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Bias

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I do have some concerns regarding some bias in this article. While the information is fairly accurate for the most part, there are areas that have a very positive tone overall.

While I would not want a negative tone either, I do think it must be considered that a lot of information regarding the school is obtained from information Cal Poly SLO itself puts out, or from the 86 percent of students who are affluent that the article discusses.

One of the most stand-out areas is in relation to housing. The section on the residence halls seems very positive. It is not until several sections later that housing issues are discussed.

Considering how long the article is and how much it praises the school, it's a bit odd that the controveries are so glazed-over. This is not to say that the school is terrible, just to point out that, even if unintentionally, the article feels like it is intentionally glazing over issues and casting things in a sunny light.

Something that might help is significant reordering of sections. Instead of including race and class issues in just a couple of small areas, if the information were scattered around the article more it may give a better picture of what the school is like (for example, when dicussing future employment benefits, also discuss the L.A. Times article that says "was ranked one of the nation’s worst serving institutions for Latino student success." Charlie Teuthis (talk) 00:37, 12 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Relations with the Local Community desperately needs an edit

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San Luis Obispo along with many other places in California has issues with housing. Despite this it seems a bit unbalanced and indeed a bit slanted to blame the school for the issue. Though of course there is some exacerbated issue of supply due to a large population the issues, as ever, are due to lack of supply of affordable housing and other stock in the city rather than the student's fault. 73.70.101.72 (talk) 04:15, 28 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

University Name

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The correct use of the california polytechnic state university or cal poly name is important as it creates confusion between universities. I have attached the official university branding guidelines. [1]. The title of the article also has the incorrect name, which should follow university branding guidelines and should be corrected later.Mikecurry1 (talk)

You may be interested in the various talk page discussions on the name usage (see Archive 1.) That archive also includes how the consensus to use this article title was arrived at. Bahooka (talk) 17:43, 28 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
The university does not control this article or dictate its content. If you'd like us to change something in the article, you'll need to convince us that it should be changed in accordance with Wikipedia policies and community norms. ElKevbo (talk) 21:32, 28 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I was interested in that archive. I see there was a discussion on this from 20 years ago. Wikipedia has evolved since then, so I believe a new conversation would be appropriate.
Yes, I agree that the university should not control Wikipedia articles, and I agree that content should adhere to Wikipedia’s policies and community norms.
It appears that Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Pomona have distinct official brand guidelines, which should be followed to properly differentiate the two schools and prevent confusion. This distinction benefits both universities. According to Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo’s official branding guidelines, the university’s name is simply Cal Poly, whereas Cal Poly Pomona includes “Pomona” in its branding to distinguish itself (as outlined in their Cal Poly Pomona Brand Guidelines).[2]
Furthermore, Cal Poly is a protected trademark under California State Statute, as outlined in Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo’s branding guide Cal Poly Name Guidelines. Therefore, Cal Poly Pomona cannot legally use the standalone “Cal Poly” name without “Pomona.” Wikipedia should ensure that it adheres to these legal standards.
For the sake of clarity, to respect both institutions’ identities, and that it is best for both universities to differentiate, I recommend using each university’s official brand name according to their guidelines. This would prevent confusion and ensure accurate representation of both schools on Wikipedia, while also adhering to trademark law for registered trademarks. Mikecurry1 (talk) 13:55, 24 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@Bahooka: Hi Bahooka, thank you for bringing up the discussion about the name usage of Cal Poly. I believe it’s important to adhere to the official guidelines of both Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Pomona when referencing these institutions on Wikipedia.
I recently edited the Cal Poly Pomona page to align with their official brand guidelines and clarified the section regarding the name. According to Cal Poly Pomona’s guidelines, the preferred name is “Cal Poly Pomona,” or secondarily, “CPP.” Their guidelines explicitly advise against using “Cal Poly” alone to refer to CPP. This distinction helps avoid confusion between the two institutions and benefits both.
For Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, the official name guidelines are available here: Cal Poly Name Guidelines. These state the preferred names are “Cal Poly” or “California Polytechnic State University.” When clarification is needed, terms like “Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo” can be used in narrative text but should not appear in titles or headers.
Following the official branding guidelines of both universities will help ensure clear and consistent communication. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
Here are key points from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo’s guidelines for reference:
“Our Preferred Name(s) - When communicating about campus, use the following:
* Cal Poly
* California Polytechnic State University
Secondary Name Options (when clarification is needed):
* Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo
* Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA
Name Usage to Avoid:
* Cal Poly State University
* Cal Poly State
* Cal Poly SLO
* CalPoly
* California Polytechnic University"
Brand consistency is crucial for clear communication. Additionally, both “Cal Poly” and “California Polytechnic State University” are protected by state statute.
I believe that following both schools’ official guidelines will improve clarity and avoid confusion in referencing each university, as well as their subsequent public use. I appreciate the discussion and look forward to your input! Mikecurry1 (talk) 20:06, 5 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you for your feedback. As you probably know, Wikipedia does not go by the style guides of individual organizations. In this case, the Chancellor's Office even refers to the university as California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, probably because there are now three Cal Poly campuses. I believe we should follow the wording of the CSU. Bahooka (talk) 20:40, 5 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
In addition, the formal name of the university as California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo is stated here to be the formal name. Cal Poly is noted as the abbreviation. Bahooka (talk) 21:18, 5 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Mikecurry1, it appears we have reached an impasse as to whether to refer to the university as Cal Poly or California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. At this point perhaps we should seek a third opinion. Are you okay with me seeking this solution? Bahooka (talk) 21:01, 10 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you for your mediation, Bahooka. Indeed, a consensus of sorts had been reached multiple years ago and the inclusion of both the naming conventions of the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Communications & Marketing department and other common names such as Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly SLO were on the article leade for years before this renewed push to change it again based on no new developments or changes other than another user wanting to change them. Usage of the term "Cal Poly" in the LA region may typically also refer to the Pomona campus (See this recent CBS article headline, this recent MSN headline, this recent Daily Bulleting headline, etc.) and in the Arcata, California or Northern California regions may refer to Cal Poly Humboldt (See this recent ABC article). Heck, even the local media in San Luis Obispo sometimes do not use the prescribed naming convention for their local CSU campus see the headline on this San Luis Obispo Tribune article. "Cal Poly", "Cal Poly San Luis Obispo" and "Cal Poly SLO" are all common names for the CSU campus in San Luis Obispo, California. We used to have them all on the leade for years and I think we should include them now as this discussion highlights ambiguity over terms. Also, Cal Poly is a disambiguation page here on Wikipedia based on years and years of back and forth (see respective talk page). Also, Cal Poly Universities Rose Float exists.
What we would appreciate from a third way group would be a consensus on inclusion of all these common names for all these sister campuses, so that we don't have to revisit these changes that seem to crop-up on a two/three year schedule or whenever some new editor wants to make the ambiguous term Cal Poly exclusive for Cal Poly SLO.--Chlorineer (talk) 14:52, 11 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks, I will seek this solution. BTW, I think what has changed is that the CSU Chancellor's Office is now putting San Luis Obispo in the official name, probably because they recently added a third Cal Poly up in Humboldt and need to differentiate. Oh, the locals near Cal Poly Pomona just refer to it as Cal Poly, also. Thanks, Bahooka (talk) 15:44, 11 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Sorry for the slow response, I just saw you wrote your response 5 days ago, Bahooka.
Thank you all for your patience and for continuing this important discussion.
Resolving the Naming Impasse @Bahooka,
Given the two options you listed—“Cal Poly” and “California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo”—I respectfully propose adopting “Cal Poly” as the primary name for the San Luis Obispo campus. This recommendation aligns with the university’s official branding guidelines, ensuring consistency and recognition.[3] Additionally, “Cal Poly” is a protected trademark under California State Statute, which supports Wikipedia's adherence to trademark policies.
Updates Since 2018 @Chlorineer
I appreciate your insights and would like to highlight two significant changes that have occurred since those previous discussions in 2018:
  • Importantly, Cal Poly Humboldt was introduced as a polytechnic in 2022 and officially rebranded as “Cal Poly Humboldt” or “Humboldt,” with clear guidelines advising against using “Cal Poly” alone.
  • Also, Cal Poly Pomona has been rebranded as “Cal Poly Pomona” or “CPP,” explicitly advising against using “Cal Poly” alone.
These rebranding efforts by both campuses ensure that each of the three polytechnic institutions has a unique identity. This reduces confusion and adheres to their respective official branding guidelines, fostering clear differentiation among the campuses.
Relevant Wikipedia Policies:
Proposed Action:
  • Adopt “Cal Poly” as the primary name for San Luis Obispo in the article title and content.
  • Incorporate each university’s official naming guidelines into each campus’s article to maintain consistency.
These rebranding changes, updated by Humboldt's addition Cal Poly Humboldt Stylebook and the rebranding by Cal Poly Pomona, as outlined in Stylebook for 2024 (pg 4), ensure that each campus has a unique identity, reduces confusion, and adheres to their respective branding guidelines.
Thank you all for collaborating to maintain the accuracy and clarity of Wikipedia’s content. Mikecurry1 (talk) 02:00, 12 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
My request at WP:3O was declined because a third editor has joined the discussion. I think the next step in resolution is to go to the appropriate WikiProject, in this case WP:UNIGUIDE, to get more feedback, particularly from those who are not alumni of the university. I will address our discuss there in the next day or so. Thanks all for your comments and civil approach. Best, Bahooka (talk) 00:41, 13 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you for your work, @Bahooka. I'll certainly be participating in that discussion.--Chlorineer (talk) 23:34, 13 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Requested move 22 December 2024

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The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: not moved per WP:SNOW, considered in the context of the 100+ RMs proposed at once by this user. Extraordinary Writ (talk) 04:56, 24 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

– WP:COMMONNAME & WP:PRIMARYTOPIC. Theparties (talk) 11:57, 22 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Support requested move, edit conflict made me miss discussion

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  • Support, but for a different rename than suggested, I am all about consistency, but I strongly believe that the name should be, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo to make the name reasonable, while still avoiding confusion, and I think that the other Cal Poly articles should have the same naming structure, Cal Poly, Pomona and Cal Poly, Humboldt. In addition, the name of "Cal Poly" should be a disambiguation page. If it is made into a redirect, then there needs to be a disambiguation link on the top of the Cal Poly, SLO article (I use the abbreviation Cal Poly, SLO, but that is for my typing, not actually using it in the article title, although it is not exactly a terrible name to go with due to the usage of that abbreviation being so ingrained in the city and county, including the names of many businesses (businesses not associated with the university, just those that use the SLO abbreviation)). I think that keeping the old name is not in keeping with common usage, as well as what the university officially uses. Depending on the context, the university in SLO has gone with Cal Poly whenever it can, and uses Cal Poly, SLO only when it must differentiate itself. One big example of this is that the university's website is at calpoly.edu, instead of calpolyslo.edu or cpslo.edu (one of these may have been their original domain, especially the second, but that is just a strange feeling I have, and it would have been a couple of decades ago). I would guess that they had to get the approval of the University of California regents to get that URL, but that is just the speculation of some random guy. However, in official communications, the SLO university uses Cal Poly, even if they have not bothered put that into some official policy somewhere. In fact, they may have an old policy that states the opposite, but that is simply not what they actually do. If that rule exists, they flout it loud and hard (I am not sure what loud and hard means in this context, but I stand by it). They occasionally bring out the old name to talk about the founding of the university or to highlight the university's philosophy (learn by doing), but otherwise they have completely changed over. Cal Poly, Pomona seems to prefer to refer to itself with that name, but they often do not use a comma. Perhaps they did use "Cal Poly" only in decades past, but that seems to have changed long ago. The other Cal Poly university has not been around long enough to see what name will really stick, but I see no good reason not to go with Cal Poly, Humboldt for now. Also, I do not see U.S. News and World Report as a reliable source, not for the last decade or two. It would be a whole thing if I got into why, but part of it is that they have not had the U.S. News or the World Report part of the business for a very long time. They have become a college rating organization, and not a good college rating organization. No offense meant to the poor person who just happened to mention it. -- Kjkolb (talk) 09:17, 24 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

When it comes to using the old names, I think that it is just the worst of all of the other potential outcomes. It reminds me of using William Jefferson Clinton instead of Bill Clinton. We do not have to give the shortened Cal Poly name to any university, but we can do that while still not using the worst name for each university. It might not give you the same wonderful consistency, god knows that I love consistency. If one of my pinkies were to get cut off, I might be tempted to cut my other pinky off at exactly the same point and angle. Unfortunately, life is messy, and being overly rigid when it comes to consistency can lead to insanity, like an intentional hand wound to maintain consistency and symmetry in one's fingers. Be consistent when it makes sense, and when it does not, abandon consistency, not your finger. In this light, I am okay with using Cal Poly Pomona with no comma, if that is the usage the the university uses. That lack of a comma will bug me, but I am learning to live in an inconsistent world.

The old names have been abandoned and are only brought out for specific occasions. It is time for the universities to figure out what their policies are. However, I think that Wikipedia should use what the universities have already decided based upon usage (they already decided it based upon usage before they even had Wikipedia articles), instead of waiting for the glacial pace of getting official policies about university names, especially for three different universities. If the universities come up with different policies later, it is not like another discussion cannot be had on what is an appropriate article name. -- Kjkolb (talk) 10:05, 24 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

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