The CSU system is the people’s university. And people all over the state are reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

Cal Poly students know the effects of this crisis all too well. Students are being laid off and wondering how they will make rent. Students are being forced to study in crowded home environments not conducive to learning. Students are drowning in debt.

PLUS measures like the CPx survey have shown (though we should All have Already known) that some students were already struggling at Cal Poly, particularly Black students and Latinx students. Gendered violence was already a Huge factor affecting student succes, and it gets worse during shelter-in-place orders. DACA is in flux as the Supreme Court could let 45 end it any day now. Furthermore, these communities are the ones bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 crisis. We need more investment in our futures from our administration during this time, not less.

Our campus administration is not fulfilling their responsibility to their students. We are calling on our administration to take action and invest in All their students' success.

Not only has Cal Poly administration not been willing to negotiate with the student groups calling for this measure, but they are also not being transparent: 

• The FAQ on the Cal Poly Cares section of the Basic Needs website makes no mention of the full $14 Million Cal Poly is receiving from the CARES Act and instead only mentions the $7M which is the minimum by law that they had to put towards students. 
• Cal Poly is using this crisis as an excuse to CUT the two additional full-time advocate positions at SAFER they promised our student groups last year even though advocates are crucial for survivors' success in higher ed!
• Cal Poly just fundraised more than $800 Million for buildings! There's NO reason they can't invest in ALL their students' success during this crisis!

CAL POLY ADMIN: Invest in all your students' success!

The undersigned student groups and individuals are calling for Cal Poly Administration to enact the following measures on behalf of their students:

1. Provide emergency stipends for all enrolled students to partially offset the cost of student fees for facilities like the UU that we can't use ($200 each).
2. Provide emergency stipends for students working on campus who did not fall under the CSU system's PTO guidelines.
3. Restore the 2 additional full-time advocate positions at SAFER for next fall.
4. Implement the UndocuAlly Working Group's DACA decision campus action plan recommendations.

And for the future:

1. Formulate and publicize a 3-year plan for a significant space in Building 38 for BAEC (the Black Academic Excellence Center) with input from BSU, NSBE, and the BFSA.
2. Formulate and publicize a 3-year plan for a alternative location (not in a dorm) for the Latinx Center with input from MEXA, other Latinx student groups, and the CLFSA.
3. Formulate and publicize a 3-year plan for an Indigenous Peoples' Center in the Recreation Room of yakʔitʸutʸu with input from AISA, AISES, the AIIFSA, and the yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini.
4. Provide a plan for funding all 3 full-time advocates at SAFER long-term.

There is no reason Cal Poly Admin can't invest in ALL their students' success during this crisis! The money is there! Emergency stipends for all enrolled students to cover the cost of fees we can't use only comes out to $5.5M of the $7M in CARES Act Money left to be allocated! And a university that pays its president more than $400 THOUSAND a year can find the money for ALL these initiatives! it's just a matter of priorities!

Cal Poly's administration has a responsibility to prioritize the CSU's core mission of students & instruction. Especially during this crisis. We deserve better than to have Cal Poly slash crucial student services like SAFER advocates during this pandemic! And we deserve Better than to have Cal Poly continue to neglect the students that need their investment the most! Everybody has something to gain from these measures! Think about how much it would mean to You to get your student fees partially offset!

We hope you will join us in holding admin accountable to their responsibility to us! Please follow @calpolysqe / check out #CSUWayForward on Instagram or email sqecalpoly@gmail.com for more information!

Sincerely,

Students for Quality Education (SQE)
The American Indian Student Association (AISA)
The Black Student Union (BSU)
The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
El Movimiento Estudiantil Xicanx de Aztlán (MEXA)
The Latinx Cultural Association (LCA)
The Queer &/or Trans* People of Color Collective (QTPoCC)
Mujeres Club
The Pilipino Cultural Exchange (PCE)
The American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES)
The Cal Poly Democrats  
The Trans* &/or Queer Student Union (TQSU)
The Burmese Student Association (BurSA)
The Iranian Student Cultural Organization (ISCO)
The Southwest Asian / North African Club (SWANA)
SLO Peace Coalition
Food Not Bombs