By Rachel Prior, March 24, 2026
Students may experience an additional loss of financial aid under new federal policy changes, according to discussion at an Academic Senate meeting March 18.
Laura Massa, associate vice president for academic programs, said the new federal financial aid policies, set to take effect July 1, could impact students’ eligibility for financial aid opportunities, such as the Pell Grant. Under the new changes, students who receive enough aid directly from the university to cover their cost of attendance will no longer be eligible for Pell Grants, even if their income qualifies them.
According to Massa, students may lose aid mid-semester and be required to return funds. Part-time students will also experience a reduction in financial aid eligibility, possibly leading to trouble covering educational costs.
“We don’t have a perfect solution, but we’re working on it,” Massa said.
Faculty also raised concerns surrounding the paused status of the Office of Conflict Resolution Services and Ombuds. The pause, announced at the meeting, comes just over a year after the office’s January 2025 launch, as administrators reassess its structure and services.
The Ombuds office gives staff and students experiencing workplace conflicts a place to receive confidential support. Senator Berit Givens from the College of Science emphasized its importance, especially for junior faculty looking for protection against retaliation during conflicts, particularly with senior faculty. “I think if it weren’t for the Ombuds, I would not be here at Cal Poly today,” Givens said.
Interim university President Iris S. Levine said the issue is a priority, and the university is considering many different options for the future of the Ombuds office.
“This is one of the items that is really high on our list,” Levine said. “We are looking at a number of different options.”
Vanya Quiñones, the current president of Cal State Monterey Bay, was announced as the new Cal Poly Pomona university president and will assume her new role July 1.
The meeting also addressed recent allegations related to César Chávez. After the meeting, the Office of the President sent out a campuswide email stating the university is “deeply troubled” and will engage the campus community in a “thoughtful process to gather input and perspectives that will help inform next steps regarding the future of the center’s name.”
At the California State University level, senators discussed several of the 39 bills aimed at reconstructing higher education in California, including proposals to offer shorter bachelor’s programs, like a Bachelor of Education, and to expand authority for CSU campuses to offer doctoral programs, as community colleges are currently moving to expand into bachelor’s programs.
Senators debated a proposed general education course, Quantitative Introduction to Personal Finance (FRL 1231), discussing whether the course meets the standards to be a quantitative reasoning class or if it simply applies math within another field.
Senators accepted updates surrounding the research misconduct policy to comply with federal guidelines and maintain the university’s eligibility for federal funding. The Senate also opened nominations for the 2026-27 chair and vice chair positions.
The next Academic Senate meeting will be April 15 at 3 p.m. in Building 98, Pillar 2, Room 007.
Feature image courtesy of Reyes Navarrete