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Inside Cal Poly

Original Source: Mustang News 



Reporter: Madeline Kuhns and Samantha Roach



Date: October 24, 2025



Link: <a href="https://mustangnews.net/cal-poly-kennedy-library-new-mural/">https://mustangnews.net/cal-poly-kennedy-library-new-mural/</a>



On June 16, 2023, the Kennedy Library shut down for renovations leaving students on campus without a go-to study place.&nbsp;



To celebrate the Sept. 15 re-opening, a ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Thursday, allowing guests to take self-guided tours and participate in a Q&amp;A session with the artists of the new mural featured in the lobby.&nbsp;



The ribbon-cutting highlighted the new “Grounds for Growth” mural created by local artists, Joshua Lawyer and MJ Lindo-Lawyer. The ceremony, taking place a month after the start of the school year, avoided the large beginning-of-year crowds flooding into the new building.

Kennedy Library Unveils New Mural in Official Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

Original Source: edhat 



Reporter: Kathakali Nandi



Date: October 23, 2025



Link: <a href="https://www.edhat.com/news/cal-poly-launches-first-major-modular-housing-project-amid-housing-crunch/">https://www.edhat.com/news/cal-poly-launches-first-major-modular-housing-project-amid-housing-crunch/</a>



California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) is set to add new student housing. Construction of the first major modular housing project started on October 22, 2025, <a href="https://www.calpoly.edu/newsletters/cal-poly-report/2025/10/22-cal-poly-report-october-22-2025" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the university said on its website</a>. 



The $1.2 billion housing program, part of a multi-phase housing plan, is expected to add more than 3,000 new beds in a suite-style design.



The residential units will be organized in three-bedroom suites, with each bedroom having double occupancy. Each suite will have two bathrooms and a shared living space. All buildings will include community spaces, study lounges, and kitchens.&nbsp;



The residence hall room and common spaces will be fabricated in an off-site factory and assembled on the campus. This modular construction plan reduces time and makes the project affordable and efficient,&nbsp;<a href="https://housing.calpoly.edu/future-housing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cal Poly said on its website</a>.&nbsp;

Cal Poly Launches First Major Modular Housing Project Amid Housing Crunch  

Original Source: Mustang News



Reporter: Sam Fickett



Date: October 13, 2025



Link: <a href="https://mustangnews.net/mustang-safe-replaces-rave-guardian/">https://mustangnews.net/mustang-safe-replaces-rave-guardian/</a>



Cal Poly launched Mustang Safe, on Sept. 19, to replace the existing campus safety app, Rave Guardian. This change comes after Cal Poly introduced Rave Guardian two years ago in January 2022.&nbsp;



According to&nbsp;<a href="https://afd.calpoly.edu/police/services/safety-app">the Cal Poly Police Department website</a>, the app provides “a more holistic approach to campus safety and wellbeing.” The website’s report also states Cal Poly students, faculty and staff will need to remove the Rave Guardian app before they can download the Mustang Safe app.



Mustang Safe offers similar features to Rave Guardian, with additional campus-specific integrations. It includes the core safety features that Rave Guardian offered, such as directories to call 911 or the Cal Poly Police Department (CPPD), links to student resources and has location sharing options.&nbsp;

Cal Poly Launches New Campus Safety App ‘Mustang Safe’ to Replace ‘Rave Guardian’

Original Source: Mustang News Reporter: Katy Clark Date: September 27, 2025 Link: <a href="https://mustangnews.net/new-mustang-shuttle-route/">https://mustangnews.net/new-mustang-shuttle-route/</a> 



Cal Poly added a second Mustang Shuttle route during the day that goes in the opposite direction of the other daytime shuttle.&nbsp;



This addition means that two shuttles will run during the day and two will run in the evening. During both times, the two shuttles will run in the opposite direction, differing from last year when the two evening shuttles ran in the same direction.&nbsp;



“We had feedback that sometimes people didn’t want to get on the shuttle because the stop they were going to would be at the “end” of the route, so now you can go on the shuttle that’s going in the opposite direction to make it more efficient,” University Spokesperson Keegan Koberl wrote in an email to Mustang News.

Cal Poly Adds New Mustang Shuttle Route Running in the Opposite Direction

Original Source: Mustang News



Reporter: RJ Pollock 



Date: September 12, 2025



Link: <a href="https://mustangnews.net/kennedy-library-reopens-2025/">https://mustangnews.net/kennedy-library-reopens-2025/</a>



Cal Poly’s Robert E. Kennedy Library is nearing the end of its two-year, $78 million transformation that will reopen the campus hub for fall quarter 2025.



When the library doors open on Sept. 15, students will find more seating options, new study zones and upgraded technology throughout the building. Expanded 24-hour hubs on the first and second floors will provide around-the-clock access, while new ground-floor classrooms and a Julian’s Cafe add both academic and social spaces.&nbsp;



The major renovations include all-gender restrooms, seismic upgrades and climate control improvements, along with new accessibility features such as updated elevator infrastructure, added ramps and a redesigned floor plan to make it easier to move through the building.

Cal Poly Kennedy Library returns after completion of two-year transformation

Original Source: The Tribune 



Reporter: Angel Corzo



Date:  September 16, 2025



Link: <a href="https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/education/cal-poly-university/article312096768.html">https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/education/cal-poly-university/article312096768.html</a>



The long-awaited return of the Robert E. Kennedy Library at Cal Poly has finally come, as doors opened just in time for the new school year.



After two years of renovations in the concrete brutalist structure, the nearly $80 million project is now available for students to use once again for studying and checking out books, as well as experience a handful of the newly reimagined amenities and spaces within the library.

Cal Poly library reopens after nearly $80 million renovation. See inside

Original Source: KSBY



Reporter: KSBY Staff



Date: July 23, 2025



Link: <a href="https://www.ksby.com/san-luis-obispo/cal-poly-announces-new-chief-of-police">https://www.ksby.com/san-luis-obispo/cal-poly-announces-new-chief-of-police</a>



The Cal Poly Police Department is officially under new leadership after a swearing-in ceremony for the chief of police on Friday.



His appointment comes after previous chief George Hughes was promoted in the summer of 2024 to the role of associate vice president of Public Safety, which oversees the police departments at both Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and the Cal Poly Solano campus, as well as the university’s Transportation and Parking Services and Department of Emergency Services.



“With his extensive background in public safety and working collaboratively with an academic community similar to ours, Robert is going to be a perfect fit with our holistic, compassionate and progressive public safety approach at Cal Poly,” Hughes said in a press release.

New Chief of Cal Poly Police Department Swears in Friday

Original Source: KEYT



Reporter: Jarrod Zinn



Date: July 25, 2025



Link: <a href="https://keyt.com/news/san-luis-obispo-county/2025/07/25/new-police-chief-and-officers-sworn-in-at-cal-poly/">https://keyt.com/news/san-luis-obispo-county/2025/07/25/new-police-chief-and-officers-sworn-in-at-cal-poly/</a>



Cal Poly held the swearing-in ceremony for its new police chief this morning.



Robert Plastino brings nearly three decades of experience in public safety with the Santa Barbara county sheriff&#8217;s office in various capacities.



“I’m excited to be here,” says Chief Plastino. “I have got a great department to work with. I have a great boss that has stood in my shoes before, which is unusual. That&#8217;s not something that normally happens. Chiefs come in and they don&#8217;t get to work directly for the previous chief. So that&#8217;s a positive. That means that it&#8217;s going to be a seamless operation.”

New Police Chief and Officers Sworn in at Cal Poly

Original Source: The Tribune



Reporter: Sasha Tuddenham



Date: July 23, 2025



Link: <a href="https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/education/cal-poly-university/article311199350.html">https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/education/cal-poly-university/article311199350.html</a>



Cal Poly has named Robert Plastino as the university’s new chief of police, according to a news release Tuesday.



He comes from 27 years at the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office where he managed the department’s North and South County operations, the release said. In Santa Barbara, he supervised more than 250 sworn and non-sworn staff, along with criminal investigations.



According to the release, he has worked with colleges before, collaborating with UC Santa Barbara’s administration and students. He also established community relations with Isla Vista residents.

Category: News