How will the College-Based Academic Fee benefit students?
For most students, coming to Cal Poly is a conscious, deliberate choice. Cal Poly has the reputation of being unique within the CSU. With its polytechnic, learn-by-doing programs it offers a high quality, state-of-the-art education that prepares students for professions that are demanding and quickly changing. Cal Poly's unique curricula, learn-by-doing instructional methods, state-of-the-art laboratories, advanced technology and other support come at a cost -- a cost that the State of California and the CSU no longer fully support. To preserve this unique educational experience, and in fact to expand access to required classes and therefore decrease the time it takes to complete a degree, students at Cal Poly are being asked to contribute a portion of the additional revenue that will be required. (The University will simultaneously work to expand support from corporations, private donors and government grants.)

What is meant by Cal Poly's unique funding needs?
Cal Poly's polytechnic educational mission and learn-by-doing philosophy are very effective. However, this high quality approach to teaching and learning involves special costs. In addition, as a polytechnic university, approximately 70 per cent of our students are enrolled in higher cost technical programs. While CSU System funding formulas addressed the special revenue requirements of our higher cost programs until the start of this decade, all additional enrollments since that time have been funded at a system average that does not recognize differential program costs. As Cal Poly grows, and continues to grow, its ability to preserve its polytechnic, learn-by-doing programs will erode steadily over time, unless alternative sources of funding are identified.

What about the improving California economy? Doesn't that mean more money for higher education?
While education is often a focus for discussion in Sacramento, the proposed State budget for the next fiscal year does not meet all of the needs of the CSU (and consequently of Cal Poly). This follows the pattern of the past two decades when a decreasing percentage of the State budget has gone toward higher education. This trend has given rise to a concept of shared responsibility for higher education, not just at Cal Poly, but throughout the State. Here at Cal Poly, the desire to maintain quality has motivated the University to ask for involvement from students, faculty, staff, administration, alumni and the community both in planning for the future and in providing monetary support.

Why a total of $180 (including the current $45 academic fee)?
This is approximately the amount discussed during the first phase of the Cal Poly Plan. The amount was established because it was considered enough to "make a visible difference."

Won't State funding for the University be reduced in proportion to the money raised through the College-Based Academic Fee?
No. The University has a firm agreement from the Chancellor's office that this will not happen.

Consultation -- Is this something new?
Consultation using multiple methods has been a part of the Cal Poly Plan from the beginning. During previous phases of the Plan, students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, business and industry leaders and members of the community have been surveyed, consulted and involved in open forums and focus groups. The consultation now taking place regarding the College-Based Academic Fee Proposal is also broad-based, but even more focused on student input. Because the proposed fee is college-based, students will be even more involved in discussing and setting priorities for their college on how the new fee would be spent.

Why consultation rather than a referendum?
The consultation that is taking place now will engage many more students in discussions about investment priorities in their own college than has occurred in past referendums. The consultation will provide students with a forum for questions and answers, an opportunity to express their opinion, share different viewpoints, and interact with other students, their Dean and the faculty and staff of their college, and to directly shape how funds would be spent.

How can the campus be assured that all students will be consulted and involved in the discussions now taking place?
Every effort is being made to provide all students an opportunity to share their views -- not just those on committees, councils or in clubs. Opportunities will be provided for interaction and students will be able to decide individually whether or not they wish to participate. Information will be disbursed through e-mail messages, over web sites, at open forums, through one-on-one discussions with College Deans and Steering Committee members, at College Student Council meetings, club and organization meetings and at any other appropriate student groups or organizations. The College Deans are committed to real, evident, substantial and documentable consultation.

Why is this phase of the Cal Poly Plan College-Based?
Cal Poly students identify strongly with their own college and program. During previous phases of the Plan, one of the most frequent comments by students was, "If I pay more, how can I be assured that the money will be used to benefit my college and department?" By allocating additional Cal Poly Plan resources directly to each college, using the number of majors to determine the amount, students will have an opportunity to decide, along with their Dean, their faculty and staff members and other college-based organizations, what their college priorities are and where additional money should be spent.

How will priorities be established?
Several factors will be taken into account when establishing investment priorities within each college. Student input is available from previous surveys and consultation. This information helped to establish the priorities for current, on-going projects and for the funding of the sixteen Cal Poly Plan faculty positions. All investments must be consistent with the goals and priorities of the Plan -- established during the initial consultation. Now through college-based consultation, preliminary investment plans will be developed showing budget categories and potential projects and activities to be accomplished. Different colleges have different cultures. What is important to one might not be as important to another. The choice lies with those within each college who choose to participate in the discussion.

Is there an accountability procedure in place for the assessment of expenditures and the determination of "direct and visible benefits" to students?
A procedure for annual documentation of investments and assessment of outcomes has been in place as a component of the Cal Poly Plan from the beginning. The Cal Poly Plan Steering Committee will retain primary oversight for accountability procedures. Designated Cal Poly Plan faculty members and project directors are required to submit both progress and year-end reports on their activities, benefits to students and budget expenditures. Summaries of these reports can be viewed on the Cal Poly Plan web site.

Will Cal Poly Plan funds be used for the Sports Complex?
No. Never have been, never will be. Cal Poly is allocated both operating and capital outlay funds by the state. These are distinct and separate funding categories. Cal Poly State University fees and Cal Poly Plan funds are part of operating funds and cannot, by law, be used for new construction (for example to build the Sports Complex, the PAC, or the parking structure).

How is the Rec Center funded?
In 1986, Cal Poly students voted to increase their fees to support the construction and ongoing operations of the Rec Center. Approximately one half of the construction costs came from state capital outlay bonds.

What funds built the PAC?
The Performing Arts Center was built in part with state capital outlay funds, which could not have been used for any other purpose. If Cal Poly did not use these funds for this purpose, they would have gone to another campus for other buildings. Funds from the City of San Luis Obispo and private donations were also used for construction.

What do student fees now support?
One-fourth of the total registration fees that students pay goes to designated purposes such as University Union fees, recreation sports programs and basic health services. The balance goes to support the cost of instruction.

What portion of total education costs are students supporting through fees?
The State of California covers approximately 80% of the cost of education. Cal Poly's registration fees (along with the fees at other CSU system universities) are nearly the lowest in the U.S. The yearly registration fee (1998-99 academic year) at Cal Poly is $2,210. The average fee for a comparable institution is $3,611. Moreover, student fees paid at those universities (like the UC campuses), which mostly compete with Cal Poly for students, are more than twice as much.

Why doesn't the Foundation provide more funds for University needs?
The Foundation's exclusive role is to support the University. Of the Foundation's total net assets of $107 million, $80.1 million are in restricted accounts pledged by donors for specific University purposes, mainly to support instruction. The Foundation holds all but a small portion of the remaining $26.9 million for policy mandated reserves (including reserves to replace depreciated capital assets), for loan guarantees (mainly to finance university projects), and for other restricted purposes. In addition, the Foundation manages Campus Dining and El Corral. Part of the net revenue from those operations is used to support the University's fundraising efforts and $150,000 in athletic scholarships, per agreements between ASI and the University. No large pool of uncommitted funds exists. Use of restricted Foundation funds for purposes other than those for which they are designated would be unethical and illegal.

What about accountability for Cal Poly Plan funds?
Cal Poly Plan funds have been, and will continue to be spent solely and exclusively on projects and initiatives that have a "direct, visible benefit to students," such as more classes, advanced lab equipment and faculty positions. All Cal Poly Plan projects must report in detail how the funds are being spent. Check the Cal Poly Plan web site for progress reports on each project and information about Cal Poly Plan funded faculty members.

What about student involvement in determining and monitoring Cal Poly Plan investments?
Over 90% of any new revenues (after the mandatory financial aid set-aside) from Cal Poly Plan fees will be distributed to the seven academic colleges. All of the colleges are involving students in the discussion of how additional funding should be used in order to insure that student priorities are addressed. The colleges are sponsoring forums, informal discussions, and surveys. They want to hear what students have to say. To monitor investments, oversight committees will be established in each college. This will give students more say in how their money is spent, next year and in the future.

What about providing more classes?
Since a highly ranked student priority is to have "better access to classes," Cal Poly Plan funds can continue to be used to hire additional faculty; offer more major classes; offer more "support" courses; and increase GE course offerings. To graduate in four years, students will need to be able to take at least 15.5 credit hours per quarter, depending on their major. (With the help of Cal Poly Plan fees, we have already been able to increase the average student load from 13.8 to 14.1 credit hours.)