California Polytechnic State University
Encyclopedia
California Polytechnic State University, or Cal Poly, is a public university
located in San Luis Obispo, California
, United States
. The university is one of two polytechnic
campus
es in the 23-member California State University
system.
Comprising six distinct colleges, the university offers 70 undergraduate programs, 26 graduate programs and 6 teaching credentials/certificates. Specifically, the university's engineering, architecture, and agriculture colleges consistently place at the top of United States national academic rankings. In U.S. News & World Report
s 2012 America's Best Colleges report, Cal Poly ranked as the #1 Public Master's University in the Western United States for the 19th consecutive year. U.S. News describes the university's admission process as "more selective", yielding an overall acceptance rate of 29% in fall 2010 (freshman acceptance rate: 32%, transfer acceptance rate: 13%). Cal Poly now has more than 140,000 alumni living and working everywhere from New York to Washington D.C. to Wisconsin to Idaho to Hawaii to Hong Kong.
Cal Poly is a member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)
and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges. Cal Poly is known for its "learn by doing" educational philosophy that encourages students to solve real-world problems by combining classroom theory with experiential laboratory exercise. Cal Poly is one of four California State Universities that participate in the Big West Conference
in athletics.
signed the California Polytechnic School Bill. The university started out as the California Polytechnic School founded by Myron Angel. The polytechnic school held its first classes on October 1, 1903, offering secondary level courses of study, which took three years to complete. The first incoming class was 20 students. The school continued to grow steadily, except during a period from the mid 1910s to the early 1920s when World War I
led to drops in enrollment and drastic budget cuts forced fewer class offerings.
In 1924, Cal Poly was placed under the control of the California State Board of Education. In 1933, the Board of Education changed Cal Poly into a two year technical and vocational school. The institution began to offer Bachelor of Arts
degrees in 1940, with the first baccalaureate exercises held in 1942. The school was renamed the California State Polytechnic College in 1947 to better reflect its higher education offerings, and in 1949, a Master of Arts
degree in education was added. In 1960, control of Cal Poly and all other state colleges was transferred from the State Board of Education to an independent Board of Trustees, which later became the California State University
system.
The college was authorized to offer Master of Science degrees in 1967. From 1967 to 1970, the school’s curriculum was reorganized into different units (such as the School of Science and Math, the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the School of Architecture, which was created in 1968). Cal Poly's FM
radio station, KCPR
, also began as a senior project in 1968. The state legislature changed the school’s official name again in 1971 to California Polytechnic State University. Since the 1970s, the university has seen steady enrollment growth and the construction of many significant buildings on campus. Cal Poly celebrated its centennial in 2001, and kicked off a $225 million fundraising campaign, the largest fund raising effort ever undertaken in CSU history. The Centennial Campaign raised over $264 million dollars from over 81,000 donors, more than tripling the university’s endowment
from $43 million to over $140 million. Cal Poly's endowment was ranked 301 out of 864 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada in 2009. In 1998 the university was referred to as the flagship campus of the California State University
system by the chancellor of the CSU.
Cal Poly Pomona began as a satellite campus of Cal Poly in 1938 when a completely equipped school and farm were donated by Charles Voorhis and his son Jerry Voorhis of Pasadena, California
. The satellite campus was initially called the Voorhis Unit. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation then donated an 812 acres (328.6 ha) horse ranch in Pomona, California
to Cal Poly in 1949. Located about one mile (1.6 km) from the Voorhis campus, the two became known as the Kellogg-Voorhis unit. The Kellogg-Voorhis unit broke off in 1966, becoming the fully independent university, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Since 1949, the San Luis Obispo and Pomona universities have cooperated on creating a float for the Rose Parade. Today, the long-running float program still boasts floats designed and constructed entirely by students year-round on both campuses.
team, hours after a loss to Bowling Green State University
, crashed on takeoff at the Toledo Express Airport
in Toledo, Ohio
. 22 of the 48 people on board were killed, including sixteen players.
As "Cal Poly" is an official name of the university, the athletic department does not sanction appending the name "San Luis Obispo" to the Cal Poly logo.
While Cal Poly is part of the California State University, it is improper to refer to the campus with names such as "CSU San Luis Obispo" or "Cal State SLO", because Cal Poly officially retains the name it held before its acquisition by the CSU system.
Appointed in May 1902, Leroy Anderson was instrumental in establishing the California Polytechnic as the first institution in the state to teach agriculture at the secondary level and the only institution other than the University of California where agriculture was taught. Born in Magee, New York in 1866, Anderson earned his PhD in 1897 at Cornell University. He taught there until 1900, when he came to California to join the agriculture faculty at the University of California. His recommendations for the Polytechnic School, submitted at the request of the board of trustees, resulted in his appointment as director in 1902. Anderson recruited the first faculty. He oversaw the construction of the campus buildings and the equipping of the agricultural and mechanics units. Throughout his five years he was a vigorous promoter of the school, lobbying with the state legislature for support and recruiting students throughout the state.
Leroy Burns Smith, 1908-1914:
In 1905, Leroy Burns Smith began his affiliation with Cal Poly as an instructor in English, history and economics. An energetic supporter of the school, he was named vice-director in June 1907 and upon the resignation of Leroy Anderson, became the school's second director in January 1908. Like his predecessor, Smith was a graduate of Cornell University (1901). He came to Cal Poly with educational and administrative experience in the Young Men's Christian Association at the University of Wisconsin and in San Francisco. As the director of the California Polytechnic, Smith continued the campus development and the educational plan begun by Anderson. Smith extended the academic program from three years of study to four, and introduced a series of agricultural and domestic extension courses for men and women on the local farms. At his encouragement and under his advisement, student organizations flourished, and Cal Poly’s Student Association, precursor to the ASI, was formed.
Robert Weir Ryder, 1914-1921:
The appointment of Robert Weir Ryder as the third director of the Cal Poly School was, in a sense, an affirmation of the importance of the school's engineering program. A graduate of the University of California, Ryder came to Cal Poly in 1911 as head of the Mechanics Department. Ryder’s administration was marked with numerous innovations to the Cal Poly curriculum, including a college preparatory course, auto mechanics, and a printing course, which was a precursor to today's journalism and graphic communications departments. With the introduction of an academic course, Cal Poly received accreditation by the University of California in 1917. A military training program was introduced at Cal Poly and after World War I, Cal Poly provided vocational training for disabled veterans.
Nicholas Ricciardi, 1921-1924:
Nicholas Ricciardi became director of the Cal Poly School on July 1, 1921. On July 30, 1921, an act of legislature restructured the state normal school and vocational school systems. Cal Poly's local board of trustees was disbanded and Ricciardi, now "president," reported to the state superintendent of public instruction. A graduate of the University of California, President Ricciardi brought extensive experience in secondary and vocational education. He had served as director of vocational training for the Oakland school system and as head of the Twelfth District Board for Vocational Training of World War I veterans. At Poly, Ricciardi emphasized "vocational efficiency and efficient citizenship" of students. He introduced vocational testing and guidance into Cal Poly’s educational mission. The Journalism and Graphics Communications departments originated during this period in the new "printing course."
Margaret Chase (Acting), 1924:
Margaret Chase, the only woman to head the California Polytechnic, joined its faculty in 1908 as instructor in English and served the institution in a variety of teaching and administrative capacities. Born in Canada, Chase graduated from Dalhousie University and received her M.A. from the University of California. As head of the Academic Department, Chase was instrumental in attaining accreditation from the University of California during the Ryder administration. Having served as Ricciardi's vice-president, Chase was the obvious choice for an interim executive upon his resignation. In a period of fiscal austerity and intense scrutiny of the school's educational mission, Chase provided a sense of continuity and optimism for students and faculty. With the appointment of President Benjamin Crandall, Chase resumed the post of vice president. She also continued as head of the Academic Department and in 1928, was made dean of the Junior College Division. Chase retired from Cal Poly in June 1945. Chase Hall is named in her honor.
Benjamin Ray Crandall, 1924-1933:
In Benjamin Crandall, Cal Poly acquired a well-respected educator with teaching and administrative experience at both the secondary and university level. He inherited a somewhat embattled Cal Poly and his tenure was one of constant re-evaluation, reorganization, expansion and retrenchment. With degrees in pedagogy from the University of Wyoming and the University of Denver, and additional graduate training at Cornell and the University of California, Crandall served as superintendent of schools in several western cities prior to becoming a professor of agricultural education at the University of California in 1921. In 1924, he was urged by the State Board of Education and the governor to accept the presidency of Cal Poly. In 1926, the project system, predecessor of the senior projects, was applied in agricultural courses. In 1927, the opening of the two-year Junior College Division foreshadowed Cal Poly's evolution into a university, and a new aeronautics program was added to the Engineering Department. In 1929, as part of a reorganization of the school, enrollment was limited to male students, and by 1933, the college preparatory course was eliminated. The Polytechnic became a vocational institute open only to students over the age of eighteen.
Julian A. McPhee, 1933-1966:
A graduate of the University of California, obtaining a B.S. in 1917 and a masters degree in 1928, Julian McPhee first gained experience in agricultural education in the U.C. Agriculture Extension Service and as director of vocational agriculture at El Dorado County High School and Gilroy Union High School. McPhee’s influence in the State Bureau of Agricultural Education helped save the flagging school from being closed by the state. McPhee was instrumental in the reorganization of Cal Poly into a single-sex institute for men over the age of 18. In 1933, McPhee was appointed president of the California Polytechnic and served concurrently as chief of the Bureau of Agricultural Education, California State Department of Education. Then a two-year technical institute, Cal Poly, under President McPhee's leadership, evolved into a four-year college in the California State College system. During WWII, McPhee served as director of California’s War Food Production Training Program. He later served as acting chief of the Bureau of Readjustment Education, assistant executive officer of the State Board of Vocational Education, and director of Vocational Education for the State of California. He was awarded the LL.D. by Armstrong College in 1952. In 1966, after thirty-three years as president of Cal Poly, Julian A. McPhee retired.
Dale W. Andrews (acting), 1966-1967:
Dale W. Andrews received his B.A. from the University of California, Davis in 1941 and his M.A. in agricultural education at Cal Poly in 1952. Andrews joined the Cal Poly faculty in 1950 as an instructor in agricultural education. He is credited with establishing the annual Poly Royal buttons.
In 1960, Andrews was named Special Educational Services coordinator by President Julian McPhee. In 1966, he was appointed vice-president and then acting president when President McPhee retired. He was named executive vice-president in 1973. In 1979, he was once again named acting president following the retirement of President Robert E. Kennedy.
Robert E. Kennedy, 1967-1979:
Robert E. Kennedy received his B.A. from San Diego State College in 1938, his M.A. in journalism from Stanford University in 1950, and his Ph.D. in education administration from Claremont Graduate School (now Claremont Graduate University
) in 1966. Kennedy joined the Cal Poly faculty in 1940 as a journalism instructor. He served as advisor to student publications, and during WWII, with the arrival of U.S. Naval training programs on the Cal Poly campus, instructed cadets in communications. In 1946, Kennedy became head of the Journalism Dept., to which title he added public relations director in 1949. He was assistant to President Julian McPhee from 1950 to 1957; dean of the Arts and Sciences Division from 1957 to 1959; and vice president of Cal Poly from 1959 to 1967. Following the retirement of President McPhee, Kennedy was appointed president. In 1972, under President Kennedy's leadership, California Polytechnic State College was officially designated California Polytechnic State University. During his long tenure as faculty and administrator at Cal Poly, Robert Kennedy represented the college on numerous state and national education councils, including the Chancellor's Council of Presidents and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). For the AASCU he served as a member of the board of directors, a representative to the Education Commission of the States and a member of AASCU committees on agriculture, public relations, and state relations. In 1978, in honor of his long and dedicated service to Cal Poly, the CSUC Trustees voted to name the new Cal Poly library "The Robert E. Kennedy Library."
Under Baker’s leadership, Cal Poly consistently earned national recognition for academic excellence including 17 year in a row as the best public-master's university in the West by U.S. News & World Report. This is largely due to Cal Poly's learn by doing educational methodology that encourages students to solve real-world problems by combining classroom theory with experiential laboratory exercise. Also during Baker’s tenure, admission to Cal Poly became increasingly competitive. Freshmen SAT scores and grade-point averages steadily increased and as a result, applications to the university increased nearly fivefold over the past 30 years making Cal Poly one of the most selective public universities in the nation.
Applied research programs also expanded over the Baker years. Among the new centers and institutes for applied research established since 1979 were the Irrigation Training and Research Center, the Environmental Biotechnology Institute, the Dairy Products Technology Center, the Collaborative Agent Design (CAD) Research Center, and the Brock Institute for Agricultural Communication. Baker also oversaw an aggressive upgrade and expansion of campus buildings and facilities that approached $1 billion over his 30 years, thanks to investment from a variety of public and private sources.
Jeffrey D. Armstrong, 2011 – present:
Jeffrey D. Armstrong currently serves as Cal Poly's president. President Armstrong received his bachelor's degree in agriculture from Murray State University. He received both his master's and doctorate in physiology and endocrinology from North Carolina State University. Armstrong joined the Cal Poly campus in 2011 after tenure at North Carolina State University (faculty), Purdue University (Head of the Department of Animal Sciences) and Michigan State University (Dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources).
, a 3200 acres (1,295 ha) ranch located in Santa Cruz County, California, outside the town of Davenport
. The ranch provides educational and research opportunities, encompasses rangeland, livestock, and forestry operations for the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental sciences, and fosters Cal Poly’s teaching philosophy of “Learn by Doing” with emphasis on sustainable management of agricultural practices.
Recreation Center Expansion : Will expand the Recreation center and triple its usable size. Two new gym rooms, additional leisure pool, synthetic turf for sports complete fields, triple the size of exercise and weight training rooms (from 7000 sq ft (650.3 m²) to 21,000 sq ft), and a multi-activity center are planned additions to the recreation center. (Student Vote passed on 28 Feb 08. Construction began Fall 2008.) The expanded Recreation Center will be open for student use in early 2012.
Bicycle racks are available throughout the campus, but the off-campus student population is mostly centered in areas either close enough to walk or areas judged to be too far to ride a bicycle. The city's SLO Transit bus system provides service to and from campus. Since the buses are partially subsidized by student tuition, Cal Poly students can ride for free. Bus service throughout the county is provided by SLO Regional Transit Authority. Discounted passes are available to the Cal Poly community.
The university currently offers bachelor's degree
s, master's degrees, and one joint-doctorate in six colleges:
2012 America's Best Colleges report, Cal Poly is ranked 1st in the Western United States
for regional public schools whose highest degree is a Master's for the 19th straight year. The College of Engineering was tied for the #5 ranking for undergraduate engineering schools in the US whose highest degree is a Master's.
Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business once again has been named to Business Week magazine’s list of the nation’s top undergraduate business colleges, moving up to No. 64 on the 2010 list.
In 2010, Forbes' Magazine
found Cal Poly #27 out of the nation's 100 best public universities and #177 out of the 600 best private and public colleges and universities in America. Cal Poly moved up on the overall list from #201 in 2009, and #369 in the 2008 rankings.
Among public schools whose highest degree is a master's, specific engineering programs were ranked (overall includes both private and public universities):
In the 2009 edition of "America's Best Architecture & Design Schools" published by the leading architecture and design journal "DesignIntelligence," Cal Poly was the #3 undergraduate architecture school in the nation. The landscape architecture program was ranked #10.
Cal Poly’s graduate program in City and Regional Planning ranked #1 in the "Planetizen" 2009 Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs, in the US whose highest degree is a Master's.
In 2009, the magazine "Diverse Issues in Higher Education" placed Cal Poly among the top 10 of its “Top 100 Degree Producers 2009” ranking. This places the university in the top 10 schools in the nation in granting degrees to Hispanic, Asian and other minority students in agriculture, architecture and engineering.
Alumni of Cal Poly average the third-highest salaries of all public university graduates in the United States according to a Forbes
.com ranking. Cal Poly outperformed all public universities in the nation other than U.C. Berkeley and the University of Virginia. The median annual earnings for Cal Poly graduates with 10–20 years career experience is $101,000, with the top 10% earning more than $178,000. The U.C. Berkeley and University of Virginia median/top 10% performances are $112,000/$201,000 and $103,000/$215,000 respectively.
Cal Poly requires students to declare a major when applying for admission, and the university then admits the most competitive applicants within each major. Because of this, certain Cal Poly majors set higher admission standards than do other majors. To prevent students from applying for an easy-to-get-into major and transferring to another major, Cal Poly makes it difficult to change majors. Each major has adopted a specific change of major plan which includes required classes to be taken while maintaining a certain GPA (usually between 2.5-2.75) in order to be considered as a transfer candidate. Students within the college (i.e. College of Engineering, College of Business) are often granted priority over outside transfers and often transfers from other universities. While many hear it is difficult to change majors, those who are committed to their newly desired major find little trouble or hidden steps in the transfers process. Cal Poly prides itself on students taking courses within their major right away in their freshman year to advance the knowledge that they walk away with as graduates. However, in some cases, students wishing to change majors completely transfer to other universities.
These quarterly tuitions are for Colleges of Agriculture, Business, Engineering, Architecture & Environmental Design, and Science & Math. Liberal Arts majors will pay less, at $1966 per quarter.
on the Cal Poly campus. The five North Mountain halls, constructed in the 1950s, are the oldest on campus still used for residential purposes. The six "red-brick" halls were completed shortly afterward in 1959. The Sierra Madre and Yosemite halls were finished by 1968, and the Cerro Vista Apartments were completed in 2003. The Poly Canyon Village housing complex, with a similar style as the Cerro Vista apartments, opened in Fall 2008.
Each of the residence halls represent a different living community on campus. The six red-brick halls are the Living-Learning Program halls for the different colleges of Cal Poly. The five North Mountain halls are organizationally a part of the engineering Living-Learning Program. The Sierra Madre and Yosemite halls are the First-Year Connection Program halls and focus on freshman-oriented transition programs. All buildings house students of all majors. The Cerro Vista Apartments is the Transitions community for first-year and second-year students. Poly Canyon Village is the Sophomore Success Program community, which is open to primarily to sophomores, but also juniors and seniors, and helps students transition into independent living. The total on-campus population is 6,500, making it the largest student housing program in the California State University System.
, Interfraternity Council (IFC), and Panhellenic Association (PHA).
There are currently:
10 USFC Fraternities/Sororities: Alpha Kappa Delta Phi
, Chi Delta Theta
, Gamma Zeta Alpha
, Lambda Phi Epsilon
, Lambda Sigma Gamma
, Lambda Theta Alpha
, Lambda Theta Phi
, Nu Alpha Kappa
, Omega Xi Delta, Sigma Omega Nu
17 IFC Fraternities: Alpha Epsilon Pi
, Alpha Gamma Rho
, Beta Theta Pi
, Delta Chi
, Delta Lambda Phi
, Delta Sigma Phi
, Delta Upsilon
, Lambda Chi Alpha
, Phi Delta Theta
, Phi Kappa Psi
, Phi Sigma Kappa
, Pi Kappa Alpha
, Sigma Nu
, Sigma Pi
, Tau Kappa Epsilon
, Theta Chi
, Zeta Beta Tau
,
7 Panhellenic Sororities: Alpha Chi Omega
, Alpha Omicron Pi
, Alpha Phi
, Chi Omega
, Gamma Phi Beta
, Kappa Alpha Theta
, Sigma Kappa
,
1 Panhellenic Interest Group: Alpha Epsilon
Fraternity for College Band Members: Kappa Kappa Psi
Cal Poly fields 20 varsity sports. The school's mascot is Musty the Mustang. Sports teams participate in the NCAA
's Division I. Cal Poly athletics generally compete in the Big West Conference, with football and wrestling being the exception. Cal Poly's wrestling team is a member of the PAC-10 Conference.
Prior to joining Division I in the mid 90s, the school won 35 national championships. Football plays in the Great West Football Conference
. Their football team is notable for being the first Great West Football Conference
participant in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. The football team plays rival UC Davis
in the annual Battle for the Golden Horseshoe
.
The Mustang Maniacs are Cal Poly's spirit group. They support the team both away and at home. The Mustang basketball team had its most successful year in 2007, when the team came within one win in the Big West basketball tournament of getting into the NCAA basketball tournament
One of the school's best programs, in recent years and in the 1980s, is the women's volleyball team. On November 19, 2007 the team captured its second straight Big West Title by posting a 15-1 conference record and a 23-8 record overall. The program made it to the third round of the playoffs for the first time since 1985 before losing to Stanford in the Sweet 16. The team also went 23-6 in 2006.
In addition to the women's volleyball team, the men's cross country team has finished in the top 25 in the nation four of the past five years. In 2009, Coach Mark Conover and his men's squad captured their seventh straight Big West Title. Their last national placing was in 2008, when they finished 23rd at the National Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, IN.
The Cal Poly Mustangs men's soccer
team has also had success in recent years. In 2008, Coach Paul Holocher
led his team to a 3rd place in the Big West and a spot in the NCAA Division I tournament. They went on to beat UCLA and ended up losing to UC Irvine in the 2nd round. Cal Poly Men's Soccer has a rivalry with UCSB Men's Soccer, being 2 notable California central coast schools and having successful soccer programs, in 2009 the rivalry was one of two televised collegiate soccer games.
The creative angle of using games to promote campuses' sustainability and recycling efforts is first of its kind in college athletes. Both Cal Poly and UCSB plan expanding marketing of the innovative rivalry series to include sponsor messages, recycling challenges, and additional promotional platforms in upcoming years.
Cal Poly and UCSB have a combined 40,000 student population and almost 5,000 faculty/staff and reach approximately a half million fans in the Central Coast region each year through athletics.
and 44 wrestlers earn All-American honors. In addition to the program's success at the NCAA Championshions the program has crowned one champion at the National Collegiate Open Wrestling Championship
.
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
located in San Luis Obispo, California
San Luis Obispo, California
San Luis Obispo is a city in California, located roughly midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Central Coast. Founded in 1772 by Spanish Fr. Junipero Serra, San Luis Obispo is one of California’s oldest communities...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The university is one of two polytechnic
Institute of technology
Institute of technology is a designation employed in a wide range of learning institutions awarding different types of degrees and operating often at variable levels of the educational system...
campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
es in the 23-member California State University
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
system.
Comprising six distinct colleges, the university offers 70 undergraduate programs, 26 graduate programs and 6 teaching credentials/certificates. Specifically, the university's engineering, architecture, and agriculture colleges consistently place at the top of United States national academic rankings. In U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
s 2012 America's Best Colleges report, Cal Poly ranked as the #1 Public Master's University in the Western United States for the 19th consecutive year. U.S. News describes the university's admission process as "more selective", yielding an overall acceptance rate of 29% in fall 2010 (freshman acceptance rate: 32%, transfer acceptance rate: 13%). Cal Poly now has more than 140,000 alumni living and working everywhere from New York to Washington D.C. to Wisconsin to Idaho to Hawaii to Hong Kong.
Cal Poly is a member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)
American Association of State Colleges and Universities
The American Association of State Colleges and Universities is an organization of state-supported colleges and universities that offer degree programs leading to bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees...
and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges. Cal Poly is known for its "learn by doing" educational philosophy that encourages students to solve real-world problems by combining classroom theory with experiential laboratory exercise. Cal Poly is one of four California State Universities that participate in the Big West Conference
Big West Conference
The Big West Conference is an NCAA-affiliated Division I mid-major college athletic conference. When the conference began in 1969, its name was the Pacific Coast Athletic Association . After nineteen years, in 1988, its name was changed to the Big West Conference. The conference stopped...
in athletics.
Overview
Cal Poly was established in 1901 when Governor Henry T. GageHenry Gage
Henry Tifft Gage was an American lawyer, politician and diplomat. A Republican, Gage was elected to a single term as the 20th Governor of California from 1899 to 1903. Gage was also the U.S. Minister to Portugal for several months in 1910.-Biography:Gage was born on Christmas Day, 1852 in Geneva,...
signed the California Polytechnic School Bill. The university started out as the California Polytechnic School founded by Myron Angel. The polytechnic school held its first classes on October 1, 1903, offering secondary level courses of study, which took three years to complete. The first incoming class was 20 students. The school continued to grow steadily, except during a period from the mid 1910s to the early 1920s when World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
led to drops in enrollment and drastic budget cuts forced fewer class offerings.
In 1924, Cal Poly was placed under the control of the California State Board of Education. In 1933, the Board of Education changed Cal Poly into a two year technical and vocational school. The institution began to offer Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degrees in 1940, with the first baccalaureate exercises held in 1942. The school was renamed the California State Polytechnic College in 1947 to better reflect its higher education offerings, and in 1949, a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree in education was added. In 1960, control of Cal Poly and all other state colleges was transferred from the State Board of Education to an independent Board of Trustees, which later became the California State University
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
system.
The college was authorized to offer Master of Science degrees in 1967. From 1967 to 1970, the school’s curriculum was reorganized into different units (such as the School of Science and Math, the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the School of Architecture, which was created in 1968). Cal Poly's FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
radio station, KCPR
KCPR
KCPR is a non-profit freeform college radio station at California Polytechnic State University , San Luis Obispo, California. Its operating frequency is 91.3 MHz FM and covers approximately a 50 mile radius from San Luis Obispo...
, also began as a senior project in 1968. The state legislature changed the school’s official name again in 1971 to California Polytechnic State University. Since the 1970s, the university has seen steady enrollment growth and the construction of many significant buildings on campus. Cal Poly celebrated its centennial in 2001, and kicked off a $225 million fundraising campaign, the largest fund raising effort ever undertaken in CSU history. The Centennial Campaign raised over $264 million dollars from over 81,000 donors, more than tripling the university’s endowment
Financial endowment
A financial endowment is a transfer of money or property donated to an institution. The total value of an institution's investments is often referred to as the institution's endowment and is typically organized as a public charity, private foundation, or trust....
from $43 million to over $140 million. Cal Poly's endowment was ranked 301 out of 864 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada in 2009. In 1998 the university was referred to as the flagship campus of the California State University
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
system by the chancellor of the CSU.
Relationship with Cal Poly Pomona
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
. The satellite campus was initially called the Voorhis Unit. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation then donated an 812 acres (328.6 ha) horse ranch in Pomona, California
Pomona, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile...
to Cal Poly in 1949. Located about one mile (1.6 km) from the Voorhis campus, the two became known as the Kellogg-Voorhis unit. The Kellogg-Voorhis unit broke off in 1966, becoming the fully independent university, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Since 1949, the San Luis Obispo and Pomona universities have cooperated on creating a float for the Rose Parade. Today, the long-running float program still boasts floats designed and constructed entirely by students year-round on both campuses.
1960 Football team plane crash
On October 29, 1960, a chartered plane carrying the Cal Poly footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team, hours after a loss to Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
, crashed on takeoff at the Toledo Express Airport
Toledo Express Airport
Toledo Express Airport is a passenger and cargo airport located 10 miles west of the city of Toledo in the extreme Western portion of Lucas County, Ohio, United States, near the border with Fulton County, in the townships of Swanton and Monclova. It is also a base for the Ohio Air National...
in Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
. 22 of the 48 people on board were killed, including sixteen players.
Female admissions
In 1904, Cal Poly opened as a coeducational school with 40 new male students and 12 new female students. In 1930, Cal Poly banned females from the entire school until 1956 (26 years later) when Cal Poly once again began admitting female students. The university remains coeducational today.Name
The university's official names are "California Polytechnic State University" and "Cal Poly." When necessary to distinguish between Cal Poly and its former satellite campus, Cal Poly Pomona, the lengthier "Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo" is occasionally used.As "Cal Poly" is an official name of the university, the athletic department does not sanction appending the name "San Luis Obispo" to the Cal Poly logo.
While Cal Poly is part of the California State University, it is improper to refer to the campus with names such as "CSU San Luis Obispo" or "Cal State SLO", because Cal Poly officially retains the name it held before its acquisition by the CSU system.
20th Century Early Leaders (1902-1979)
Leroy Anderson, 1902-1907:Appointed in May 1902, Leroy Anderson was instrumental in establishing the California Polytechnic as the first institution in the state to teach agriculture at the secondary level and the only institution other than the University of California where agriculture was taught. Born in Magee, New York in 1866, Anderson earned his PhD in 1897 at Cornell University. He taught there until 1900, when he came to California to join the agriculture faculty at the University of California. His recommendations for the Polytechnic School, submitted at the request of the board of trustees, resulted in his appointment as director in 1902. Anderson recruited the first faculty. He oversaw the construction of the campus buildings and the equipping of the agricultural and mechanics units. Throughout his five years he was a vigorous promoter of the school, lobbying with the state legislature for support and recruiting students throughout the state.
Leroy Burns Smith, 1908-1914:
In 1905, Leroy Burns Smith began his affiliation with Cal Poly as an instructor in English, history and economics. An energetic supporter of the school, he was named vice-director in June 1907 and upon the resignation of Leroy Anderson, became the school's second director in January 1908. Like his predecessor, Smith was a graduate of Cornell University (1901). He came to Cal Poly with educational and administrative experience in the Young Men's Christian Association at the University of Wisconsin and in San Francisco. As the director of the California Polytechnic, Smith continued the campus development and the educational plan begun by Anderson. Smith extended the academic program from three years of study to four, and introduced a series of agricultural and domestic extension courses for men and women on the local farms. At his encouragement and under his advisement, student organizations flourished, and Cal Poly’s Student Association, precursor to the ASI, was formed.
Robert Weir Ryder, 1914-1921:
The appointment of Robert Weir Ryder as the third director of the Cal Poly School was, in a sense, an affirmation of the importance of the school's engineering program. A graduate of the University of California, Ryder came to Cal Poly in 1911 as head of the Mechanics Department. Ryder’s administration was marked with numerous innovations to the Cal Poly curriculum, including a college preparatory course, auto mechanics, and a printing course, which was a precursor to today's journalism and graphic communications departments. With the introduction of an academic course, Cal Poly received accreditation by the University of California in 1917. A military training program was introduced at Cal Poly and after World War I, Cal Poly provided vocational training for disabled veterans.
Nicholas Ricciardi, 1921-1924:
Nicholas Ricciardi became director of the Cal Poly School on July 1, 1921. On July 30, 1921, an act of legislature restructured the state normal school and vocational school systems. Cal Poly's local board of trustees was disbanded and Ricciardi, now "president," reported to the state superintendent of public instruction. A graduate of the University of California, President Ricciardi brought extensive experience in secondary and vocational education. He had served as director of vocational training for the Oakland school system and as head of the Twelfth District Board for Vocational Training of World War I veterans. At Poly, Ricciardi emphasized "vocational efficiency and efficient citizenship" of students. He introduced vocational testing and guidance into Cal Poly’s educational mission. The Journalism and Graphics Communications departments originated during this period in the new "printing course."
Margaret Chase (Acting), 1924:
Margaret Chase, the only woman to head the California Polytechnic, joined its faculty in 1908 as instructor in English and served the institution in a variety of teaching and administrative capacities. Born in Canada, Chase graduated from Dalhousie University and received her M.A. from the University of California. As head of the Academic Department, Chase was instrumental in attaining accreditation from the University of California during the Ryder administration. Having served as Ricciardi's vice-president, Chase was the obvious choice for an interim executive upon his resignation. In a period of fiscal austerity and intense scrutiny of the school's educational mission, Chase provided a sense of continuity and optimism for students and faculty. With the appointment of President Benjamin Crandall, Chase resumed the post of vice president. She also continued as head of the Academic Department and in 1928, was made dean of the Junior College Division. Chase retired from Cal Poly in June 1945. Chase Hall is named in her honor.
Benjamin Ray Crandall, 1924-1933:
In Benjamin Crandall, Cal Poly acquired a well-respected educator with teaching and administrative experience at both the secondary and university level. He inherited a somewhat embattled Cal Poly and his tenure was one of constant re-evaluation, reorganization, expansion and retrenchment. With degrees in pedagogy from the University of Wyoming and the University of Denver, and additional graduate training at Cornell and the University of California, Crandall served as superintendent of schools in several western cities prior to becoming a professor of agricultural education at the University of California in 1921. In 1924, he was urged by the State Board of Education and the governor to accept the presidency of Cal Poly. In 1926, the project system, predecessor of the senior projects, was applied in agricultural courses. In 1927, the opening of the two-year Junior College Division foreshadowed Cal Poly's evolution into a university, and a new aeronautics program was added to the Engineering Department. In 1929, as part of a reorganization of the school, enrollment was limited to male students, and by 1933, the college preparatory course was eliminated. The Polytechnic became a vocational institute open only to students over the age of eighteen.
Julian A. McPhee, 1933-1966:
A graduate of the University of California, obtaining a B.S. in 1917 and a masters degree in 1928, Julian McPhee first gained experience in agricultural education in the U.C. Agriculture Extension Service and as director of vocational agriculture at El Dorado County High School and Gilroy Union High School. McPhee’s influence in the State Bureau of Agricultural Education helped save the flagging school from being closed by the state. McPhee was instrumental in the reorganization of Cal Poly into a single-sex institute for men over the age of 18. In 1933, McPhee was appointed president of the California Polytechnic and served concurrently as chief of the Bureau of Agricultural Education, California State Department of Education. Then a two-year technical institute, Cal Poly, under President McPhee's leadership, evolved into a four-year college in the California State College system. During WWII, McPhee served as director of California’s War Food Production Training Program. He later served as acting chief of the Bureau of Readjustment Education, assistant executive officer of the State Board of Vocational Education, and director of Vocational Education for the State of California. He was awarded the LL.D. by Armstrong College in 1952. In 1966, after thirty-three years as president of Cal Poly, Julian A. McPhee retired.
Dale W. Andrews (acting), 1966-1967:
Dale W. Andrews received his B.A. from the University of California, Davis in 1941 and his M.A. in agricultural education at Cal Poly in 1952. Andrews joined the Cal Poly faculty in 1950 as an instructor in agricultural education. He is credited with establishing the annual Poly Royal buttons.
In 1960, Andrews was named Special Educational Services coordinator by President Julian McPhee. In 1966, he was appointed vice-president and then acting president when President McPhee retired. He was named executive vice-president in 1973. In 1979, he was once again named acting president following the retirement of President Robert E. Kennedy.
Robert E. Kennedy, 1967-1979:
Robert E. Kennedy received his B.A. from San Diego State College in 1938, his M.A. in journalism from Stanford University in 1950, and his Ph.D. in education administration from Claremont Graduate School (now Claremont Graduate University
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont Graduate University is a private, all-graduate research university located in Claremont, California, a city east of downtown Los Angeles...
) in 1966. Kennedy joined the Cal Poly faculty in 1940 as a journalism instructor. He served as advisor to student publications, and during WWII, with the arrival of U.S. Naval training programs on the Cal Poly campus, instructed cadets in communications. In 1946, Kennedy became head of the Journalism Dept., to which title he added public relations director in 1949. He was assistant to President Julian McPhee from 1950 to 1957; dean of the Arts and Sciences Division from 1957 to 1959; and vice president of Cal Poly from 1959 to 1967. Following the retirement of President McPhee, Kennedy was appointed president. In 1972, under President Kennedy's leadership, California Polytechnic State College was officially designated California Polytechnic State University. During his long tenure as faculty and administrator at Cal Poly, Robert Kennedy represented the college on numerous state and national education councils, including the Chancellor's Council of Presidents and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). For the AASCU he served as a member of the board of directors, a representative to the Education Commission of the States and a member of AASCU committees on agriculture, public relations, and state relations. In 1978, in honor of his long and dedicated service to Cal Poly, the CSUC Trustees voted to name the new Cal Poly library "The Robert E. Kennedy Library."
Late 20th Century to Present-day Leaders (1979-Present)
Warren J. Baker 1979-2010. Holding BS and MS degrees in civil engineering from the University of Notre Dame, Baker received his doctorate in geotechnical engineering from the University of New Mexico.Under Baker’s leadership, Cal Poly consistently earned national recognition for academic excellence including 17 year in a row as the best public-master's university in the West by U.S. News & World Report. This is largely due to Cal Poly's learn by doing educational methodology that encourages students to solve real-world problems by combining classroom theory with experiential laboratory exercise. Also during Baker’s tenure, admission to Cal Poly became increasingly competitive. Freshmen SAT scores and grade-point averages steadily increased and as a result, applications to the university increased nearly fivefold over the past 30 years making Cal Poly one of the most selective public universities in the nation.
Applied research programs also expanded over the Baker years. Among the new centers and institutes for applied research established since 1979 were the Irrigation Training and Research Center, the Environmental Biotechnology Institute, the Dairy Products Technology Center, the Collaborative Agent Design (CAD) Research Center, and the Brock Institute for Agricultural Communication. Baker also oversaw an aggressive upgrade and expansion of campus buildings and facilities that approached $1 billion over his 30 years, thanks to investment from a variety of public and private sources.
Jeffrey D. Armstrong, 2011 – present:
Jeffrey D. Armstrong currently serves as Cal Poly's president. President Armstrong received his bachelor's degree in agriculture from Murray State University. He received both his master's and doctorate in physiology and endocrinology from North Carolina State University. Armstrong joined the Cal Poly campus in 2011 after tenure at North Carolina State University (faculty), Purdue University (Head of the Department of Animal Sciences) and Michigan State University (Dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources).
Four Administrative Divisions
The university is organized administratively into four divisions: Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Administration and Finance, and University Advancement. The academic division is organized into six colleges, each with its own dean. Academic Affairs also includes the Library, Research and Graduate Programs, and Information Technology Services.Cal Poly Corporation
The Cal Poly Corporation is a public-benefit, nonprofit corporation and university auxiliary. It provides commercial services, fiscal services, and key support services to assist and promote the educational mission of Cal Poly and the California State University System (CSU). The Corporation engages only in those activities ancillary to state operation that are requested by Cal Poly’s President and approved by the CSU. The corporation was founded in 1941 and was known as the Cal Poly Foundation until February 1, 2006.Cal Poly Foundation
The Cal Poly Foundation is an auxiliary organization and IRC 501(c)(3) public charity that accepts and administers tax deductible gifts to the university. The Cal Poly Foundation leads campus philanthropic activity by supporting fundraising activities and investing and managing the campus endowments.Cal Poly Housing Corporation
The Cal Poly Housing Corporation (CPHC) is also a public-benefit, nonprofit corporation and university auxiliary. The CPHC provides the university with certain services and facilities that by law cannot be financially supported by the state government. Its purpose is to develop, provide, and maintain affordable housing for faculty and staff consistent with the teaching, research, and community service mission of the university.Cal Poly Continuing Education
The Cal Poly Continuing Education provides access to degree, certificate, and professional development programs and services of the university to the citizens of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Monterey Counties and through distance learning technologies to students across the country.Associated Students Inc.
The Associated Students Inc., (ASI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation owned and operated by Cal Poly student leaders. ASI has an annual operating budget in excess of $12 million. ASI provides cocurricular experiences for students, faculty, and staff, including events, speakers, concerts, intramural sports, fitness programs, aquatics, outdoor adventure trips, craft center enrichment courses, and child development. ASI manages the University Union, Recreation Center, Sports Complex, and Children’s Center, totalling more than 450000 square feet (41,806.4 m²) of campus facilities.The Alumni Association
The Alumni Association keeps in touch with many of the 150,000 students who have attended Cal Poly through a variety of alumni functions, both educational and social, on and off campus, throughout California, and across the nation.Campus
Cal Poly is the second largest land-holding university in California, with holdings totaling 9678 acres (3,916.6 ha) (2nd only to UC Berkeley and 1st in the CSU system). Part of the Cal Poly property is the Swanton Pacific RanchSwanton Pacific Ranch
Swanton Pacific Ranch is a ranch in Santa Cruz County, California, outside the town of Davenport. The ranch is owned and operated by California Polytechnic State University for educational and research in sustainable agriculture...
, a 3200 acres (1,295 ha) ranch located in Santa Cruz County, California, outside the town of Davenport
Davenport, California
Davenport is a census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, California. Davenport sits at an elevation of . The 2010 United States census reported Davenport's population was 408.-Situation:...
. The ranch provides educational and research opportunities, encompasses rangeland, livestock, and forestry operations for the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental sciences, and fosters Cal Poly’s teaching philosophy of “Learn by Doing” with emphasis on sustainable management of agricultural practices.
Expansion
The Cal Poly Master Plan calls to increase student population from approximately 17,000 students to 20,000 students by the year 2020–2021. To maintain the university's "Learn by Doing" philosophy and low class sizes, the master plan calls for an increase in classrooms, laboratories, and professors.Current construction
The Center for Science and Mathematics : Will replace aging "spider" Science Building 52, built in the 1950s, with a new 197000 square feet (18,301.9 m²) structure. The $132 million, six-story building was made possible by voter-approved state education bonds and $20 million in private donations to Cal Poly. It is currently under construction and set to open in 2013. The center will add new laboratories, classrooms, and study spaces and house the university's Environmental Biotechnology Institute and its Western Coatings Technology Center. It is planned to be the largest and most technologically advanced structure on campus once completed. In the space between the remaining wings of the old "Spider Building" and the new Center will be Centennial Park, a landscaped central green.Recreation Center Expansion : Will expand the Recreation center and triple its usable size. Two new gym rooms, additional leisure pool, synthetic turf for sports complete fields, triple the size of exercise and weight training rooms (from 7000 sq ft (650.3 m²) to 21,000 sq ft), and a multi-activity center are planned additions to the recreation center. (Student Vote passed on 28 Feb 08. Construction began Fall 2008.) The expanded Recreation Center will be open for student use in early 2012.
Planned construction
The Academic Center and Library Building Project: Program planning for an expanded Library and Academic Center began in 2007. Current plans call for a design phase to begin in 2012, with a two-year construction phase projected to begin in 2014 or earlier. The new Academic Center will be a LEED-certified building of nearly 113,000 gsf, connected with the original Kennedy Library by a broad, above ground concourse. Formal and informal meeting spaces, including ample collaborative spaces, will encourage interactions among students, faculty, and staff from across the entire campus and community.Commuting
Campus parking is limited. In its most recent survey of available parking spaces on campus, the Cal Poly University Police reported 2,615 general purpose parking spaces, 1,635 dorm resident spaces, and 6,621 total spaces. In its facilities Master Plan, the university admits that while more parking spots will be added, the actual ratio of parking to students will decrease since enrollment is expected to increase sharply. To resolve the disparity, the Master Plan calls on the university to reduce the demand for individual vehicle parking. As part of that plan, the university has constructed additional dorms and has tried to make campus life more enjoyable. However, many students would prefer not to live on campus for a variety of reasons, including alcohol restrictions and a mandatory meal plan for Freshmen. Recently, the school launched a public information campaign called "Options", which seeks to educate students on commuting alternatives, though it is not clear that the campaign has had any effect. Additionally, the campus police discourage alternate forms of transportation such as skateboarding and rollerblading by prohibiting them on campus. Recent increases in parking costs and gas prices have caused a massive increase in the use of bicycles and buses.Bicycle racks are available throughout the campus, but the off-campus student population is mostly centered in areas either close enough to walk or areas judged to be too far to ride a bicycle. The city's SLO Transit bus system provides service to and from campus. Since the buses are partially subsidized by student tuition, Cal Poly students can ride for free. Bus service throughout the county is provided by SLO Regional Transit Authority. Discounted passes are available to the Cal Poly community.
Colleges
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
s, master's degrees, and one joint-doctorate in six colleges:
- College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
- College of Architecture and Environmental Design
- Orfalea College of Business
- College of Engineering
- College of Liberal Arts
- College of Science and Mathematics
Ranking
According to U.S. News & World Report'sU.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
2012 America's Best Colleges report, Cal Poly is ranked 1st in the Western United States
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
for regional public schools whose highest degree is a Master's for the 19th straight year. The College of Engineering was tied for the #5 ranking for undergraduate engineering schools in the US whose highest degree is a Master's.
Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business once again has been named to Business Week magazine’s list of the nation’s top undergraduate business colleges, moving up to No. 64 on the 2010 list.
In 2010, Forbes' Magazine
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
found Cal Poly #27 out of the nation's 100 best public universities and #177 out of the 600 best private and public colleges and universities in America. Cal Poly moved up on the overall list from #201 in 2009, and #369 in the 2008 rankings.
| Undergraduate | |
|---|---|
| African American African American African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States... |
0.9% |
| Asian American Asian American Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,... |
10.7% |
| White American White American White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa... |
65.2% |
| Hispanic American | 11.8% |
| Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.1% |
| Native American Native Americans in the United States Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as... |
0.6% |
| Multi-Racial | 2.2% |
| Non-resident/Alien | 1.0% |
| Ethnicity unreported/unknown | 7.7% |
Among public schools whose highest degree is a master's, specific engineering programs were ranked (overall includes both private and public universities):
- Electrical Engineering: #1 (#2 overall)
- Computer Engineering: #1 (Tied #3 overall)
- Mechanical Engineering: #1 (Tied #2 overall)
- Industrial Engineering: #2 (#2 overall)
- Aerospace Engineering: #3 (#5 overall)
- Civil Engineering: #2 (Tied #5 overall)
In the 2009 edition of "America's Best Architecture & Design Schools" published by the leading architecture and design journal "DesignIntelligence," Cal Poly was the #3 undergraduate architecture school in the nation. The landscape architecture program was ranked #10.
Cal Poly’s graduate program in City and Regional Planning ranked #1 in the "Planetizen" 2009 Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs, in the US whose highest degree is a Master's.
In 2009, the magazine "Diverse Issues in Higher Education" placed Cal Poly among the top 10 of its “Top 100 Degree Producers 2009” ranking. This places the university in the top 10 schools in the nation in granting degrees to Hispanic, Asian and other minority students in agriculture, architecture and engineering.
Alumni of Cal Poly average the third-highest salaries of all public university graduates in the United States according to a Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
.com ranking. Cal Poly outperformed all public universities in the nation other than U.C. Berkeley and the University of Virginia. The median annual earnings for Cal Poly graduates with 10–20 years career experience is $101,000, with the top 10% earning more than $178,000. The U.C. Berkeley and University of Virginia median/top 10% performances are $112,000/$201,000 and $103,000/$215,000 respectively.
Admissions
Cal Poly's admissions process is "more selective" according to US News. For fall 2010, Cal Poly accepted 10,918 freshman applicants out of a total 33,626 freshman applicants, yielding a 32% freshman acceptance rate. Accepted freshman applicants had an average high school GPA of 3.90 and an average SAT Reasoning Test score of 1292 (out of a possible 1600, based only on reading and math scores). For transfer acceptance, Cal Poly accepted 922 transfer applicants out of a total 7365, yielding a 13% acceptance rate. Accepted transfer applicants had an average university GPA of 3.41. The combined figures yield an overall, fall 2010, acceptance rate of 29%.Cal Poly requires students to declare a major when applying for admission, and the university then admits the most competitive applicants within each major. Because of this, certain Cal Poly majors set higher admission standards than do other majors. To prevent students from applying for an easy-to-get-into major and transferring to another major, Cal Poly makes it difficult to change majors. Each major has adopted a specific change of major plan which includes required classes to be taken while maintaining a certain GPA (usually between 2.5-2.75) in order to be considered as a transfer candidate. Students within the college (i.e. College of Engineering, College of Business) are often granted priority over outside transfers and often transfers from other universities. While many hear it is difficult to change majors, those who are committed to their newly desired major find little trouble or hidden steps in the transfers process. Cal Poly prides itself on students taking courses within their major right away in their freshman year to advance the knowledge that they walk away with as graduates. However, in some cases, students wishing to change majors completely transfer to other universities.
Tuition
Due to the state-wide fee increase, fall 2009 fees for the average student will be $2,066 per quarter. The winter 2008 fees for the average student were $1,681 per quarter. The spring 2002 fees for the average student were $760 per quarter.These quarterly tuitions are for Colleges of Agriculture, Business, Engineering, Architecture & Environmental Design, and Science & Math. Liberal Arts majors will pay less, at $1966 per quarter.
Endowment
Cal Poly’s endowment more than tripled during its Centennial Campaign from US$43.1 million to US$140.1 million. Growth is attributed to gifts and prudent stewardship. However, since 2007, the university's endowment has lost over 30% of its value (about $56 million) going from $181.7 million in 2007. to $125.4 million in 2009Residence halls
There are five distinct groups of residence hallsDormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
on the Cal Poly campus. The five North Mountain halls, constructed in the 1950s, are the oldest on campus still used for residential purposes. The six "red-brick" halls were completed shortly afterward in 1959. The Sierra Madre and Yosemite halls were finished by 1968, and the Cerro Vista Apartments were completed in 2003. The Poly Canyon Village housing complex, with a similar style as the Cerro Vista apartments, opened in Fall 2008.
Each of the residence halls represent a different living community on campus. The six red-brick halls are the Living-Learning Program halls for the different colleges of Cal Poly. The five North Mountain halls are organizationally a part of the engineering Living-Learning Program. The Sierra Madre and Yosemite halls are the First-Year Connection Program halls and focus on freshman-oriented transition programs. All buildings house students of all majors. The Cerro Vista Apartments is the Transitions community for first-year and second-year students. Poly Canyon Village is the Sophomore Success Program community, which is open to primarily to sophomores, but also juniors and seniors, and helps students transition into independent living. The total on-campus population is 6,500, making it the largest student housing program in the California State University System.
Greek life
Since 1949, Greek organizations have been present at Cal Poly. The Greek community consists of three governing councils at Cal Poly: United Sorority and Fraternity Council (USFC)United Sorority and Fraternity Council
The United Sorority and Fraternity Council was founded on the campus of San Diego State University in 1997. The council comprises various cultural-based sororities and fraternities on campus...
, Interfraternity Council (IFC), and Panhellenic Association (PHA).
There are currently:
10 USFC Fraternities/Sororities: Alpha Kappa Delta Phi
Alpha Kappa Delta Phi
alpha Kappa Delta Phi is an Asian American interest sorority founded at the University of California, Berkeley.-History:...
, Chi Delta Theta
Chi Delta Theta
Chi Delta Theta is an Asian-American Interest sorority based in California. The organization strives to promote sisterhood, community service, academics, cultural awareness and social activity in the lives of its members.-Creation:...
, Gamma Zeta Alpha
Gamma Zeta Alpha
Gamma Zeta Alpha Fraternity, Inc. was founded on December 3, 1987 at California State University, Chico in Chico, California. It is a Latino Interest Fraternity that emphasizes Latino culture and the success of Latino males in higher education. Although Gamma Zeta Alpha Fraternity, Inc...
, Lambda Phi Epsilon
Lambda Phi Epsilon
Lambda Phi Epsilon is an internationally-recognized fraternity in the United States and Canada. With a total of 53 chapters, it is the largest Asian-interest fraternity in North America...
, Lambda Sigma Gamma
Lambda Sigma Gamma
-History:Lambda Sigma Gamma Sorority, Incorporated was founded on the campus of the Alpha chapter, California State University, Sacramento, in 1986. The founders realized that their campus did not offer an organization that met the needs of women from minority backgrounds...
, Lambda Theta Alpha
Lambda Theta Alpha
Lambda Theta Alpha is a Latina sorority in the United States.The idea for Lambda Theta Alpha began in the late 1970s, when colleges and universities experienced an influx of Latino enrollment; the organization came into being at Kean University in 1975 with Lambda Theta Alpha's seventeen founding...
, Lambda Theta Phi
Lambda Theta Phi
Lambda Theta Phi is a non-profit social fraternity in the United States. It was founded on December 1, 1975 at Kean College in Union, New Jersey. It emphasizes Latin unity and the celebration of the Latin culture. In 1992 Lambda Theta Phi was accepted into the North-American Interfraternity...
, Nu Alpha Kappa
Nu Alpha Kappa
Nu Alpha Kappa Fraternity , is a Latino-based Greek letter intercollegiate fraternity which encompasses all values and cultures....
, Omega Xi Delta, Sigma Omega Nu
17 IFC Fraternities: Alpha Epsilon Pi
Alpha Epsilon Pi
Alpha Epsilon Pi , the Global Jewish college fraternity, has 155 active chapters in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Israel with a membership of over 9,000 undergraduates...
, Alpha Gamma Rho
Alpha Gamma Rho
Alpha Gamma Rho is a social-professional fraternity in the United States, with 75 university chapters including chapter in Mindanao State University, Philippines...
, Beta Theta Pi
Beta Theta Pi
Beta Theta Pi , often just called Beta, is a social collegiate fraternity that was founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, USA, where it is part of the Miami Triad which includes Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Chi. It has over 138 active chapters and colonies in the United States and Canada...
, Delta Chi
Delta Chi
Delta Chi or D-Chi is an international Greek letter college social fraternity formed on October 13, 1890,at Cornell University, initially as a professional fraternity for law students. On April 29, 1922, Delta Chi became a general membership social fraternity, eliminating the requirement for men...
, Delta Lambda Phi
Delta Lambda Phi
Delta Lambda Phi is a national social fraternity for gay, bisexual, and progressive men. It offers a social environment and structure similar to other Greek-model college fraternities. Delta Lambda Phi was founded on October 15, 1986 by Vernon L. Strickland III in Washington, D.C. and incorporated...
, Delta Sigma Phi
Delta Sigma Phi
Delta Sigma Phi is a fraternity established at the City College of New York in 1899 and is a charter member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference. The headquarters of the fraternity is the Taggart Mansion located in Indianapolis, Indiana...
, Delta Upsilon
Delta Upsilon
Delta Upsilon is the sixth oldest international, all-male, college Greek-letter organization, and is the oldest non-secret fraternity in North America...
, Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a...
, Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...
, Phi Kappa Psi
Phi Kappa Psi
Phi Kappa Psi is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania on February 19, 1852. There are over a hundred chapters and colonies at accredited four year colleges and universities throughout the United States. More than 112,000 men have been...
, Phi Sigma Kappa
Phi Sigma Kappa
-Phi Sigma Kappa's Creed and Cardinal Principles:The 1934 Convention in Ann Arbor brought more changes for the fraternity. Brother Stewart W. Herman of Gettysburg wrote and presented the Creed, and Brother Ralph Watts of Massachusetts drafted and presented the Cardinal Principles.-World War II:The...
, Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:...
, Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu is an undergraduate, college fraternity with chapters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Sigma Nu was founded in 1869 by three cadets at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia...
, Sigma Pi
Sigma Pi
Sigma Pi is an international college secret and social fraternity founded in 1897 at Vincennes University. Sigma Pi International fraternity currently has 127 chapters and 4 colonies in the United States and Canada and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee...
, Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...
, Theta Chi
Theta Chi
Theta Chi Fraternity is an international college fraternity. It was founded on April 10, 1856 as the Theta Chi Society, at Norwich University, Norwich, Vermont, U.S., and was the 21st of the 71 North-American Interfraternity Conference men's fraternities.-Founding and early years at Norwich:Theta...
, Zeta Beta Tau
Zeta Beta Tau
Zeta Beta Tau was founded in 1898 as the nation's first Jewish fraternity, although it is no longer sectarian. Today the merged Zeta Beta Tau Brotherhood is one of the largest, numbering over 140,000 initiated Brothers, and over 90 chapter locations.-Founding:The Zeta Beta Tau fraternity was...
,
7 Panhellenic Sororities: Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Chi Omega is a women's fraternity founded on October 15, 1885. Currently, there are 135 chapters of Alpha Chi Omega at colleges and universities across the United States and more than 200,000 lifetime members...
, Alpha Omicron Pi
Alpha Omicron Pi
Alpha Omicron Pi is an international women's fraternity promoting friendship for a lifetime, inspiring academic excellence and lifelong learning, and developing leadership skills through service to the Fraternity and community. ΑΟΠ was founded on January 2, 1897 at Barnard College on the campus...
, Alpha Phi
Alpha Phi
Alpha Phi International Women's Fraternity was founded at Syracuse University on September 18, 1872. Alpha Phi currently has 152 active chapters and over 200,000 initiated members. Its celebrated Founders' Day is October 10. It was the third Greek-letter organization founded for women. In Alpha...
, Chi Omega
Chi Omega
Chi Omega is a women's fraternity and the largest member of the National Panhellenic Conference. Chi Omega has 174 active collegiate chapters and over 230 alumnae chapters. Chi Omega's national headquarters is located in Memphis, Tennessee....
, Gamma Phi Beta
Gamma Phi Beta
Gamma Phi Beta is an international sorority that was founded on November 11, 1874, at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. The term "sorority," meaning sisterhood, was coined for Gamma Phi Beta by Dr. Frank Smalley, a professor at Syracuse University.The four founders are Helen M. Dodge,...
, Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Alpha Theta , also known as Theta, is an international fraternity for women founded on January 27, 1870 at DePauw University, formerly Indiana Asbury...
, Sigma Kappa
Sigma Kappa
Sigma Kappa is a sorority founded in 1874 at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Sigma Kappa was founded by five women: Mary Caffrey Low Carver, Elizabeth Gorham Hoag, Ida Mabel Fuller Pierce, Frances Elliott Mann Hall and Louise Helen Coburn...
,
1 Panhellenic Interest Group: Alpha Epsilon
Fraternity for College Band Members: Kappa Kappa Psi
Kappa Kappa Psi
Kappa Kappa Psi is a fraternity for college and university band members. It was founded on November 27, 1919 at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College in Stillwater, Oklahoma. William Scroggs, now regarded as the "Founder," together with "Mr. Kappa Kappa Psi" A...
Week of Welcome orientation program
Also known as WOW, the Week of Welcome program serves as a volunteer-based orientation program for new students during the week prior to the beginning of the school year in September. Its purpose is to introduce students to the campus and the community and prepare them for a successful college career. New students are placed in a group of about 10–20 other new students led by two current Cal Poly student Orientation Leaders. The WOW groups participate in an array of orientation events in addition to activities both on- and off-campus. In 2010, the awareness section of the program won the 2010 National Orientation Directors Association (NODAC) Media & Publications Showcase Award in the Emerging Technologies. The awareness section was entirely developed by student volunteers. The program started in 1957 and is now the largest volunteer orientation program in the nation.Athletics
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
's Division I. Cal Poly athletics generally compete in the Big West Conference, with football and wrestling being the exception. Cal Poly's wrestling team is a member of the PAC-10 Conference.
Prior to joining Division I in the mid 90s, the school won 35 national championships. Football plays in the Great West Football Conference
Great West Football Conference
The Great West Conference is an NCAA college athletic conference in the continental United States. Formerly a football-only conference, in 2008 it became an all-sports conference...
. Their football team is notable for being the first Great West Football Conference
Great West Football Conference
The Great West Conference is an NCAA college athletic conference in the continental United States. Formerly a football-only conference, in 2008 it became an all-sports conference...
participant in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. The football team plays rival UC Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
in the annual Battle for the Golden Horseshoe
Battle for the Golden Horseshoe
The Battle for the Golden Horseshoe is an annual rivalry college football game played between the UC Davis Aggies and the Cal Poly SLO Mustangs. Although the two teams have met on the gridiron since 1939, the rivalry officially began with the 2004 game at Cal Poly SLO. The winner of the game...
.
The Mustang Maniacs are Cal Poly's spirit group. They support the team both away and at home. The Mustang basketball team had its most successful year in 2007, when the team came within one win in the Big West basketball tournament of getting into the NCAA basketball tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
One of the school's best programs, in recent years and in the 1980s, is the women's volleyball team. On November 19, 2007 the team captured its second straight Big West Title by posting a 15-1 conference record and a 23-8 record overall. The program made it to the third round of the playoffs for the first time since 1985 before losing to Stanford in the Sweet 16. The team also went 23-6 in 2006.
In addition to the women's volleyball team, the men's cross country team has finished in the top 25 in the nation four of the past five years. In 2009, Coach Mark Conover and his men's squad captured their seventh straight Big West Title. Their last national placing was in 2008, when they finished 23rd at the National Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, IN.
The Cal Poly Mustangs men's soccer
Cal Poly Mustangs men's soccer
The Cal Poly Mustangs soccer team competes at the NCAA Division I level. They are affiliated with the school and, like most teams from Cal Poly, they play in the Big West Conference. The Big West Conference stopped sponsoring soccer in 1991 but reinstituted it in 2001. Over this period,Cal Poly...
team has also had success in recent years. In 2008, Coach Paul Holocher
Paul Holocher
Paul Holocher is a former U.S. soccer midfielder who played in Austria and Major League Soccer. He currently coaches the men’s soccer team at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He also earned one caps with the U.S...
led his team to a 3rd place in the Big West and a spot in the NCAA Division I tournament. They went on to beat UCLA and ended up losing to UC Irvine in the 2nd round. Cal Poly Men's Soccer has a rivalry with UCSB Men's Soccer, being 2 notable California central coast schools and having successful soccer programs, in 2009 the rivalry was one of two televised collegiate soccer games.
Blue-Green Rivalry - A Series for Sustainability
The Blue-Green Rivalry is based on Gauchos and Mustangs competing in 16 sports. Each winner will receive one point per win (regular season) with two points being awarded to series winner in baseball and softball. The overall winner will be announced each spring.The creative angle of using games to promote campuses' sustainability and recycling efforts is first of its kind in college athletes. Both Cal Poly and UCSB plan expanding marketing of the innovative rivalry series to include sponsor messages, recycling challenges, and additional promotional platforms in upcoming years.
Cal Poly and UCSB have a combined 40,000 student population and almost 5,000 faculty/staff and reach approximately a half million fans in the Central Coast region each year through athletics.
Wrestling Program
The wrestling program at Cal Poly competes as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference (Pac-12) which is traditionally one of the strongest conferences in college wrestling. Cal Poly has had two wrestlers (Tom Kline & Mark DiGirolamo) win the NCAA Wrestling ChampionshipNCAA Wrestling Team Championship
The NCAA Wrestling Team Championship was first officially awarded in 1929 and began to be continuously awarded on an annual basis in 1934 except during World War II 1943-1945. In 1928 and from 1931 to 1933, there was only an unofficial title. Oklahoma A&M, now Oklahoma State, won the 1928, 1931...
and 44 wrestlers earn All-American honors. In addition to the program's success at the NCAA Championshions the program has crowned one champion at the National Collegiate Open Wrestling Championship
National Collegiate Open Wrestling Championship
The National Collegiate Open Wrestling Championship is a collegiate wrestling event that serves as a post season championship for NCAA Division-I athletes that are not wrestling in their conference championship...
.
Softball Program
The Cal Poly softball team is a part of the Big West Conference which includes Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Northridge, UC Santa Barbara, UC Riverside, UC Davis, and University of Pacific.Notable athletes
- Ramses BardenRamses BardenRamses Barden is an American football wide receiver for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Giants in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
, WR - Class of 2009 - All-American Wide Receiver - Currently playing with the New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... - Bobby BeathardBobby BeathardBobby Beathard is a former general manager in the National Football League. Over the course of his 38 years in the NFL, his teams competed in seven Super Bowls , beginning with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1966, Miami Dolphins in 1972 and 1973, Washington Redskins in 1982, 1983, and 1987, and the San...
, Quarterback on 1960 Cal Poly football team; former NFL General Manager of San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins - Jordan BeckJordan BeckJordan David Beck is currently a free agent for the NFL. He played college football at Cal Poly. He was originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, LBLinebackerA linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
- Class of 2005 - All American Linebacker - Buck Buchannan Award winner - John OrtonJohn OrtonJohn Andrew Orton was a Major League Baseball catcher. He is an alumnus of the California Polytechnic State University....
, catcherCatcherCatcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
- Class of 1987 - First round draft pick of the California Angels, major league debut 1989 - Courtney Brown, DBDefensive backIn American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
- Class of 2006 - Currently an NFL Free Agent - Stephanie Brown TraftonStephanie Brown TraftonStephanie Brown Trafton is an American track and field athlete who won the discus throwing gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She was a somewhat unusual modern athlete in that she had become a two-time Olympian before she had competed at a World Championships...
- Class of 2003 - Gold medalist in women's discus throwDiscus throwThe discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
at the 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events... - Kevin CorreiaKevin CorreiaKevin John Correia is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates.-Early life:...
, pitcherPitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
- Class of 2002 - Currently playing with the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions... - Grant DesmeGrant DesmeGregory Grant Desme is a retired professional baseball center fielder. Desme was a junior right fielder at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, when he was drafted in 2007 by the Oakland Athletics...
, center fielder – Big West Conference Player of the Year. - Casey FienCasey FienCasey Michael Fien is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-Career:Fien attended John F. Kennedy High School in La Palma, California...
, Pitcher - Currently playing for the Detroit Tigers - Chris GocongChris Gocong-Philadelphia Eagles:Gocong was drafted in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, but missed the entire 2006 season due to an injury suffered before the preseason. He made his NFL debut on September 9, 2007, where he started at the "Sam" linebacker position...
, LB - Class of 2006 - All American Defensive End - Buck Buchannan Award winner - Currently playing with the Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... - Mel KaufmanMel KaufmanMelvin Kaufman was an American football linebacker in the National Football League who played his entire eight-year career with the Washington Redskins...
, LBLinebackerA linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
- Class of 1981 - Winner of two Super Bowl Rings, Captain of the Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... - Mike KrukowMike KrukowMichael Edward "Mike" Krukow is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently a television color commentator for the San Francisco Giants.-Early life:...
, pitcherPitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
- Class of 1973 - National League All-Star; Emmy-award-winning broadcaster for the San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division.... - Chuck LiddellChuck LiddellCharles David "Chuck" Liddell is a retired American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion. Liddell has an extensive striking background in Kempo, Koei-Kan karate and kickboxing, as well as a grappling background in collegiate wrestling.As of his...
, Mixed Martial ArtsMixed martial artsMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
Fighter - Class of 1995 - Ultimate Fighting ChampionshipUltimate Fighting ChampionshipThe Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
Light Heavyweight Champion of the World 2005–2007 - John MaddenJohn Madden (American football)John Earl Madden is a former American professional football player in the National Football League, a former Super Bowl-winning head coach with the Oakland Raiders in the American Football League and later the NFL, and a former color commentator for NFL telecasts. In 2006, he was inducted into...
, head coachHead coachA head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
- Class of 1959 - Oakland RaidersOakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
- NFL Hall of Fame - Gina Ostini Miles, United States Equestrian TeamUnited States Equestrian TeamThe United States Equestrian Team, or USET, was founded in 1950 at the Coates estate on van Beuren Road in Morristown, New Jersey, and is the international equestrian team for the United States...
member - US Individual Olympic Silver Medalist - 2008 Beijing Olympics in 3-Day Eventing - Bud NorrisBud NorrisDavid Stefan "Bud" Norris is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Houston Astros.- Minor League Career :...
, Pitcher - Currently playing for the Houston Astros - Garrett OlsonGarrett OlsonGarrett Andrew Olson is a Major League Baseball pitcher currently in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.-High school:Olson attended Buchanan High School in Clovis, California...
, pitcherPitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
- Class of 2005 - Currently playing with the Seattle MarinersSeattle MarinersThe Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July... - Anton PeterlinAnton Peterlin (soccer)Anton Alexander Peterlin is an American soccer player who plays for Football League One club Walsall as a midfielder, having previously played for San Francisco Seals, Ventura County Fusion, Everton and Plymouth Argyle....
, All-Big West soccer player - Currently playing with Plymouth Argyle F.C.Plymouth Argyle F.C.Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the... - Loren RobertsLoren RobertsLoren Lloyd Roberts is an American professional golfer.-Early life:Roberts was born in San Luis Obispo, California. He competed for San Luis Obispo Senior High School and Cal Poly-SLO...
, professional golferProfessional golferIn golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
- Class of 1977 (left in 1975) - Currently on Champions TourChampions TourThe Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in... - Kyle ShotwellKyle ShotwellKyle Wayne Shotwell is an American football linebacker who is a practice squad player for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was signed by the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
, LB - Class of 2007 - All American Linebacker, Buck Buchannan award winner as nation's top defensive player at Div. I-AA] - Ozzie SmithOzzie SmithOsborne Earl "Ozzie" Smith is an American former baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals from 1978 to 1996...
, shortstopShortstopShortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
- Class of 1977 - St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
- MLB Hall of Fame - Ted TollnerTed TollnerTed Alfred Tollner is a football coach who has worked as a head coach in college football and was also formerly the passing game coordinator of the Oakland Raiders.-Playing career:...
, QBQuarterbacks coachA quarterbacks coach is a coach in charge of the quarterbacks in gridiron football. The quarterbacks coach typically operates under the offensive coordinator on a team's coaching staff....
- Class of 1962 - Oakland RaidersOakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... - "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
, Comedic musician- Class of 1980
Notable Senior Projects
All students at Cal Poly are required to complete a senior project. The senior project is intended to be a capstone experience for students receiving a baccalaureate degree to integrates theory and application from across a student's undergraduate educational experiences. The senior project consists of one or more of the following: a design or construction experience, an experiment, a self-guided study or research project, a presentation, a report based on internship, co-op, or service learning experience, and/ora public portfolio display or performance. Famous senior projects include:- Jamba JuiceJamba JuiceJamba Juice is a chain of smoothie restaurants, headquartered in Emeryville, California, with over 700 locations operating in 30 states, the Bahamas, Canada, Korea, and the Philippines. Over 500 locations are company-owned, with the remainder being franchised...
, originally founded as "Juice Club." - Punch'd, an electronic customer loyalty program acquired by Google in July 2011.
See also
- California State Polytechnic University, PomonaCalifornia State Polytechnic University, PomonaCalifornia State Polytechnic University, Pomona, or Cal Poly Pomona, is a public university located in Pomona, California, United States...
(Cal Poly Pomona) - California Master Plan for Higher EducationCalifornia Master Plan for Higher EducationThe California Master Plan for Higher Education of 1960 was developed by a survey team appointed by the UC Regents and the State Board of Education during the administration of Governor Pat Brown. Clark Kerr, then the President of UC, was a key figure in its development...