05-02-2012

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Mike Miller battles back. SPORTS, pg. 8

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NHA HA/ MUSTANG DAILY

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

WORD ON THE STREET What is the maximum amount of units you’ve taken in a single quarter?

“Sixteen. It went really well.” • Ronald Williams political science sophomore

“I’m a freshman, so the most I’ve taken is 17. It was fine.” • Ellen Kwak business administration freshman

Volume LXXVI, Number 115

www.mustangdaily.net

Unit cap to begin in fall SEAN MCMINN

seanmcminn.md@gmail.com

Thousands of students registering for Cal Poly classes next fall will see firsthand a new result of California’s budget woes: a 16-unit registration cap. A California State University (CSU) memo issued in early March will standardize a unit cap for all schools in the system, regardless of their respective financial situations. The mandate was prompted by the struggling California budget and the uncertainty of how it will affect state universities’ finances next year. “I don’t see any positive for Cal Poly in having this cap,” Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong said. “This cap is there because of the state budget trials. That will save money. It’s going to mean some students don’t take some classes because of the looming $12 million cut we have. So what the CSU is saying is, ‘We have to implement some steps now.’” But early estimates predict the measure will impact only a small amount of students out of the university’s total population. This is due to several exemptions Cal Poly chose to enact for its students after approval by the CSU, Chancellor’s Office Spokesperson Liz Chapin said. Students who are considered to be seniors by the university, or those who have completed at least 135 units, are exempt from the unit cap, associate vice provost Kimi Ikeda said. Additionally, Ikeda said students in majors that require science or language classes, or more than 180 units to graduate, can surpass the 16-unit cap. “We’re trying not to negatively impact students’ progress to degrees or their plans,” Ikeda said.

After running evaluations of students’ classes this quarter and examining how they would be impacted by the unit cap, the vice provost found that approximately 2,300 Cal Poly students, or 12 percent, would not fall under one of the exemptions. Of those who would not meet the criteria of an exempt category, Ikeda’s estimates predict only 300 would try to register for more than 16 units. University administrators said they are happy this number is much smaller than the thousands of students who take more than 16 units. “We can’t send the message that it’s not a big deal,” Armstrong said. “It may be a big deal. But it’s going to be a big deal for a limited number of students.” There are no plans as of yet to determine how the unit cap will be enforced, Ikeda said. Since students traditionally are only able to register for up to 16 units during the initial enrollment cycle, she predicts no change will be made until open enrollment becomes available in the summer. Provost Kathleen Enz Finken, who is in her first year at Cal Poly, said she too believes students will not notice a large change because of the exemptions allowed in the mandate. Still, Enz Finken said the unit cap will work better for other schools in the CSU system, but has the potential to hurt some students at Cal Poly. “We just decided our best way to move forward is to do what we’ve been doing, which is to allow the students to enroll as they see fit,” Enz Finken said. “And then, if there are situations where a student who doesn’t meet those stated criteria wants to take additional credits, then we would have to look at those and consider whether there should be an exception.”

GRAPHIC BY MELISSA WONG/MUSTANG DAILY

Armstrong echoed Enz Finken’s sentiments that setting a 16-unit cap is not ideal for Cal Poly. But because it comes directly from the CSU, the university has no choice but to follow the system-wide restriction. “We did ask questions, and they said, ‘Sorry, this is the best we can do. This is a tough time,’” he said. “Again, plan for the worst, hope for the best.” After discussions with the CSU, Armstrong said he felt comfortable the university would be able to reduce the

negative effects on students. Students who do not fall into one of the preapproved exemptions will be allowed to petition on a case-by-case basis to take more than 16 units, Enz Finken said. Though no system is in place to address these requests, the provost said more details will be determined as open enrollment approaches. “Let’s just do business as usual, and when we see there’s a questions then we’ll address it,” she said. “So I think we’ll be fine.”

Student called up to big leagues in Washington D.C. ERIN HURLEY

erinhurley.md@gmail.com

“Nineteen. It was lower division classes, so it wasn’t that bad.” • Jeff Georgette mechanical engineering graduate student

“Eighteen. It was challenging.” • Jackie Mozek ethnic studies senior

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In seventh grade, Anna Consani was awarded “Most Likely to Become a Senator” by a classmate. The distinction didn’t mean much to her then. “I got that thinking, ‘Okay, first of all, I don’t even know what a senator is,’” Consani said. “I hadn’t even been through American History yet, and so I was like, ‘Okay, maybe she sees me as a leader or whatnot — I had done honors society, but that’s about it.’” The political science junior has come a long way since then. Two weeks ago Consani received another distinction — an opportunity to represent Cal Poly at the Panetta Institute for Public Policy Congressional Internship Program in Washington, D.C., which gives college students an opportunity to get hands-on experience working as interns for California Congressmembers.

This program worked with Consani’s plans — she intended to go abroad or have an internship this fall, so when she heard about the program from her department head, “I said, ‘Hey, this looks like a great opportunity.’” The Congressional Internship Program selects one student from each California State University, as well as Santa Clara University and Dominican University. Students first attend a two-week course in late August at the Panetta Institute of Public Policy in Monterey, Calif., where they learn about the legislative process and current national issues, and then travel to Washington, D.C. for the next two-and-a-half months. The Panetta Institute for Public Policy covers students’ orientation and living costs during the internship, such as lodging and transportation, as well as a stipend. After applying for the program, Consani interviewed

ARTS, pg. 4 Clothes for a cause.

with the provost’s office and met with President Jeffrey Armstrong, who selected her and one other student from Cal Poly to move forward in the process. Consani then went to Monterey to interview with the Panetta Institute of Public Policy’s Director Sylvia Panetta. Panetta said Consani answered the questions well and described her as “eager, enthusiastic and bright.” “She wanted to learn about government by being there,” Panetta said. Interns in the program do tasks such as answering phones, doing research and attending meetings, Panetta said, but they also “get to learn all about Congress.” Consani was “so happy” when she got the good news that she had been chosen for the program — but said being chosen as a finalist from the Cal Poly applicants was the see CONSANI, pg. 2

Tomorrow’s Weather: high Sunny

66˚F

low 52˚F

KAYTLYN LESLIE/MUSTANG DAILY

Political science junior Anna Consani will travel to Washington, D.C. later this year for an internship with the Panetta Institute for Public Policy’s Congressional Internship Program.

INDEX News.............................1-3 Arts..............................4-5

Opinions/Editorial...........6 Classifieds/Comics..........7 Sports..........................6-8


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