What is the timeline for the integration process?
Work on the integration is currently underway. Planning for the implementation has occurred and implementation will take place through fall of 2026. Effective July 1, 2025, the two institutions will operate as a single university, Cal Poly.
In fall of 2026, both universities will be formally integrated as one with the 92-acre maritime campus in Vallejo, in Solano County, CA, will be known as “Cal Poly, Solano Campus” and will house the “Cal Poly Maritime Academy.” The first Cal Poly Maritime Academy and Cal Poly Solano Campus students enrolling as Cal Poly students will take place in fall of 2026 as well.
How will the integrated institution look?
Integration will result in one university (Cal Poly) under one president, President Jeffrey D. Armstrong. After July 2025 (and assuming Board of Trustee approval), a vice president and Chief Executive Officer (VP / CEO) will lead the Solano campus while a superintendent will be appointed to lead the Cal Poly Maritime Academy. The VP / CEO will report to the president of Cal Poly and serve on the president's leadership cabinet. The superintendent will report to the VP / CEO. Until July 1, 2025, Michael Dumont will continue to serve as interim president of Cal Maritime.
Additionally, integration will result in a single administrative structure, one budget, and one of each of the appropriate shared governance structures, including faculty/academic senates, one Associated Students, one alumni association and one philanthropic foundation.
How is the integration process proceeding?
Workgroups were formed comprising subject matter experts from the CSU Chancellor's Office, Cal Poly and Cal Maritime across the 23 operational areas identified as most critical to a seamless and timely integration. Those 23 groups have been consolidated into seven functional implementation teams (“FIT" teams) organized under thematic work areas: academics; enrollment; student affairs; advancement, communications and external relations; financial, administrative and human resources; technology; and legal, regulatory and accreditation matters.
Informed and guided by Baker Tilly — a firm with extensive national experience in this highly specialized area — the seven FIT teams are now mapping the previously identified critical issues to activities that will form the foundation of an implementation plan.
How will this integration process be monitored?
The CSU and Cal Poly are committed to identifying, accurately measuring and regularly reporting progress toward success metrics across this large and complex project.
The FIT members will make recommendations for accountability measures to the Integration Steering Committee (comprised of both university presidents as well as several senior members of the chancellor's leadership team). Assisted by outside experts where special expertise is required the Integration Steering Committee will carefully review, refine as necessary, and approve accountability measures once it is satisfied that the identified success metrics offer the chancellor and board the degree of specificity needed to appropriately assess the integration work as it advances. Baker Tilly will assist with the data collection and measurement of the success metrics according to the specifications and detail requested by the Integration Steering Committee.
Why is the CSU moving forward with this integration?
Cal Maritime faces fiscal challenges of a magnitude that undermine its viability as a standalone institution. This financial unsustainability also threatens the offering of key academic programs leading to a Merchant Marine license issued by the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as the continued employment of numerous faculty and staff. The integration will preserve these programs, which provide a vital economic and security resource to our state and nation.
What were the circumstances at Cal Maritime that led to this integration?
The primary factors are declining enrollment, increased compensation costs and rising operating expenses. Over the past seven years, enrollment at Cal Maritime has declined by 31%, from a headcount of 1,107 students in 2016-17 to a headcount of 761 in 2023-24. For the fall 2024 semester, enrollment is at 804. Meanwhile, projections indicate that a growing budget deficit through 2026-27 is inevitable, even if enrollment growth targets are met.
Why was Cal Poly chosen to integrate with Cal Maritime?
Many options were considered to preserve Cal Maritime's unique programs while ensuring financial feasibility and sustainability. It was determined that Cal Poly was clearly the best aligned with Cal Maritime for a successful integration.
Cal Poly and Cal Maritime are similar institutions in many fundamental ways, primarily in their academic missions and learning ethos. Both institutions rely upon a hands-on approach. Both offer degree programs within high return-on-investment program areas. Clear synergistic opportunities exist in multiple academic programs, perhaps most obviously within the engineering and marine science fields. Both institutions are involved in national and economic security issues that impact the western U.S., the Pacific Rim and beyond. There is also untapped potential in the ability of the two institutions, if combined, to compete for increased federal, philanthropic and other sources of funding for national security, renewable energy and other programs.
Is this a temporary solution to help Cal Maritime through its financial challenges, with a goal of having it regain its independent status once enrollment and finances improve?
This is intended as a permanent solution. The success of this integration will rely on the strengths that Cal Poly can bring to Cal Maritime, such as national recognition, strong academic programs, student advising and coursework and marketing and branding for strategic enrollment growth.
The CSU is providing $35 million in one-time funds to support the integration that will be distributed over seven years.
Why is saving Cal Maritime important?
Unique to the western U.S, Cal Maritime is one of only six degree-granting state maritime academies in the nation that produce U.S. Coast Guard-licensed mariners. Graduates are prepared for high-impact careers in the fields of engineering, oceanography, transportation, global logistics, marine sciences and international relations. The academy is a critically important resource — vital to economic and national security — for the state and nation.
How much money is this going to save the CSU?
As the primary goal is to preserve critical degree programs and safeguard their crucial contributions to national and economic security initiatives, rather than to reduce costs, cost-saving isn't the relevant measure here. The transition can be accomplished without requiring additional ongoing funding beyond the standard incremental support typically provided to the universities. It is anticipated that there will be some cost savings over time associated with administrative structures, but the short-term costs to position both campuses' success are projected to be approximately $5 million a year for seven years to include substantial support for financial aid and scholarships. Those one-time resources will come from systemwide designated balances and reserves that are held for important university initiatives and other one-time purposes.
Financial aid and scholarships will be funded by one-time funds from the CSU and Cal Poly campus-based fees. Over 50% of recent campus-based fees (Cal Poly Opportunity Fee and College Based Fee adjustment) will support financial aid and scholarships on an ongoing basis.
Where can I find more information or get answers to additional questions?
For more information or answers to additional questions, please visit the
Cal Poly Maritime Integration website. The FAQ section is regularly updated with the latest information.