Cal Maritime will integrate into Cal Poly, in hopes of saving Maritime from its growing financial troubles.
The California State University Board of Trustees unanimously approved the merger of Cal Maritime and Cal Poly Thursday morning, according to a Cal State press release. The two universities will be administratively integrated by July 2025.
The Cal State system approved $35 million to integrate the two campuses over the next seven years. The funds come from “systemwide designated balances and reserves” for specific university initiatives, according to the Cal State website.
The maritime academy campus sits 248 miles north of San Luis Obispo, but now has a different name: Cal Poly, Solano Campus, home to the Cal Poly Maritime Academy.
All Cal Poly, Solano Campus students will be officially enrolled and receive a Cal Poly degree starting fall 2026. This academic year will also be the beginning of Cal Poly’s semester calendar.
Admission to the Solano Campus will operate the same as existing Cal Poly practices, where all students apply and are evaluated against others who apply to the same major. All students are required to meet Cal State academic enrollment standards, according to their website.
The merger will take place simultaneously with two other major changes coming to Cal Poly: the conversion to semesters and the expansion of year-round operations.
“This is important work that will have impacts throughout our campus operations—and I am committed to keeping you all up to date as details become available,” Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong wrote in an email announcement sent Thursday.
Initially proposed in June of this year, the merger aims to address Cal Maritime’s growing financial struggles and enrollment decreases. Since March, the university has set a hiring freeze, eliminating 14 positions and leaving 17 positions vacant.
Cal Maritime’s enrollment has declined 31% over the past seven years, according to the Cal State’s June release, which has “undermined its viability as a standalone institution.”
With just over 750 students, Cal Maritime is the smallest university in the Cal State system. It is also the only degree-granting maritime academy on the West Coast. According to Cal Poly’s maritime integration website, this makes “saving Cal Maritime important.”
Efforts will be supported through a consulting group, Baker Tilly. The group is currently working with the Chancellor’s Office to develop an implementation plan.
The Cal Poly, Solano Campus and Cal Poly Maritime Academy will maintain a focus on their specialized degree programs. The majority of students graduate with degrees in marine transportation and mechanical engineering, according to the fall 2024 census.