Cal Poly Report - September 16, 2009
News
New Crop of About 4,600 Freshmen, Transfer Students Start Next Week
Fall Quarter starts Sept. 22, and Cal Poly is expecting to see a little more than 3,800 new freshmen and 750 transfer students. In what has become an annual tradition, Cal Poly received an overwhelming number of applicants again last spring. Nearly 37,000 students applied to Cal Poly and competed for this fall's open class seats. The Fall '09 freshmen and transfer students are again the cream of the crop. The roughly 3,886 freshmen enrolled for fall 2009 have an average SAT1 score of 1,238 (Cal Poly uses only SAT1 math and reading scores in admissions) and an average ACT score of 28. Their average GPA is 3.80. The Fall '09 transfer students had an average GPA of 3.32. (The enrollment numbers are preliminary; the official Cal Poly student headcount is in October.)
Read more about Cal Poly students (pdf)
Engineering Team Wins National HVAC Design Competition
Students from Cal Poly's College of Engineering took first place in a national collegiate competition involving designing heating, air conditioning and ventilation (HVAC) systems. The Mustang student engineers were competing against teams from 32 colleges across the United States. The Cal Poly team took first place in the HVAC System Design category, besting Kansas State University, among others. Winning team members were Craig Allen, Brian Sybesma, Chan Kim, William Raschefsky and Elyse Widin, advised by Professor Jesse Maddren.
Read the story on Thomas Industrial News
Seventeen Years and Counting as Best in West in U.S. News Rankings
For the 17th year in a row, Cal Poly has been rated the best public-master's university in the West by U.S. News & World Report, in its 2010 America 's Best Colleges guidebook. Cal Poly moved up four spots from 10th to sixth in the magazine's overall list of the West's best universities, including both public and private institutions that provide "a full range of undergraduate and master's-level programs but few, if any, doctoral programs." U.S. News ranks colleges that grant doctoral degrees, such as those in the University of California system, in a separate category.
Read more about the rankings
Campus Q&A
Q: Where can Cal Poly Community members find up-to-date information on the H1N1 (Swine Flu) virus?
A: Cal Poly has a new H1N1 Information Center Web site. Developed over the summer, the new site provides information, updates and links to local, national and international health organziations for faculty, staff, students, parents and friends of the university. Find current information at http://flu.calpoly.edu.
Faculty and Staff
Management Professor Published in Wall Street Journal
Find out how to climb the corporate ladder in an article co-authored by Management Professor Dawn Chandler, published in August by the Wall Street Journal. Chandler, an associate professor in Cal Poly's Orfalea College of Business, and co-authors Douglas T. Hall and Kathy E. Kram wrote "How to Be a Smart Protégé." Chandler was also interviewed for the WSJ video news.
See the full "Smart Protégé " article
View the WSJ video interview with Professor Chandler
UPD's Cindy Campbell Graces Cover of "Parking Today"
The Sept. 2009 issue of Parking Today features Cal Poly's own Cindy Campbell, associate director of University Police. In the article, Campbell discusses the importance of program support, staffing and working relationships with faculty, staff and students. Read more at http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/a538bb39#/a538bb39/26.
Promotions
William Hendricks, College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science - named department head for Recreation, Praks and Tourism Administration Department, effective Sept. 1.
Trevor Harding, College of Engineering - named chair of the Materials Engineering Department, effective Sept. 1.
Susan Elrod Moving to AAC&U
Susan Elrod was recently selected to be the new director of Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL), a signature program of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). Elrod will assume her directorship in January 2010 in Washington, D.C. The new appointment culminates more than a decade of Cal Poly service for Elrod. She has been a faculty member in the Biological Sciences Department since 1997 and the director of the Center for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education (CeSaME) since 2007, and she was recently appointed the associate dean for Strategic Initiatives in the College of Science and Mathematics.
Did You Know?
Did you know that Cal Poly has an emergency text messaging system? Named e2Campus, it was implemented in 2007 to provide timely emergency information text messages to anyone signed up for the service. Faculty, staff and students can sign up for e2Campus by visiting Administration and Finance's Web site. Register today. Please enter your Cal Poly user name when registering. eg.:jsmith123@calpoly.edu.
Campus Furlough Information
Grants Development Office Begins Furlough Closures in September
The Grants Development Office has begun planned closures to minimize the impact of furloughs on services provided to faculty and staff. The plan reflects office closures for 12 days from September through June. The dates chosen are days when there is little or no walk-in traffic and a low level of proposal activity. It is more important than ever that analysts are aware, as early as possible, of any plans to submit proposals for grants or contracts.
Grants development office requires requests be submitted two-weeks prior to submission date. We can no longer guarantee that we will be able to meet deadlines on shorter notice because of the constraints furlough weeks impose on exempt staff. Should an office closure date conflict with a formal Request for Proposal deadline, notify the office at ext. 6-2982 no later than two weeks prior to the due date so that arrangements can be made to accommodate the submission.
Grants Development Office Closure Dates
- Friday, Sept. 4
- Friday, Sept. 18
- Wednesday, Nov. 25
- Wednesday, Dec. 23
- Monday, Dec. 28
- Tuesday, Dec. 29
- Wednesday, Dec. 30
- Friday, Jan. 15
- Friday, Feb. 12
- Monday, March 22
- Friday April 16
- Friday, May 28
Campus Dining Offers Furlough Pricing for Faculty and Staff
While furloughs are in effect, Campus Dining is offering a 15 percent savings on food purchases for faculty and staff. To enjoy these savings, use your Campus Express Club today and an immediate reduction will be taken at the register. For more information or to add value, visit our Web site at www.calpolycorporation.org/express. Program ends June 30, 2010.
Campus Announcements
Open Enrollment Period Began Sept. 14
The 2010 Benefits Open Enrollment period for Cal Poly State employees began Sept. 14 and ends Oct. 9.
Open Enrollment allows benefits-eligible employees not already enrolled in a health or dental plan to do so. For those already enrolled, Open Enrollment provides the opportunity to change health or dental carriers, enroll or cancel Flex Cash participation, and add eligible dependents. All changes made during Open Enrollment are effective Jan. 1, 2010.
This is also the time to enroll (or re-enroll) in the Health Care Reimbursement and Dependent Care Reimbursement Account plans for the 2010 tax year. These plans provide a perfect opportunity to pay for out-of-pocket health and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars. To continue participation, you must re-enroll each year during Open Enrollment.
The Benefits Newsletter, available on the Human Resources Benefits Web site at http://www.afd.calpoly.edu/HR/benefits.asp?pid=3, includes details about the Blue Shield NetValue plan now available in San Luis Obispo County, 2010 health plan premium rates, and instructions for making Open Enrollment changes.
A Benefits Vendor Fair is scheduled for Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the UU in Chumash Auditorium. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield HMO will hold health plan information sessions, including Blue Shield NetValue sessions at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon.
All Open Enrollment Worksheets must be received in Human Resources as soon as possible but no later than 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9 in order to be processed. Questions can be directed to Human Resources at ext. 6-5436.
2009-10 Academic Calendar is Now Available
Fall classes begin Tuesday, Sept. 22. For the complete 2009-10 academic calendar, visit http://www.calpoly.edu/~acadprog/acad_cal/2009_10cal.htm
Vanpool Openings Available
Gas prices got you down? We have the solution for you! Vanpool openings for the Paso Robles area and North Coast (Los Osos, Morro Bay, Cayucos, Cambria). Contact Susan Rains at srains@calpoly.edu or ext. 6-6680 for more information.
New Hours for MDS Equipment Checkout Centers
Effective immediately the Media Distribution Services (MDS) equipment checkout center in the Alan A. Erhart Agriculture Building (010), Room 125 will be closed Fridays. Hours during academic quarters are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Thursday. This fall, the MDS equipment checkout center in the Education Building, Room 9 will be open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday during academic quarters. For more information, visit http://mds.calpoly.edu.
South Perimeter Road is Closed
South Perimeter Road officially closed to vehicle traffic Friday, Sept. 11 with access limited to emergency and service vehicles only. Buses will continue to use stops by the PAC (outbound routes) and Sage Restaurant (inbound routes) until the new transit stops are complete. The new transit stops by the Library are open. The transit stops at Graphic Arts are closed.
South Perimeter will become part of the pedestrian central core of campus as outlined in the Master Plan and will be utilized for construction access during the Rec Center expansion. For more information, visit http://www.asi.calpoly.edu/rec_center_project. For transit related questions or concerns please contact Susan Rains of the University Police at ext. 6-6680. For construction related questions or concerns, contact Joel Neel of Facilities Planning and Capital Projects at ext. 6-2193.
Weight Watchers is Enrolling New and Continuing Members
Weight Watchers is enrolling new and continuing members at Cal Poly. Weight Watchers will provide a free informational meeting Wednesday, Oct. 7 at noon at Einstein's Bros. Bagels in Poly Canyon Village. Weight Watchers provides professionally trained staff, program materials developed by experts in the field of nutrition and weight management, and confidential weigh-ins. For more information, contact Joy Harkins at jharkins@calpoly.edu.
Public Affairs Now Accepting Video Submissions
Public Affairs is accepting video submissions from faculty, staff and students for their new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/calpoly. Videos that demonstrate senior projects, learn-by-doing philosophy or personalized instruction are especially welcome. Faculty is encouraged to share this with students. Length: 1-3 minutes preferred. Submit a hard copy on DVD in QuickTime (.mov) format or MP4 to Mary McNally, Heron Hall, Room 217. Also provide transcript in WordPad or NotePad software. For more information, contact McNally at ext. 6-5160 or mmmcnall@calpoly.edu. Links to select videos may be included in e-communications to alumni and donors. All video will be reviewed for appropriate content.
Bookmark the New Public Affairs Web Site - All the News 'How to' Info You Need to Know
Need information on how to get items into Cal Poly Report -- and what the deadlines are? Looking for the University's print graphic standards and guidelines? Trying to find the phone number for a Public Affairs staffer? It's all available on the new Public Affairs Web site:www.publicaffairs.calpoly.edu. That's a new web address -- and the Public Affairs web has fresh information, updated links, and a new look (it's the "splash page" template developed by ITS). Bookmark the site and please go there first for the 411 on how to get on-campus and off-campus publicity for your department's news and events. Visit the new Public Affairs Web Sitewww.publicaffairs.calpoly.edu -- then bookmark it!
New Year, New Look, New Free Web Templates for Cal Poly Departments and Offices
Over the summer, Cal Poly's Web Authoring Resource Center (a part of ITS) released an updated version of the university's free, ADA-compliant web page templates. The new version (Version 3.4.4) offers a brighter background; new revamped navigation menus; one-, two- and three-column layouts; plus a new "splash page" layout with four columns and a three-column page-topper area for art. All of them include current Cal Poly branding but have plenty of space for individualized artwork and content from departments or offices. Download the templates and get details at www.warc.calpoly.edu. For questions on the templates, contact Steve Rutland in ITS at srutland@calpoly.edu. Check out the list of departments using the new templates at:http://www.warc.calpoly.edu/universityid/templates/examples.html. For a beautiful use of art on the new "splash page" template, see the Swanton Pacific Ranch Web site home page: http://www.spranch.org/
VG Cafe Now Open for Lunch
VG Cafe is open for lunch at 11 a.m. every Monday-Friday and 10 a.m. on weekends. Come try the new VG Cafe lunch menu with hot sandwiches, grilled favorites and specialty salads. You won’t be disappointed. And if you love video games, check out the new Wii stations and lounge seating area. Faculty, staff and students play for free!
Passings/In Memoriam
Doral Sandlin
Doral Sandlin passed away quietly at home on Sept. 3 with his wife of 50 years, Terri Sandlin, by his side. He was 79. Sandlin started the M.S. program in the Aeronautical Engineering Department in the late 1970s by obtaining research grants from NASA Dryden Flight Research Center and NASA Ames Research Center. His research projects helped scores of students obtain their master’s degrees during the 1970s and through the 1990s. He was instrumental in bringing the aircraft design course at Cal Poly to national prominence. He served as department head during the late 1980s and early 1990s, and was the founder of the department’s Industrial Advisory Board, which has been instrumental in maintaining educational excellence in aerospace engineering over the decades.
Events
Cal Poly Housing Corporation Board Meeting Set for Friday
The Board of Directors of the Cal Poly Housing Corporation (CPHC) will hold its next meeting Friday, Sept. 18, at 9:30 a.m. in the Corporation Administration Building, Room 124. This is a public meeting. A copy of the agenda is available for public review at the Corporation Administration Building. For more information about this meeting, contact Jim Reinhart, managing director, Cal Poly Housing Corporation at ext. 6-1131.
Cat Program Participates in Annual San Luis Drive Yard Sale
The nonprofit Cal Poly Cat Program will participate in the annual San Luis Drive Neighborhood Yard Sale on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1839 Corralitos Ave. in San Luis Obispo. Yard sale items include furniture, paperback/books, kitchenware, clothes and much more. All proceeds will be used for veterinary expenses and cat shelter supplies. For more information, contact Daniel Luces at calpolycat@gmail.com or Sharon Dobson at 202-6316 or sdobson@calpoly.edu.
Cal Poly Corporation Board Meeting Set for Sept. 25
The Board of Directors of the Cal Poly Corporation will hold a regular meeting Friday, Sept. 25 at 8:30 a.m. in the Corporation Administration Building, Room 124. This is a public meeting. For more information about this meeting or to obtain a copy of the meeting agenda, contact Bonnie Murphy, executive director, Cal Poly Corporation at ext. 6-1131.
Online Course Delivery Session Set for Sept. 28
Join the growing online education field by learning to provide courses online. Add value to a resume by learning techniques, technology and methods while developing additional income potential.
Taught online by Cal Poly instructional designer, Tonia Malone, this course emphasizes the feedback and mentoring that studies have shown fosters a successful online educational experience. Get hands-on training in Blackboard while focusing on developing one online course from a sound pedagogical perspective within a 10-week asynchronous delivery.
Throughout “Designing a Course for Online Delivery”, Malone will provide ongoing support assistance through weekly assignments. Participants will receive vital instructor feedback and peer interaction required for success. Intended for beginner/intermediate Blackboard users. Don’t get left behind; delivering your course online is the wave of the future. Register online now at www.continuing-ed.calpoly.edu. Class begins Sept. 28.
Glenn Yarbrough in Concert Sept. 18 at Cohan Center
Glenn Yarbrough is a true American original. For more than 50 years, Yarbrough has touched audiences worldwide with his distinctive voice. Enjoy Yarbrough's performance in San Luis Obispo as part of his final Pacific Northwest tour.
More on the Yarbrough concert
See 'D-List' Comedienne Kathy Griffin Sept. 23
Sharp-tongued comedienne Kathy Griffin will perform in the Christopher Cohan Center on Sept. 28. Griffin has performed a set of four very successful stand-up specials for Bravo network. She's also an Emmy-winner. In August 2005 her reality show, "Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List," debuted on Bravo to rave reviews. It has run for three seasons, the latest during the summer of 2007. The first three seasons of "My Life On The D-List" were each nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Reality Program. Seasons three and four won that prize back-to-back in September of 2007 and 2008.
More on Griffin coming to the PAC
State Employment Opportunities
*REVIEW DATE EXTENDED*
#101755-Lead Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Practitioner, Student Affairs, Health Services. Salary Range: $5,615-$8,983/month. Open Until Filled. Review begins: Aug. 14.
*REVIEW DATE EXTENDED*
#101921-Physician, Student Affairs, Health Services, $8,731-$14,396/month. Anticipated hiring range: $8,731-$9,110/month. Open until filled. Review begins: Aug. 27.
#101950-Physician Assistant/#101951-Nurse Practitioner 10/12, Student Affairs, Health Services,
$4,679-$7,486/month. Open until filled. Review begins: Sept. 4.
#101954-Physician, Psychiatrist, Student Affairs - Health Services, $8,731 - $14,396/month. Open until filled. Review begins: Sept. 4.
#101957-Administrative Analyst/Specialist Exempt I, Administration & Finance, Facility Services, $3,845-$5,770/month. Closes: Sept. 27.
#101960-Administrative Support Coordinator I, College of Liberal Arts, Advancement, $2,808-$4,212/month. Anticipated hiring range: $2,808-$3,088/month. Closes: Sept. 18.
#101961-Administrative Support Coordinator I, Student Affairs, Health Services, $2,808-$4,212/month.
Anticipated hiring range: $2,808-$3,089/month. Closes: Sept. 18.
#101962-Senior Advisor For International Students & Scholars, Student Services Professional III, Academic Affairs, International Education & Programs, $3,834-$5,462/month. Closes: Oct. 5.
#101959-Groundsworker, Administration & Finance, Facility Services, $2,700-$4,050/month. Closes: Sept. 27.