Mustang News Staff Report
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New students will be required to participate in the Soar and Week of Welcome (WOW) orientation programs, starting with the Fall 2015 incoming class, according to an email sent by Provost Kathleen Enz Finken and Vice President for Student Affairs Keith Humphrey.
“Requiring attendance at both of these programs will solidify students’ relationships with Cal Poly, deliver critical information to them, and connect them with key resources that are essential to their success,” the email read. “This will also enhance Cal Poly’s ability to build relationships with parents and supporters, a key priority for our campus.”
The email said “the timing, content, and delivery of both programs will shift,” and financial aid and more flexible scheduling options will be put in place for SOAR.
Once again good going Cal Poly for making changes without input from the people who will be affected, the students and the parents. So much for being more open.
How can Cal Poly make orientation programs mandatory when it can cost $1000 or more to attend. Students and parents have jobs so they can pay for schooling. Combining the programs would go a long way to limiting the cost. SOAR is pretty useless in my opinion, and is included in WOW for the students, it would be easy to add an optional parents program to WOW since parents are in town to drop their students off. Totally doubt making these programs mandatory for students or parents is legally enforceable.
I tried last year to find scholarships or financial aid for students who could not afford to go to WOW, there are many, I offered to provide funds, no one was interested. Financial aid was offered for students from partner schools, but other poor working parents couldn’t even apply for assistance. Adding mandatory fees (which are against CSU rules right now) with no free option? Doesn’t sound legal. Does any other school in the country require two or even one mandatory program with a cost between $200 and $1000 without a free option? I couldn’t find one, can Mustang News? Maybe Mustang News would like to investigate this?
I also believe that Cal Poly makes a profit on these programs and the optional bbqs and other formal events. This should not be allowed for mandatory programs and again might be a violation of the CSU non profit rules.
This is just ridiculous, I can see WOW being mandatory but SOAR? Just a money-making scheme. SOAR is so incredibly inconvenient for people who just want to enjoy their last summer with friends at home. This is awful