Hi Mustangs!
Hope you have all had a great Fall Quarter 2011. These past 10 weeks came and went quickly, with much happening. Our world-renowned orientation programs welcomed one of our most competitive incoming classes. We had more than 10 percent of the 40,000 student applicants join the Cal Poly family, with some of the highest average grade point averages and ACT scores in our history.
This is also an exciting time for our university as we welcome a new provost, Kathleen Enz Finken, and vice president of university affairs Deborah Read. I have had the privilege to represent the students on both search committees and am very excited for our new administrators to join our campus.
This was a busy quarter for Associated Students, Inc. (ASI), too. We continue to represent students within our campus community, city and throughout the state. The ASI Executive Cabinet is collaborating with multiple campus entities and working on an assortment of projects, including conducting safety walks around campus, applying for the California State Student Association (CSSA) Greenovation Grant and starting a campaign to educate students about what ASI has to offer.
At the same time, the ASI Board of Directors is busy providing oversight on various corporate activities within ASI. The Board of Directors already allocated a majority of club funding to more than 80 campus organizations and encourages all clubs to continue to request club funding.
The University Union Advisory Board was busy planning for the new Recreation Center opening just around the corner. This group is finalizing policies for our new facility, such as the hours of operation, appropriate attire and block scheduling. They have also been working hard with students and campus entities, in order to bring more services in the University Union to serve the maximum number of students.
Winter Quarter 2012 will be an exciting time for ASI and every student here at Cal Poly as well.
The new state-of-the-art Recreation Center will open early in 2012, with many exciting features, such as six new racquetball courts, lap and leisure pools, three sand volleyball courts, three fitness studios, a barbecue area, an indoor track, a multi-activity center, basketball courts and 21,000 square feet of exercise space. Group exercise classes and towel service will also be included as part of your membership.
If you’re not in the mood to exercise, you can lounge, watch television with friends or use the wireless internet. The new HandKey Access System will allow you to enter the Recreation Center without a PolyCard. Let’s not forget STUDENTS made this amazing facility possible. With overwhelming support, more than 75 percent of students voted in favor of the Recreation Center expansion in February 2008. We are all very excited for our new welcoming destination, designed for all members to relax and socialize.
The upcoming quarter will not only be a busy time for ASI, but for the university at large.
In addition to welcoming our new provost and vice president for university affairs, we are also beginning two searches for new deans. We are grateful for the hard work and dedication of both College of Liberal Arts Dean Linda Halisky and College of Architecture and Environmental Design Dean Thomas Jones. Our new deans for the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Architecture and Environmental Design will have big shoes to fill.
Our university is also working hard to preserve the Cal Poly “Learn By Doing” education in lieu of the declining state support. California’s support for our education at Cal Poly has declined from more than 90 percent to 41 percent in approximately 20 years. Because of this trend, the university has proposed a Student Success Fee. There will be an opportunity for students to participate in an advisory vote on this fee in the coming months. My goal is to be a resource to each of you, and to make sure all your questions have been answered by the university. The Administration and Finance Division is working hard to inform all students, faculty and staff about this new fee.
At Cal Poly, we are privileged to work in an environment that values shared governance. Throughout the past 30 years, Cal Poly has established this inclusive tradition where all members of the campus community have a right and responsibility to participate in the decision-making process. ASI student representatives sit on more than 50 campus-wide committees ranging from campus dining to sustainability to registration and scheduling. ASI Student Government is here to help you get your voices heard on these decision-making bodies. Please find your student representatives on the ASI website and contact us with any feedback.
I wish you all a great finals week, safe break and a special congratulations to all our December grads! You’ll always be a member of the Cal Poly family.