Latest news with #JeffreyArmstrong
Washington Post
19-06-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Cal Poly's swimming and diving programs won't be reinstated despite fundraising efforts
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — A fundraising campaign to save the recently eliminated Cal Poly men's and women's swimming and diving programs came up short and the programs will not be reinstated, university president Jeffrey D. Armstrong announced this week. The school announced the elimination of the programs in March, citing the financial hardships expected to arrive next month when schools can begin sharing revenue with athletes . The Save Cal Poly Swim and Dive group was formed to try and save the programs. It's unclear how much the group raised, but Armstrong said in a statement it wasn't enough. 'I appreciate the efforts of many to attempt to raise the permanent funds needed to reinstate the swimming and diving programs at Cal Poly,' he said. 'While I appreciate the significant annual support and revocable bequests that have been identified, the fundraising effort has fallen well short of the goal to reinstate the program. As a result, the university is unable to reinstate the swimming and diving programs.' He added that they extended the deadline and lowered the amount needed to give them a chance to save the programs. 'The university made several changes in good faith throughout the effort, including implementing multiple extensions to the deadline dates and lowering the threshold of permanent funds for an endowment to the absolute minimum that would be required to realistically support the programs,' he said. The school said in March that athletes who were impacted by the elimination of the programs would have their scholarships honored as long as they are at Cal Poly or they can enter the transfer portal. Coaches did not have their contracts renewed after they expired in April. The school, a member of the Big West Conference, will sponsor 20 sports going forward. The House settlement, which was approved June 6, is expected to financially benefit football and basketball stars at the biggest schools, who are likely to receive a big chunk of the $20.5 million per year that colleges are permitted to share with athletes over the next year. Schools across the country are deciding which sports to keep. Armstrong said the move was difficult but that it was unavoidable. 'This is an unfortunate reality given the approved NCAA House settlement, state budget and the tenuous situation moving forward for both the state and the NCAA,' he said. 'I want to reiterate that the significant and unequitable changes in the NCAA and the House settlement (and new organizations resulting from this settlement) had an impact that weighed heavily in this decision.' ___ AP college sports:
Al Arabiya
19-06-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Cal Poly's Swimming and Diving Programs Won't Be Reinstated Despite Fundraising Efforts
A fundraising campaign to save the recently eliminated Cal Poly men's and women's swimming and diving programs came up short, and the programs will not be reinstated, university president Jeffrey D. Armstrong announced this week. The school announced the elimination of the programs in March, citing the financial hardships expected to arrive next month when schools can begin sharing revenue with athletes. The Save Cal Poly Swim and Dive group was formed to try and save the programs. It's unclear how much the group raised, but Armstrong said in a statement it wasn't enough. 'I appreciate the efforts of many to attempt to raise the permanent funds needed to reinstate the swimming and diving programs at Cal Poly,' he said. 'While I appreciate the significant annual support and revocable bequests that have been identified, the fundraising effort has fallen well short of the goal to reinstate the program. As a result, the university is unable to reinstate the swimming and diving programs.' He added that they extended the deadline and lowered the amount needed to give them a chance to save the programs. 'The university made several changes in good faith throughout the effort, including implementing multiple extensions to the deadline dates and lowering the threshold of permanent funds for an endowment to the absolute minimum that would be required to realistically support the programs,' he said. The school said in March that athletes who were impacted by the elimination of the programs would have their scholarships honored as long as they are at Cal Poly or they can enter the transfer portal. Coaches did not have their contracts renewed after they expired in April. The school, a member of the Big West Conference, will sponsor 20 sports going forward. The House settlement, which was approved June 6, is expected to financially benefit football and basketball stars at the biggest schools who are likely to receive a big chunk of the 20.5 million per year that colleges are permitted to share with athletes over the next year. Schools across the country are deciding which sports to keep. Armstrong said the move was difficult but that it was unavoidable. 'This is an unfortunate reality given the approved NCAA House settlement, state budget and the tenuous situation moving forward for both the state and the NCAA,' he said. 'I want to reiterate that the significant and unequitable changes in the NCAA and the House settlement (and new organizations resulting from this settlement) had an impact that weighed heavily in this decision.'
Associated Press
19-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Cal Poly's swimming and diving programs won't be reinstated despite fundraising efforts
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (AP) — A fundraising campaign to save the recently eliminated Cal Poly men's and women's swimming and diving programs came up short and the programs will not be reinstated, university president Jeffrey D. Armstrong announced this week. The school announced the elimination of the programs in March, citing the financial hardships expected to arrive next month when schools can begin sharing revenue with athletes. The Save Cal Poly Swim and Dive group was formed to try and save the programs. It's unclear how much the group raised, but Armstrong said in a statement it wasn't enough. 'I appreciate the efforts of many to attempt to raise the permanent funds needed to reinstate the swimming and diving programs at Cal Poly,' he said. 'While I appreciate the significant annual support and revocable bequests that have been identified, the fundraising effort has fallen well short of the goal to reinstate the program. As a result, the university is unable to reinstate the swimming and diving programs.' He added that they extended the deadline and lowered the amount needed to give them a chance to save the programs. 'The university made several changes in good faith throughout the effort, including implementing multiple extensions to the deadline dates and lowering the threshold of permanent funds for an endowment to the absolute minimum that would be required to realistically support the programs,' he said. The school said in March that athletes who were impacted by the elimination of the programs would have their scholarships honored as long as they are at Cal Poly or they can enter the transfer portal. Coaches did not have their contracts renewed after they expired in April. The school, a member of the Big West Conference, will sponsor 20 sports going forward. The House settlement, which was approved June 6, is expected to financially benefit football and basketball stars at the biggest schools, who are likely to receive a big chunk of the $20.5 million per year that colleges are permitted to share with athletes over the next year. Schools across the country are deciding which sports to keep. Armstrong said the move was difficult but that it was unavoidable. 'This is an unfortunate reality given the approved NCAA House settlement, state budget and the tenuous situation moving forward for both the state and the NCAA,' he said. 'I want to reiterate that the significant and unequitable changes in the NCAA and the House settlement (and new organizations resulting from this settlement) had an impact that weighed heavily in this decision.' ___ AP college sports:
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cal Poly professor suspended for pushing police barricade at Pro-Palestine protest
A Cal Poly English professor will be suspended for one month without pay for their conduct at one Pro-Palestine protest last year. The Office of the Provost accused Shanae Aurora Martinez — who uses 'they/she' pronouns — of 'unprofessional conduct' for their behavior at January and May protests in 2024 — the first which exploded into a confrontation between police and protesters that ended in violent arrests. A Faculty Hearing Committee recommended a one-month suspension without pay for Martinez because they joined other protesters to push on a metal police barricade at the January demonstration. However, the committee did not think that Martinez's behavior at the May protest violated campus policies. On Friday, President Jeffrey Armstrong approved the committee's decision — making it official. Martinez's suspension begins on Sept. 11, which is the the first day of the fall quarter for faculty, according to Cal Poly's academic calendar. 'Dr. Martinez stated that she was at the protest to support students' right to protest and to serve as a peace liaison,' the letter from the committee said. 'While we applaud her desire to support Cal Poly students and combat inequity, we note that pushing on the barricade goes beyond what would be expected of a peace liaison or a person simply supporting students' right to protest. Instead of just supporting their rights, she was actively involved in the protest.' Cal Poly professor could face lighter penalty for Pro-Palestine protests The committee included Cal Poly professors Samantha Gill, Gregory Schwartz and Pasha Tabatabai, with Crow White as the alternate member. Because Armstrong agreed with the Faculty Hearing Committee's decision, Martinez cannot appeal the one-month suspension. On Friday, Martinez's faculty representative San Jose State University professor Sang Hea Kil said she would have preferred that Martinez wasn't suspended without pay, but nonetheless, she was glad to see that the committee recommended a lesser penalty. 'It's still a victory in the sense that the faculty hearing panel saw the excessive and punitive nature of the Cal Poly school administration's approach toward Dr. Martinez and, you know, mitigated that,' she said. Sang said she was also glad that the Faculty Hearing Committee's decision included 'protectionist language,' pointing out that they didn't want the punishment to continue after the one-month suspension. She hopes that discourages the university from using the incident against Martinez when considering their tenure promotion in the fall. 'My hope is that they'll do the right thing and honor what the faculty panel had said in their language, and not use this as further amplifying punishment against Dr. Martinez,' Sang said. In February, the Office of the Provost sent Martinez a letter of pending disciplinary action, which recommended that they be suspended for two quarters without pay for their conduct during Pro-Palestine protests on Jan. 23, 2024, and May 23, 2024. The office said Martinez's behavior violated the California Education Code of Conduct, the Campus Civility Statement, Cal Poly's Statement on Commitment to Community and the Faculty Code of Ethics. The office, however, never shared precedent or policy that supported a two-quarter suspension. In Tuesday's letter, the committee called an unpaid two-quarter suspension 'excessive.' 'This one situation does not and should not define Dr. Martinez or detract from all the good work she has been and is doing,' the letter said. 'It is important to emphasize that we believe Dr. Martinez's actions were not antisemitic.'
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cal Poly building vandalized by pro-Palestinian activists; 2 suspects in custody
Cal Poly's Administration Building was vandalized by pro-Palestinian activists Wednesday afternoon. According to an email sent to the Cal Poly campus community from Cal Poly president Jeffrey Armstrong, a group of five individuals entered the university's Financial Aid and Student Accounts office in the Administration Building and spray-painted graffiti on walls, windows, furniture, computers, carpets and floors on Wednesday afternoon. 'Thankfully, no one was physically harmed in the incident, but it was traumatizing for numerous Cal Poly employees and students who were in the office at the time,' Armstrong's statement read. Cal Poly police arrived, causing the five individuals to flee the scene, though two suspects have been identified and are in custody for questioning, Armstrong said. In his statement, Armstrong said there is 'simply zero tolerance' for the individuals' behavior. 'Those participating in violence and criminal activity which endangers other s will be expelled (if they are students), arrested and held fully accountable,' Armstrong's statement read. 'Anyone who views this kind of shortsighted, disgusting and illegal activity as acceptable has no place at Cal Poly and will be rooted out.' Armstrong asked anyone with information related to the incident, including the identities of those responsible, photos, videos or otherwise, to contact the Cal Poly police at 805-756-2281.
