Fall Conference General Session Remarks
Warren J. Baker, President


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September 15, 2003

 

As we embark upon a new academic year, I’m pleased to be able to share with you again an update on some important developments at the University and several key priorities for the year to come.

It is true, as you know, that the state budget crisis has created significant challenges for us and for public higher education in California.

While I do not want to minimize the seriousness of the state budget situation, I would like to emphasize that steps we have taken at Cal Poly over the last decade are helping us to preserve the critical elements of quality.

  • We have pursued administrative efficiencies, for example through the use of technology to deliver services on demand and more cost effectively to the campus community.

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  • We stepped up fund raising for our educational programs, significantly raising the level of annual giving to the University.

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  • And we put into place the Cal Poly Plan and the College-Based Fee, historic initiatives through which our students have expressed their support for educational quality.
These and other steps have helped us to increase efficiency, sustain and improve access to classes, enhance quality and preserve our tradition of “learn by doing.”

As we prepare for this year, it is important that we remember the special role Cal Poly plays in California higher education.
  • Our polytechnic program mix and our approach to “learn by doing” produce graduates with unique abilities for civic leadership and for roles in the state’s technological economy.

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  • The quality of our academic programs is widely recognized. This fall U.S. News & World Report again ranked Cal Poly second for academic reputation among U.S. public master’s universities, and first overall among public master’s universities in the Western United States.

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  • We are the fourth most selective public university in the nation, behind only Berkeley, UCLA and William and Mary.

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  • Our College of Engineering has been singled out as among the top three public undergraduate engineering programs in the country.

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  • The journal DesignIntelligence identified our architecture program as second only to Harvard’s.
We can take pride in these and other indicators of your achievement.

While Cal Poly is doing all it can for the state, we have taken steps to reduce enrollments temporarily this year due to the state budget situation.

During the summer, the campus enrollment target for 2003-2004 was reduced to 17,072 College Year Full-Time Equivalent Students (significantly below the actual 2002-2003 CY FTES of 17,598). This is a challenge, when you consider that we make most enrollment decisions in February.

While enrollments are targeted to be fewer than last year as a result of state budget reductions, average unit loads remain strong. It is likely, from preliminary data, that average unit loads will be at an all-time high this year. This is clearly due to the dedicated effort of everyone here today, and I want to thank you sincerely for giving this a high priority.

As the economy begins to turn around, and particularly as we recognize that we must take up again the mandates of the state’s Master Plan for Higher Education, we expect more applicants to seek admission to Cal Poly. Thus, we are continuing to plan for the enrollment growth approved in our master plan that was submitted to the Board of Trustees a little over two years ago. The increase, however, will not occur until new academic and support facilities are ready and our budget recovers.

With support from state general obligation and revenue bonds and philanthropic donations, we are implementing the new campus Physical Master Plan.
  • This year we will see, among many projects, the completion of Engineering III. After a number of years of discussions with the Legislative Analyst we are going to complete California Boulevard, which will go through to Highland. We are also undertaking an upgrade of the technology and information systems infrastructure, again with support from general obligation bonds, providing increased access to information technology across campus. This week we opened our first new student housing in 30 years. We expect to break ground for additional student housing this year with 2,700 additional beds.
     
    And we continue to plan for faculty and staff housing. A recent Boston Globe article discussed development of faculty housing by universities in the Boston area. In each case, whether it was Tufts, Harvard or MIT, the universities stated that providing some faculty housing was necessary for them to attract the quality of faculty they wanted at their institutions. I feel exactly the same way about Cal Poly. We simply must do something about housing for our faculty. There are a number of avenues we can pursue, but we are trying to move forward with the first phase of a University housing project.

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  • During the next year construction will begin on additional engineering facilities, including a senior project lab (supported entirely by private funds) and the Engineering IV building. We are designing a new building for the College of Architecture and Environmental Design. We are moving forward with plans for a landmark Center for Science and Mathematics and Centennial Park and for library expansion.

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  • In March 2004 a new two-year education bond will be on the ballot. It is the only bond on the March ballot. It will permit Cal Poly to construct the new building for the College of Architecture and Environmental Design and will set the stage for the Science and Mathematics center. We all can and must play active roles in explaining to friends and neighbors the critical importance of this bond for Cal Poly.
Philanthropy is playing a growing role in Cal Poly’s efforts to maintain and to strengthen our advantage.
  • During our Centennial Campaign we have received over 140,000 gifts, an enormous vote of confidence by our friends and supporters.

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  • Cal Poly has reached 90 percent of its Centennial goal of $225 million. This summer we exceeded $206 million in the campaign and it would not surprise me if we exceed our $225 million public goal by the conclusion of the Campaign in December 2004.

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  • Of the $206 million, over $200 million is going directly to strengthen academic programs. We have funded 12 endowed professorships, new facilities, equipment and student scholarships. Our endowment has grown from $34 million to $100 million.
Last year, in my Fall Convocation remarks, I addressed several themes that remain an important focus this year:
  • Diversity
  • University citizenship and civility
  • Student success
In a subsequent President’s Update, I will report at greater length on progress made last year and work that remains to be done. Today, I would like to reiterate several points.

Diversity

First, we must understand that we live in the most diverse state in the nation. It is indeed our destiny as a state – and as a campus – to become even more diverse.

This diversity enriches us. But it also brings challenges. And we must develop the skills required to communicate across differences, achieve understanding and learn from one another.

All we have to do is to look back at the recent Supreme Court decision affirming the value of diversity to the learning environment. And a recent report of CEOs of universities and corporations by the Business Higher Education Forum also indicated the importance of diversity in higher education and the workforce.

Fortunately, through the work of effective programs and many people of good will, we are making progress at Cal Poly. The University Diversity Enhancement Council, chaired by College of Liberal Arts Dean Harry Hellenbrand, provides critical policy leadership. Through the annual Diversity Award process, we learn of many meritorious programs that advance the cause of diversity on our campus. Among heartening indicators of progress we are seeing significant increases in the number of new students from underrepresented groups.

At the same time, much work remains to be done. We must do better in retaining and graduating students from diverse backgrounds. And we must strengthen our ability to talk and learn from one another.

University Citizenship and Civility

Last year, we established the Council on University Citizenship to identify ways to promote University citizenship and foster effective, civil communication within and beyond the classroom. The Council is co-chaired by Provost Paul Zingg and Professor Harvey Greenwald. The Council has made good progress in its first year.

It is critical that we, as a campus community and as a society, move beyond shallow, antagonistic rhetoric and legalistic disputes and find more constructive ways of talking about and bridging our differences.

I look forward to hearing more from this important group.

Student Success

We are rightfully proud of Cal Poly’s graduation rates, easily the best in the California State University system. However, even though we have been making substantial progress over the past several years, with increased average student unit course loads, there is still considerable room for more progress.

Last year, at my request, Provost Paul Zingg established the Council on Student Success, co-chaired by Vice Provost David Conn and Vice President for Student Affairs Cornel Morton, to identify ways of improving student academic success.

During the past year, the Council has concentrated on three objectives:
  • First, assessing departmental efforts that promote student success

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  • Second, finding ways to provide academic advisors and students with accurate, timely information regarding each student’s academic progress. The student administrative system currently being developed will assist this.

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  • Finally, finding new ways to support students in their first year. The Week of Welcome is a good first step, recognizing that first-year success is key to overall success.
I’d like to particularly commend the work of the faculty and the Academic Senate last year in focusing on the senior project and some of the criteria we must consider, and some of the process steps we must take, to make us more effective in addressing this requirement in the curriculum. Also, we continue to examine the internal transfer program and other things we have discussed for a number of years, including the role of free electives in the university. All of this in various ways is connected to student success, getting students through their programs without the institution being a barrier to progress, while at the same time emphasizing high standards and quality programs.

I know that all of you agree that there is nothing more important at Cal Poly than student success. Specific initiatives under consideration or in development can help – including departmental student success plans; the Poly Progress initiative; and extended first-year orientation. I encourage and thank the faculty and staff for these and other dedicated efforts to help our students succeed.

K-12 Science Education Initiative

Finally, to address a subject critically related to student success at Cal Poly, I remain concerned about the California K-12 system’s capacity to produce in sufficient numbers students capable of becoming the next generation of scientists, engineers, science and math teachers, and the next generation of citizens literate in science and mathematics.

At the most recent meeting of the President’s Cabinet, I was urged to do more to help California elementary and secondary schools and specifically to expand our effective programs that prepare and support K-12 science and mathematics teachers.

As the Cabinet emphasized, and as much research bears out, inspired, effective teachers are the single most important key to student success.

I agree with the Cabinet’s advice and I have asked Provost Paul Zingg to lead a universitywide initiative to establish a University Center for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education.

Over the next several years, we will seek measured ways to build upon Cal Poly’s existing high quality programs and:
  • Graduate more K-12 science and math teachers

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  • Strengthen our support for K-12 science and math teachers already in the schools, including through the use of Web-based technologies

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  • Do more to reach out to K-12 students to encourage their interest in careers in science and technology
While the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Science and Mathematics, and the University Center for Teacher Education will be major players in this effort, this is a responsibility all of us at the University must share.

We will seek support from private industry, private foundations, the National Science Foundation and other sources, giving early emphasis to scholarship support for students interested in teaching science and mathematics in the K-12 system, particularly students from Cal Poly’s “partner schools,” where the rate of transfer into science, engineering and technology programs has been low.

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In closing, as you can see, we have much to be proud of – and much to do. We cannot simply rest on our laurels. And I know each of you agree with me that we must strive continuously to get better.

I look forward to working with you this year.

Warren J. Baker
President