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• Editorial: Affordable education should be No. 1 goal

  Editorial: Affordable education should be No. 1 goal

  Much as we want Cal Poly to preserve its “level of excellence,” we have serious concerns about expecting students to pay ever-higher fees — especially since it now takes most Poly students five or more years to graduate.

  It’s already enough of a financial burden on families to pay for four years of college.

  Consider: This year, a Poly student will spend, on average, $23,488 on tuition, room and board, books, transportation, etc. Multiply that over four years, and that’s close to $100,000.

• Cal Poly president unveils ambitious agenda at faculty conference

  Cal Poly president unveils ambitious agenda at faculty conference

  Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong plans to expand enrollment, upgrade infrastructure and increase out-of-state and international students in an ambitious vision over the next 10 to 15 years.

  But much of the burden to support future plans will be placed on the backs of students, who have seen their tuition rise by about 36 percent over the past four years.

  Students now pay for more than 50 percent of Cal Poly’s operating budget compared with 10 percent 25 years ago.

• Cal Poly president defends proposed fee hikes

  Cal Poly president defends proposed fee hikes

  Cal Poly is considering a new fee to help pay for faculty, course sections and lab opportunities to help more students graduate on time, President Jeffrey Armstrong told The Tribune on Thursday.

  The fee — which would start at $160 per quarter next fall, rise to $210 per quarter in fall 2013 and $260 per quarter in fall 2014 — would help to fill budget gaps as state funding has dropped to 41 percent of Cal Poly’s operating budget, he said.

  If Cal Poly decides early next year to seek California State University Chancellor Charles Reed’s approval of the fee, it would be separate from tuition fee hikes set for all CSU schools. That board voted Wednesday to increase tuition by 9 percent at a meeting marked by a raucous protest and four arrests.

• Record number apply to Cal Poly

  Record number apply to Cal Poly

  Cal Poly has received about 45,000 applications for its incoming fall class — a record.

  Its previous high was two years ago when it received 42,495 applications for fall 2010, according to Cal Poly admissions director James Maraviglia.

  Although university officials still aren’t sure how many spaces will be available for new students, Maraviglia said that early indicators appear to show that it will have 3,860 undergraduate slots for freshmen and transfers. He said that number is still being determined and assumes no additional cuts in funding beyond those already announced.

• Crozier says Cal Poly's women's soccer team may be a sleeper this season

  Crozier says Cal Poly's women's soccer team may be a sleeper this season

  Landing sixth in the Big West Conference preseason poll this month was a minor shock to Cal Poly women’s soccer head coach Alex Crozier.

  A four-time conference coach of the year who has captured seven Big West titles, Crozier has spent most of his previous 19 seasons with the Mustangs at or near the top of the standings.

  Going into today’s season opener at Cincinnati, Crozier is primed for a return to the top, even if his coaching peers might not be expecting much.