Academic Commons
A center of learning in a "learning-by-doing" environment
An expanded 21st century library and academic commons is needed at Cal Poly to provide students with a variety of learning environments and technologies that support individual and group scholarship. The completed Academic Commons will be a centerpiece of the campus, providing new collaborative spaces and resources central to the learning process. It will also provide the campus with a much-needed gathering place for student and faculty interaction and offer a range of multidisciplinary experiences. It will be a place where Cal Poly can showcase its scholarship across colleges and with the San Luis Obispo community.
A library for the 21st Century
The Robert E. Kennedy Library is well on its way to becoming an all-digital library supporting research and discovery over the network anytime, anywhere. The mass digitization of journals, indexes, and reference resources, and the prevalence of mobile technology have profoundly altered the way libraries offer access to information. For today's students, ready access to computer technology, power, and both wired and wireless connectivity are essential. Access to computers, tablets, and related technology will be greatly enhanced in the new Academic Commons.
Collaborative spaces to support group projects, practice rooms, and studios for small format media production for class projects and presentations are part of the design. The Academic Commons will be a natural home for these spaces, along with staff that can coach students in the creation of their own productions or the writing of a term paper.
A student success center
Student support services in the expanded Academic Commons will transform the building from a traditional library into a comprehensive learning center.
A wide range of existing services will be part of the Academic Commons including:
- Honors Program
- Writing Center
- Academic Skills Center
- Multicultural Center
- Women's Center
- Pride Center
- Disability Resource Center
- International Education and Programs
Clustering these vital services in the Academic Commons will provide students with quick and convenient access to the services that best match their needs. The Academic Commons will become a center for inclusive excellence in the finest sense of the phrase. With its active mix of innovative learning spaces and resources, the Academic Commons will be the best place for students at Cal Poly to work, study, discover, and develop the skills for lifelong learning.
A new student union
A number of recent studies have demonstrated the importance of social spaces in fostering academic communication. Cafés and retail spaces can actively contribute to the academic process; beyond merely attracting students, they create an ambiance of vitality and a crossroads for intellectual discourse and the exchange of ideas. The new Academic Commons offers Cal Poly a critical opportunity to redefine how it can best support students in a "learn-by-doing" environment. To further enrich the intellectual life of the campus, the Academic Commons will offer:
- Library Forum
- A high quality presentation space appropriate for guest speakers, panel discussions, and film programs.
- Kennedy Gallery
- Gallery space that will showcase the University's wide-range of creative efforts from fine art exhibitions to displays of the solar car or the concrete canoe.
- University Commons
- Large, flexible space on the top floor with views of the mountains to the North and East. The room will include access to a caterer's kitchen and will support a wide range of campus functions including symposia, faculty meetings, and receptions.
Partnerships
The Academic Commons will bring together the skills and expertise of Library Services, IT Services, Academic Services, Student Affairs, and the Corporation to support collaborative student learning for the 21st century.
- Academic Commons web pages
