Messages from the Office of the Provost

10/4/2024 - Save the Dates: Dean of CAFES and CAED Candidate Visits

Dear Colleagues, 

On behalf of the Consultative Search Committees for the Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES) and the Dean of the College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED) we are pleased to share that the university will soon host up to four finalists for each role.  

Please save the following dates for potential two-day campus visits:  

CAFES candidates:  

• October 28-29  
• October 31-November 1 
• November 4-5 
• November 7-8 

CAED candidates: 

• November 14-15 
• November 21-22 
• December 2-3 
• December 5-6 

All members of the campus community are invited to attend open forums for each finalist, which will be scheduled on the second day of each visit from 11:10 a.m. - noon in the Advanced Technologies Lab (ATL) Building 07, Room 002. Information about each finalist will be sent in advance, as well as a zoom link for those who wish to attend virtually.  

The CAFES search committee is chaired by Jeremy James, department head of the Natural Resources Management & Environmental Sciences department. The CAED search committee is chaired by César Torres-Bustamante, professor of Landscape Architecture.  

Your feedback is essential to the success of this search.  Thank you in advance for your participation. 

Sincerely, 

Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, Ph.D. 
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs 

9/23/2024 - Cal Poly Partners with Community Colleges

To the Cal Poly Community: 

The university has announced new 2+2 programs with Cuesta College and Allan Hancock College, designed to provide local students with expanded opportunities to earn a Cal Poly degree. These programs are part of our ongoing commitment to bring Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing education to even more students in the region. 

Through these partnerships, qualified students can now complete their four-year degrees on the community college campuses, offering a flexible and accessible pathway to a Cal Poly degree. 

Starting in the current fall 2024 term, more than 20 incoming transfer students majoring in sociology will begin their final two years of study at Allan Hancock’s campus in Santa Maria and will be eligible to graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly. In fall 2025, Cal Poly and Cuesta College will begin a similar program for liberal studies students pursuing careers in teaching.  

These programs reflect Cal Poly’s role as a steward of place and are a key part of the university’s ongoing focus on providing greater access to local and transfer students. Students from local high schools remain twice as likely to gain admission to Cal Poly as those from outside the area. Our largest feeder schools include Cuesta College, Allan Hancock College, San Luis Obispo High School, and Arroyo Grande High School. 

Cal Poly continues to demonstrate its commitment to transfer students by offering personalized academic advising, career services, peer mentoring, new student programming, and a dedicated Transfer Center. As a result, Cal Poly’s transfer students consistently achieve strong outcomes, including an overall transfer graduation rate of 89%. In 2023, Cal Poly had the highest transfer graduation rate in California and tied for the top spot in the nation among institutions receiving Title IV financial aid. 

The university has also implemented several transfer-friendly initiatives, including streamlined transfer selection criteria and expanded Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) options, to help students transition smoothly into their degree programs. 

We look forward to seeing the positive impact of these programs on students and our community. 

Sincerely, 

Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, Ph.D. 
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs 

Terrance Harris 
Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management 

9/17/2024 - Reminder on Cal Poly's Religious Observance Policy

Dear Colleagues, 

As we begin the new academic year, it is important to reflect on the fact that members of our community may be observing various religious holidays. 

Based on the Campus Academic Policy on Class Attendance and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it is Cal Poly’s policy to provide the opportunity to students, faculty, and staff to observe the holidays set aside by their chosen religious faith.  

For students, religious holidays are considered an “excused” absence from class. For faculty and staff, supervisors should make appropriate accommodations to ensure their employees can express and exercise their religious beliefs. Faculty and staff requests for time off for religious observances may be approved as vacation time or a personal holiday or could include a schedule change in some circumstances. 

Faculty and staff should be conscious of the observance of religious holidays so that students absent from class are not at a disadvantage. As major assignments are planned, it may be helpful to consider the Interfaith Holy Days and Holidays Calendar made available by Cal Poly’s Interfaith and Spiritual Life division. 

I encourage faculty to work together with their students constructively to find the best feasible solution for each instance. Without a simple and equitable way to determine the validity of individual claims, the claim of a religious conflict should be accepted at face value. Please consider how these planned absences can be fairly and respectfully accommodated. 

As an institution, we are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, and our practices must conform to our commitments. Working together, we can continue to build an environment that supports and fosters these values.

Sincerely, 

Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, Ph.D. 
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs 

9/10/2024 - Academic Policies

Dear Colleagues, 

I hope that you have had an enjoyable summer and that you are looking forward to the upcoming academic year.  

As you prepare to begin your classes, please review the relevant academic policies based on Title 5, CSU executive orders and other systemwide policies, and Academic Senate resolutions as you teach throughout the academic year. These policies can be found here.   

Among the many policies detailed at this site, you may find the following to be especially relevant: 

• Accessibility of Instructional Materials  
• Cal Poly Mission Statement 
• Cal Poly Statements on academic freedom, commitment to community, and diversity.  
• Cheating and Plagiarism  
• Class Attendance  
• Course Learning Objectives 
• Course Syllabi  
• The Credit Hour  
• Diversity Learning Objectives  
• Final Assessments (Exams) 
• Grading  
• Learn by Doing  
• Office Hours  
• Retention of Exams, Graded Coursework, and Gradebook 
• Senior Project  
• Sustainability Learning Objectives  
• University Learning Objectives  

I ask that you all pay special attention to the Student Health and Safety Training Program and take note of your roles and responsibilities within the program, as well as the student safety training and documentation requirements. Related, please be aware that field trip and field trip work activities are to be in accordance with the Field Trip policy. 

In addition, the Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology offers several categories of syllabus statements faculty can select to include in their course syllabi. 

Thank you all for your attention to these important policies. I wish you all the best for the start of the fall quarter and this academic year.  

Sincerely,  

Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, Ph.D.  
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs  

8/12/2024 - Interim Dean of the College of Liberal Arts

Dear Campus Community, 

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Kate S. Murphy as the interim dean for the College of Liberal Arts, effective August 19, 2024. Kate will serve in this role through August 31, 2025, or until the permanent dean appointment is made, whichever occurs first. 

Since joining Cal Poly in 2007, Kate has made significant contributions as a professor and department chair for the History Department. Most recently, she has served as associate dean for student success in the College of Liberal Arts since July 2021, overseeing advising and student services. 

As associate dean, she oversaw the administration and assessment of the college’s graduate programs, the college’s admissions and student recruitment efforts and led the college’s efforts to become more transfer-friendly.  

Kate’s academic achievements are widely recognized. Her research on the history of science and the slave trade has received external funding from numerous institutions, including the National Science Foundation and the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS). Her research has resulted in over a dozen peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, as well as her recent book, “Captivity's Collections: Science, Natural History, and the Transatlantic British Slave Trade.” 

Kate holds a doctorate and master’s degree in history from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Virginia. She has presented her research at conferences and invited talks to both historical and scientific audiences and has published articles in esteemed journals such as Plants, People, Planet; The William and Mary Quarterly; Early American Studies; and The British Journal for the History of Science.  

A national search for a permanent dean for the College of Liberal Arts will begin soon. Please join me in thanking Kate for her willingness to serve Cal Poly during this transition 

Sincerely, 

Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, Ph.D. 
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs 

5/21/2024 - Supporting the Teacher-Scholar Model in the Semester System

Dear Colleagues, 

The Teacher-Scholar Model is vital to Cal Poly’s success and will continue to guide our approach as we transition to semesters in fall 2026. The Teacher-Scholar Model acknowledges the importance of engagement in continuous learning in one’s discipline. Among other things, it enables faculty to continuously develop new knowledge, integrate scholarship into the learning process, and innovate industry-relevant curriculum to enhance student career readiness. The commitment to implementing a sustainable Teacher-Scholar Model requires collaborations and partnerships across the colleges, divisions, and the university.  

Beginning in fall 2026, to coincide with Cal Poly’s first term on semesters and to more fully support and actualize the Teacher-Scholar Model, the university will assign 21 WTUs of instruction for tenure-line faculty across the academic year. This represents an investment of three (3) WTUs per year of assigned-time to enable tenure-line faculty to engage in research, scholarly, and creative activities that advance Boyer’s model of scholarship and enhance Learn by Doing experiences for our students. 

This investment in assigned-time and the Teacher-Scholar Mini Grant Program announced in 2023 are two key initiatives to support and enhance the Teacher-Scholar Model at Cal Poly. In addition, we anticipate unveiling a new competitive assigned-time program for research, scholarly, and creative activity that would begin Academic Year 2026-27.  

These new programs augment current campuswide internal funding opportunities, RSCA, Teacher-Scholar Mini Grant and Proposal Development programs, and are open to all Unit 3 employees (tenure-line faculty, librarians, and lecturers).  

Thank you for your patience as we have worked to actively support the Teacher-Scholar Model, and especially under a semester system. We will continue to explore ways to expand support for all faculty. 

Sincerely, 

Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, Ph.D. 
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs 

5/1/2024 - Update on Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences

Dear Campus Community,  

I am writing to let you know I am extending the interim leadership of the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences (CAFES) by Bill Hendricks through fall quarter 2024. Please be assured of my continued commitment to appointing a new permanent dean for the college.   

Thank you to the dedicated consultative search committee for their work on this search and to the members of the campus community who engaged with and provided feedback on our candidates.  

Please join me in thanking Bill for his willingness to continue to provide leadership during this transition to ensure continued success to the college and university. 

Sincerely, 

Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, Ph.D. 

Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs 

11/20/2023 - Interim Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences

Dear Campus Community,  

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Bill Hendricks as the interim dean for the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences, effective Jan. 1, 2024. Bill will continue in the role through Aug. 31, 2024, or until the permanent dean appointment is made, whichever is sooner.  

Bill most recently served as an associate dean for CAFES from Aug. 2020 through Dec. 2022. As associate dean, he oversaw college operations and enrollment management.  

Since joining Cal Poly in 1994, Bill has taught in the Recreation Administration Program and served as professor and first department head for the Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration Department. In 2016, he oversaw the transition of the Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration to the Experience Industry Management Department — making it one of the first of its kind in the country. In recent years, Bill has been a critical player in the development of a vision and launch of the Experience Innovation Lab within the CAFES Boswell Agricultural Technology Center housed in the Frost Center for Research and Innovation. Bill is the recipient of Cal Poly's Distinguished Scholarship award; Cal Poly’s Distinguished Faculty Service-Learning award; and the CAFES Faculty Teaching Excellence award. 

A former park ranger, Bill earned a doctorate in recreation and leisure from the University of Utah with an allied area in organizational communication and behavior. He earned his master’s in business and public administration from John F. Kennedy University with an emphasis in general management, and his bachelor’s degree in recreation administration specializing in park and natural resources from California State University, Chico.  

A national search for a permanent dean for the college is underway. Please join me in thanking Bill for his willingness to serve Cal Poly during this transition.  

Sincerely, 

Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, Ph.D. 
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs 

8/25/2023 - Interim Dean of the College of Architecture and Environmental Design

Dear Campus Community,  

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Kevin Dong as the interim dean for the College of Architecture and Environmental Design, effective Sept. 1. Kevin will continue in the role through Aug. 31, 2024, or until the permanent dean appointment is made.  

Kevin joined Cal Poly in 2001 and is a professor in the Architectural Engineering Department. He earned Master of Engineering and Master of Science degrees in civil engineering from UC Berkeley and his bachelor’s in architectural engineering from Cal Poly. He was the associate dean of administration in CAED from 2014-2019. In this role, he was responsible for oversight of operations, facilities, support services, communications and external relations. Kevin also chaired the Architectural Engineering master’s program for over five years. He is strongly committed to the practical application of theory through real world projects, and an integrated approach to buildings from design through construction. 

Kevin is a licensed civil engineer and structural engineer and has served as chair for the California structural engineering examination. He currently assists with the national examination process as well. Before joining Cal Poly, Kevin was an associate at Arup, an international engineering firm which promoted collaborative design processes and an integrated design approach. 

A national search for a permanent dean for the college is currently underway and updates will be shared throughout the process.  

Sincerely, 

Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, Ph.D. 
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs 

6/20/2023 - Update on the search for the Dean of the College of Architecture and Environmental Design

Dear Campus Community,  

I am writing with an update on the search for the dean of the College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED).  

Last month, three candidates for the dean position participated in campus visits as part of our robust national search process. After thoughtful deliberation and consideration of the feedback provided by various campus constituents, I have decided to extend the search for a new dean of the College of Architecture and Environmental Design. 

Thank you to the consultative search committee for their work on this search and to the members of the campus community who engaged with and provided feedback on our candidates. We are in the process of identifying interim leadership and anticipate sharing updates this summer. 

Sincerely, 

Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, Ph.D. 
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs 

6/16/2023 - Thank You

Dear Colleagues,  

As we look forward to celebrating the Class of 2023 this weekend, I want to thank you for your continued excellent work over this academic year. Collectively, we have made progress on several priorities this year that support student, faculty and staff success at Cal Poly. I am happy to share with you some highlights regarding semester conversion, diversity, equity and inclusion, the Teacher-Scholar Model and more. 

Semester Conversion 

I appreciate the work and care that faculty and staff are putting into curriculum conversion and the work that department and college curriculum committees have been doing.  This summer and into the fall, work will continue on identifying academic needs for students who will transition to semesters, as well as the academic needs of students who could be able to graduate before we convert to semesters. Sia Partners and the Huron Consulting Group engaged with many campus stakeholders in the review of policies, procedures and system assessments, across divisions and the campus, in preparation for conversion. These are valuable and important efforts. Thank you for your involvement with the conversion of your programs and services. 

Additionally, while programs are still being reviewed for associate degrees for transfer (ADTs), faculty across all departments have made a conscious effort to develop programs that will make Cal Poly more transfer friendly. Based on efforts thus far, it is anticipated that Cal Poly will at least double the number of ADTs the university can accept by the time we covert to semesters.  

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 

Academic Affairs, Research, Economic Development and Graduate Education and Strategic Enrollment Management have been involved in a Diversity Action Planning process for the past few years. Colleges, academic units and divisions are creating these plans to continue to proactively engage in diversity, equity and inclusion within their own purview on campus. A collaborative effort across all academic units that was led by the Office of the Provost in partnership with the Office of University Diversity and Inclusion resulted in alignment in goals and metrics related to the plans. I look forward to continued conversations and collaboration across the division on this important ongoing work.

Teacher-Scholar Model 

As we look forward to semesters, faculty workload continues to be top of mind. I understand and value the work faculty do to engage in the Teacher-Scholar Model, and there is much work underway to secure resources and funding to support it. Our commitment to more fully actualize a sustainable and resourced Teacher-Scholar Model at Cal Poly requires collaboration and partnerships across the colleges, divisions and the university. Creating and sustaining intentional support for teacher-scholar activities aims to encourage and facilitate faculty and students to continue to further their intellectual pursuits and make meaningful contributions to their fields. Supporting faculty in advancing their research, scholarship and creative activities (RSCA), and partnering with their colleagues and students is and will continue to be a priority. 

This year, the Teacher-Scholar Mini Grant Program was launched to provide funding to support a range of RSCA activities. I am pleased to share that the Teacher-Scholar Mini Grant Program received one of the largest responses to a request for proposals in the last several years, with nearly 100 projects from across all six colleges and the Kennedy Library put forward for funding. The R-EDGE division will be evaluating the proposals and announcing funded projects this month. Additional information can be found on the Teacher-Scholar Mini Grant Program.

Celebrations and Accomplishments 

It was exciting to see our community celebrate the dedication of the William and Linda Frost Center for Research and Innovation and the naming of the Philip and Christina Bailey College of Science and Mathematics. Thank you to all who made contributions to these efforts. 

Finally, I would like to extend my congratulations to all of the faculty members whose promotion and/or tenure effective in the 2023-2034 academic year was announced last week. Congratulations on this notable and prestigious milestone in your academic career. 

Thank you again for your dedication to the Cal Poly community. I hope that you have a fun, restful and rejuvenating summer. 

Sincerely,  

Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, Ph.D.  
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs 

6/9/2023 - Dean of Graduate Education

Dear Campus Community,  

I am writing to share with you that Dr. Amanda Lathrop has been selected as dean of Graduate Education. She will begin in this role on July 1, 2023.  

Amanda is a professor in the Food Science and Nutrition Department and has served as interim dean of Graduate Education since June 2022. She has been at Cal Poly for 14 years and has served as graduate coordinator for the traditional MS in Food Science and blended programs.    

As a graduate advisor and coordinator, she has received several grants that have supported graduate student success, including a USDA National Needs Grant aimed at recruiting underrepresented students into the Food Science master's program. During her time as interim dean, she has collaborated with groups across campus to offer more programs focused on graduate students, advocated for graduate programs and students, and overseen programs such as the CSU Predoctoral and Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive programs, which aim to increase the diversity of students entering doctoral programs.     

Amanda’s current research interests include the safety of California fresh produce, including leafy greens and citrus fruits, along with training and capacity building in food safety. She recently collaborated on a multidisciplinary grant with Allan Hancock College that provided food safety training to underrepresented farmers in Santa Maria, and she is currently leading an industry-sponsored food safety citrus project to develop protocols and standards to validate postharvest citrus processing.      

Before joining Cal Poly, she worked at The National Food Lab in Livermore, California, and led the division’s Food Safety group. She assisted clients in developing and executing food safety projects ranging from product and process food safety assessments to new technology validations. Her portfolio of clients ranged from small start-ups to large CPG companies and international clients. Amanda earned her bachelor’s in food science from Cal Poly and her master’s and doctorate in food science with an emphasis in food microbiology from Purdue University.  

In addition, effective July 1, 2023, Graduate Education is returning to reside within the portfolio of Academic Affairs. The dean reports to the provost and will continue to collaborate with the vice president of research.  

Thank you to all the members of the consultative search committee for their work throughout this process and to everyone who engaged with our finalists during their visits. I look forward to continuing to work with Amanda in support of Graduate Education at Cal Poly.    

Please join me in congratulating Amanda.  

Sincerely,    

Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, Ph.D.  
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs