Cal Poly Opportunity Fee Committee Background

Background

Cal Poly represents one of the greatest values in higher education, but the cost of a Cal Poly education remains financially prohibitive for many low-income and first-generation California students. Limited financial aid for campus fees has significantly contributed to Cal Poly having the highest costs of attendance of all public universities in California, once financial aid is considered. Following an alternative consultation process, whereby input was received from approximately 2,200 students and faculty across campus, the President and Chancellor approved the Cal Poly Opportunity Fee (CPOF). Funds from the Cal Poly Opportunity Fee will be used to expand the university’s successful Cal Poly Scholars program, which provides students from California partner high schools with scholarships for up to five years, a technology package, proactive advising and other support. This fee assessment began in fall 2019 for all non-California-resident undergraduate students and is cohort based with a phase in over four years (2019-2022). The target for out-of-state enrollment will continue to be 15 percent. Admission criteria will continue to be identical for in-state and out-of-state students. Graduate students are excluded from paying or receiving the Cal Poly Opportunity Fee. The CPOF will be distributed in the following manner: student grants (50-70%); direct student support and advising (15-25%) and hiring of tenure-line faculty members with an emphasis on diversity (15-25%).

Committee Purpose and Role

The CPOF Committee serves in an advisory capacity to the University President. The committee’s purpose is to review proposals provided by the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and make appropriate endorsements to the President regarding the use of funds for direct student support and advising. No more than 50% of the available funds will be directed toward student support and advising for Cal Poly Scholar recipients with the remaining 50% dedicated to general support for all students.

Committee Composition

All nomination recommendations will be submitted to the President for approval.

• ASI President (co-chair)
• Senior Vice President for Administration & Finance or Designee (co-chair)
• ASI nominations: (4)
  • Non-California student representatives who may be ASI Board Members (2)
  • ASI Board Members (2)
• Cal Poly Scholars (2)
• Academic Senate Chair or designee (1)
• Provost or Designee (1)
• Vice President for Student Affairs or Designee (1)
• Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion or Designee (1)
• Provost's Office Representative (1) – non-voting
• Senior Vice President Administration & Finance Office Representative (2) – non-voting

Summary: 12 voting members, 7 of whom are students, and 3 non-voting members. A quorum exists if at least one co-chair is in attendance and at least six voting members are present.

Each voting member, listed above, will serve a one-year term and may serve up to two terms (with the exception of the Senior Vice President of Administration & Finance or designee who serve continuously as co-chair).

CPOF Committee Guidelines

• University Budget and Fiscal Planning will prepare revised CPOF projections.
• The Provost and designated representative from the Cal Poly Scholars Program will provide insight to the committee regarding priorities for the use of direct student support and advising funds. Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and OUDI will collaborate on setting these priorities.
• The Provost and designated representative from the Cal Poly Scholars Program will submit project/initiative recommendations, based upon appropriate consultation, for the use of direct student support/advising.
• The Provost and designated representative from the Cal Poly Scholars Program will provide a walkthrough of the proposed budget recommendations (provided to the committee in advance) followed by question and answers and committee discussion.
• CPOF Committee members will develop a recommendation regarding the allocation of direct student support/advising projects/initiatives funding based on committee consensus and submit to the University President.
• The University President responds to the CPOF Committee with a final decision regarding the funding allocations.
• Funding notification will be emailed to the Provost and posted on the Cal Poly Opportunity Fee website.

Committee Protocol

• Committee members have an obligation to discharge their responsibilities with the best interest of the university at the forefront of their considerations. While each committee member is appointed to represent a particular area/unit, it is important to rise above self-interest in committee deliberations.
• Committee members will receive an advanced copy of the submitted proposals to review and prepare questions specific to their represented area. These copies are not to be shared or distributed outside of the committee.
• Committee members will receive an advanced copy of the submitted proposals to review and prepare questions specific to their represented area. These copies are not to be shared or distributed outside of the committee.
• Voting members may not delegate or proxy votes to other individuals or groups, and voting may take place via roll-call, consent or electronically. In the event of an electronic vote, ballot responses or voting email responses must be received from the committee members official Cal Poly email address to be considered valid.