Cal Poly should ‘focus the nation’ all year

Will Cal Poly prepare you for California’s growing green collar economy in solar, wind, cleantech, nanotech and biotech? Cal Poly “graduates in several majors will be prepared for sustainability-focused careers,” according to the Draft Strategic Plan for 2009 through 2014. But what distinguishes a “green” or “sustainability-focused” job from any other job? And why can’t all students be prepared for “sustainability-focused” careers?

Cal Poly educates “market-ready” young professionals that are currently in high demand. Classes emphasize becoming well-prepared for the working world through its cherished learn-by-doing approach. However, the working world is rapidly transforming and Cal Poly is struggling to keep up with the professional change.

Students understand the need to be green. They understand the cool factor and the broadened consumer experience that results from shifting personal values and readily available information. What once were classified as green jobs are ever increasingly becoming the basis for California’s future economy.

If Empower Poly Coalition, an alliance of sustainability organizations on campus, is any indicator of the change in the professional and social climate of Cal Poly students, than it is worth noting that the enrollment of member clubs has nearly doubled since this time last year. Some of these clubs and organizations are what would traditionally be considered sustainability-focused, but there are also a growing number of clubs that have retooled their mission to align with the goals and principles that emphasize providing products and services that conserve energy and resources, utilize renewable sources, reduce pollution and re-use waste.

This week, Cal Poly will be hosting the second annual Focus the Nation event, a national teach-in on climate change brought to you by the Empower Poly Coalition. Last January, the first Focus the Nation, Global Warming Solutions for America, was a wild success on campus, with over 5,000 students, faculty and administration discussing how the technical, political and environmental tools are available to solve some of the greatest challenges of our time. Every college on campus participated in this discussion, which proves that the impacts of a changing world transcend every sector of our economy.

From today through Friday, the Empower Poly Coalition brings you Focus the Nation: Building a Sustainable Economy. During the four-day-long festivities, there will be a Green Job Fair and Trade Show, Sustainable Projects Showcase, Student-Led Sustainability Workshops, Panels of Experts with a wide array of topics – from appropriate technology, sustainable business and innovation – and a SLO Renewable Energy Educational Forum (held off campus at the SLO Vets Hall).

I applaud the students involved in organizing Focus the Nation for their dedication and commitment to their fellow peers, campus and community. This event is a massive undertaking to coordinate for students, one that shows that Cal Poly should take institutional leadership in promoting and advancing campus-wide dialogues on issues relevant to society.

I’d like to thank the generous support from both faculty and administration for making this event come to life, and recommend that the Cal Poly Administration take bold steps to address the growing demands of students to have access to system-wide sustainability education.

The next generation of young professionals demands a massive overhaul of the way we perceive sustainability. Students should not have to plan a job fair with environmentally and socially responsible organizations; instead, the university should seek them out for all job fairs. Cal Poly is ranked as one of the best schools in the nation, but it will fall behind if it does not rapidly change campus procedures.

Join us this week in the Focus the Nation events, held in locations all over campus. And tell the administration that being prepared for the emerging economy matters to you. They are nice and responsive people, they just sometimes need a little reminder of what is important to students.

For more information about Focus the Nation go to www.focusthenationslo.com

Nancy Cole is a city and regional planning senior, the former vice-president of the Empower Poly Coalition and a Mustang Daily columnist.