Dear Sagehens,
As we approach the conclusion of the academic year, please allow me to congratulate you all on your accomplishments. The effort and commitment our students, faculty and staff bring to their work—and to supporting one another—makes this a remarkable community to be part of. I hope these closing days of our term prove to be a rewarding capstone on the semester and year.
To our students: Well done! Whether rising to the challenge of your classes, pursuing athletics success, shaping an artistic production, thoughtfully supporting your fellow Sagehens, studying abroad, navigating your first year away from home—or all of the above—you have accomplished so much. I am proud of you.
Gubernatorial Debate
Our College certainly received its fair share of attention last week thanks to the California Gubernatorial Debate in our historic Bridges Auditorium. With eight candidates participating in a 90-minute discussion before an audience that included faculty, staff and students, Pomona took center stage on CBS stations across the state, nationally on C-SPAN and in news coverage around the world.
I am deeply grateful to the many colleagues whose extensive planning and coordination made this event possible. I want to offer special thanks to Politics Professor Sara Sadhwani for bringing this idea to Pomona, devoting countless hours to making it a reality and skillfully moderating a spirited field of candidates; and to Chief Communications Officer Eric Abelev, who oversaw this project for the College. I also extend my appreciation to the many students who volunteered in various capacities—particularly Ryan Kossarian, Kloi Ogans and Dante Gilbert, who posed key questions during the debate. Our students had the opportunity to live the civic values at the heart of the liberal arts—and they met the moment with seriousness and professionalism. I’m immensely proud of how thoughtfully they represented both the College and themselves.
Together as a community, and with our partners CBS California and APAPA, we delivered the most inclusive debate of the cycle. With ballots now having arrived in voters’ homes, Pomona has played a meaningful role in helping inform California voters. That’s quite an achievement.
Alumni Weekend
This past weekend, more than 1,300 Sagehens returned to the nest to celebrate Alumni Weekend. Thoughtful planning and execution of more than 200 programs—from faculty lectures and special class reunion events to beloved traditions like Reunion Class Sharing Sessions and the Parade of Classes—created a truly meaningful experience not only for returning alumni, but also for faculty and students, who got to reconnect and engage in networking and mentoring conversations across generations.
On Friday, we celebrated the Oldenborg Center’s six-decade legacy, which continues to inspire as we prepare to build the new Center for Global Engagement. If you weren’t able to join the “Dear Oldenborg” community storytelling session in person, I encourage you to view the recording of this heartfelt program. We also celebrated the accomplishments and dedication of six outstanding alumni award honorees this weekend. On Saturday, recipients of the Blaisdell Distinguished Alumni Award and the Inspirational Young Alumni Award spoke about their work, and I hope you will take a moment to hear what these exceptional Sagehens have brought to the world.
I want to express my gratitude to the faculty, staff and students who went above and beyond for our alumni this weekend—along with a special acknowledgement of the Advancement team, including the Office of Alumni and Family Engagement and the Office of College Events.
Shared Governance
In another expression of our values, our Shared Governance Initiative has produced an updated set of principles, statements and threshold conditions for effective decision-making and shared governance. The yearlong process that led to these principles and protocols modeled the collaboration for which we strive. I thank the students, faculty, trustees and administrators on the Shared Governance Task Force for bringing their time, expertise and dedication to this vital work, as well as the many community members who shared their perspectives and helped shape this outcome. In the coming weeks, the Task Force will distribute a comprehensive summary of its work over the past year, along with next steps designed to more fully integrate these shared governance principles across campus.
Partnership Initiative with CGU
Our values as a liberal arts institution are also shaping the ongoing evaluation of a potential partnership with Claremont Graduate University (CGU). I appreciate the members of the Partnership Initiative Working Group for their extensive due diligence, and I’d like to thank everyone who has participated in the series of formal and informal discussions this past semester. Your questions and feedback have provided vital input to move this process forward, with CGU conducting its own campus discussions in parallel to Pomona’s.
Given the significance of this decision, and our commitment to a thorough and deliberative process, the Board is not likely to reach a decision about whether to proceed until the fall. Thanks to the progress we’ve made on the due diligence process, as well as CGU’s transformation planning efforts, we continue to believe a partnership could bring meaningful benefits to both institutions. But we cannot rush a decision of this magnitude. Our goal is to give the Board the full picture it needs to make a sound, well-informed decision. I will continue to keep you informed and encourage your participation in the remaining opportunity for community engagement this semester: a Coffee Talk open to all on May 8. If you have thoughts to share in the meantime, we welcome them through our feedback form.
Compensation and Housing
Pomona’s investment in our community remains a core commitment of our Strategic Vision, and our academic mission, financial aid and competitive faculty and staff compensation will continue to be priorities. Our multi-year savings and resource reallocation program is designed to accelerate progress on these commitments, and I am proud of the work we have achieved on salary and benefits. I am also proud of and excited about our investments in access—including textbooks and technology—and new funding for financial aid.
In recent years, we have made meaningful strides in aligning staff compensation more closely with market conditions. Beginning in July, and building on our recently expanded commitments to faculty mortgage support, we are moving forward with the first step in a multi-year approach to strengthen faculty salaries. Detailed salary plans will be shared following the May Board meeting. Alongside these investments, we are continuing to advance an innovative consortium-wide initiative to address the shortage and high cost of faculty and staff housing in Claremont.
Finally, we look ahead with great excitement to celebrating the Class of 2026—together with their families—at Commencement on May 17. For me, that anticipation is tinged with wistfulness as I reflect on all these graduates who have contributed to our community during their time at Pomona. As faculty and staff, we have had the privilege of witnessing their growth and achievements; soon, we will see how they bring what they have learned here into the wider world.
As this semester comes to a close, I wish you focus in the days ahead, confidence in the work you have done and a well‑earned sense of accomplishment at year’s end. Thank you for all you contribute to this extraordinary community.
Sincerely,
Gabi