Student consultation team will visit dairies and assess the people and animal management skills of the managers, dairy facility design and maintenance, along with the dairy’s finances. Students will develop a PowerPoint presentation that includes an introduction to the dairy, assessment of the dairy operation and recommendations that will improve the dairy’s financial position. Students will present their recommendations to a panel of industry experts. Following their presentation students will be quizzed by a panel of judges.

Dairy University Bowl Team measures student knowledge in the areas of dairy food and production. The event consists of a quiz bowl, which includes a 4 member team and two oral presentations involving student knowledge of the dairy industry. The contests are held at the the American Dairy Science Association – Student Affiliate Division Meeting. The purpose of the Undergraduate Paper Presentation Contest is to encourage undergraduates to gain experience in the presentation of papers (dairy processing and production) and to give them an opportunity to utilize adequate communication in the distribution of information.

The Friends of the Farm is an outreach and education program serving the students and the general public. The purpose is to educate people about agriculture and sustainability and to encourage participation in farm activities. The program participants will serve such needs as enhancing signage and landscaping at the Cal Poly Organic Farm, creating a self-guided tour brochure, managing a membership group of volunteers and donors, offering free to the public tours of the farm, designing and printing an annual program newsletter, hosting free to the public workshops, and leading tours to local sustainable farms.

The National Intercollegiate Floral Crop Quality Evaluation Contest is held each year in April.  The 2001 contest, which is the 60^th contest, will be held at Cal Poly.  Cal Poly's flower judging team, consisting of a three-person team plus an alternate, student coach, and coach, participate each year.  Flower judging consists of a series of classes (generally 25-30) of staged floral items which the judges must tell apart based on cultural perfection standards.  Each judge is given three minutes time to evaluate each class.  Total scores are tallied giving awards for team as well as individual efforts. The 2002 Contest will be held April 4-6 at University of Wisconsin - River Falls.

Cal Poly engineering students work with Iowa State University (ISU) architecture students to form design teams that compete in the annual steel design competition sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and administered by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architects (ACSA). Typically teams are composed of two Cal Poly ARCE students and two ISU architecture students. Through a series of activities, including two design meetings, the participants become a team of designers that produce integrated proposals for the AISC competition in May. Students present their work to visiting practitioners and faculty members twice, once at ISU and a final presentation at Cal Poly.

The program allows students to discover the value of communication, exposes students to a design situation that mimics real world design situations, and requires a mastery of their "trade" by requiring students to explain technical engineering principles in laymen's terms to non-engineering design professionals.

Students, as a team, create a complete affordable-housing development proposal, including site selection, development partnering, demographic/market analyses, building and site design, construction calculations, finance package, development pro-formas, and community participation. There are three submittals—an initial prospectus, a full draft submittal, and a final submittal; then there is a final presentation before the jury in San Francisco.

Students work on a management proposal for a real project by completing an estimate, schedule, cashflow forecast, and other essential elements of the proposal. The proposals are then submitted to a group of construction executives who act as judges. This past year (2001/2002) teams from 25 four-year universities partipated. This is a National Competition and has been an annual event at the NAHB International Builder's Show for 14 years. Each team is given a construction problem to analyze. The problem statement is based on a real residential development project that is located somewhere in the United States. The teams are expected to present a complete management proposal to the judges. Each team represents a corporate division who is presenting their new project to upper level management for consideration of funding and acquisition.

The management team is competing with other divisions within the same corporation for project approval. The management proposal consists of a complete estimate, schedule, budget, marketing plan, cash-flow statement, company organization, structure and other related information deemed important by the team to its proposal and presentation. The marketing package includes complete demographic analysis and project feasibility, the marketing of your company's construction services, and the marketing of the project to the public. Each team receives project plans, specifications, and other pertinent information from the NAHB sponsor in early November of each year. The teams then select 5 days, not necessarily consecutive, to work on the project and write their proposal. They travel to the International Builders' Show and make an oral presentation, summarizing the proposals and overall management concepts to the five industry professionals mak panel. The judges then meet together to evaluate the proposals and presentations and select the winning teams. Awards are presented to the winners at an Awards Ceremony at the International Builders' Show.

The Student Construction Management Competition is contested in the four separate categories of Residential, Commercial, Heavy Civil and Design - Build, representing four very distinctive sectors of the overall construction industry. In each of the divisions, a real life project is selected by the sponsoring companies.  Representatives from these companies develop detailed problem statements which are then distributed to the competing teams. The teams are given approximately 16 hours to solve the problems and submit their written solutions. The following day, each team formally presents their solutions to a panel of judges. The combination of the written solutions and the formal presentations are evaluated by the judges, thus determining the eventual first, second and third place winners.

This competition provides an excellent opportunity for the students to apply knowledge acquired in the classroom to the analysis and solution of real-life problems.  Because of the format of the competition, the teams must be able to work together for a common goal under a very igh pressure environment. To be successful, the students must demonstrate exemplary written, visual and oral presentation skills, capabilities which the Construction Management Department stresses in every class we offer.

The Gerald D. Hines Student Urban Design Competition is sponsored by the Urban Land Institute in Washington, D.C., every year. It strives to encourage cooperation and teamwork among future real estate professionals and the allied professions, such as architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, engineering, real estate development, finance, psychology, law, and others. This is an ideas competition and part of the Institute's ongoing effort to raise interest among young people in creating better communities, improving development patterns, and increasing awareness of the need for multidisciplinary solutions to development and design.

Competing teams must be interdisciplinary and composed of students holding graduate status. The organizers announce a large, urban site that is in need of practicable, innovative solutions that reflect responsible land uses. The solutions are to be multifaceted, incorporating design, planning, market potential and feasibility, and development strategies. Teams are allowed only twelve days to complete a comprehensive proposal for the area. They are empowered to establish land uses, propose public investments, and act as a master planner for projects. Finalists have an additional thirty days to expand their original schemes. The submission will be presentation drawings, pro-formas, tables, schedules, and text.

Corporations and collegiate clubs from all over the United States attend the national conference. Students engage in several competitions and attend marketing-related conferences with industry panels, such as:

• “Experience Speaks” sessions led by marketing practitioners who share their accumulated wisdom on career paths within marketing;
• Leadership sessions, which AMA student chapter leaders conduct on various aspects of Chapter management;
• An Exhibit session, where AMA chapters demonstrate their successes and Chapter activities in a trade-show style exhibit session.
• The oral component of the annual case competition;
• A Career Corner, similar to a career fair, where speakers and companies will conduct activities like resume reviews, mock interviews, and networking and information sessions;
• An Awards ceremony recognizing the excellent work done throughout the year by AMA collegiate members;
• Numerous networking opportunities.

The Draper Fisher Jurvetson Venture Challenge, held annually in May in Silicon Valley, is a business plan competition, open to teams from California colleges and universities. The lead sponsor is one of the top venture capital firms in Silicon Valley, having invested in companies such as Hotmail and Skype. The prize is up to $250,000 in venture capital funding to the winning venture. In general, the winner of a university's college-level business plan competition is invited to compete at the DFJ competition.

This is a preeminent international undergraduate business plan competition sponsored by Indiana University-Bloomington, Syracuse University, and Ball State University that takes place each spring. This competition gives undergraduate business, economics, industrial technology, and engineering students the opportunity to develop business ventures that demonstrate the ability to be successfully launched. New ventures for the purpose of this competition may be start-up companies, buyouts, expansions of existing companies, or site-specific franchises. Student teams are expected to create and present a plan that illustrates creativity and potential for success. Newly created enterprises also rely as much on presentations of the concept as they do on the detailed business plan and its financial, accounting, management, legal, and ethical projections. All entries are first evaluated based on the written plan, by a preliminary judging panel, made up of venture capitalists, private investors, entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurial support professionals. Nice finalists are then selected and invited to compete at Ball State University in Indiana. Enterprises are then evaluated on both the written plan and the oral presentation.

Each Spring the Center for Ethics and Business at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles holds a three day business ethics competition. This is a student team case/presentation competition.  Graduate students put together teams of 4 members and select an appropriate case. Teams work on published cases, problems they have done their own research on, or business and ethical dilemmas that the Center has received from area businesses. Each team prepares a presentation in which students explain the legal, financial, and ethical dimensions of the problem. They then recommend a solution that must pass muster on all three counts. Even though all three areas must be addressed, judges place special weight on the strength of the ethical analysis of the problem and the ethical acceptability of the solution. The idea of the competition is to help students see that it is possible to do business profitably while at the same time acting ethically. Presentations are judged by a combination of men and women from area businesses and university faculty. Teams view themselves as members of a corporation, consulting company or the like speaking to a business audience (senior management of a specific company, executives representing an industry, etc.).

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) professional association invites SHRM student chapters to participate in the HR Games on an annual basis. The HR Games is an academic decathlon between SHRM student chapters designed to foster educational competition between universities while providing a way to prepare students for the PHR certification exam.; The HR Games consist of a one-day series of Jeopardy style matches between teams of up to three undergraduate students from various universities. The questions for the matches are divided into categories similar to those used in the PHR certification exam. Winning teams at the state level earn the right to compete at one of six regional competitions throughout the U.S. Regional area winners go on to compete against the five other regional championship teams at the SHRM National Conference.

The International Career Conference (ICC) is an all day event that takes place during winter quarter.  It is held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in San Luis Obispo.  This event promotes awareness of career opportunities in the international sector. The ICC provides a two-part benefit to students: First, it benefits the 15 Cal Poly Students from the College of Business who put on the event.  These 15 students come from all majors within the College of Business (e.g., Management, Finance, Marketing, MIS, Accounting, Economics, etc.)  The ICC is a classic "learn by doing" experience for these students. Second, the ICC benefits numerous other students at Cal Poly and other California schools who attend and participate in the event.  This past year, over 250 students attended the event.

The team competes in the International Collegiate Business Policy Competition.  The competition involves teams from a number of universities who run virtual companies in a computerized business policy simulation.  The first part of the competition is run on an electronically decentralized basis, with the teams submitting their decisions and receiving their results via the World Wide Web. The second half of the competition is completed in San Diego.  Teams must develop business plans, develop a business strategy, and then operate a company in competition with other teams, and then make a presentation on their results to a board of directors composed of managers from a variety of private sector companies. Prizes are awarded to the best teams, who are evaluated on the operation of their companies and their presentations.

The Marketing Career Conference is typically held the day after the University-wide career conference, and provides students who wish to pursue marketing careers the opportunity to meet with recruiters who are specifically recruiting in this field. The career conference also includes booths for each recruiting firm, informational panels and a keynote speaker to provide valuable career guidance and support.

The National Association of Industrial Technology (NAIT) Convention is a three-day event that will take place during Fall 2006 quarter. A Robotic Manipulator will be made by Industrial Technology, Business and/or Engineering students and will be judged on performance, with prizes awarded for design, construction and poster entries. In addition to participating in robotics competition, students will participate in Industrial Technology Jeopardy competition. Students will also have the opportunity to attend several technical sessions that will take place at the convention.

This show focuses on the latest developments in packaging technology and showcases exhibitors' state-of-the-art advances in packaging machinery, materials, packages and containers, and components. At this show, exhibitors bring their top technicians and engineers to provide solutions to all types of packaging challenges. Students gain insight into the latest advances in the industry and network and build contacts.

Poly Pack is a three day packaging symposium designed to integrate industry with education. Students, faculty, and industry professionals teach and learn from each other about existing and upcoming technologies, as well as opportunities available in the industry.

The purpose of the club is to bring students, faculty and the community together in the promotion and production of biodiesel. The first goal is to build a demonstration pilot-scale biodiesel processor that will take the waste grease from Campus Dining and convert it into a clean-burning renewable fuel. This is a multi-disciplinary project that will enrich students’ education into renewable energies and emerging solutions to the energy problems that our generation will face. The club meetings are open to all students and public regardless of financial resources, and we encourage anyone interested in home-brewing biodiesel to attend. This initial project is only the demonstration of a vision to build Cal Poly into a leader in renewable and sustainable energy through full scale production of biodiesel from not only waste grease from campus restaurants but also from crops grown directly on campus which would then be used in the school fleets and possibly even city busses.

The focus of the Engineers Without Borders project is to help disadvantaged communities improve their quality of life through implementation of environmentally and economically sustainable engineering projects, while developing responsible students and engineers. Projects include serving both the local and international communities, especially in water and wastewater issues. One team of students will travel to Thailand, one to Nicaragua, and one to Indonesia.

The activity involves students in the design and construction of a hydrogen fuel cell powered golf cart. The completed cart will be used to educate students and the community about the technological aspects of hydrogen energy and the relevance of hydrogen power to the future of the energy and transportation industries. The cart is a multi-disciplinary project in which all students are encouraged to take part.

The IEEE-SB Project Team will design, construct, and test a robot to be entered into Cal Poly's annual RoboRodentia Competition. This Team offers students with a deep interest in the engineering discipline the opportunity to actively pursue their passion. By giving students an opportunity to apply their engineering knowledge outside of the classroom, we are following Cal Poly's motto of "Learn By Doing". Our club, and therefore this team, is open to all Cal Poly students. The Team will be composed of four to five students from various engineering fields who will be selectively chosen by the Project Team Leader. We wil lactively recruit students from Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Computer Science. The project Team Leader currently sits on the IEEE-SB Executive Board and will form the team early Fall Quarter (2003). The team will have until Cal Poly's Open House weekend to complete their task. At Open House, the robot will be entered in the annual RoboRodentia and put on display for all students, faculty, and spectators to view.

We wish to be clear in distinguishing ourselves from IEEE-CS. This other organization is applying for IRA funds in order to host the RoboRodentia competition. We are two separate organizations with two separate goals.

Students will travel to three national conferences in groups of 15-20 students and faculty; perform innovative applied research and development in the area of radio frequency identification (RFID); build a personalized stepping stone path containing the names of over 100 students, 15 faculty, and donors who participate in lab activities; produce a DVD on RFID and PolyGAIT applied research activities; and develop training modules for students to tutor executives, industry groups, and other academic institutions on hands-on RFID application and development.

This multidisciplinary club interested in space-related projects has recently undertaken the development of high power rockets and rocket engine technology. A series of high power rockets have been built and flown which have tested recovery mechanisms, telemetry and hybrid rocket engines. All flights are conducted with sponsorship of the Tripoli Rocketry Association to ensure launch requirements compliance.

An interdisciplinary team of students from a variety of majors (materials engineering, wine and viticulture, chemistry, mechanical engineering, and business) would work together to design and pilot a wine bottle take-back and re-use system for a local winery. The purpose of the activity is to apply the knowledge within each of the students’ fields. The goal is to develop a system that will significantly reduce the use of natural resources through extending the life cycle of the bottles.

Team Tech is a multi-disciplinary team that works with an industry partner and researches, designs, and builds a project of the partner’s choice. In November of the following year, the team presents their project at the National SWE Conference in the Boeing Team Tech competition.

This activity aims to design, build, and fly unique student-team created projects. A unique aspect of our program is that it is entirely student built and run, brining together the various aspects of Aerospace Engineering from control modeling to aircraft fabrication.

Moebius, the journal published under the auspices of the College of Liberal Arts, accepts submissions from the entire Cal Poly community. Moebius provides an opportunity to showcase the creative and scholarly activity of the University as a whole. The journal has sections of each issue devoted to articles, essays, and interviews related to the individual theme. In addition, “The Gamut” provides a section for poetry, fiction, and book reviews. Students engage in discovery, apply inquiry, and express their creativity. In addition, they must work in teams, collaborating with others in order to attain mutual goals.

Students experience the study, preparation, and public performance of a one act opera or operetta with orchestra, including acting, stage movement, piano rehearsal technique, tech rehearsal requirements, and vocal coaching for singers and performers, as well as opera orchestra technique for instrumentalists. The opera/operetta is double cast for singers (usually up to 20 singers) and usually 12 – 20 instrumentalists are required in the orchestra.

This Instructionally Related Activity will provide Cal Poly students with the opportunity to enrich their educational experience as they manage the operation of a working printing museum.  The museum will provide an interdisciplinary experience that will incorporate history, graphic communication, art, and theatre, with aspects of mechanics, chemistry and physics demonstrated in a well-researched historical collection.  The collection will incorporate traditional signage and graphics as well as multi-media presentations - all designed and produced by students.  Tours and presentations to the public will be conducted by costumed student actors depicting key historical figures such a Benjamin Franklin and Johann Gutenberg.  Students will be integrally involved in all phases of the Shakespeare Press Museum, including layout and enhancement of the of the collection, training of student docents, production of limited edition books, publicity, and financial management of the museum.  The museum will provide a valuable experience not only for the students directly participating in the activity, but also for students in a variety of classes including Graphic Communication, Art, History, Theatre, and other majors.  It is also anticipated that this IRA will benefit the larger community by offering group tours to elementary schools, groups of senior citizens, and tourists to the Central Coast.

A panel of working environmental professionals is convened. The panelists explain what their jobs entail, how they got their positions, and what they wish they had known about getting jobs when they were students. The purpose of the symposium is to develop road maps for students interested in pursuing particular career paths. The speakers identify what steps need to be followed in order to get interviews and offers. We identify whether road blocks exist and how to get around them. The panel provides advise based on their personal experiences and working knowledge of the job market. The students come to realize that everyday folks end up with the types of jobs they can only dream of seeking.

Following the Panel discussion, there is a reception. All of the panelists attend the reception and bring colleagues. Effectively, the reception is a mixer that allows for personal networking by providing an opportunity to build a network and develop networking skills. Students get to ask questions that pertain specifically to them or their situations.

Students organize a significant research project with their faculty mentors and research groups that requires independent planning, thinking, and discovery. Many of these projects are conducted during the summers during eight week sessions with students working full time on their research projects. The experience is a special intellectual challenge and is very influential in applications for graduate schools and employment.

“Change the Status Quo: A Student’s Role in Shaping Society” is an annual conference that brings together students who share a passion for making a difference in their community and the world. The conference encourages students to challenge stereotypes, demand solutions, and use their education to make lasting changes. The conference is designed not only to educate but also to offer tangible ways for students to become a part of the solutions. Workshops will be presented on the struggle of different cultures and organizations for equality, and there will be feature presentations by leaders who have created change in their communities. Students will learn to take the knowledge they gain in their classes and apply it to create positive changes in our community.

The Civic Engagement Programming Team sponsors programs addressing all levels of community – University, local, national, and global. These programs empower students to impact their communities. Students are introduced to effective actions for social change. Civic engagement programs prepare hundreds of students for addressing and solving some of society’s most pressing issues. The Honors Collaborative is one of the many partnerships that benefits from civic engagement programs.

Beyond Shelter members commence planning in early Fall Quarter to hold See the Need – Hunger Awareness Week in mid-November. Activities include speakers, art displays, films, and community forums to raise awareness about hunger locally as well as globally. The group begins planning for Homelessness Awareness Week in early January. The annual Homelessness Awareness Walk is held in April and student sponsor a series of workshops, speakers, community forums and activities to promote attention to issues of homelessness on both a local as well as national and international level.

Cal Poly HEAT is a student-coordinated and driven leadership program dedicated to providing awareness and education about Wellness/Health Enrichment for Cal Poly students. The mission of the program is to provide outreach, education, and activities on campus, to help promote a better understanding of the importance of each of the seven realms of wellness: emotional, environmental, life skills/career, intellectual, physical, spiritual, and social. The year-long program commences with two presentations from the nationally renowned speaker David Coleman. Individual, interactive programming for each of the seven realms continues throughout the year, featuring a different topic each month. This innovative approach to wellness/health enrichment will be submitted for presentation at either the BACCHUS & GAMMA National symposium or NASPA Annual Meeting.

The LGBT Peer Counseling and Mentoring Program seeks to diminish the stress of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students at Cal Poly. It also hopes to provide services for the friends, roommates, and family members of LGBT persons in their questions and conflicts. Through a variety of social support and educational interactions, students involved in this program will discuss homophobia, self-esteem, coming out, gender identity, and isolation issues.

Trained student leaders will provide individual counseling, facilitate drop-in groups, and provide confidential phone and internet counseling. The mentoring aspect of the program will provide one-on-one relationships between a mentee and an informed, compassionate student or faculty/staff mentor. Mentors will provide information about community resources and explore important issues such as coming out to parents.

The Pride Newsletter Team will publish a bi-monthly newsletter with a focus on current LGBT affairs and news both on and off-campus. The goal of the newsletter is to provide fair and balanced reporting on what may be at times controversial issues. Information on these issues can be empowering to LGBT and ally students who would typically not be represented in mainstream media and publications. To display as many voices as possible, the team will provide a section for comments, complaints, and suggestions, as well as allow for guest writers. Positions on the Newsletter Team vary in responsibility and scope but may include: editor-in-chief, features editor, arts & culture editor, opinions editor, design & graphics editor, web editor, and reporters. With this structure, the newsletter provides experiences for students in journalism, graphic arts, and business. Distribution of the newsletter will be in both paper and electronic formats.

The Speakers Bureau Outreach Collective is comprised of 15-20 LGBT students who are trained in offering panel discussions and presentations to Cal Poly classes, clubs, and departments as well as community outreach. Students in the Speakers Bureau Outreach Collective develop valuable public speaking and facilitation skills, while the panels themselves enrich the curricula of a variety of courses offered at Cal Poly. Students have an incredible opportunity for outreach on campus and community wide. The speakers program provides networking, education, and awareness to students, staff, and faculty while building cross cultural relationships and working to eliminate heterosexism, homophobia, and gender identity oppression. The program empowers students to develop and sustain a sense of community that supports social justice where all students feel welcomed.

During the months of January and February, the African-American History Month Committee presents a series of programs highlighting the contributions of African-Americans to American history and society. This program planning process begins months earlier with the Committee convening and beginning to work with faculty from Ethnic Studies to jointly identify relevant programs/speakers. These events bring the academic community and the student community together to enhance better understanding and appreciation of the contributions of African-Americans in American history and society. Programs for this month are used to educate, empower and connect all people through the use of film, poetry, literature, art, guest speakers, and focus groups. Recent past activities have included The Langston Hughes Project- a multimedia concert, readings/slides of Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance; a film series including the Legacy of Rosa Parks, forums on inter-racial dating and keynote speakers.

CultureFest presents an opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to come together and explore issues of identity and oppression in a non-threatening environment. Attendees are encouraged to examine the variety of ways these issues impact members of the Cal Poly community, and are then provided with tools to support positive social interaction both on and off campus.

During the month of November, the Native American Awareness Month Committee presents a series of programs highlighting the contributions of Native Americans to American history and society. Together with faculty from Ethnic Studies, the committee identifies relevant programs and speakers. These events bring the academic community and the student community together to enhance better understanding and appreciation of the contributions of Native American to American history and society.

Open House is an event that happens each Spring just prior to the due date for SIR’s (Student Intent to  Register) to provide a preview of the campus to all conditionally admitted students and their supporters. Open House is planned by a committee of volunteer students with oversight by staff advisors. Committee responsibilities include planning and implementing event publicity to coordinating on-campus activities and displays. Friday activities include a resource faire, where campus resources representatives offer information on services, a “University Welcome” where prospective students are greeted by President Baker, Dr. Durgin, and other keynote speakers, college and department welcomes, presentations for prospective students and parents and interactions with current Cal Poly students. Saturday’s activities are open to the public and draw prospective students and supporters in addition to community members and alumni. The purpose of the committee is to work in collaboration with all stakeholders to convert the highest quality prospective students to register and meet the University’s targeted yield.

Poly Reps is a voluntary public relations organization of students who assist in the promotion of Cal Poly to prospective students, their parents, alumni, potential donors, and friends of the university. The mission of Poly Reps includes the desire to develop student leaders who practice teamwork, self motivation, and creativity. Any current member of the Cal Poly student body who has one year of school remaining may apply to join the club during the Poly Rep recruitment period. Poly Reps remains the student connection between the Alumni Association and Admissions, in order to help represent the university as a whole and give a positive view to all that Cal Poly has to offer.