Dear Sagehens,
It is my pleasure to share with you that our Board of Trustees formally approved investing in the creation of the Center for Global Engagement (CGE) when they met last week. With this decision, the Board has committed to a $125 million plan to proceed with developing the CGE into the finest home for global and immersive education at any college in the United States. The CGE, foundational to Pomona’s Strategic Vision, represents the largest and most transformational capital project in Pomona’s history.
The Board’s approval follows the successful effort to raise commitments totaling $50 million toward the full cost of the building—a threshold the Board established in 2022. We are especially grateful for the strong response from our donor community and for the shared belief in the promise of this project as fundraising continues. Additional donor support will help bring the CGE fully to fruition. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the exceptionally generous donors who have supported this project, and I look forward to celebrating their contributions together with our community.
The plans for the CGE are being developed with the invaluable insights of faculty and staff on our Global Pomona Council, as well as a group of faculty members who are conducting a series of pilot programs. Together, they are laying out the goals for a facility that will become Pomona’s academic and residential home for language and intercultural programming—and our dynamic hub for experiential global and local interdisciplinary learning and research. In service to those opportunities, the 100,000 square foot liberal arts laboratory at the center of Pomona’s campus will house an array of living, teaching, collaboration and office spaces, including:
- Residential spaces for 200 students and nine visiting scholars
- Office area for staff, faculty and academic visitors
- Flexible classrooms to catalyze immersive learning and research
- Collaborative indoor and outdoor spaces inviting all members of the Pomona community to engage with complex real-world problems
- A 24,000 square-foot event and dining forum for gatherings and programs that advance CGE’s commitments and our Pomona mission
All of the programming hosted by Oldenborg and the International and Domestic Programs Office (IDPO) will be carried forward into the CGE. Additionally, that legacy work will be amplified by new opportunities to collaborate across and beyond campus, with a commitment to providing every student with the opportunity to engage. During the construction period, all Oldenborg and IDPO programs will continue in alternative spaces throughout campus.
The Board’s decision sets us formally on a path to begin construction of this transformative facility in May, right after Commencement, with an anticipated opening date of August 2028. As we continue to celebrate the extraordinary story of Oldenborg, we also, now, can look forward to beginning a new era of Pomona’s leadership in global-local education, scholarship, dialogue and understanding.
I am grateful to the Board for its support, and to the many campus leaders who have helped shape the goals and plans for the CGE. In the months and years ahead, we’ll be counting on all of you to bring this vision to life. I especially want to thank Kara Godwin, assistant vice president and chief global officer, who is spearheading our planning efforts; Maria Watson, vice president for advancement, and her team for their fundraising leadership; Bob Robinson, assistant vice president, facilities & campus services, and Brian Faber, director of project management, for their leadership in the capital planning and building design processes; the Global Pomona Council for helping articulate an enduring vision for the CGE’s programming; the faculty whose pilots inform our design process; and the many faculty and staff who have been integrally involved in shaping the CGE’s blueprints and curricular plans.
Now that the CGE is officially underway, we look forward to opening new avenues for interdisciplinary engagement and collaboration across the Pomona community. As planning and construction move forward, watch for opportunities to learn more and to help shape programs and impact. This next chapter invites broader participation and shared ownership as we build a center that reflects our values and ambitions. The CGE marks a defining investment in Pomona’s future — one that will deepen our global commitments and expand what a liberal arts education can achieve.
Sincerely,
Gabi