<p>I am having the hardest time deciding between Cal Poly Pomona and SLO. I realize SLO comes with a higher ranking but after reading some boards, I decided to research the faculty at SLO. First of all, it’s not a very diverse faculty, with most of the 50 looking like they’re about to retire older white men. I also decided to google them and only 2 seem to have their own practice and not too impressive at that. On the other hand the Pomona faculty seems to be younger, more diverse and most of them seem to have their own practice and cool profolios. I’ve heard a lot of obvious good things about SLO such as rankings and would hate to pass them up, but am I missing something here? Can anyone tell me who some of the good professors are? Decision time is coming and your help would be much appreciated. Specifically, what have they done and what kind of work are they known for?</p>
<p>Many of these “older white guys” are recognized emeritus professors who have been granted tenure or on tenure track. People tend to stay at their jobs longer when they are passionate about their line of work. I don’t know the size of Pomona’s arch department, but at SLO,there’s about 50 active teaching faculty in Arch – which in itself is impressive for just one major.</p>
<p>I’m not sure how having a bunch of “old white guys” teach architecture can impair the department’s quality as you seem to imply; this isn’t the Sociology department after all. For comparison sake, Cal has one of the most accomplished Physics programs in the U.S. The research those old white geezers continue to publish don’t appear to be a hindrance to the advancement of their respective fields.</p>
<p>Both SLO and Pomona are great schools for Arch. Visit both campuses and pick the environment that fits your personality best.</p>
<p>I’m not quite sure of your angle with this “older white men” thing. I’m not exactly sure what the diversity of professors has to do with what type of education you’ll receive, in which the ranking lists will tell you that SLO will be your winner.</p>
<p>Unless, of course, you’re ■■■■■■■■, like the rest of the people who post on here requesting a difference between SLO and Pomona.</p>
<p>Though I haven’t researched any, I’d like to bet that most of these professors don’t have their own firm because they are bonafide academics. Most professors at big colleges like to teach next to their firms or businesses for, guess what, extra money. Like 08alum so astutely said, these professors are passionate about their fields and interests and are projecting it onto the students of San Luis Obispo.</p>
<p>I suggest you do some research of your own, not simply rely on biased forum-goers to assist you in deciding the next 4+ years of your life. As you said, it’s close to decision time, and I’m not quite sure why you’re now trying to figure out which is better for you. If you don’t like the “diversity” of the school, go to Pomona. Chances are we probably wouldn’t want you anyway.</p>
<p>I think this topic was well covered in this previous thread.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/cal-poly-san-luis-obispo/878171-negative-things-about-slo-3.html?highlight=slo+pomona+architecture[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/cal-poly-san-luis-obispo/878171-negative-things-about-slo-3.html?highlight=slo+pomona+architecture</a></p>
<p>In short, not too many practicing architects either work or want to commute to teach a class at SLO, so they have a lot of professional professors there while Pomona is near Los Angeles, the bastion of contemporary architecture.</p>
<p>Here are some Cal Poly Pomona faculty links:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.folonisarchitect.com/[/url]”>http://www.folonisarchitect.com/</a>
[William</a> Adams Architects](<a href=“http://wadamsarchitects.com/]William”>http://wadamsarchitects.com/)
[ESCALANTE</a> ARCHITECTS](<a href=“http://www.escalantearchitects.com/]ESCALANTE”>http://www.escalantearchitects.com/)
[Welcome</a> to Foxlin Inc.](<a href=“http://www.foxlin.com/]Welcome”>http://www.foxlin.com/)
[hostcell.com[/url</a>]
[url=<a href=“http://www.11dot1.com/index.php?/us/]Us”>http://www.11dot1.com/index.php?/us/]Us</a> : 11.1](<a href=“http://www.hostcell.com/]hostcell.com[/url”>http://www.hostcell.com/)
[Peter</a> Tolkin Architecture](<a href=“TOLO Architecture”>http://www.tolkinarchitecture.com/)
[Mythograph[/url</a>]
[url=<a href=“http://plasisdesign.com/]Plasis[/url”>http://plasisdesign.com/]Plasis[/url</a>]
[url=<a href=“http://www.plasmatic.info/wordpress/]Plasmatic[/url”>http://www.plasmatic.info/wordpress/]Plasmatic[/url</a>]
[url=<a href=“http://nardi-associates.com/]Nardi”>http://nardi-associates.com/]Nardi</a> Associates](<a href=“http://mythograph.com/]Mythograph[/url”>http://mythograph.com/)
[M2A</a> Architects](<a href=“http://m2a-architects.com/]M2A”>http://m2a-architects.com/)
[NEWS</a> : EscherGuneWardena](<a href=“http://www.egarch.net/]NEWS”>http://www.egarch.net/)</p>
<p>Which two SLO faculty were you referring to?</p>
<p>^ This is what I meant by obvious bias. Notice how he highlighted Pomona Architecture in that link about the supposed negatives of SLO, and only linked the page where his post was.</p>
<p>Yes, it seems that some people are insecure about their own schools (ie, egmontus), so they need to get on this fourm to trash others. Rather sad. </p>
<p>Petrarch, I agree, visit both campuses, meet students/faculty, ask questions, and your decision will become clear to you. Both Cal Polys are great arch schools, with pluses and minuses – just like every college.</p>
<p>Hey all, I didn’t mean to make such a major fuzz about the white guy stuff. It’s just something I picked up from another post. I was more interested in the teaching philosophy from each program. It’s quite difficult to tell from reading their websites. I was dealing with a wait list thing at cornell and RISD, both very theoretical schools from the east coast. I didn’t make cornell, and RISD isn’t compelling enough for the tuition, even with scholarships. Now that I am stuck with this choice, I would really like to go to the more theoretically interesting of the two. Thanks for your feedback so far. Will keep y’all posted!</p>
<p>In short, not too many practicing architects either work or want to commute to teach a class at SLO, so they have a lot of professional professors there while Pomona is near Los Angeles, the bastion of contemporary architecture.</p>
<p>What that basically means is that Pomona employs a lot part-time instructors who teach as a side job. Teaching is an underappreciated line of work. The ability to stand in front of a group for extended periods of time, while trying to convey information and keep your audience interested is much more difficult than it appears. Being an industry professional does not automatically make one a great teacher (take a few community college courses and youll know what I mean). Based on this, itd be silly to suggest that Pomonas faculty is subpar, but since were trying to make 1 + 1 = 3 and draw nonsensical conclusions </p>
<p>You can make light and interpret those rankings anyway you like, but when a well regarded industry publication seats a relatively unknown public school like Poly at the head table with the likes of Cornell and MIT, that is impressive, period. Maybe these old guys at SLO who dedicated themselves for so many years to build this program know what theyre doing afterall?</p>
<p>Finally, not sure why Pomona kids have such a huge chip on their shoulders when it comes to being compared to SLO.</p>
<p>I would respectfully disagree with some of the points made by previous posts. First of all, diversity, whether it be racial, gender, or of thought should be highly encouraged in a university environment and especially in a creative field such as architecture. I would hope that discouraging people who seek diversity is not the attitude of the SLO campus.</p>
<p>“Chances are we probably wouldn’t want you anyway.” Zungra</p>
<p>Second of all, architecture isn’t like the sciences, where the best work is created by full time researchers at a university lab. The best work is created by practicing architects and their labs are their real life projects. As architecture students, we learn from their slide lectures, by visiting their buildings, talking to their clients, experiencing their spaces and watching their buildings go up. I think most schools (UCLA, USC, SciArc, Berkeley) have both types of professors, but I have yet to meet a student who would rather learn design from a professional professor than a practicing architect. SLO might have practicing architects but the subsequent posts have yet to name them.</p>
<p>As far as rankings go, my hat’s off to SLO for their DI ranking but keep in mind this is just a popularity contest in which one of the (if not the) largest programs in the country inherently does well on. I agree that both programs are top notch and any prospective student should visit the campuses, talk to the faculty and students, but It is also very important to check the faculty’s portfolio.</p>
<p>You are entitled to your opinion, however distorted it may be. If these periodic, passive-aggressive, verbal drive-by shootings make you feel better about Pomona and help you sleep better at night… then more power to ya. </p>
<p>If you really want to compare the difference between SLO and Pomona, their endowment funding pretty much paints the picture: $130 mil and $27 mil respectively. SLO raised ~$260 mil in its most recent major campaign. What this basically means is that the university has exceptional support from its alumni, as well as from private industry and non-profit foundations willing to put their “money where their mouth is,” in their continued support of the school’s learn by doing philosophy.</p>
<p>If endowments were to tell the whole story, UC Davis would be over 4 times the school SLO is, since they have over $500 mil. So would UCI ($206 mil.) and UCSB ($153.8 mil). Something which they’re clearly not, since they compete head-to-head for the same students and sometimes win. So, on the one hand Cal Poly SLO has arguably become the most recognizable CSU, but on the other it’s done so (in part) by nurturing a sense of academic boosterism which is rampant and pedant. Also, the $260 mil. you are referring to was the result of their centennial capital campaign in 2001. (You know, centennial, as in once in a century). So in summary, </p>
<h1>1 Cal Poly SLO is a great institute.</h1>
<h1>2 Cal Poly SLO is full of itself.</h1>
<p>Oh, and by the way, I’m typing this out at Cal Poly Pomona’s 24/7 engineering classrooms and laboratories with 15 other students pulling an all-nighter for tomorrow’s mass transfer midterm… so, you still think nerds only go to SLO?</p>
<h1>1. Compare apples-to-apples. CPSLO is not a research-first institute like the UCs, hence they are usually not given priority to receive certain research based grants. Being able to raise $250+ million during their recent seven year Centennial Campaign is quite an accomplishment, showing that their alumni and other external entities are willing to step up and support the university when called upon. A strong alumni base is a good barometer to measure the level of satisfaction of former students.</h1>
<h1>2. The library’s first floor study center is open 24/7. The Engineering and Arch students also have 24 hour access to their respective labs.</h1>
<h1>3. You are on a CPSLO message board flinging excrement from the side of a hill, did you really expect people to not respond and just stand by and idly watch? We are all fellow Poly brethren. Can we please just respect one another?</h1>
<p>Finally, not sure why Pomona kids have such a huge chip on their shoulders when it comes to being compared to SLO. </p>
<p>Amen to that!</p>
<p>^Well at least I don’t let my “mommy” and my “daddy” speak for myself! Coming here (to the CPSLO forum) and taking the heat is not as easy as it seems.</p>
<p>@Spool80</p>
<p>I know about Robert E. Kennedy’s library. Hands down the best library in the CSU. I frequently find myself using their digital commons repository.</p>
<p>This thread has gone a bit off topic. Original Poster was inquiring about the architecture programs at the two campuses, and the faculty’s work in particular. I don’t know what’s so passive aggressive about my posts. My basic point being that being close to LA is a huge asset in the particular field of architecture. People shouldn’t gloat over SLO because (I will admit) is a better campus in many aspects. It’s harder to get into, it has a beautiful campus, it has better funding and richer alumni, and so on. But that doesn’t mean it’s better for all majors. A prospective student should analyze more than just the overall university and focus on their chosen major instead. For the architecture programs, check out the faculty’s portfolio so see from who will suit your particular style. After all, you can’t learn architectural design from reading books. That was the topic of the original post, and after 14 replies, the SLO posters haven’t provided any relevant information yet. Once they do, and I would be more than happy to see it, we can put an end to this thread. Deal?</p>
<p>If OP wants to find out,
his/her best bet is to contact the department/professors directly. Since most SLO professors are not practicing, OP might find them don’t have much “accomplishment” other than teaching. That could be why he/she couldn’t have much results by google and from here. And I feel this point is well implied by a few posters earlier one way or the other starting at post #2.</p>
<p>
Sour grapes for kids that have involving parents? :)</p>
<p>Edit - Wow it’s my 100th.</p>
<p>Watermark, Congrats on your 100th post!! I think you summarized it well:</p>
<p>“Since most SLO professors are not practicing, OP might find them don’t have much “accomplishment” other than teaching”</p>
<p>So if you ever find yourself in this predicament, the options are clear. If you want to go to an architecture school with “professional professors”, go to SLO. If you want to be taught by “practicing architects” with their own portfolios, go to Pomona. I think this will be a matter of preference and really nothing wrong with either. I hope this satisfies OP’s inquiry.</p>
<p>College Confidential at it’s very finest!!!</p>