culture and application processes. The applications for the campuses will be separate in the Cal State system, and both campuses provide different majors.
Students on each campus will be able to have more access to the programs each campus offers. For Cal Poly SLO students, this includes having access to research labs and technology, like the training ships, on the Solano campus. Cal Poly students will have more opportunity to specialize their degrees with the Maritime programs now available.
“There have been conceptual discussions around how programs in San Luis Obispo and at the Cal Poly Solano Campus might work together to provide opportunities for students in both places,” Cal Poly spokesperson Matt Lazier said. “Those discussions are ongoing, and we do not have further details to share at this time.”
The merger is just one of many changes coming to Cal Poly in the next few years. Semester conversion, year-round operation plans and construction are incoming on campus. Maritime Academy will also see many changes.
“It’s a completely different school than it was 10 years ago,” Venator said. “You might not even recognize this place.”
This story originally appeared in the October print edition of Mustang News. Check out more from the edition at news stands around campus and San Luis Obispo.
For more stories from the October print edition check out the featured print section on our website or the full issue.