Cal Poly College of Liberal Arts

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Cal Poly College of Liberal Arts

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Arts, humanities, communications and social sciences at the heart of Cal Poly.

The College of Liberal Arts (CLA) is home to 17 departments offering programs in the arts, humanities, communications and social sciences rooted in a philosophy of Learn by Doing. The CLA’s leadership in interdisciplinary endeavors and its entrepreneurial spirit encourages students to push boundaries and innovate through multidisciplinary projects and teams. With its deep roots in creative thinking, human understanding and innovative action, the CLA gives all Cal Poly students the tools to thrive in a complex, multicultural world.

10/08/2026

October is LGBT History Month — a time to honor the resilience, brilliance and impact of the LGBTQIA+ community on our campus and beyond.

🌈 Come together at the Coming Out Kick Off Event on Friday, Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. in UU Plaza, hosted by Student Diversity and Belonging. This gathering is an opportunity to celebrate identity, build community, and continue the work of creating a campus where everyone feels seen, valued, and welcomed.

10/07/2026

As an intern in the Collections Department at Hearst Castle, Torrie Parker interacted with artifacts and relics from the historic estate in San Simeon. ⛲

Parker, a third-year history major, transcribed oral testimonies, assisted with visiting tours and worked to conserve various artifacts.

“I was able to physically interact with Hearst Castle’s artifacts and collections. [I] even helped create replicas of various artifacts that were undergoing preservation. Working in the archives was an incredible opportunity that let me interact with relics the public doesn’t have access to,” Parker said.

Throughout her internship, Parker learned how to properly store and preserve artifacts.

“A worker had found a pair of shoes that were in poor condition and looked very old, so it was our job in the Collections Department to catalog and correctly store it for possible future use or research,” Parker said. “It wasn’t as simple as throwing the shoes into a box and labeling it, but we had to use certain materials, like acid-free tissue and a properly sized box to support the shoes without causing further damage.”

During her time at Hearst Castle, Parker even transcribed oral testimonies from 20th century visitors to the lavish hilltop estate, who came when William Randolph Hearst lived there. Her favorite part of the internship, however, was swimming in the Neptune Pool.

"[It’s] an incredibly rare experience. I was working on cleaning the classical and mythological sculptures, which requires you to get into the pool, all while tours continue as you clean,” Parker said.

Did you land your dream internship? Tell us about it? 🗣️

Share your experience for the chance to be featured on our social media. Showcase how you to employers, alumni and incoming students. Fill out the form at the following link: https://bit.ly/4k7KzBO

10/06/2026

Interested in the Peace Corps? 🌍

Attend Peace Corps in The District, hosted with the District Office of Congressman Salud Carbajal on Wednesday, Oct. 7, from 3 to 4:40 p.m., in The Advanced technology Laboratory (ATL). This talk will discuss the value of public service, describe the personal and career benefits offered by the Peace Corps, and detail specific information on how you can be involved with the Peace Corps.

Speakers include returning Peace Corps Volunteer Roberto Cruz Olivera, Congressman Salud Carbajal and Cal Poly Political Science Professor Craig Arceneaux.

Register at this link: https://buff.ly/BleNq3C

10/05/2026

Cal Poly Again Named Best in the West! 🎉

For the fourth straight year, Cal Poly ranked No. 1 overall in the West and No.34 among the best public master’s universities in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Rankings. Cal Poly also earned high marks as best value for in-state students and a top school for veterans.

U.S. News evaluated over 1,700 higher education institutions on student outcomes, retention, graduate earnings and more. Our placement reflects our dedication to Learn by Doing and hands-on learning, resulting in graduates who make a positive, immediate impact in their fields.

Read more: https://buff.ly/lB1vYJo

10/01/2026

Mustang Family Weekend is here! 🐴

On Saturday, Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. in Chumash Auditorium, join the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) for our annual Learn By Doing Showcase. Discover how the CLA brings to life through faculty-guided research, applied learning, student organizations, internships and more.

Hear directly from CLA Dean Kate Murphy, as well as current CLA students about the opportunities that have shaped their education and future goals.

We hope to see you there! 💚

09/30/2026

This summer, Reagan Bones and Riley Petrocco traveled to Southern Italy to screen their short film, “You Jump, I Jump,” at the Noci Film Festival. 🎬

Bones and Petrocco, both fourth-year communication studies majors, are members of the Mustang Film Society (MFS), a film club sponsored by Cal Poly’s Interdisciplinary Studies Department. “You Jump, I Jump,” produced by MFS and written/directed by Bones and Petrocco, is a coming-of-age story following the ups and downs of a high school friend group during their game night.

The two students traveled to Noci, Italy alongside Teresiana Matarrese, a world languages professor, and Randi Barros, an interdisciplinary studies lecturer.

This experience was part of a Center for Expressive Technologies (CET) grant awarded to Matarrese and Barros, titled Cal Poly & Italy, A Cinematic and Cultural Exchange. Bones and Petrocco also received travel funding through the World Languages and Cultures Department thanks to the Fred Steck Fund, established through a donation by Frederick Steck in 2019. The next part of the grant will involve bringing Italian filmmakers to Cal Poly’s campus. 🇮🇹

09/29/2026

As a Packaging Program Manager Intern at Apple, Audrey Walch unpacked the process of creating a specialized unboxing experience for consumers. 📦

Walch, a fourth-year graphic communication student, spent her summer developing production-ready packaging and brainstorming future services and product solutions at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, CA.

“My favorite part was working in our Packaging Prototype Lab. In this lab, I got to tackle a few project briefs and test out our different printers and cutters. I was always looking for techniques and effects to give the best specialized unboxing experience while also following the necessary specifications,” Walch said.

During her internship, Walch learned more about the specifics of program management.

“I am someone who thrives on being able to express myself creatively, whether that be through packaging engineering or design, so I found that although I’m capable of being successful in the project management sphere, I need something more creative to fulfill what I want in a future career,” Walch said.

Did you land your dream internship? Tell us about it? 🗣️

Share your experience for the chance to be featured on our social media. Showcase how you to employers, alumni and incoming students. Fill out the form at the following link: https://bit.ly/4k7KzBO

09/24/2026

Applications for the Believe, Educate & Empower, Advocate, Collaborate, Nurture (BEACoN) Research Scholars Program are due Oct. 5! 🔎

BEACoN, run by Culture and Institutional Excellence (CIX), aims to expand access to research opportunities for all students. The program offers funded faculty-mentored research, professional development and community. Selected student scholars will participate throughout the academic year and receive a $4,000 financial aid award.

“Doing research with a faculty member is a great way to get hands-on experience in your discipline and provides valuable experience for graduate school,” said Julie Bettergarcia, CLA Associate Dean for Assessment, Research and Inclusive Excellence.

Learn more here: https://buff.ly/GVDANDn

09/23/2026

Last spring, graphic communication students from Cal Poly participated in an international virtual exchange, working with students from Hochschule der Median (HdM) in Stuttgart, Germany to design and package a water fountain for cats. 🐱

The collaboration was conceived when Manuel Hodrius, a product design professor at HdM, reached out to Colleen Twomey, a graphic communication professor at Cal Poly. Hodrius, who studied abroad at Cal Poly nearly ten years ago, proposed a cross-cultural project.

Three teams of HdM students were tasked with designing a cat water fountain, while twelve teams of Cal Poly students created the packaging. Through WhatsApp, text chats and email chains, the student teams communicated to pin down their product’s consumer persona, branding and distribution plan, developing cultural competence along the way.

"It was a really great lesson, learning how to communicate [with a] nine hour [time difference] and language barrier to come up with designs that were acceptable by each. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but at the end of the quarter, it was a great success,” Twomey said. “I think both sides learned a little bit about how global projects happen. They don’t happen in a vacuum. They happen with lots of communication.”

After earning the CLA’s Global Engagement Grant, Twomey travelled to Stuttgart, Germany for Media Night, where students displayed their final cat fountain prototypes. While Cal Poly has had a relationship with HdM for many years, this was the first virtual international exchange.

“There was a healthy respect for both institutions’ version of Learn By Doing. [HdM] has a very similar hands-on philosophy, and I think the critical thinking systems were very similar,” Twomey said.

After a successful first run, Hodrius and Twomey plan to continue the international exchange next spring, further establishing Cal Poly’s relationship with Hochschule der Median.

09/22/2026

This summer, Yasmin Tovar worked as a Marketing Intern at Bronson Made, a full-service creative agency specializing in deep brand strategy, compelling storytelling and high-quality content production. 🍷

Tovar, a fourth-year communication studies major, focused on social media management, creating content for clients. Eventually, she was given the opportunity to assist with an event that Bronson Made helped bring to life, the inaugural SLO W**e Mixer. Hosted at the iconic Alex Madonna Expo Center, the SLO W**e Mixer is a Gen Z focused event celebrating Central Coast w**e.

As Lead Ambassador, Tovar drove ticket sales, promoted the event and helped to design merchandise for attendees.

“One of my favorite parts of this experience [was] seeing the outcomes of things I contributed to and [the event] becoming so much bigger than we expected. Also, the opportunity to continue my experience in marketing in a new industry that I had never [worked] with before, the w**e industry,” Tovar said.

Throughout the experience, Tovar developed a passion for event marketing, which she hopes to tie into her future career.

“One thing I learned from this experience is that there is always so much to learn from people around you. It is so important to go into new experiences with an open mind and [be] willing to [try] new things, because it’s something you might fall in love with,” Tovar said.

Did you land your dream internship? Tell us about it? 🗣️

Share your experience for the chance to be featured on our social media. Showcase how you to employers, alumni and incoming students. Fill out the form at following link: https://bit.ly/4k7KzBO

Address

1 Grand Avenue
San Luis Obispo, CA
93407

Telephone

+18057562359

Website

https://www.cla.calpoly.edu/

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