TO: Cal Poly Employees
FROM:
Bob Detweiler, Interim Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs
Larry Kelley, Vice President for Administration and Finance
Operating plans continue to be developed as we prepare for the budget
reductions of 2004-05. Enrollment targets have been established by the
Chancellor's Office; Cal Poly's target is 16,218 Full-Time Equivalent Students
for the year (CY FTES). This is a reduction from the 17,140 estimated CY FTES
for this year. We are addressing the enrollment reduction by sustaining the
size of the new freshmen admissions--3,000 for the fall of 2004--but severely
limiting the course offerings in the summer term. This approach will allow a
level flow in the number of students as they progress towards their degrees.
There also will be a limited state-supported summer session in 2004. A list of
planned courses offerings is provided on line at:
http:///www.academics.calpoly.edu/academicprograms/SummerSched.htm.
These courses will be available through regular registration procedures
(POWER). In April, the Summer Class Schedule will supply further details.
We also had planned to offer more than 50 additional for-credit courses,
open to matriculated students through Cal Poly Continuing Education.
Authorization to do so had been received from the CSU Chancellor's Office and
fees for the courses were to be the same as those charged for state-supported
courses. Without a state subsidy for these courses, Continuing Education was
unable to offer instructors the same salary rates that they would expect to
receive in a state-supported session and still break even -- a fiscal
requirement for all self-support programs. Despite the willingness of some
instructors to accept the lower rates, the local chapter of the California
Faculty Association has been unwilling to negotiate an agreement on this issue.
As a result, we are unable to follow through with our earlier plan to offer
an expanded self-supported summer session for matriculated students in 2004.
Cal Poly Continuing Education will, however, offer regular summer programs and
professional development opportunities for non-matriculated students and
community members.
In many cases, students may not be able to get the courses they need this
summer. Those students might consider options offered by Cuesta and Allan
Hancock Colleges. Both will be increasing their course offerings during the
summer, with some use of distance learning. We are collaborating with these
colleges in an effort to minimize duplication and to ensure that all available
options are well publicized. Direct links to Cuesta and Allan Hancock websites
will be available soon on Cal Poly's summer webpage at
http://www.academics.calpoly.edu/academicprograms/summer.htm.
In another issue related to enrollment changes, work on the Student Housing
North project is continuing. The environmental review (EIR) required Cal Poly
to check the housing site to see if any endangered species were present, in
particular the Morro Shoulderband Snail, during the rainy season. We checked
and found a small colony of the protected snails on a portion of the site.
Therefore, Cal Poly is working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to
determine how to protect the snails and continue with the project. At this
time we are not sure what, if any, effect this will have on the schedule of the
project but continue in our resolve to provide additional on-campus housing for
Cal Poly students. We will keep you informed about this as the process
develops.