WOTS: How Do Cal Poly Students Feel About the Switch to the Semester System?

In a campus wide email sent out on October 18, President Armstrong announced that Cal Poly will officially be transitioning from the quarter system to semesters. Cal Poly is the last California State University (CSU) to remain on the quarter system.

All CSUs were asked to transition to the semester calendar a decade ago. The CSU Chancellor expects the change to occur for the 2025-26 school year. The vast majority of currently enrolled students will have graduated by then, but still many Cal Poly students are sad to see the quarter system go. 

“Ten weeks is very succinct. You get your classes done. You get a lot of content — a lot of interesting content. It’s not necessarily just fluff. So I’ve always really enjoyed the quarter system,” political science senior Megan Campbell said. 

In his email, Armstrong said the reason the university is switching to a semester system is to address important articulation and equity issues, enhance student success and achieve greater administrative efficiency. For those reasons, Armstrong said he was in support of the switch. Business administration junior Nicole Tria recognizes that the semester system will have its benefits. 

“I think it might be good for some students that struggle with faster paced environments. I know a lot of people that struggle with the quarter system because the classes move faster,” Tria said. 

Still, Megan Campbell thinks it will be a difficult transition.

“I think it will be very hard for those people who are going to have to switch to semester in the middle of their college career,” Campbell said. 

While this change may prove difficult for students though, Tria said professors will likely also need to adjust. 

“I definitely just feel bad for the professors who have to change all their course materials and I hope Cal Poly gives them some bonuses,” Tria said.