Cal Poly Pomona’s curriculum is getting a boost, thanks to a slice of federal stimulus money directed to the CSU system.
The university will receive about $1.3 million of the $25 million that will be allocated to the 23 CSU campuses. The funds will go toward approximately 200 sections and classes in the winter and spring quarters that the university might not otherwise have been able to offer.
President J. Michael Ortiz said sections would be added in mathematics, as well as in high-demand courses in several colleges, including Business, Engineering and Agriculture.
“These measures will enable students to make more rapid progress toward their degrees and graduation,” he said.
The university will also redirect an additional $1 million toward course sections.
The moves come in the midst of an unprecedented budget crisis. The CSU is facing a $564 million budget cut for 2009-10, with Cal Poly Pomona’s share being more than $30 million. The university has taken several steps in recent months to address the shortfall, including the cancellation of state-funded summer school, raising student fees, the adoption of a furlough schedule for nearly all employees, and workforce reductions. The guiding principle behind the actions, Ortiz said, is to serve as many students and preserve as many jobs as possible while maintaining academic quality.