Some of Cal Poly’s core values include promoting sustainable practices, ensuring the student “Learn by Doing” experience and constantly looking for opportunities that will benefit the entire campus community. Cal Poly recently joined the new Fleet Partnership Program, a California State University (CSU) system-wide plan that aligns directly with all three of these values. As this new partnership rolls out, the university will reap many different benefits.
The university fleet includes all Cal Poly vehicles from university police cars to lawnmowers. Cal Poly relies on a vast range of vehicles for general campus maintenance, delivering goods, taking care of university animals, supporting the Cal Poly Police Department, and more. The CSU system-wide Fleet Partnership Program works to partner with a manufacturing company in order to provide fleet for all universities at a lower cost with additional added benefits.
According to Lead Procurement Specialist Ashley Sangster, this partnership started as one that would allow universities to purchase fleet vehicles in a cost-effective manner with extra benefits such as extended warranties and discounted machine parts. As the program developed it became deeper with many added sustainability perks. Cal Poly is looking into working with a manufacturer whose sustainability beliefs and values align with the university’s. This will include purchasing a fleet with recyclable content and vehicles that are electric to reduce fuel emissions. This partnership will be beneficial long-term as the university will reduce its overall carbon footprint.
Maintaining a partnership with these manufacturers will also promote the hands-on “Learn by Doing” experience made available to Cal Poly students. It is likely that the chosen manufacturer will offer internships to students who are interested in the industry according to Sangster. Cal Poly students will get to work first-hand with the manufacturing company to enhance their skills. The Fleet Partnership Program will also make scholarships available to different academic departments in order to invest in student success. This relationship between Cal Poly and the manufacturing company will be mutually beneficial as the company will get to build a talent pipeline of talented Cal Poly students for future career opportunities.
This fleet partnership will also work to benefit veterans, provide scholarship opportunities to athletic departments, and allow for vehicle demonstrations so that the campus community can become more acquainted with the fleet.
A partnership program like this one is amongst the first of its kind within higher education. It is far reaching to all different sectors of the Cal Poly community and will foster a relationship that will last quite a while at Cal Poly. Keep an eye out for the reveal of this manufacturing company to learn more about the how it will work with the CSU Systemwide Fleet Partnership Program.