Cal Poly Report — May 27, 2020
News
Cal Poly Thanks Health Care Workers, Other Essential Employees with ‘Light It Blue to Thank You’ Effort
Through May 31, several buildings and landmarks on campus will be illuminated with blue light to recognize and thank all health care workers who have been providing support, guidance and care for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The south side of the Cal Poly Recreation Center, Performing Arts Center, and Grand Avenue entrance to campus will be lit, starting at dusk each evening. The lights symbolize appreciation for everyone who helped prepare the county's Alternate Care Site at the ASI Recreation Center; the more than 600 community medical volunteers who are signed up and trained to run the ACS if it’s ever needed to treat COVID-19 patients; and about 50 additional county personnel who work occasionally at the ACS or perform administrative functions. The lights recognize the many “essential personnel” who continue to keep the university’s campus clean, safe and operational for students and staff during this pandemic challenge, as well as those serving the entire San Luis Obispo County community. The effort is a joint project involving the Facilities Management and Development department, Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo, and ASI. In addition, the Facilities team painted the Cal Poly “P” blue on May 21. It will remain blue through the light-up effort. See more photos here.
Campus COVID-19 Updates: Share Public Health Messages, Help Housing with Move Out
The Campus Health and Wellbeing team has developed positive public health messages to remind the campus community to continue to engage in safe and thoughtful practices, especially in public spaces, to "Spread Kindness. Not COVID 19." View and share the messages by following Campus Health and Wellbeing on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mycpwell/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/mycpwell/). Campus community members can do their part by wearing a cloth face covering in public, maintaining 6 feet of social distance and practicing good hand hygiene by washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. Meanwhile, University Housing continues to ask faculty and staff to help move students out of campus residence halls and apartments. Currently active employees, including student assistants who are currently working on campus, can sign up for two-hour shifts from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through June 14. Volunteers are especially needed on June 6, 12, 13 and 14. Employees must get approval from their supervisor first. Click here to sign up for a shift. Helpers must wear face coverings and gloves; University Housing will provide these items if needed. Visit the University Housing website for more information; contact Zach Zimmerman at zzimme01@calpoly.edu with questions. For updates and information about the university’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, continue to visit coronavirus.calpoly.edu.
Cal Poly Corporation Chief Executive Officer Candidates to Visit Campus Virtually
Senior Vice President Cynthia Vizcaino Villa has accepted the recommendation of the Cal Poly Corporation Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Search Committee, chaired by Renee Reijo Pera, vice president for Research and Economic Development, to invite four finalists for the position to visit campus virtually between May 26-29. An open forum will be held with each candidate for faculty, staff, students and the campus community to participate. All faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend the open forums on the following dates and times:
— Wednesday, May 27, from 9-10 a.m.
— Wednesday, May 27, from 1-2 p.m.
— Friday, May 29, from 9-10 a.m.
— Friday, May 29, from 1-2 p.m.
Resumes will be sent through a MustMail announcement prior to each forum. To join, participants will need to use their Zoom account associated with their @calpoly.edu email address.
Cal Poly Announces Virtual Summer Accelerator Programs for 2020 Cohort
The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) is also taking its signature 12-week summer HotHouse Accelerator program virtually with eight new startups. The program provides selected teams with $10,000 in capital, and throughout the 12-weeks, the startups will work with their advisors, learn from expert speakers, engage with their cohort, and participate in skill-building workshops, office hours and much more. The CIE Accelerator program will begin June 22. At its conclusion, participants will have the opportunity to debut their startups to the community during Demo Day, to be held Sept. 11. The startups represent a variety of concepts, including tactical robotics for emergency responders, leveraging technology to connect health professionals, increasing productivity in co-working spaces, and providing access to healthy snacks on the go. Read about this year's ventures.
Student Success
Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty, Staff and Students Produce Hand Sanitizer for Campus Use
When hand sanitizer started flying off local shelves about two months ago, chemistry Assistant Professor Scott Eagon decided to turn a difficult situation into a hands-on learning opportunity for several students and help the community in the process. Eagon led a group of students and staff in producing two kinds of hand sanitizer for the campus community. Six students who were still in San Luis Obispo volunteered: biochemistry majors Spenser Platt, Eric Schwegman and Julia Gibbs; biomedical engineering major Maetja (Metty) Verbarendse; biological sciences major Jessica Travis; and biological sciences and psychology major Trevan Klug. Biochemistry instructional support technician Andrea Labschuer prepared the sanitized water, and chemistry instructional support technician Shelley Zoff helped procure critical supplies, including alcohol, glycerol and peroxide. On May 15, the students gathered in the general chemistry laboratories in the Baker Center for Science and Mathematics. Wearing protective equipment, they split into two groups and mixed two different types of sanitizer in proper ratios designated by the World Health Organization. Read more on Cal Poly News.
Need New Lab or Teaching Equipment? Mechanical Engineering Students May Be Able to Help
For their senior project, mechanical engineering students work in small teams to design, build and test a mechanical system to meet a sponsor’s needs. Project results include a final report and tested prototype. The department waives the course fee for on-campus sponsors, so the only expense is the cost to build/test the final prototype. Projects starting in the fall will finish in June 2021. Learn more at https://me.calpoly.edu/senior-project/sponsor. This fall, the department is looking for over 40 new design challenges for its teams. Anyone with an idea that they'd like to discuss can contact Peter Schuster at pschuste@calpoly.edu.
Faculty & Staff
Nominations Open for Provost’s Leadership Award for Partnership in Philanthropy
Nominations are being accepted for the Provost’s Leadership Award for Partnership in Philanthropy. This award celebrates visionary leaders who have forged critical partnerships to advance the mission of Cal Poly. Nominees may be current or former faculty members who have been instrumental in comprehensive development and fundraising efforts. Award recipients receive campuswide recognition at the Fall Conference General Session. Faculty, staff and current students are encouraged to submit nominations. The nomination form and more information are available at provost.calpoly.edu/PLAPIP-Main. The deadline for submission is 5 p.m. Monday, June 1. Email nomination materials to Jeanne Scott, Office of the Provost, jscott29@calpoly.edu. Pictured is the 2019 awardee, Brian Granger, Ph.D., associate professor in the Physics Department.
Strength-Based Faculty Coaching Opportunity Deadline Extended to June 5
Tenure-track faculty or full-time lecturers from historically underrepresented minority groups teaching in the STEM or STEM education fields, including social sciences, are invited to apply to the National Science Foundation-funded CSU Culturally Informed Strengths-Based Approach to Advance Early-Career Faculty Success program. Participants must have been hired during or after fall 2017. Participants will be supported through senior faculty coaching, peer coaching and networking, trainings about culturally informed strengths-based strategies for faculty success, and grant proposal writing support. The commitment includes the following:
— Kickoff weekend retreat (Aug. 28-30, 2020/potentially virtual).
— Six web-based Zoom workshops (September 2020–May 2021).
— One hour one-on-one coaching call with senior STEM faculty strengths coach (every other month, September 2020–May 2021).
— One hour one-on-one peer coaching call with another participant (every other month, September 2020–May 2021).
— Completion weekend retreat (June 2021).
Applications for this opportunity will be accepted until June 5. Email questions to csu.agep.alliance@gmail.com.
Data Cookbook Coming to Cal Poly
The Office of Data Management has recently implemented the Data Cookbook to provide a central, automated process for all data access requests. Starting June 1, all requests for data from the Cal Poly community must be made via the Data Cookbook. The Data Cookbook will automate the data access process and provide consistency, streamlining data requests for all members of the campus community. For more information on the Data Cookbook, detailed instructions and a link to login, visit ir.calpoly.edu/data-cookbook.
Free Captioning for Recorded Lectures Now Available
Project COVIDEO (Captioning Online VIDEO) is a new student-based video captioning service established to help faculty and staff make their videos accessible for asynchronous instruction. The Disability Resource Center has trained over 20 DRC student staff to generate and edit automated transcripts of videos using an AI-powered software called Otter. From these transcripts, the student staff create closed captions for videos hosted on various platforms (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo, Microsoft Stream). To request captioning services from the COVIDEO team, please complete the short application at Project COVIDEO Service Application. Anyone who would like to train student staff in their department to caption their videos can contact Project COVIDEO for training and guidance by emailing John Lee at JLee245@calpoly.edu. Videos will be captioned on a first-come first-served basis, as resources allow, and this service may not be available after spring term.
Live Transcripts Available for Free to Faculty, Register by May 31
Faculty who are providing synchronous instruction via Zoom can use Otter’s live transcription feature by signing up for a free two-month trial of Otter for Teams. Enter the coupon code OTTER_RELIEF to take advantage of this limited free offer. Video and PDF instructions for setting up and using Otter’s live transcription service with Zoom can be found on the Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology’s Captioning Live and Recorded Lectures page under the heading "ZOOM: Options for live (real-time) captioning." Contact John Lee, Disability Resource Center assistive technology specialist, at jlee245@calpoly.edu with any questions about Otter’s live transcription feature or Project COVIDEO.
Changes to Academic Advising Coming Summer 2020
To streamline advising services for students, Cal Poly’s undergraduate academic advising structure will be reconfigured effective summer 2020. The Mustang Success Center will transition to a first year advising center, specifically serving freshman of all majors. The College Advising Centers will advise students in their second year and beyond, including transfer students. The faculty advising model will remain the same. Anyone who would like to have an advisor attend a department meeting to discuss the changes can contact Shannon Stephens at sgstephe@calpoly.edu. The Mustang Success Center website will be updated on June 5 with additional information.
Support for Industry Partnerships and Research to be Provided Through New Corporate Engagement and Innovation Unit
A new unit within the Office of Research and Economic Development has been established to serve as a single point of contact for faculty in pursuit of for-profit sponsored engagement activities. Corporate Engagement and Innovation (CEI) will support faculty in industry-sponsored research, technology transfer, and applied innovation. CEI will assist faculty and researchers with proposal development and negotiating agreements with for-profit companies, assessment of potential inventions for patent/commercialization potential, and manage interactions with companies in the Cal Poly Technology Park. Visit www.cei.calpoly.edu or email cei@calpoly.edu for support in building long-term, productive and mutually beneficial relationships between Cal Poly and its industry collaborators.
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Retirements
Sherrill Flohaug, administrative support coordinator for Information Technology Services (ITS), will retire on June 2 after 20 years at Cal Poly. Flohaug began her career at Cal Poly in the Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Department before moving to ITS. Prior to her current role on the ITS finance team, Flohaug worked in PolyCard Services where she helped grow the part-time, fledgling program into one of the highest volume identification card offices in the CSU system. Always patient with students, parents and employees, her customer service and teamwork defined PolyCard Services. In retirement, Flohaug looks forward to playing golf and spending time with her husband in their new home in the Las Vegas area.
Campus Announcements
Participate in Photo Campaign and Conversation about Kindness During COVID-19
University Housing invites the campus community to participate in a photo campaign and join a conversation about kindness this week to recognize that May is Mental Health Awareness Month. University Housing hopes to rally the campus community to extend kindness to themselves and others during the COVID-19 pandemic by harnessing the power of social media to create a ripple effect of contagious generosity. The movement — called the Butterfly Effect — is built on the idea that each and every person can be the change they want to see in the world by actively engaging in kindness, generosity and creativity. Participants are asked use a photo as a Zoom background and take a photo (students living in Poly Canyon Village will take a photo in front of the butterfly mural in that living community). Tag with the #CPbutterflyeffect, #socialbutterflies and @calpolybutterflyeffect on Instagram. Or email or text the photo to cpbutterflyeffect@gmail.com or 858-255-0735 with your name and chosen charity, and Cal Poly's Butterfly Effect Club will make a donation on the individual's behalf. A photo reveal will be held at 4 p.m. Friday, May 29, on Zoom at bit.ly/cp-be-2020. During the event, Tasha Wahl, the founder of Butterfly Effect, and a representative from Campus Health and Wellbeing will talk about mental health during quarantine.
Cal Poly Corporation Board of Directors Annual Meeting Scheduled for June 12
The board of directors of the Cal Poly Corporation will hold its annual meeting virtually at 8:30 a.m. Friday, June 12. This is a public meeting. More information will be made available on the Cal Poly Corporation website along with the agenda packets on Friday, June 5. Discussion topics can be added to the agenda at the discretion of the board. Any action on such items requires public notice pursuant to open meeting law. Call Ann Roy at ext. 6-1131 with questions.
International Center to Hold Language Workshops May 27-28
The campus commnity is invited to sign up for mini language lessons from around the world on May 27-28. Each 20-minute sessions covers basic vocabulary and phrases in different languages. The language sessions and links will be posted at international.calpoly.edu. Anyone with questions can email international@calpoly.edu.
Participants Needed for Sedentary Screen Time Study
Sedentary screen time consumes more than half of individuals' discretionary time and is the single most prevalent use of time by adults in the U.S. outside of work and sleep. Participants are needed for a study on the best ways to reduce the use of screen time and increase health outcomes. The study is led by Professor Sarah Keadle in the Center for Health Research and is conducted in partnership with Arizona State University. Eligible participants must be between the ages of 23 and 64, own a smartphone or tablet and have internet access with no limit on the amount of data. Due to current public health guidelines related to COVID-19, this study will be conducted virtually. Those interested in participating or learning more about the study, which is called StandUPTV, should call ext. 6-5506 or fill out an interest form.
International Center to Host 'Virtual Exchange' Symposium May 27-29
The International Center will host an Internationalization Symposium May 27-29. Faculty are invited to join a workshop, “Virtual Exchange: Connecting Cal Poly to the World" from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, May 29, co-sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts. Mohamed Abdel-Kader, executive director of the Stevens Initiative at the Aspen Institute, and his colleagues will discuss how to design a virtual program and integrate virtual international exchange into current courses, provide a few virtual exchange models, and discuss available grant funding. The 90-minute webinar will be followed by a 30-minute Q&A session. This workshop is limited to 40 participants. Register here. Abdel-Kader will also present a webinar to students on “What Students Need to Know about International Virtual Exchange: The Experience and Skills Gained” from 11 a.m. to noon Thursday, May 28. Students can register here.
Events
'American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs' Virtual Screening to be Held
In celebration of Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American Heritage Month, join Teach ON! and the Kennedy Library for a virtual screening of the documentary “American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs.” This limited screening is now available to faculty, staff and students until Wednesday, June 3. In conjunction, Kennedy Library and APIFSA will host a film discussion during the Teach ON! at 3 p.m. Thursday, May 28. Both can be accessed through the Teach ON! Canvas site (log into your Cal Poly account to access the site). The film dives into Grace Lee Boggs’s lifetime of vital thinking and action, traversing the major U.S. social movements of the last century: from labor to civil rights, to Black Power, feminism, the Asian American and environmental justice movements and beyond. Boggs willingness to re-evaluate and change tactics in relation to the world shifting around her help tell this transformative story, a story that includes comrades Angela Davis, Bill Moyers, Bill Ayers, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, Danny Glover, Boggs’s late husband James, and a host of Detroit comrades across three generations.
‘RSVP XXV: Call and Response’ to be Presented in Virtual Episodes June 4-6
The Music Department’s student production ensemble RSVP will present “RSVP XXV: Call and Response” in three video episodes starting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, June 4-6. This year marks not only the 25th anniversary of RSVP but also the departure of its founder and artistic director, Antonio G. Barata, who is retiring from full-time teaching at Cal Poly after 35 years. This year the transmedia series picks up where last year’s left off: in a combination of music, costume, dance and video editing. The composition, performance, soundscape and costuming combine the creativity of students in Barata’s Sound Design classes with choreography by Cal Poly students Evan Ricaurté, Lindsay Eklund and Justine Teoh, plus several dancers from past productions. The students have been especially creative this year due to the COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders. Links to the YouTube videos will be posted to the RSVP calendar page. Donations can be made to support future RSVP productions. The performances are sponsored by the Music Department, College of Liberal Arts and Instructionally Related Activities program. For more information, visit the department’s calendar website or email music@calpoly.edu.
Cal Poly Choirs to Present Virtual Concert on June 8
The choirs will present a virtual concert that will include a special set to recognize graduating seniors at 7 p.m. Monday, June 8. The choirs will perform selections they have been working on through online rehearsals this quarter and works they were going to perform at the Winter Concert, which was canceled due to the shelter-at-home order. There will also be a post-concert talk. PolyPhonics and the University Singers will present three works as a combined virtual choir: “If Ye Love Me” by Thomas Tallis; the infamous “Confutatis” and “Lacrimosa” from Mozart’s “Requiem in D Minor,” K.626; and “Sleep” by the famous modern composer Eric Whitacre. Choir members will have an opportunity to interact virtually with Whitacre in the coming weeks. The video recordings of PolyPhonics from last quarter are the thrilling “Lamentations of Jeremiah” by Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera, and “My God is a Rock” by Stacey Gibbs. The Women’s Chorus will sing a movement from “Winter Cantata” by Vincent Persichetti and a portion of “Songs of Sanctuary” by Karl Jenkins. Those who attend the concert are also invited to a post-concert talk and will be able to interact with students and faculty members. The session will include interviews with a student panel, a talk by faculty member Laura Kramer on the process of rehearsing and putting together a virtual choir, and notes from Glysson. Paul Woodring is the accompanist for the choirs. Tickets to the concert are $5. A $10 backstage pass ticket includes both the concert and the post-concert session. Tickets are sold through FeelitLive.
Event Calendar
To find out what’s going on at Cal Poly, visit the Events Calendar. The site includes community events that are open to the public and Campus Life events open to students, faculty and staff. The calendar also includes events at the Performing Arts Center. A link from the calendar allows staff, faculty and students to check facility availability before requesting and reserving on-campus locations for activities and events. For more information about publishing an event on the calendar, contact events@calpoly.edu.
Athletics
For an overview of up-to-date sports information, photos and videos, visit gopoly.com. Students always get in free. Faculty and staff discounts are available.
Upcoming Events @ Home
All athletic events through the spring have been canceled.
Job Vacancies
Employment Opportunities
For all available job openings, visit jobs.calpoly.edu. All new positions opened this week are listed below. To apply, go online and complete the application form. Current employees can also find job postings at CSU Careers, an internal job site for CSU employees. For assistance, call Human Resources at ext. 6-2236.
#496771 — Pharmacist Per Diem, Student Affairs — Campus Health and Wellbeing. $19.92-$84.86 per hour. Anticipated hiring range: $52.46-$67.54 per hour. Open until closed.
For a full list of available jobs, go to jobs.calpoly.edu.
Faculty Employment Opportunities
Visit jobs.calpoly.edu for all available job openings. The part-time lecturer pools are now open. Visit jobs.calpoly.edu for current openings, further information and how to apply. For assistance, call Academic Personnel at ext. 6-2844.
There are no new listings at this time.
Corporation Employment Opportunities
Cal Poly Corporation is a separate entity operating in concert with the university to provide a diverse range of services and resources to students, faculty and staff. To view all available job postings or apply, visit the Corporation website. For assistance, contact Human Resources at ext. 6-1121.
There are no new listings at this time.
ASI Employment Opportunities
Candidates are asked to visit the ASI website to complete an ASI application and apply for open positions. For more information, visit the ASI Business Office in UU 212 or call ext. 6-5800.
There are no new listings at this time.
Submission Guidelines for Cal Poly Report
Cal Poly Report (CPR) is Cal Poly's official employee newsletter, designed to communicate information about officially sanctioned university news or events to faculty, staff and administrators. Submissions may run a maximum of three times and should be limited to 150 words. To help ensure CPR continues to contain only relevant and approved information, submissions are required to come from or be approved by the employee designated to approve submissions in the respective colleges, units and work areas. A list of designated approvers is available on the Cal Poly Report index website. Entries submitted by those other than the designated approver must be accompanied by an approval form signed by the unit's approver. The approval form is available online in fillable pdf format or a downloadable Microsoft Word format. CPR is published weekly during the school year, except during academic breaks, and monthly in the summer. The deadline for each issue is 12:30 p.m. the Friday prior to publication.