Residential Campus Community

Creating an equitable, inclusive experience for all students.

Student Affairs is dedicated to building a 24/7 residential campus experience that promotes academic success, personal growth and persistence to graduation that leads to promising careers. 

Student success is our core purpose. We are committed to working with campus partners to expand programs and improve services in support of a vibrant and inclusive residential community. Highlights include:

• Established residential learning communities, including affinity- and identity-based communities.
• Partnered with Academic Affairs to hire Faculty-in-Residence who help bridge academic and residential life for residents.
• Provide emergency housing to students experiencing housing insecurity and other emergencies as part of the Cal Poly Cares Program.
• Partnered with the Pride Center to develop Queer-affirming housing options in all residential learning communities for students who are more comfortable living with other members of the LGBTQ+ community and/or seek housing options inclusive of all gender identities and sexual orientations.
• Offer gender-inclusive restrooms across campus housing communities, and participating in a campuswide committee to increase the number of inclusive restrooms across campus.
• Provide after-hours contact information and resources including counseling and crisis services. Students can download contact information straight to their device.

Vibrant and Growing Residential Campus Community

Cal Poly has launched a 10-year housing program to ease existing demand, accommodate future enrollment growth, and address aging campus housing facilities. 

Over the next decade, the university will add about 4,000 beds to campus housing in nine eight- and nine-story buildings on the existing site of the K1, K2 and R1 parking lots and the North Mountain residence halls. The $1 billion Future Housing Plan also includes major renovations to University Housing’s six red brick residence halls, which are more than 60 years old. 

When new construction is complete, all second-year students will be able to live on campus. They’ll be able to enjoy events and programs to connect them to their community, and close access to resources and services to better support their retention and academic success. 

Over the last 20 years, Cal Poly has added 5,250 beds to its housing inventory, while enrollment has increased by 3,990. The university’s efforts to increase the number of students housed on campus benefits the community by increasing availability of housing in the city of San Luis Obispo. 

University Housing’s grant program will continue to support students having the greatest financial need with their housing fees. Since its inception in 2018, the grant fund has grown from $890,000 to $3.6 million. One million dollars is planned to be added to the grant annually to continue to support low-income students living on campus.