Cal Poly Academic Senate Endorses Proposition 47 Classroom Building Bond on Nov. 5 Ballot

Cal Poly’s Academic Senate has voted to endorse Proposition 47, the classroom building bond on the Nov. 5 California ballot.

The education bond would bring more than $109 million in classroom building money to the Central Coast: $50 million for new K-12 classrooms around the county, including Paso Robles and Nipomo high schools; $37.3 million to Cal Poly for a new building to replace World War II-era corrugated metal buildings currently housing several engineering programs; and $22.5 million for Cuesta College, enabling the campus to build a theater arts building on its main campus and a science and health laboratory complex on its new North County campus in Paso Robles.

The Academic Senate by an overwhelming majority on Oct. 1 to support Proposition 47, said Senate Chair and Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Professor Unny Menon. “We believe it is of great importance to our students, and to all students in California,” he said.

The senate resolution supporting Proposition 47 notes that “the overwhelming majority of students in the California State University system and Cal Poly in particular come from the public schools of California, (and) current overcrowding at K-12 public schools is hindering student success.”

The Academic Senate is the faculty governing body of the university representing approximately 1,000 faculty members. It is the principal agency for the formulation and recommendation of policy, and provides the mechanism for consultative participation by the university community in the administrative decisions of the Cal Poly President.
This legislative body is comprised of 51 elected faculty representatives, four senior administrators, and two students.

AS-590-02/EC
RESOLUTION ON
SUPPORT FOR PROPOSITION 47
(Kindergarten-University Public Education Facilities Act of 2002)

Rationale: Proposition 47 (Kindergarten-University Public Education Facilities Act of 2002) allows the State of California to issue $13.05 billion in general obligation bonds for the construction and renovation of public elementary, secondary, and higher education facilities throughout the state. The need for such funding is acute at all levels of education which face dramatic enrollment growth over the next decade. The proposition specifically would provide $496 million to the CSU.

WHEREAS, The overwhelming majority of students in the CSU system, and at Cal Poly in particular, come from the public schools of California; and

WHEREAS, The current overcrowding at K-12 public schools in California is hindering student success; and

WHEREAS, The deteriorating condition of many public school buildings in California makes them unsafe for use by students; and

WHEREAS, Public schools throughout California are in need of substantial funds to improve the infrastructure of the schools in order to meet student growth and modernize the current facilities, therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate of Cal Poly support the passage of Proposition 47 in the November 5 election; and, be it further

RESOLVED That the Academic Senate of Cal Poly direct its chair to write a letter to the local newspapers expressing its support and asking for public support of this proposition; and, be it further

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate of Cal Poly send a copy of this to the Yes on 47 Campaign and to the Academic Senate CSU.

Proposed by: Academic Senate Executive Committee
Date: September 24, 2002

Contact: Ray Ladd
College of Architecture and Environmental Design
(805) 756-7432/rladd@calpoly.edu