This story comes from The Hill, a team of data analysts and reporters focused on data-driven and investigative stories at Mustang News. Click here to read more stories from The Hill. Editor’s note: This article was updated on Sept. 27 to correct the title and display of pie charts. Ellie Angold opened her laptop to register for […]
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COVID-19 cases spike, dorm residents told to isolate in place
Cal Poly officials have begun telling students with COVID-19 who live in on-campus dorms to isolate in place, even if they live with roommates in the same room and live on residence halls with over 20 people on the same floor, President Jeffrey Armstrong told Mustang News. Until now, the isolate-in-place policy was limited to […]
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‘Callous and risky’: Immunocompromised people brace for spring quarter as Armstrong lifts mask mandate
M.W. Kaplan dreads thinking about an in-person communications theory class they are enrolled in at Cal Poly next quarter. Kaplan, a communication studies junior, said they need to take the class to graduate — but with the university lifting the indoor mask mandate across campus starting in the spring, Kaplan is not comfortable going to […]
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Cal Poly spends more than $100,000 isolating COVID-positive students
Cal Poly spent more than $100,000 isolating students off-campus in January after a record-high number of students tested positive for COVID-19, according to documents obtained by Mustang News through a public records request. Cal Poly officials signed contracts with three local hotels to isolate COVID-positive students: the Lamplighter Inn, Sands Inn & Suites and Hotel […]
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Armstrong says ‘21,000+ students’ got tested. Cal Poly’s COVID-19 dashboard doesn’t agree
In his latest email to the Cal Poly community, President Jeffrey Armstrong addressed concerns about in-person classes amidst a COVID-19 spike — but data he referenced contradicts data on the university’s own COVID-19 Dashboard. Armstrong’s Jan. 13 email noted how “[t]he university tested all 21,000+ students within approximately one week of their arrival.” Cal Poly’s […]
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Cal Poly community petitions for safety protocols after week one COVID blunders
One week into winter quarter, Cal Poly community members are petitioning for safer COVID-19 policies after what they say is university administration’s mishandling of its worst coronavirus surge yet. The petition garnered more than 2,960 signatures in just a few days, including university employees, students, parents, alumni and community members. It cites a main issue […]
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Cal Poly is isolating COVID-positive students in off-campus hotels
Cal Poly has become so overwhelmed by on-campus students testing positive for COVID-19 that the university began isolating COVID-positive students in local San Luis Obispo hotels on Wednesday, Jan. 5. “The university engaged off-campus beds because it needed more than the 62 beds available on campus.” Cal Poly spokesperson Matt Lazier wrote to Mustang News […]
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Record-high number of Cal Poly students test positive for COVID-19
Three days into the new year, more students have tested positive for the coronavirus through Cal Poly’s COVID-19 testing program than ever before, according to the university’s COVID-19 Dashboard. On Sunday, Jan. 2, Cal Poly reported a record-high of 81 positive tests out of 1,939 total tests performed. Cal Poly students made up about 39% […]
Posted inThe Hill
Cal Poly isn’t doing enough to address sexual assault, students say in survey
Editor’s Note: This article discusses specific experiences and themes regarding sexual assault and sexual harassment. Survivors of such experiences can access virtual confidential services through Cal Poly Safer’s website. The sun had already set by the time Morgan Saltamachio was walking back from class to her Cerro Vista apartment, where she worked as a resident […]
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Growing number of students have stopped completing daily symptom screener
Since the beginning of fall quarter, a growing number of students have stopped filling out Cal Poly’s daily symptom screener, meaning less students are reporting whether they have COVID-19 symptoms to the university. Over the first five weeks of the fall quarter, the weekly count of completed daily symptom screeners fell by 32% — from […]
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COVID-19 cases in San Luis Obispo County continue to decline
Following a spike in August, new daily COVID-19 cases in San Luis Obispo County have steadily decreased. So far in October, there have been 920 new COVID-19 cases, compared to 2,500 cases in September and 3,543 cases in August, according to data from the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department. Cases this month are […]