Cal Poly to offer degrees at community college

Author

Carly Heltzel
March 18, 2025

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, and I’m reading about one man’s In-N-Out order that ended in handcuffs. Onto the five Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and California stories you need to know for today.

1.

Cal Poly will soon offer three new degrees at a community college in Santa Maria — filling a hole of accessible 4-year degrees on the Central Coast and increasing access for students who can’t move away to transfer. Last year, Cal Poly began a “2+2” sociology degree there, and by 2026, the program will include business administration; the other two upcoming degrees have yet to be announced. Students will attend classes from Cal Poly professors and pay normal tuition. “That’s really going to change the odds for students,” the community college’s president said.

2.

California’s schools just lost a layer of protection against discrimination. The Trump administration axed the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, which investigates claims of unequal treatment, bullying, harassment, unfair discipline and more for the state’s K-12 schools. About 1,500 cases are currently pending, and employees are locked out of their emails. Fired employees said there were ways to restructure their office for greater efficiency that didn’t include a complete shut down. “It sends a chilling message,” a youth law advocate said.

3.

Two cyclists are planning a cross-country ride eating only Chipotle burritos, but only if Chipotle will sponsor them. One is a Cal Poly graduate student who joined his friend for the SLO section of a “proof of concept” ride covering the California coastline in eight days while eating nothing but 21 Chipotle burritos. The goal was to get the attention of the international chain through going viral online. And it worked. Chipotle reached out to the pair and they said the company seems interested in helping make it happen. 

4.

SLO’s summer concert series is back. And the city just released the lineup. Every Friday for 12 weeks, starting June 20, an opener and a main act will play at the Mission Plaza from 5 to 8 p.m. before a Libertine Brewing COmpany afterparty at 8:30. The city advertises the events as “the largest free concert series on the Central Coast.” “It’s very important to us and the health of the region that there are free, inclusive, family-friendly events,” a concert organizer said.

5.

Is San Francisco boring? Evidently, it depends on who you ask. Older generations tend to enjoy the vibrant arts scene and outdoor adventure opportunities, while Gen Zers felt shorted by the lack of party scene and early business closures. In a survey, 43% said its boring, 39% said no and 18% said it’s complicated. The biggest complaints were transportation, expensive prices and safety, but above all, the deadbeat tech crowd who moved to the city to get rich. “They ended up poor and grumpy,” one resident said of the techies.