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Poly Parent News: September 2020
This Month's Newsletter
Register for Parent and Supporter Welcome Events
Introducing Student Diversity and Belonging
Kennedy Library Contactless Checkout
Recreation Center Partial Reopening
Service Spotlight: Disability Resource Center
Cal Poly Cares Grant Helps US Navy Veteran Finish his Degree
Message from Our Team
Dear Parents and Supporters,
Our office has enjoyed engaging with our newest Mustangs and their families during SLO Days these past few weeks, and we are looking forward to officially welcoming everyone to campus this September.
Incoming families are invited to join us at Virtual Evening with the President and Virtual Out-of-State Family Welcome, taking place the first week of fall quarter. Learn more and register through our story below!
In addition, all parents and supporters are invited to join us this October for Mustang Family Week. More details and registration information coming soon!
Enjoy this month’s edition of Poly Parent News.
Sincerely,
Parent and Family Programs Team
Register for Parent and Supporter Welcome Events
Parent and Family Programs is excited to host the following welcome events for the proud parents, supporters and family members of new Mustangs.
President Jeffrey D. Armstrong and Parent and Family Programs invite all Cal Poly parents, supporters and families to join them for Virtual Evening with the President. Join us to hear from campus leadership, faculty and staff as we kick off the new academic year! This virtual event will feature a student musical performance, a spotlight on innovative faculty and virtual classrooms, welcome messages, and reminders about how to stay connected, involved, and informed.
Register for Virtual Evening with the President.
Parent and Family Programs invites all out-of-state families, supporters and students to join us for our Virtual Out-of-State Family Welcome as we kick-off our academic year. The virtual event will feature a student musical performance, a spotlight on innovative faculty and virtual classrooms, welcome messages, and reminders about how to stay connected, involved, and informed as members of the out-of-state community.
Register for Virtual Out-of-State Family Welcome.
Introducing Student Diversity and Belonging
Student Affairs is pleased to announce Student Diversity and Belonging (SDAB), a coalition and collaborative of campus community centers that serve an active role in creating culturally-rich environments at Cal Poly and in the San Luis Obispo community. Formerly known as the Cross Cultural Centers, Student Diversity and Belonging is comprised of the Black Academic Excellence, Dream, Gender Equity, Multicultural, and Pride centers, as well as the Men and Masculinities Program. As a coalition, SDAB promotes the development and sustainability of diverse communities where the dignity and worth of all people are respected and affirmed through practices of equity, respect, appreciation and inclusion. The coalition challenges postures, practices and policies of bias and discrimination through an intersectional framework and work to create a campus where every student feels a sense of belonging and inclusion. For more information on SDAB, visit culture.calpoly.edu.
Kennedy Library Contactless Checkout
Contactless book pickup is now available at the Kennedy Library! Request books anytime and they’ll be available for safe pickup during pickup windows on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. To order books:
- Request books on OneSearch using your Cal Poly account at onesearch.calpoly.edu.
- You will receive an email when your items are ready to be picked up.
- Bring your Cal Poly ID/Library Card to the Kennedy Library front entrance on the days/hours listed above.
- Call (805) 756-5760 to notify library staff of your arrival and share library card information.
- Staff will place your items outside the door.
Return materials via library bookdrops located in front of library or in parking lot H10. Books and other physical materials checked out to you will be renewed automatically. There will be no late fees or fines for any overdue items at this time.
Learn more about this and other library resources at https://guides.lib.calpoly.edu/COVID-19
Recreation Center Partial Reopening
At this time, the Cal Poly Recreation Center has been approved to open the lap pool and specific outdoor exercise areas on the pool deck by reservation only. Indoor areas are not open at this time and there are new guidelines for entry that must be followed to visit the facility. Learn more.
Students can experience touchless entry into the Recreation Center and other ASI-managed facilities, register for programs, and stay up to date on facility news and closures through the new ASI Access app. Learn more.
Service Spotlight: Disability Resource Center
The Disability Resource Center (DRC) cultivates an accessible and inclusive community where students with permanent and temporary disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in all aspects of campus life. They facilitate student learning and access through partnerships with students, faculty, and staff.
Out of an abundance of caution and care, the DRC office is currently operating virtually and is happy to serve students in the following ways:
- Zoom or phone meetings with your access specialist
- Online test-taking support
- Alternative media services
- Notetaking service coordination
- Remote assistive technology support
- General problem-solving support (e.g. transportation around campus, other)
Cal Poly Cares Grant Helps US Navy Veteran Finish his Degree
During his first quarter at Cal Poly, Navy Veteran and electrical engineering student Jacob Salazar, needed help. It came in the form of a Cal Poly Cares grant of $2,000. The money paid for groceries and utilities during that first quarter. Since then, he’s thrived on campus, and is on-track to graduate in spring 2021.
“I empathize with people who encounter tough situations, because I’ve been there,” he said. “I don’t think anybody has gone anywhere without a little bit of assistance.”
Salazar, who had enrolled at Cal Poly right out of high school but decided to pause his education to serve his country, was back in classes after 12 years away when he found himself in need of that assistance. He’d miscalculated expenses, the cost of living in San Luis Obispo, and how much money he’d be receiving from the G.I. Bill.
Kari Leslie, coordinator for the Cal Poly Veterans Success Center, explained that Salazar’s situation isn’t unique among veterans returning to school.
“Overwhelmingly, the largest issue that military-connected students at Cal Poly face is food and housing insecurity,” she said. “They’re struggling to make ends meet because it’s such a high-cost area.”
The Cal Poly Cares Program was established in 2015 through a generous gift from Cal Poly Foundation Board members and relies on ongoing donations from the Cal Poly community to continue. Students apply for on-time grants of up to $2,000 through the program to cover living expenses. The most common requests from students are to cover housing, food, and medical expenses.
Once a student’s immediate needs have been met through the Cares Program, they are connected long-term assistance programs and resources.
In 2019-2020, 1,695 grants totaling $903,000 were awarded to students in need through the program, all funded by gifts from Cal Poly parents, alumni and friends.
When Salazar, who had just left a life underwater in a submarine to be a full-time student, needed help, those donations enabled the Cal Poly Cares Program to offer it.
“I was still adjusting to civilian life, adjusting to a city I haven’t been to in years,” he said. “New place to live, new routines, and I hadn’t gone to school in 12 years.”
Gifts to Cal Poly Cares go directly to students in need. Make a gift to the Cal Poly Cares Program or the Veterans Success Center today to support students in need or learn more at basicneeds.calpoly.edu/calpolycares.
Recommended Viewing
Teaching the Gift of Failure
Veteran teacher, author, and education journalist Jessica Lahey breaks down the research on motivation, resilience and learning, and explains how autonomy-supportive parenting and teaching not only boosts kids' motivation, but improves educational outcomes. Using personal narrative and humor, Lahey explores the research on extrinsic and intrinsic motivators, praise, and learned helplessness, while offering instruction and assessment methods that promote deep, durable learning and engagement. Watch the Video
Jessica Lahey is a teacher, writer, and mom. She writes about education, parenting, and child welfare for The Atlantic, Vermont Public Radio, and the New York Times and is the author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed. She is a member of the Amazon Studios Thought Leader Board and wrote the educational curriculum for Amazon Kids' The Stinky and Dirty Show. Jessica earned a B.A. in Comparative Literature from the University of Massachusetts and a J.D. with a concentration in juvenile and education law from the University of North Carolina School of Law. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and two sons and teaches high school English and writing in Vermont.
Cal Poly News
- ‘It’s All About Service to Others.’ New Provost Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore on What it Means to Lead
- International Alumni Work to Give Others a Home — While Creating Their Own
- 'A Once-In-A-Lifetime Experience.' Corpse Flower Bloom Creates Learning Opportunity for Students and Community
- Cal Poly Students Create Space Cybercrime Challenge for Virtual DEF CON Hacker Convention
- How Do Buildings Respond to Earthquakes? This Grant Will Help Give Students and Faculty a Better Understanding
Resources
- Roadmap to Fall 2020
- Cal Poly Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information
- Office of the Registrar Calendars and Deadlines
- Student Accounts Dates and Deadlines
- University Housing Dates and Deadlines
- Cal Poly Events Calendar
- Cal Poly Now Guide
- Parent Philanthropy
- Parent and Supporter Communication Sign-Up
- Follow Parent and Family Programs on Facebook and Instagram
- View Past Poly Parent Newsletters
- Contact Cal Poly
