Cal Poly employees will earn a one-time bonus to their compensation after the California State University system authorized a $144 million state loan to go to its faculty and staff across all 22 campuses.
The one-time, zero-interest loan will be paid back in full to the state no later than July 1, 2026, according to an email sent to all Cal State employees by Chancellor Mildred García.
In July, the state cut $144 million from the Cal State system’s budget, with $9.7 million of that state funding cut for Cal Poly.
The loan seeks to compensate all Cal State employees for their “extraordinary skill and dedication” demonstrated every day across each campus, García wrote in the email.
At Cal Poly, Lisa Kawamura, president of the university’s California Faculty Association (CFA) chapter, said the union had previously pushed for the zero-interest loan.
Kawamura added she would also like to see the one-time loan support various departments and campuses across Cal State like Sonoma State, who recently planned to cut faculty and academic programs.
It is unclear how much of the $144 million state loan will be going to Cal Poly, but according to university spokesperson Keegan Koberl, employees at the university will be getting a share of these funds.
When this loan will be distributed to Cal Poly employees and other campuses is dependent on bargaining discussions and negotiations between different employee unions in the system, the Cal State website reads.
“This one-time funding provides a meaningful opportunity to recognize the exceptional dedication of our employees,” according to the Cal State website.
