Welcome to the CAED Advising Center
CAED Advising Mission Statement
CAED Advising Center strives to provide its students with effective academic advising in an encouraging atmosphere as they navigate their unique undergraduate professional experiences. Our commitment is to our students and their academic, professional, and future success. We believe in an Open Door Policy to encourage students to utilize the Advising Center without an appointment to discuss any matter of importance they may have.
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Mitra NafisiDirector, CAED Advising CenterEmail: caedadvising@calpoly.edu Location: Architecture Building (05), Room 210 Phone: 805.756.1325 |
Jessica ToddAcademic AdvisorEmail: caedadvising@calpoly.edu Location: Architecture Building (05), Room 210 Phone: 805.756.1325 |
Sarah VilardoCAED Retention Specialist: Leaves / Time OffEmail: svilardo@calpoly.edu https://retention.calpoly.edu/ Google Voice 805.699.5510 |
Danielle JustesenEOP CounselorEmail: djustese@calpoly.edu
Phone: 805.756.2301 |
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Katherine DavenportStudent Assistant |
Alice PittsStudent Assistant |
Mariam ShorabStudent Assistant |
CAED Advising Center advises on only undergraduate degrees. For questions regarding graduate programs, please contact the Graduate Education Office and/or your Graduate Program Coordinator.
Prospective students: Contact the Admissions Offices for questions regarding Admission and Admission Criteria https://www.calpoly.edu/admissions.
First Year Students (not transfers): Visit the Mustang Success Center (first-year advising Center)
CAED Advising Center Summer Hours:
Monday - Thursday 10:00 am – 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Advisors will be available both in person and virtual.
Virtual Friday 10:00 am -12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm via Zoom and email. Our physical space will not be open.
Phone: 805-756-1325
CAED Advisors are available via appointments, email, phone, and drop-ins to support students in academic-related services such as course planning, registration, changing majors and minors, and much more.
Schedule an in-person or virtual appointment with a CAED Advisor:
- Make an appointment with Mitra Nafisi
- Make an appointment with Jessica Todd
Interim Dean Kevin Dong
he/him/his
Drop-In Office Hours with Interim Dean
To request an in-person appointment or Zoom appointment, email: caed@calpoly.edu
CAED Advising and Student Resources
The CAED Advising Center provides academic advising and related services as listed below to students in the five majors in the CAED (Architecture, Architectural Engineering, City & Regional Planning, Construction Management and Landscape Architecture).
Quarter to Semester Conversion - College of Architecture and Environmental Design
Starting in Fall 2026, our academic calendar will shift to a semester system. We understand that changes like this may bring questions, and this website will serve as your primary resource for everything related to the College of Architecture and Environmental Design's transition—planning, updates, resources, advising, and more.
Check back regularly for important updates!
We also encourage you to explore the general University-Wide Semester Conversion Webpage.
There is no need for immediate concern or action, we want to assure you the College of Architecture and Environmental Design is working on developing the resources you need to succeed. More information will be posted here in the coming months.

WELCOME!
We're so glad you're here. The College of Architecture and Environmental Design is passionate about supporting our students as the university goes though a Semester Conversion.
To help ease that transition, we’ve put together some information specific to our college below. Additionally, we encourage you to explore the general University-Wide Semester Conversion Webpage.
University Semester Conversion Resources
Below are some common resources you may need for the Semester Conversion.
Resource | Web page |
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University-Wide Information | https://www.calpoly.edu/semester-conversion |
Unit Converter | https://semesters.calpoly.edu/conversion-materials/unit-converter |
University Planning Timelines | https://semesters.calpoly.edu/timeline |
University-Wide Frequently Asked Questions | https://semesters.calpoly.edu/frequently-asked-questions |
Please select a button below based on your expected graduation term.
Dual Advising Model
The College of Architecture and Environmental Design offers a dual advising model for students in the college. This means that you will have access to two sources of academic advising, the CAED Advising Center and your departmental Faculty Advisor.
Please check with your department to find out the name, office location and advising hours of your faculty advisor. Meet with your faculty advisor before registration every quarter. Some departments have mandatory advising. If advising is mandatory, please contact your faculty advisor to schedule an appointment. Failure to do so will result in a hold on your future registration.
Faculty advisors can provide the following services and more:
- Help students plan a balanced and realistic schedule.
- Answer course content questions
- Help students improve their academic performance.
- Provide career advising
- Provide information about graduate schools, coops, and future jobs
We encourage you to proactively build rapport with your professional academic advisors and your faculty advisor for academic and career guidance throughout your time at Cal Poly.
Advising Tools & Resources
First-Year Advising
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If you are a first-time freshman, you will meet with the professional advisors in the Mustang Success Center throughout your freshman year. Visit the Mustang Success Center.
First-Year Block Scheduling
Cal Poly uses block scheduling for all first-time freshmen.
First-year students are enrolled in a full-time schedule of courses in their Fall quarter and partial schedules in Winter and Spring. For more information, click the link below: https://advising.calpoly.edu/block-schedules. If you have questions about your block schedule, please contact Mustang Success Center.
We look forward to meeting with you in your second year and beyond.
Transfer Students
Advising Services
- General Education and Breadth requirements (GE&B)
- Information on jobs, scholarships, competitions
- Process student-related forms such as curriculum substitution, course withdrawal, course conflict, change of major, etc.
- Referral to university resources
- Review of student's academic record
CAED Multicultural Program
- The CAED Multicultural Program is still in its development phase. However, this program has been piloted to allow for a space in which students can develop a sense of community and belonging with one another and within the individual college. This is intended to create an inclusive environment that will allow students to feel more comfortable within their setting and be more likely to have peers with whom they feel supported.
The specific objectives of this program are provided below.
Students will:
· Develop a deeper sense of belonging with their peers.
· Feel a stronger sense of support coming from their peers.
· Feel a stronger sense of support coming from staff and faculty.
· Develop a deeper sense of community with the College of Architecture and Environmental Design.
Upcoming Events for 2024-2025
· Buddy Program
The internal Buddy Program was piloted during the entirety of the 2020-2021 academic school year. The main objective of this program is for all eligible students to be able to partake in an initiative that will allow them to develop a more profound sense of belonging and connect with peers that they may not have initially been able to connect with. For more information about the program, please contact caedadvising@calpoly.edu
We look forward to hearing from you!
Academic Probation
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Probation & Disqualification
An undergraduate student is automatically placed on academic probation when his or her grade point average drops below 2.0 for the current term, the Cal Poly cumulative, or the higher education cumulative.
Visit the CAED Academic Probation Page for more information.
Former Students Returning
Study 25-35 Hours/Week

- The College of Architecture and Environmental Design Advising Center supports the "Study 25-35 Hours per Week" program.
25-35: What is it?
Academic success is your responsibility, in class and out of class. You must approach your coursework as a 40-50 hour work week.
Study 2 hours/week/unit or 25-35 hours in addition to in-class time. Lab/studio courses sometimes entail additional out-of-class expectations.
Good study habits are the foundation of a successful career at Cal Poly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Click here to read our frequently asked questions.
We want you to be successful! We want you to be a Cal Poly graduate!