station, KCPR, was launched as a senior project.
In 1971, the California State Legislature officially renamed the institution California Polytechnic State University. Since the 1970s, the university has seen steady enrollment growth and significant campus expansion.
=== Major donations and 21st century developments ===
On May 3, 2017, Cal Poly received a $110 million gift from alumni William L. and Linda Frost, one of the largest donations ever made to public education in California.
In 2024, the CSU system recommended integrating Cal Maritime with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. On November 21, 2024, the CSU Board of Trustees approved the CSU Chancellor's recommendation. On July 1, 2025, the two universities will begin operating as a single institution: Cal Poly. On May 21, 2025, the university announced that Dr. Corey Cook had been named vice president and chief executive officer of Cal Poly, Solano Campus in Vallejo, and Rear Admiral (Retired) Eric C. Jones, USCG, had been named superintendent of the Cal Poly …
