For the first time since the Year-Round Operations planning process began in 2023, Cal Poly plans to include student input. This comes amid student backlash against the proposed school year model, with many citing concerns about a lack of internship opportunities and housing.
READ MORE: Majority of engineering students surveyed think year-round operations will harm Cal Poly
The university plans to develop an academic calendar, create a site with resources about the planning process and make potential upgrades to infrastructure and student services, according to an email Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong sent out to the campus last week.
Cal Poly’s predicted transition to YRO is scheduled for the 2027-28 academic year, with phased implementation coming in Summer 2028.
Details about the series of town halls and other steps have not yet been provided.
University spokesperson Keegan Koberl said, “Details are still being confirmed for these next steps, and they will be shared with the campus community once finalized.”
Abbie Strong, an aerospace freshman at Cal Poly, said she is against the year-round plan.
“It just seems to me like it is making things harder for students,” Strong said. “It doesn’t seem like it’s to benefit the students, but more to benefit the school by making them money.”
Strong expressed that she does plan to attend future town halls about the topic to express her frustrations.
YRO aims to allow for an increase in student enrollment and resources such as housing, classes and career opportunities, according to the email.
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To meet these goals, Cal Poly started consulting with colleges to determine which programs are displaying “initial areas of readiness.”
The university is also working on projections to estimate the amount of increased enrollment that Cal Poly can support, and how much new faculty hiring the change would require.
As of October 2025, Cal Poly had planned to increase enrollment by 2,000 students over the next five years, according to the Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, Terrance Harris.
The projections referenced in the Office of the President’s email have not been made available, as the university works to finalize details, according to Koberl.