An inside look at living, studying and working at Cal Poly.

Inside Cal Poly

In January, Regan Linderman began her role as executive director of University Budget and Fiscal Planning.



With her extensive budget and finance experience — including nearly 16 years at California State University, Stanislaus — Linderman will lead a Budget and Fiscal Planning team overseeing all campus budget planning, development, administration and reporting.



To get to know Regan better, we recently sat down with her to discuss what she looks forward to working on this year, her ideal movie universe and what she would ask her future self.



What do you do in your role? I provide oversight and direction for the University Budget &amp; Fiscal Planning department.&nbsp;As a team, we are responsible for the budget planning process, working with campus partners on revenue and expense projections, providing budgetary analysis and support to all areas of the campus, and for providing information and reporting to support the allocation of funds in support of the goals of the university.



What do you like about your job? I am genuinely excited about contributing to the mission of the California State University. People need to know and understand what resources are available to them to be able to fulfill this mission. I like being able to provide information in a clear manner that will support informed financial decisions.



What are some things your team is working on that you are excited about?&nbsp; I am new to the team, so I am just getting my feet wet. We are currently working on the 2025-26 budget planning process and are providing support and analysis for the many campus initiatives such as the Cal Maritime integration.



Are you from San Luis Obispo? If not, where are you from,&nbsp;and how did you end up in SLO County? I am not from San Luis Obispo. I am relocating from Turlock in the Central Valley to SLO County to join the Cal Poly campus and to fulfill a desire to live on the Central Coast.



Where is your happy place? The beach is absolutely my happy place. I feel calm and at peace when I am near the ocean.



If you could live in any movie universe, which one would it be and why? I think I would live in the James Bond franchise universe because it is full of adventure and exotic locations.



If you could meet your future self, what would you ask? I would ask myself what a few things I can do now to ensure a long and healthy life.<a href="https://inside.calpoly.edu/author/cal-poly-administration-and-finance/"></a><a href="https://inside.calpoly.edu/author/cal-poly-administration-and-finance/"></a>

We Asked, Regan Answered

Campus Dining always sees change as an opportunity to try something new. While renovations to Building 19, the former home of The Avenue, 805 Kitchen and Poly Deli are underway to create another state-of-the-art dining facility, two new Food Truck Villages have been opened to provide the campus with some fresh gastronomic experiences, alongside tried and true favorites.



Each village will be home to several food trucks including local favorites G. Brothers Smokehouse, G. Brothers Taqueria, SLO Dog, Jewel of India and Yogurt Creation, as well as Campus Dining’s Central Coaster and What’s Cookin’ Mobile.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.calpolydining.com/whats-cookin-mobile/">What’s Cookin’</a>&nbsp;is one of Campus Dining’s new food trucks, which will offer a variety of hearty and delicious tacos, nachos and tortas like the chicken mole burrito, the Baja shrimp tacos and the loaded nachos. The best part is that the menu remains consistent when it comes to your go-to favorites but changes frequently enough to keep eating on campus exciting.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.sanity.io/images/vm929t16/production/3ce42b67219e7a29cb42c399020bbbba022536fe-6016x4016.jpg?w=675&amp;h=451&amp;fit=crop" alt="guest checking out SLO Dog food truck"/></figure>



The food trucks will rotate locations as well as menus, specials and limited time offers to keep options fresh.



Each village will be located near the UU to fill in for Building 19 and will have dedicated seating areas complete with Adirondack chairs and umbrellas.



One of the villages will be located on Mott Lawn, in front of Mott Athletics Center, across Mustang Way from Building 19. The second village will be located on the north end of Mustang Way near Grand Ave and North Perimeter Road.



The common areas in each village will be frequently cleaned and maintained in order to provide campus community members with the best possible experience while enjoying some of the best food in town.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.sanity.io/images/vm929t16/production/db7082f8e77452392413a2b5b6917e26dd580f93-1200x763.jpg?w=675&amp;h=429&amp;fit=crop" alt="wide food truck village in front of Mott Gym."/></figure>



Each truck will be on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.calpolydining.com/grubhub/">Grubhub</a>&nbsp;to provide the highest level of convenience for busy students, faculty and staff.

New Food Truck Villages

As the campus community comes back from summer break, the university wants to remind Cal Poly staff of the new university travel guidelines. These guidelines have changed since last academic year but are necessary to ensure that the campus population stays safe and healthy when the fall rolls around. To get you back in the groove for all things travel, please see below.



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Cal Poly has lifted the suspension of non-essential international and domestic travel for all faculty, staff, students. This means that staff and faculty are now able to continue their business and educational trips.</li>
</ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Cal Poly will be following the latest travel guidance from the Center for Disease Controls and Prevention (CDC). This means that faculty, staff and approving officials should review each travel destination and consider the health and safety of the traveler before departing.</li>
</ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Plan before you go. Please assess your own health and identify the current <a href="https://need2know.tripsource.com/">State Travel Restrictions</a> and local health clinics of your destination before making travel plans.</li>
</ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>All international travel and study abroad requests must be reviewed by the International Center. For now, students must follow the traditional paper process with international travel. If you’ve got any comments, questions or concerns please direct them to the experts! Remember that high-hazard locations will also need approval from the provost.</li>
</ul>



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<li>Cal Poly has implemented Concur Travel and Expense as our new travel management system. Concur is a comprehensive web-based tool that integrates travel requests, travel reservations and expense reporting, including an automated approval workflow process all in one system. To access Concur, log into your Campus Portal under applications. Within the comments section of the Concur Request please enter your attestation of vaccination and book all travel with the Travel Concur Card if possible.</li>
</ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>After traveling, talk with your supervisor and follow Cal Poly departmental guidelines for health and safety to return to the office. This includes unvaccinated travelers getting a test 3-5 days after travel and reducing nonessential activities for seven days, even if your test is negative.</li>
</ul>



This information is specific to travel impacted by coronavirus (COVID-19). As the situation remains very dynamic, please keep continue to keep up to date with all Cal Poly travel guidelines. Additionally, always remember to wear your mask to protect your community! The university looks forward to having a healthy fall.​

Poly Travel Reminders

Coming back on campus is exciting and almost seems surreal. There have been so many updates and new additions to campus since Spring of 2019, just wait until you walk past Vista Grande! As students come back to campus, the university is especially excited to share everything that Campus Dining has been working on over the past year and a half. This post will serve as your complete guide for what’s new with Campus Dining.



Food Trucks Let’s start with a fan favorite, drum roll please…… the food trucks! Hungry folks can find the Central Coaster, G. Brothers Smokehouse and other SLOcal favorites located outside Mott Athletics Center and on the upper side of Mustang Way. These trucks are meant to serve the surrounding area as building 19, former home of The Avenue, Poly Deli and 805 Kitchen, is being renovated.



New Market Nearby the food trucks there will be a new market featuring grab-and-go items as well as sushi. This little market is tucked away in the University Union where customers can make a quick stop. This market will carry favorite sandwiches from the Market Grand Ave. Deli at Vista Grande as well as fresh-made Ace Sushi.



New Restaurants While we’re talking about new places to grab a bite, let’s go over the new venues! Look out for Scout Coffee Co. in yakʔitʸutʸu, Vista Grande, Health Shack near the library and What’s Cookin’ in Poly Canyon Village. Subway will be opening a second location in Poly Canyon Village as well. Scout Coffee will be near the Welcome Center, just a short walk to Vista Grande which is across the street from the Performing Arts Center. What’s Cookin’ can be found at PCV along with a mobile food truck bearing the same name, that will feature a variety of things from burritos to poke bowls. Lastly, The Health Shack is the newest addition to the Kennedy Library area, a great place to eat mid study break.



Mobile Ordering with Grubhub Good news, ordering from these venues will be as easy as a push of a button. No really, it is.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.calpolydining.com/grubhub/">Download the Grubhub app</a>&nbsp;to for a cashless and contactless payment system. This will be enforced at all venues to keep payments as safe as possible.



Dining Memberships for Campus Campus Dining now has meal options for all students, staff and faculty with Community Memberships. Starting as low as $250, Cal Poly community members can purchase one of these yummy meals plans and have access to all of the Campus Dining venues. Dining dollars do rollover year to year for first-year and Community plans with a purchase of a Community Membership for the following year. You can read more about these specialized plans&nbsp;<a href="https://www.calpolydining.com/diningprograms/community/">here</a>&nbsp;or read this&nbsp;<a href="https://inside.calpoly.edu/campus-dining-memberships-for-all/">blog</a>.



 To help you remember all the changes, Campus Dining created a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.calpolydining.com/docs/WhatsNew_Fall2021.pdf">&#8220;What&#8217;s New&#8221; flyer</a>&nbsp;with all of this information.



Excited yet? We definitely are! Campus Dining looks forward to serving the Cal Poly community once again. Welcome home mustangs!

What’s New at Campus Dining?

When it comes to emergency management, nothing is more important than being prepared. Cal Poly’s Public Safety unit strives to be well equipped for any and all emergencies, with the goal of reducing as much harm as possible to the campus community. Staying prepared requires a lot of support and resources.



Cal Poly is proud to announce that the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) has been awarded $100,000 through the 2019-2020 School Communications Interoperability Grant Program (SCIGP).



The objective of the SCIGP is to provide funds to support the acquisition of interoperable communications technology. Interoperable technology enables local fire and law enforcement agencies to connect, coordinate and communicate to security technology systems installed in schools. This type of technology is particularly important when responding to active shooter incidents. SCIGP specifically allocates these funds to California community colleges and schools in the California State University system.



According to Emergency Services Manager, Dave Lee, the department is in the process of leveraging this funding to improve the university’s response capabilities in the event of an active shooter. New interoperable communication technology will greatly improve Cal Poly’s ability to protect and serve the campus community.



To date, Cal Poly has completed two of four projects regarding equipment. The first project included installing and operating a mass notification system. This is also known as Poly Alerts. Next, Cal Poly was able to purchase 11 laptops and three monitors specifically for Cal Poly Public Safety.



The remaining two projects consist of acquiring three plug-and-play P25-compliant base station/repeaters as well as 19 P25-compliant mobile radios. These two remaining projects will work to increase radio coverage and allow for upgrades within dispatch and units.



Thanks to SCIGP, Cal Poly students, staff and faculty can look towards a safer campus where all can feel safe and protected.

Cal Poly is Awarded $100,000 Grant for Public Safety

A major renovation starts this month on Building 19, the longtime home of The Avenue, 805 Kitchen, Myron’s and many other Campus Dining facilities. This project to construct a new student-centric dining hall is the result of years of work and cross-department collaboration.



The project began in the summer of 2019 when ASI and the Cal Poly Corporation started meeting to discuss the important role that dining plays in campus life and how a major update to Building 19 could positively impact the overall student experience.



“Food plays such a personal role in everyone’s life — not just the obvious nutritional value of a meal, but the larger social aspect of gathering with friends to study over lunch or unwind at dinner,” Cal Poly Corporation Director of Facilities Will Marchese said. “An inviting dining facility can be both of those things.”



Following months of discussions, research, analysis, as well as student and campus community input, the programing and conceptual design phase of the “University Union Neighborhood” wrapped up and the next phase of the Building 19 Renovation began.



Corporation, ASI and Facilities Management and Development (FMD) Project Planner/Architect Anthony Palazzo and Project Manager Penny Sandman continued to work on the project, adding Project Manager Gil Bastidas, Associate Director of Capital Projects Michelle Chariton, and the contractor to the team as construction documents were completed. The team collaborated to ensure that the renovated Building 19 plans were cohesive with the updated University Union Neighborhood Master Plan.



The team, including their student representatives met regularly to gain shared input on the design, make value management decisions, and prepare for construction.



With everyone in the room sharing the same vision, the team was able to collaborate and create a holistic plan that will enhance the overall student experience.



Throughout this two-year period Palazzo, Chariton and the Strategic Business Services team worked closely together to successfully deliver the project. Together, they moved through the selection of the design and construction partners and the contracting involved.



The team recently completed the agreement to launch the construction phase of the renovation. Guiding the negotiations were SBS procurement specialists Chris Overby and Michele Winterfeldt, ensuring best value for the university. Chariton, Sandman and FMD Project Manager Gil Bastidas all provided their expertise to crucial construction decisions throughout the process.



Now, the rest of the campus community is about to see the result of all the cross-campus teamwork and collaboration: Protective fencing around the project has been installed, and construction begins in mid-June.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.sanity.io/images/vm929t16/production/3b236a7b238eb92499ef5d8dbbb1c037e56899d6-2000x1000.jpg?w=675&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop" alt="rendering of building 19 interior"/></figure>



When complete, the new complex will include nine separate dining venues housed in a building



that took design inspiration from the Ferry Building in San Francisco, Chelsea Market in New York, and Krog Street Market in Atlanta.



For more information on the Building 19 renovation and the larger University Union Neighborhood Project visit the&nbsp;<a href="https://afd.calpoly.edu/facilities/planning-capital-projects/project-news/uu-neighborhood/">Capital Projects webpage</a>.

The Collaboration Behind the New Building 19

Meet Mia Chaney, a second year Communication Studies student with a passion for helping others. Originally from Santa Cruz, Chaney always imagined herself going to a university like Cal Poly and was especially been drawn to the famous “Learn by Doing” philosophy that she now gets to experience every day.



On top of being a full-time student, Chaney works for Student Accounts where she gets to provide guidance for parents, as well as prospective and current students. She is that friendly voice that you hear on the other end of the&nbsp;<a href="https://afd.calpoly.edu/student-accounts/contact">Student Accounts phoneline</a>.



Being a student herself, Chaney understands the importance of understanding your account and all the stress that comes with financial management. This empathy serves her well when helping people problem solve and find answers. Chaney feels that her job is very rewarding.



Chaney recently took some time out of her busy workday to quote Heraclitus and talk about helping people, spending time outside, and the ideal office view.



What is your favorite thing to do outside of work? Outside of work and school, I try to spend a lot of time outside. I’m an avid hiker and SLO has so many things to offer for that. I also grew up near the ocean, so I love spending time there and swimming. Recently I’ve started running and overall, just do my best to stay outside and active!



If you could learn one skill today, what would it be? A random skill I wish I could learn in an instant is how to play a musical instrument. I briefly played piano and guitar when I was younger but wish I had stuck with it! I think it’d be a fun skill to have.



If you could have any view from your work desk, what would it be? My dream view from my work desk would definitely be a picturesque view of the ocean. I grew up down the street from the water so it’s one of my favorite places and the sounds of the waves would be very relaxing.



What is your personal motto/philosophy? Lately a motto I’ve been constantly reminding myself is that the only constant thing is change (a quote by Heraclitus). Although change can be nerve-racking, this past year I’ve recognized that change is unavoidable, and how I honestly am more afraid to be stuck in a stagnant routine. Accepting change is hard but throughout the shift to a virtual world and having most aspects of my life flipped upside down, I have become much more accustomed to understanding that change can be so good!



 What advice would&nbsp;you give someone who wants to work in student accounts? The main advice I would give to anyone wanting to work in student accounts is to be patient and calm. Financial services are an important and stressful topic for many so remembering that and answering each call with an open mind and calm demeanor is important. In the end we are here to help people, so making them feel supported and understood is the goal.



Keep up the good work, Mia!

Mia Chaney – Staff Feature

You might know the Performing Arts Center (PAC) as a convenient place to get free on-campus COVID-19 testing, but the PAC has done a lot more than that over the course of this past pandemic year to support the arts both on university-wide and local levels.



Throughout the pandemic, the PAC remained dedicated to keeping the arts accessible in our community and actively supported local arts organizations. When the arts and entertainment industry immediately shifted to virtual programming, many organizations lacked the equipment and expertise to provide high-quality streamed content. This is when PACSLO Productions came in to help.



“When restrictions were eased, our staff developed PACSLO Productions to create digital streaming content produced in-house,” said Nicole Pitman, graphic designer and marketing assistant&nbsp;for the PAC. “Last October, we created a free virtual concert series called ‘<a href="https://pacslo.org/online/article/livefromthepac">LIVE from the PAC</a>’ featuring local artists from around the county. We also created an interview series called ‘<a href="https://pacslo.org/online/article/5questions">5 Questions</a>’ with individuals from the arts community discussing how they’ve been affected by the pandemic, their favorite moments at the PAC, and more.”



The PAC also puts on the the PAC School Matinee Program, which typically brings thousands of local students to free performances, but this year has gone virtual. This school year, the PAC partnered with Cal Poly Arts’ Poly Arts for Youth program to present free Virtual Field Trips that have served over 12,000 local K-12 students throughout the Central Coast from over 90 schools, according to Pitman. The last Virtual Field Trip of the school year features Versa-Style Dance Company, taking students on an educational journey through the culture and history of American street dance.



Teachers have been grateful to bring joy, music and culture to virtual learning through these performances. One local kindergarten teacher said, “It brought lightness and joy into a situation that has been really difficult for many of our families.”



Pitman also included that the PAC provided support to other arts organizations as needed through production assistance, performance ticketing, event promotion and technical support. These have included virtual concerts for SLO Symphony, Cal Poly Music Department, Cal Poly Theatre and Dance and Civic Ballet’s virtual Nutcracker performance. The PAC has even had the pleasure of hosting Festival Mozaic Music Director Scott Yoo for an episode of the PBS series “Now Hear This” that aired in October 2020.



The pandemic taught all of us how to be more adaptable, resilient and innovative in a time of crisis, and the PAC is no exception. “We are deeply grateful for the unwavering support from our patrons, community and colleagues as we look towards a safe and gradual reopening of the PAC.” Pitman concluded.

How the PAC Kept the Arts Alive in a Pandemic Year

The return to travel is one of the many things the Cal Poly community is looking forward to. With the CSU travel restrictions being officially lifted on June 1, here is what you need to know in order to travel safely while following the guidelines.



To keep the university safe and healthy, the CSU system ordered a travel ban just about a year ago. With the COVID-19 vaccine becoming more widespread and Cal Poly’s plans to bring more students back on campus in the fall, the CSU Business and Finance office announced that those previous travel restrictions will also be lifted. This means that faculty, staff and students can start planning trips with a travel date of June 1 or later. All travelers need to get approval of their trip before they start the planning process.



Keep in mind that as travel opens back up for the CSU system there are a few key differences in requirements between domestic and international travel. For domestic travel, faculty and staff travelers must use Poly Travel using Concur. This online tool integrates travel requests, travel reservations and expense reporting through an automated approval workflow process system. You can access Poly Travel by logging into your Campus Portal, going to “Applications” and selecting Concur Travel. On the other hand, students and group travelers must follow the&nbsp;<a href="https://afd.calpoly.edu/travel/request/group-guest-student#domestic">paper process</a>&nbsp;for domestic travel.



For international travel, faculty and staff&nbsp;individual travelers also have to go through Concur and have their trips scheduled through&nbsp;<a href="https://afd.calpoly.edu/travel/concur/">Poly Travel</a>. Student and group travel must start with International Center and use the paper process. All international travel requests will go through the International Center and will consider CDC warning level and U.S. State Department&#8217;s Travel Advisory status. If the destination is considered “High Hazard” approval by the Provost will be needed.



Both domestic and international travel will require a signed &#8220;Traveler&#8217;s Acknowledgment of Risk Guidance&#8221; that must be submitted with the&nbsp;request. This form is designed to acknowledge the risk of exposure to COVID-19 and references CDC guidance so that Cal Poly travelers are aware of their circumstance before departure.



Keep an eye out for a list of approved international travel destinations that will be released from The Chancellor’s Office in June. Safe travels mustangs!

Category: Work