California State University Maritime is set to merge with Cal Poly SLO to address a financial and enrollment crisis and ensure the survival of the specialized institution.
According to a staff report from the board of trustees staff report, Cal Maritime has experienced a 31 percent decline in enrollment over the past seven years. Currently, the institution has just over 700 students. In light of this, the trustees voted at the end of July to approve the merger.
The California State University board of trustees voted in favor of a merger between Cal Poly SLO and Cal Maritime. This decision was made with the intention of leveraging Cal Poly’s strong reputation to boost enrollment at Cal Maritime. The board believes that by joining forces, the two institutions can create a unique learning environment that emphasizes hands-on experiences and practical learning. This merger signifies a commitment to the “learn by doing” philosophy, which has been a cornerstone of Cal Poly’s success.
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Cal Maritime has implemented cost-cutting measures campus-wide. These include reducing office and divisional budgets, eliminating vacant positions, downgrading others, and implementing a hiring freeze on nonessential roles. According to the staff, there have also been two vice president positions eliminated and two others restructured with salary reductions.
According to a previous report by the New Times, Cal Maritime, which currently contributes 25 percent of the nation’s maritime workforce, is facing challenges due to declining enrollment and financial difficulties. In response to this, CSU Executive Vice Chancellor Steve Relyea believes that merging with Cal Poly will be beneficial in restoring the university to its former operational capacity.
“We began pursuing the option of finding a partner with compatible and synergistic academic programs and training programs that, when integrated, would create something much more powerful than either could achieve individually,” he explained.
Cal Poly emerged as the clear frontrunner for the position.
On July 22, the CSU board concurred with Relyea’s recommendation and officially approved the merger.
Cal Poly aims to leverage its reputation for excellence in engineering, agriculture, and architecture to enhance the quality of faculty, staff, and students at Cal Maritime, a growing university. The Polytechnic University intends to contribute expertise in enrollment management, marketing, and brand-building to boost application demand. Additionally, Cal Poly’s fundraising prowess is expected to attract philanthropic partners to support Cal Maritime’s initiatives, as outlined in the staff report.
According to the staff report, Cal Poly can offer crucial services for the maintenance of the maritime academy’s physical infrastructure. It is mentioned in the report that Cal Maritime does not have sufficient resources to provide substantial financial aid to its students.
Integration with Cal Poly will allow the maritime academy to access more institutional financial aid. This will enable the academy to restructure its financial aid system and provide increased support to new California residents, as well as students from other Western states such as Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii, along with students from U.S. territories in the Pacific.
According to a letter from Cal Poly President Jeffery Armstrong on August 13, Keith Humphrey, the Vice President for Student Affairs, will be transitioning to a new role at Cal Maritime following the merger. In his new position, Humphrey will be dedicated to maintaining a strong student experience for both campuses’ students.
The university is currently looking for a candidate to fill Humphrey’s vacant position, according to Keegan Koberl, an executive communications specialist at Cal Poly.
“In the meantime, I am happy to announce that Cindy Villa has graciously agreed to assist with the transition, starting immediately. She will be taking charge of the Student Affairs division on an interim basis,” Armstrong announced in the letter. “I am thankful to Cindy for her readiness to assume this crucial position, and I am confident that the division will greatly benefit from her exceptional leadership skills and experience.”
