Presidential Position Statement

Overview of California Polytechnic State University
Established in 1901, California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) is a nationally ranked and highly selective, comprehensive public polytechnic university, with a "learn by doing" education philosophy, emphasizing hands-on educational experiences. Cal Poly, one of twenty-three campuses in the California State University system, is located in San Luis Obispo, mid-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco and fifteen minutes drive from the central coast.

For the 18th consecutive year Cal Poly is rated as the "best" public-master's university in the West by U.S. News & World Report. Its Engineering program is ranked second nationally to the U.S. Military Academy for schools whose highest degree is a bachelor's or master's.

It has a student body of 19,325 (18,699 full-time equivalent), 1,235 full-time, part-time and temporary faculty members, and more than 1,225 devoted and enthusiastic full-time staff members.

The university has a main campus of 1,321 acres, of which 155 are the campus core. The university also owns several ranches that total 8,347 acres. Cal Poly is the second largest land-holding university in California and one of the largest land-holding universities in the nation. Cal Poly uses all of its land holdings in active support of the education of its students.

Cal Poly offers 66 baccalaureate degrees, 27 master's degrees, and one doctorate of education in association with UC Santa Barbara. Cal Poly operates on the academic quarter calendar, including a summer quarter. The academic organization consists of the six colleges of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences; Architecture & Environmental Design; Engineering; Liberal Arts; Orfalea College of Business; and Sciences & Mathematics. The university is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Twenty-four programs hold accreditation from national professional associations.

The "learn by doing" philosophy enables students to discover or refine their values and interests. Classroom instruction is complemented by "hands-on" learning in the laboratory, the studio, and out in the field. Over 90% (92% to 96%) of the graduates are employed full-time or attend graduate school within one year of graduating. The six-year graduation rate is 76.8% and the median starting salary of recent graduates is $52,000.

In fall 2010, the average high school GPA is 3.84 for first-year students, the average SAT 1 score is 1215, and the average ACT composite score is 26.8. The University enrolled 3,600 first-time freshmen from among 41,000 applicants. In Fall 2010 the first- to-second-year retention rate was above 94%.

The College of Engineering is one of the top public undergraduate programs in the country. The College of Agriculture is the nation's fourth largest undergraduate agricultural program. The undergraduate architecture program is ranked one of the best in the United States at producing graduates prepared for real-world practice. The engineering, agriculture, and architecture programs are among the top three programs in the education of Hispanic graduates nationwide. Academic programs at Cal Poly are constantly being recognized for their innovation, excellence, quality of students and faculty, and for contributing to a strong workforce for the future.

Cal Poly competes in intercollegiate athletics at the NCAA Division I level and is a member of the Big West Conference.

Mission Statement
Cal Poly fosters teaching, scholarship, and service in a learn-by-doing environment where students and faculty are partners in discovery. As a polytechnic university, Cal Poly promotes the application of theory to practice. As a comprehensive institution, Cal Poly provides a balanced education in the arts, sciences, and technology, while encouraging cross-disciplinary and co-curricular experiences. As an academic community, Cal Poly values free inquiry, cultural and intellectual diversity, mutual respect, civic engagement, and social and environmental responsibility.

Learning Objectives
Cal Poly expects that all students who complete an undergraduate or graduate program should be able to:

Think critical and creatively;
Communicate effectively;
Demonstrate expertise in a scholarly discipline and understand that discipline in relation to the larger world of the arts, sciences, and technology;
Work productively as individuals and in groups;
Use their knowledge and skills to make a positive contribution to society;
Make reasoned decisions based on understanding of ethics, a respect for diversity, and awareness of issues related to sustainability; and
Engage in lifetime learning.

Cal Poly Faculty
A tradition of teaching excellence lies at the heart of the university experience for Cal Poly students. Most faculty members have earned doctoral degrees from prestigious universities across the nation. The faculty strives to sustain a dynamic teaching and learning environment. The Center for Teaching and Learning supports the university's mission of enriching lives of students through their contact with faculty members who effectively combine teaching, scholarship and service, and help create a campus culture that values and supports excellence in teaching, learning, and research. Workshops and training are offered to assist existing faculty members improve their teaching techniques, incorporate technology into their classes, and encourage students to improve writing skills, as well as workshops and activities to assist individuals new to the faculty profession.

The Cal Poly Academic Senate is the principal agency for the formulation and recommendation of university policy. The Senate and its committees communicate recommendations to the president on such matters as faculty affairs, curriculum, instruction, student affairs, finances, and other matters relevant to the welfare of Cal Poly. The senate consists of 51 elected faculty representatives, four senior administrators and two students.

Student Life
The resources of a large university, coupled with many relatively small class sections, access to faculty, opportunities for internships and field experiences, active departmental student associations, and a large variety of other student activities such as 16 club sports and 14 intramural sports, give students opportunities for involvement within smaller communities of interest. The Office of Student Affairs ensures that student activities and programs are integrated into every student's overall learning experience at Cal Poly.

Nearly 300 clubs and organizations, including many nationally chartered fraternities and sororities, offer students companionship and activities for all interests. The Associated Students (ASI) of Cal Poly has more than 100 years of student service and leadership. The ASI student government is the students' voice on campus regarding fees, academic excellence and non-academic services, as well as the center of student activism and representation regarding student life and shared governance. ASI not only sponsors clubs and organizations, but it provides on-campus entertainment such as concerts, comedy and artistic events, multicultural celebrations, and speakers.

Cal Poly is a residential campus with 6,500 students currently living on-campus and others in the nearby community. Most eligible students enter the university directly from high school, and a relatively small number are community college transfers. A large portion (31%) of the students come from the greater San Francisco Bay Area and another 23% are from the greater Los Angeles area; other students are from throughout California and the United States.

The students operate a university union that provides a setting for relaxation and exchange of ideas. It has several study lounges, meeting spaces, a ten-lane bowling alley, a craft center, food outlets and coffee shop, Associated Students offices, student life and leadership development offices, outdoor adventure trip office, women's center, multi-cultural center, and auditorium.

Since 1949 students from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Pomona collaborate to design, construct and decorate a float entry for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses. Not only is the Cal Poly float a one-of-a kind building experience, but it also is an opportunity for students to develop new innovations such as computer controlled animation, hydraulics systems for movement, and more.

The Recreation Center is currently undergoing a major $71 million expansion that will double its former space, to a total 195,000 square feet. In addition to four basketball courts, a martial arts room, a 3,400-seat concert venue and a 50-meter pool, the new facility will include three dedicated fitness rooms, 21,000 square feet of exercise space, a wellness center, indoor jogging track, six racquetball courts with squash and wallyball configurations, a leisure pool and deck, three sand volleyball courts and completely renovated locker rooms. The Recreation Center is open to all currently registered students and Cal Poly employees may purchase an annual membership.

Cal Poly is a safe campus. To access the Clery Crime Statistics report, please follow this link:
http://www.afd.calpoly.edu/police/services/docs/CleryReport.pdf

Life in San Luis Obispo
The City of San Luis Obispo, known locally as San Luis or SLO, has a population of 44,000, in a county of approximately 250,000. It serves as the commercial, cultural, and governmental hub of San Luis Obispo County. One of California's oldest communities, SLO began in 1772 with the founding of Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa on the site of the Chumash village of Tilhini.

The economy of SLO is centered on tourism. It is a natural stopover when traveling by car between Los Angeles and San Francisco. SLO has many motels and bed and breakfast inns, eclectic shops and boutiques, and outdoor cafes. Minutes from downtown are never ending acres of vineyards that support a thriving wine industry. The weekly Thursday night Farmers' Market is among the area's most popular events; live entertainment is featured and local farmers and vendors sell their produce and goods year-round in a festival-like atmosphere.

San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport offers direct commercial air service to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix. Amtrak provides daily rail services as a stop on the Coast Starlight and as the terminus of the Pacific Surfliner.

Enjoying over 300 days of sunshine annually, the local Mediterranean-type climate boasts moderate temperatures. January's average high is 62 ºF and average low is 38 ºF. July's average high is 72 ºF and average low is 52 ºF, with heat exceeding 90 ºF on some summer days. The mean annual rainfall is 11.3 inches.

The mild climate and proximity to the Pacific Ocean, hiking trails, local lakes, and rolling hills support many forms of outdoor recreation. San Luis Obispo is a bike friendly community. The local public bus system, SLO Transit operating within the city limits, is free to students, faculty, and staff. Employees and students can ride the regional bus service (RTA) at reduced rates.

Alumni
Currently, Cal Poly has more than 130,000 alumni and many are active in the alumni association. Cal Poly alumni are leaders in business, serve on school boards, hold elected public offices, and are CEOs of respected California and international corporations. Among the accomplished alumni are: Gary Bloom, a leader in California's high-tech sector; James W. Boswell, chairman of J.G. Boswell Company; Greg Chamitoff, NASA astronaut; Jim Considine, CEO of Ryder Stilwell; Laura Diaz, TV news anchor at KCBS in Los Angeles; George Foster, owner, Foster Farms; Michelle Franzen, national correspondent, NBC News; Robert "Hoot" Gibson, retired chief NASA astronaut; Noel Lee, owner/founder of Monster Cable; Linda Ozawa Olds, Kirk Perron, and Joseph Vergara, founders, Jamba Juice; John Madden, long-time NFL broadcast analyst; George Radanovich, U.S. Congressman for California's 18th district; Burt Rutan, president, Scaled Composites and pioneering designer of experimental air and space craft; Ozzie Smith, National Baseball Hall of Famer; Alex Spanos, humanitarian and owner of the San Diego Chargers professional football team; Rick Sturckow, NASA astronaut; Bill Swanson, CEO of Raytheon Corporation; Ernesto Vasquez, partner in the international award-winning architectural firm MVE & Partners; and, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Grammy-winning rock music entertainer.

Financial Status
Historically, state revenue support for public higher education has been very generous compared with other states. Due to a multitude of demands on declining state revenue, public institutions of higher education in California are receiving a smaller proportion of the state budget. The California Master Plan for Higher Education's principles of access, quality, and relatively low fees are challenged. Yet, for those students who commit to full-time enrollment and following the recommended curriculum flow chart for each major, it is possible to complete a baccalaureate degree in the traditional four-year period. The CSU Board of Trustee policy on student fees provides for a large financial aid component. Annual fees for full-time undergraduate students in 2009/10 were $4,026 plus $1,872 to $2,172 for campus academic fees, student union, health center, Associated Students, child care, and other campus-based fees specific to Cal Poly.

Over the past decade, private support (gifts from individuals, corporations, and foundations) for the university has been a priority. The five-year average of gift commitments from 2005/06 through 2009/10 was $40.1 million. During 2008/09, Cal Poly administered more than $53.7 million in grants and contracts.

Facilities
Cal Poly is constantly renovating existing facilities, constructing new facilities, and making additions to existing facilities, in order to keep the academic programs robust.

The following are among recent projects:

Construction Innovation Center - a 46,000 square foot new facility and 165,000 square feet of renovation at a project cost of $25.4 million was completed in spring 2008.
Bonderson Projects Center, which was privately funded by the Bonderson family, was completed in fall 2006 to support senior projects in engineering and computer science.
Engineering IV - a 101,000 square foot new facility creating classrooms, laboratory space and faculty offices. It was completed in winter 2007 at a cost of $32.8 million.
The Alex G. Spanos Stadium expansion and improvement added 4,000 seats, new restrooms and a new press box at a project cost of $19.4 million. The project was completed in summer 2010.
Marine Science Research Center, completed in winter 2006, is a new 1,600 square foot facility on a pier that extends one kilometer into the Pacific Ocean, constructed at a cost of $2.1 million.
The Cal Poly Corporation, a university auxiliary, formed the Cal Poly Housing Corporation to develop and operate faculty and staff housing. The first undertaking was the development of Bella Montaña, adjacent to one of the entrances to Cal Poly. Construction was completed in September 2007. Very attractive pricing and financing options are available.
Cal Poly's newest student housing complex is Poly Canyon Village - a $299.9 million project. The first phase, with 1,500 bed spaces, opened in fall 2008. Phase II added 1,100 more beds in Fall 2009. The complex provides apartment type housing, recreation facilities, parking, and retail space. With the completion of Poly Canyon Village Cal Poly's inventory of 6,500 beds for students makes it the largest student housing program in the California State University system.
Construction of a new $132 million, 186,400 square-foot Center for Science began in Fall 2010 and is scheduled for completion in 2013. When completed it will provide lecture and laboratory space and faculty offices. Private funding, much of it from Cal Poly alumni, accounted for $17 million of the construction cost.
Of special note is the Performing Arts Center, completed in the 1990s. Cal Poly, the City of San Luis Obispo, and the Foundation for the Performing Arts Center formed a partnership to build a beautiful, state-of-the-art performing arts center to serve the greater San Luis Obispo community. The Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo includes a new concert hall with 1,289 seats, a multi-purpose pavilion, a 180-seat recital hall, and it also incorporates the previously existing 498-seat Cal Poly Theatre. Construction began in 1994 and the new facilities opened in September 1996. Programming includes such individuals as humorists Garrison Keillor, Bill Cosby and Steve Martin, musicians Kris Kristofferson, Brandon Marsalis, and Mose Allison, and groups such as The American Ballet Theatre, the Vienna Boys Choir, the Philharmonic of Poland, and the Russian Ballet Theatre.

Presidential Responsibilities
As chief executive and academic officer of California Polytechnic State University, the president leads the institution by managing the human and financial resources to fulfill the university's stated mission. Working in harmony with internal and external constituencies, the president provides overall leadership and guidance for the university. The president is expected to nurture and expand the academic reputation of the university and to orchestrate the charting of the future course of the campus. The president is the leading spokesperson for the institution with internal stakeholders and external constituencies. The president represents the campus interest within the CSU system, with local, state and national elected officials, with the state and national higher education community, and is expected to symbolize the best qualities of the institution.

In addition to oversight of the state funded programs of the university, the president has the authority and responsibility for the fiscal integrity and overall operation of campus auxiliaries, including the bookstore, food service, the university corporation, parking, Associated Students, Student Union, and university housing. This authority is vested in the president through CSU regulations and delegations from the CSU Board of Trustees and chancellor in accord with state statutes.

Specified responsibilities of the president are to:

Provide leadership for the university, exhibiting vision, initiative, and creativity that improve and sustain the quality of the institution;
Work with various constituencies, internal and external, to build consensus on issues of concern to the university;
Lead planning efforts that prepare the university to be a significant educational entity for the 21st century by shaping and communicating a vision for the institution based on current strengths and anticipated new programs that contribute to the economic vitality of the state;
Oversee the management of the university's financial resources and take an active leadership role in securing the human and financial resources needed to achieve the university's long-range goals;
Exercise leadership in creating a campus environment that is responsive to the needs of the students, staff, faculty, and the community;
Serve as a catalyst and facilitator who helps others transform ideas into results;
Organize and lead a strong and engaged team of senior campus managers;
Maintain and support a collegial governance structure that involves members of the campus community in current activities and future plans of the university, welcomes participation, respects academic freedom, and promotes respect for dialogue and open communication;
Lead, support, and foster efforts to further increase employee and student diversity, and foster an environment supportive and understanding of cultural diversity on campus and in the community;
Oversee the institutional advancement program that garners an increasing amount of non-state resources for university programs and promotes the reputation of the university. These resources include increased grants and contracts, foundation gifts, and individual donations, particularly from the Cal Poly alumni and business and industry;
Take an active personal role in management of the university's institutional and community relations programs, serving as the primary spokesperson for Cal Poly, and articulating to the community the priorities of the academic mission of the university and the unique qualities of this metropolitan university;
Build and expand partnerships between Cal Poly and business, industry, governmental entities, non-profit, and public benefit organizations in the region; and
Participate actively as a member of the California State University system executive group along with the chancellor and other campus presidents.

Professional Qualifications
Leading candidates for the position of California Polytechnic State University president will have a strong record of academic accomplishment and significant executive or senior management experience. Preferred qualifications include:

A commitment to strong academic programs and a desire to make the academic mission the priority of the university;
A doctorate or equivalent terminal degree or professional experience, ideally in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics discipline;
A record of successful teaching and scholarship, as a faculty member in an institution of higher education or pertinent professional experience;
Significant experience as a senior level administrator/executive in a complex organization with oversight responsibilities of complex financial resources. There will be a demonstrated record of progressive responsibility and increasing oversight of fiscal, human, and physical resources;
Evidence of successes in philanthropic fundraising and an interest in private sector partnerships;
Understanding of the polytechnic institution and commitment to the learn-by-doing philosophy of Cal Poly;
Understanding of current issues and trends in higher education;
Demonstrated abilities to foster, plan, and manage change, including the skill to reduce conflict and promote a sense of shared commitment to change;
Demonstrated success in promoting diversity and sensitivity to cultural diversity and multicultural education;
Evidence of the ability to implement decisions, the ability to articulate the reasoning for decisions, and the ability to achieve a widespread understanding of the rationale for decisions;
A style that emphasizes leadership by consultation and consensus building, and teamwork among the managers; and
An ability to understand the distinct characteristics and traditions of Cal Poly and a commitment to preserve those characteristics that have intrinsic value in the context of the campus mission.

Personal Characteristics
In addition to the strong academic and administrative skills required for the executive leadership of California Polytechnic State University, the president should be visionary, energetic, open-minded, approachable, sensitive to opinion of the members of the campus community, and enthusiastic about the university. The president should possess integrity, be a good listener, be a capable delegator, be a team builder, be well organized, and have a sense of humor. The president must be able to communicate easily within the university, within the local community, and with industry partners. The president must relate to the students, potential students, and the communities Cal Poly serves. The president should be willing to explore diversifying sources of revenue. The president should be a strategic thinker, be passionate about Cal Poly, be visible on campus and in the community, and have a "can do" attitude.

Reporting Relationships
Like the other campus presidents in the California State University system, the president is responsible to the CSU Board of Trustees through the chancellor. The president is a member of the CSU Executive Council, which advises the chancellor and the CSU Board of Trustees on policy matters.

The chancellor serves as the chief executive officer of the CSU system and is an ex officio member of the CSU Board of Trustees. The chancellor is charged with responsibility for overall leadership and management of the system, working with and through the campus presidents.

The CSU Board of Trustees is the governing body of the CSU system; it sets academic, fiscal, and personnel policy, and has the appointing authority for the chancellor and the presidents. The CSU Board of Trustees consists of 24 voting members and one non-voting member, including 16 public members appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state senate for eight-year terms, two student trustees who serve on staggered terms and a faculty trustee appointed by the governor for two-year terms, an alumni trustee designated by the CSU Alumni Council, and five ex officio trustees: the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the state assembly, the state superintendent of public instruction, and the chancellor.

The president determines the university reporting lines.

Starting Date
The preferred starting date is early 2011.

Nominations and Applications
For optimal consideration, résumés should be forwarded by October 1, 2010, when candidate screening begins. Nominations should be made well in advance of this date. A brief cover letter, not to exceed two pages, will be appreciated. It is expected that the final group of candidates will be recommended to the CSU Board of Trustees and a selection made by early December 2010.

Nominations or applications with current résumés should be sent to:

Sharon Tanabe, Partner
CODE: Cal Poly Pres
1111 Corporate Center Drive, Suite 106
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(323) 260.5045
(323) 260.7889 (FAX)
Electronic submissions are preferred
Please submit to: stsearch@storbeckpimentel.com