University News
WORK BEGINS ON REC CENTER EXPANSION
Artist’s rendering of the renovated Cal Poly Recreation Center.
Construction began during winter quarter on the renovation and expansion of the Cal Poly Recreation Center.
Students voted by an overwhelming 75 percent in February 2008 to increase the Student Union fee by $65 per quarter to fund the expansion project. However, the fee will not be implemented until the facility is complete.
Crews are renovating the men’s and women’s locker rooms, tripling the center’s overall exercise space and adding new components such as an indoor jogging track, a squash court, a multi-purpose activity gym, a leisure pool and deck and an additional sand volleyball court.
Crews demolish part of the old Rec Center
in February to make way for the ongoing expansion.
The Recreation Center Expansion Project will use current and future best sustainable building practices to ensure that the renovated facility meets and/or exceeds State of California standards for energy efficiency. To the fullest extent possible, LEED credits will be pursued and green building strategies will be incorporated into the project.
Work is expected to continue on the project until summer 2012. For more information, visit www.asi.calpoly.edu/rec_center_project or call 805- 756-2211.
WASC ACCREDITATION TEAM VISITS CAL POLY CAMPUS
Cal Poly hosted a visiting team from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) on Feb. 10-12. The team's visit is part of the process of re-affirming the university's accreditation, a review which happens every 10 years. The WASC team members are faculty and administrators from peer universities.
WASC accreditation is means of assuring the value of Cal Poly degrees and the university's eligibility for federal funding. Through several open forums, the visiting team sought input from Cal Poly faculty, staff and students on the university and its ability to provide a high-quality education.
In addition, Cal Poly submitted a report to WASC, which President Warren J. Baker called the best he has seen in his 30 years as the university’s leader.
“It focuses on very pertinent and important themes and has
a real chance of doing considerable good for the institution,” Baker said of the report in an email to campus. “I congratulate all involved in the development of this outstanding work of analysis and reflection.”
For more information on the WASC process and to read a summary of the report Cal Poly submitted to WASC, visit http://wasc.calpoly.edu.
CAL POLY ARCHITECTURE STUDENT RECEIVES NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Cal Poly architecture student John Vierra won first place in the 2009 Bohemian Flats Boathouse Student Design Competition. The competition was sponsored by the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) in conjunction with The Vinyl Institute.
This year’s competition focused on rewarding design excellence at a small-scale, highlighting the unique aspects of designing a boathouse and building knowledge about materials, products and assembly contributing to a sustainable and safe environment. The competition site was The Bohemian Flats, a historic parcel of land on the bank of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis.
Vierra won with the design “Boat on Board.” Judges noted the technical exploration as well as the ingenious way of dealing with the river’s ebb and flow. It was considered one of the most respectful designs with regards to the site and the river.
Vierra is a senior in Cal Poly’s Architecture Department. He was also the first place winner of the 2008 AIAS Student Competition. Vierra was awarded $2,500 for the top prize.
PROFESSOR CO-AUTHORS BOOK ON INDIGENOUS SYMBOLS
Cal Poly Ethnic Studies Professor Kathleen Martin has co-authored the book “Indigenous Symbols and Practices in the Catholic Church: Visual Culture, Missionization and Appropriation,” released in February by Ashgate Publishing.
The text focuses on Native American and indigenous people and their relationship with the Roman Catholic Church. It illustrates the effects of appropriation of indigenous symbols, as well as the political, educational and economic oppression of indigenous peoples the authors contend were the result of Christian organizations.
The concept for this volume arose from a visual inspection of Catholic churches and the ways indigenous symbols are employed. Martin visited 50-60 churches on reservations, took 600-700 photographs, and conducted interviews for the project, which includes 17 full-page photographs, personal narratives and data analysis.
The book is available in El Corral Bookstore.
More on Kathleen Martin’s book
CAL POLY STUDENT HOUSING EARNS GOLD CERTIFICATION
Cal Poly’s newly completed student housing project, Poly Canyon Village, has earned a LEED Gold certification for meeting required standards in sustainable building according to the U.S. Green Building Council.
Poly Canyon Village received certification for meeting 42 of the required 39-51 points to earn the designation. Standards for the designation included low volatile organic compounds material, energy efficient buildings, reduction of water use, water-efficient landscaping, use of recycled content, 90 percent diversion from the landfill of construction waste, and more.
Larry Kelley, Cal Poly’s vice president for Administration and Finance, said the LEED gold designation means 25 percent of Cal Poly’s facilities are now certified sustainable. “We are really pleased with the award,” Kelley said. “The project team, from initial planning to design and through construction, did a great job on this project. Cal Poly students are enjoying Poly Canyon Village and value this new facility on campus.”
For more information about Poly Canyon Village, visit http://polycanyonvillage.calpoly.edu/. For more information about U.S. Green Building Council and LEED certification, visit http://www.usgbc.org/
TWO CAL POLY STUDENTS EARN VOLUNTEER AWARD WITH DIVERSITY EFFORTS
The San Luis Obispo Parks and Recreation Commission recognized Cal Poly students Addie Virta and Missy Sparks as its January Volunteers of the Month for their work with local children through a campus group called Language Outreach and Opportunities for Kids (LOOK).
Virta and Sparks are the student co-coordinators of LOOK, which operates through Student Community Services in Cal Poly’s Student Life and Leadership office. Through LOOK, Cal Poly students with an interest in other languages and cultures from around the world visit the “Sun n Fun” after-school program at five of the city’s elementary schools for hour-long lessons. The Cal Poly students teach “Sun n Fun” youngsters the basics about other countries, including languages, cultures and an appreciation of diversity.
Virta, who is from Danville, Calif., and Sparks, from Sacramento, are juniors at Cal Poly. Both have been involved with LOOK for two years.
More on LOOK and the students’ award
NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR COMMUTER SERVICES PROGRAM
Cal Poly was recognized as a Best Workplace for Commuters by the University of South Florida’s (USF) National Center for Transit Research. Cal Poly received gold for an increased number of bicycle racks on campus, an increase in the number of bicycle commuters, the addition of one new vanpool vehicle, and the adoption of Zip Car (http://zipcar.com/calpoly) on campus.
Cindy Campbell, Cal Poly’s associate director of University Police, said the department is pleased to be honored as one of the select EPA's Gold Award campuses. “To be recognized for building a program that our campus enthusiastically supports and utilizes is very rewarding for us,” she said.
The awards recognize organizations that have taken exemplary steps in their efforts to offer alternatives for their employees driving alone – thereby reducing air pollution, traffic congestion and fuel usage. The study was conducted from Jan. 1 to Oct. 15, 2009.
USF singled out 27 companies, institutions and individuals nationwide as part of its 2009 Race to Excellence awards. Cal Poly received gold along with Stanford and Virginia Tech and was the only CSU recognized.
Visit Best Workplaces for Commuters Web site at http://www.bestworkplaces.org/ to learn more about their service, programs and awards.
STUDENTS COORDINATE ATTEMPT AT JUMP ROPING WORLD RECORD
Kinesiology students Meghan Lord and Iliana Pruneda organized the San Luis Obispo County portion of a statewide effort in early February to shatter the Guinness world record for “most people jumping rope at the same time.”
The “Jamba Jump Day” took place around California on Feb. 1, sponsored by Jamba Juice and put on by the California Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.
About 1,000 elementary and middle school students in Santa Maria and around San Luis Obispo County jumped rope for 10 minutes the morning of Feb. 1. They were among an estimated 88,000 people jumping at events organized by schools, business, nonprofit organizations and other groups. Employees at the state capitol took part, as did staffer’s with California’s congressional representatives in Washington, D.C.
If confirmed, the unofficial number from the California event will far eclipse the previous record of 59,000 set in Australia.
The California event was also a celebration of CAPHERD’s 80th anniversary and marked the beginning of “American Heart Month.”
STUDENT PHILANTHROPY COUNCIL COORDINATES 2009 SENIOR GIFT
The 2009 Senior Gift – the first fundraising project by the Student Philanthropy Council – was unveiled last fall in the form of a new bike rack outside the Campus Market.
The council was created a year and a half ago at the recommendation of the Cal Poly Foundation Board and is now an official ASI student club.
The mission of the council is to develop a culture of philanthropy among the student body, by educating students about the importance of giving back through private support.
Students raised money for the bike rack through a variety of ways, such as sponsoring a booth at Open House in April.
The group is also traveling statewide to speak at Parent Philanthropy Council events. “We hope to let potential donors know how much we, the students, appreciate their funds and continual support,” said council president Sarah Storelli.
CAL POLY RECEIVES RECORD NUMBER OF APPLICANTS
Cal Poly received a record number of undergraduate applications for the 2010 fall quarter – a total of 40,904 applications, up 12.1 percent from 36,489 in 2008.
Of the nearly 41,000 first-time freshmen who submitted applications, 4,744 were submitted as early decision applications, or applications for students who made Cal Poly their first choice. The early decision pool increased by more than 32 percent from last year, a sign of the increasing number of students considering Cal Poly as their first choice.
“The number of applications we received this year is a testament to the hard work of our academic departments in helping my unit build relationships with our prospective students and parents long before the application process ever begins,” said James Maraviglia, assistant vice president of Admissions, Recruitment and Financial Aid. “We are really pleased with the result, especially given the tough economy and state budget cuts to higher education.”
More on the record number of applicants and Cal Poly’s student recruitment
