Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong outlined this academic year’s goals for sustainable growth, the potential Cal Maritime-Cal Poly integration and proposed changes to future academic calendars as a keynote speaker at yesterday’s annual Fall Convocation.
The Fall Convocation, held in the Performing Arts Center, brought together faculty, the campus community, community members and notable student and administrative leaders.
In his speech, Armstrong called for the need to increase enrollment in future years to make Cal Poly more accessible to Californians of all backgrounds. He expressed his end goal is for annual increases in fall head counts to be eclipsed by available bed spaces on campus.
“As a result of our lack of capacity, we denied admission to over 31,000 qualified applicants this fall,” Armstrong said in his speech. “We must grow to increase capacity for Californians. Sustainable growth is essential to provide the resources to achieve our strategic priorities.”
In addition, ASI President Ashleigh Spragins commended faculty and staff for their commitment and leadership to Cal Poly.
“[The Fall Convocation] really gave me an opportunity to thank [staff and faculty] and appreciate their service, as well as empower them for the next year of continuing our culture of excellence at Cal Poly,” Spragins told Mustang News.
After Spragins, CSUEU President Tom Randall and CFA SLO President Lisa Kawamura each gave speeches about their unionization efforts and future goals.
Another speaker at the event, Academic Senate Chair Jerusha Greenwood, discussed the importance of change that occurs in college campuses.
To conclude the event, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore awarded staff and faculty for various achievements in scholarship, teaching, philanthropy, and dedication to their job.
Distinguished Teaching:
- Taryn Stanko, professor for Orfalea College of Business
- Eleanor Helms, professor for the Philosophy Department
- Katharina Gillen, professor for the Physics Department
Distinguished Scholarship:
- Christina Firpo, professor for the History Department
- Bing Qu, civil engineering professor
- Tina Cheuk, associate professor for the School of Education
Outstanding Staff:
- Rob Brewster, Biological Sciences Department
- Amie Hammond, Executive Director for Career Services
- Albert Rangel, Associate Director of Custodial Services for University Housing
Outstanding Faculty Advisor
- Leslie Nelson, associate professor for the Communication Studies Department
Provost’s Leadership Award for Partnership in Philanthropy
- Jeong Woo, department head for the Construction Management Department
Learn by Doing Scholar Award
Skip the Grid Project – Joseph Cleary, Jeong Woo and Jacques Belanger
- Joseph Cleary, associate professor for the Construction Management Department
- Jeong Woo, department head for the Construction Management Department
- Jacques Belanger, mechanical engineering associate professor
This event was recorded and will be available on Cal Poly’s website on Sept. 18.
Correction: This article has been updated at 1:07 p.m. to correct a misspelled word.
