This week, President Ortiz is in Springfield, Mass., cheering on the men’s basketball team in the NCAA Division II Tournament. He sent an email to the campus community with university news updates.
Monday’s Message – March 22, 2010Good morning and happy spring break.
This week I will be in Springfield, Massachusetts, for the 2010 NCAA Division II Elite Eight Men’s Basketball Championships. Our Broncos are back again after winning the west regionals last week in Bellingham, Washington.
Cal Poly takes on St. Joseph’s (IN) in the national quarterfinals on Wednesday, March 24, at 3 p.m. California time. All quarterfinal games will be webcast live at www.ncaasports.com (go to Men’s Division II Basketball). In addition, we will stream the broadcasts via the university’s cable network on channel 33. There will also be viewing parties in the Bronco Student Center. Be sure to follow every detail of the team’s run in the NCAA Tournament on PolyCentric.
Last week I spoke about our hard budget realities. The $20+ billion projected deficit in Sacramento and the expected reduction in state funding means that we must make difficult plans for next year. One of those was made public Friday with the announcement that we would be cutting our men’s and women’s tennis programs, beginning in the 2010-11 academic year. This was a painful decision, considering the quality of these student-athletes and our history of success. Our women’s program has won four national championships. But cuts are happening at every level of the university and no one is immune. The timing of the decision will allow those students to transfer to another university for next year if they desire. Those who choose to stay at Cal Poly will retain their scholarships through 2010-11
Last Tuesday morning, many of you woke up a little earlier than normal when a small earthquake rolled through the Southland. Although there was no significant damage, things could have been different. The earthquake serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of emergencies. Do you know what to do if there is an emergency? Everyone needs to be familiar with the campus emergency procedures.
Every quarter, Cal Poly Pomona tests its Safety Alert system by simultaneously calling your home, office and cell phone as well as sending out an e-mail. In addition, the system is capable of sending anyone a text message.
So my questions for each of you are these:
- Have you updated your personal information in BroncoDirect and made sure that your home and cell phone numbers are correct?
- Have you signed up to receive a text message in the event of an emergency?
- Have you encouraged your peers and our students to do the same?
Our campus safety plan is only as strong as your participation. If you do not have accurate information in BroncoDirect, you are at risk in the event of an emergency. Take the time TODAY to update your information. Our experience shows that cell phones and text messages reach their parties faster than any other technology, so please provide that information. Don’t put this off. You never know what tomorrow will bring.
In closing, I want to congratulate the student team from ASI GAS, which designed the marketing materials for the California State Student Association’s MADE IN THE CSU campaign. This initiative is designed to inform the public of the value of the CSU and the university’s economic and workforce contributions to the state. Please visit the site and share it with your friends in the community. It tells a great story that cannot be repeated often enough.
I will be back next week in living color. Until then, enjoy the sunshine and GO BRONCOS!
Michael Ortiz