ACCESS TO EXCELLENCE

Cal Poly has begun its participation in the CSU system-wide planning process to develop a strategic plan to succeed Cornerstones (View the Cornerstones Implementation Report and the Cornerstones Evaluation of Achievements 2006). The new plan titled Access to Excellence (ATE), will provide the basis for initiatives needed to ensure access and excellence into the future. Cal Poly's contribution to this collaborative, consultative planning process began with initial planning by a Provost-led steering committee who formulated “Suggested Foci for Cal Poly discussions” advocating a structure of propositions, actions and ideas to capture outcomes from campus ATE conversations.

This was followed by the appointment of Dr. Unny Menon as Interim Assistant Vice-Provost, with Access to Excellence coordination as one of his primary duties. An ATE  Roadmap for Deans was developed to guide discussions by the seven colleges and one community stakeholders’ group. While staff and students were participants in all college groups, separate domain discussions were completed by student government leaders under the direction of ASI President Todd Maki, and similar discussions by the Academic Senate were led by Academic Senate Chair Dr. Bruno Giberti, who is also serving as a faculty representative to the CSU ATE Steering Committee.

All of these campus conversations culminated in an ATE conversation led by President Baker on February 27 that focused on the issues raised in the planning domains. At the campus gathering, previously designated reporters presented the highest priority propositions for each domain selected from college level suggestions. This session was attended by CSU ATE Steering Committee members Trustee George Gowgani and Assistant Vice Chancellor Beverly Young. Special guests at this event included José M. Ortiz, President of Allan Hancock College; Ed Maduli, Interim President of Cuesta College; Al Amaral, President of the Cal Poly Alumni Association; and Ken Stone, Cal Poly Representative to the CSU Alumni Council. .

For more information on the system-wide efforts, visit the Chancellor's Office Strategic Planning website.

Results of the Cal Poly discussions:

• Cal Poly SLO Response to first draft CSU-ATE
• CSU-ATE first draft, September 2007
• Cal Poly ATE SUMMARY REPORT (PDF)
• University-wide Domain Reports focusing on the highest priority propositions for Cal Poly
• Suggested Foci for campus discussions on Access to Excellence
• ASI Student Government domain reports
• Academic Senate campus conversatioin
• College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences
• College of Architecture and Environmental Design (PDF)
• College of Education
• College of Engineering
• College of Liberal Arts
• College of Science and Mathematics
• Community Stakeholders
• Orfalea College of Business

Supporting Documents

• Roadmap for Deans that guided Access to Excellence discussions
• President-led campus conversation