Fellow Sagehens,
This morning, Pomona’s Board of Trustees, following the affirmative decision by Claremont Graduate University’s Board last Thursday, voted to ratify a formal affiliation agreement between our two institutions.
One hundred and one years ago, Pomona College President James Blaisdell imagined that Pomona would rise to become one of the leading institutions in the world not by going it alone, but in concert and collaboration with others. Pomona, he theorized, would become great because truly exceptional students and faculty would choose an ecosystem that included other great institutions, drawn to the resources and possibilities that came with a transformative partnership. Pomona is who we are because of that founding vision, and today, we take an important step towards preserving it for generations to come.
In the months and years to come, we are proud to help CGU chart a bold new path and, in the near future, create new opportunities for Pomona and other Claremont students to earn advanced degrees; access expanded career development programming; and create new ways in which our institutions and our consortium can continue growing together.
With the affirmative decisions of both Boards, Pomona will become CGU’s parent institution, pending required regulatory approvals. I invite you to read more about this historic partnership in our newsroom and in our recently updated set of FAQs.
In announcing this exciting news, I want to thank the trustees, faculty and administrators on our Partnership Initiative Working Group, who have invested countless hours towards the extensive information gathering and due diligence that have been the foundation of our review process. In addition, I want to express my gratitude to all the faculty, staff and students who attended the many campus information sessions, town halls, coffee connections and forums over the past 10 months. Your feedback and ideas were instrumental in the deliberations of our working group, leadership team and Board across this past year.
As planning to implement the strategic partnership now proceeds, we expect that that process will take until next summer, as it requires regulatory approval. In the meantime, both institutions will begin integration planning, while continuing the discussions that have been underway about shared services and infrastructure that could reduce operating costs for both institutions.
Through this strategic partnership, the College will take several critical steps to support CGU’s transformation, as the FAQs explain. We take this historic step, however, only because we know we can simultaneously remain focused on delivering a world-class liberal arts education, anchored in our outstanding and devoted faculty, who are at the very heart of our mission. In particular, any opportunities faculty may have for collaboration with CGU will remain at the discretion of individual faculty. Further, this agreement will not change the roles of most Pomona staff, and we stand by our commitment that this development will not lead to a reduction in Pomona staff positions.
In a separate process, CGU has been undertaking an academic portfolio review that continues. The institution is likewise in the midst of taking critical steps to bring its operating deficit into balance. While these processes are essential to CGU’s transformation, we recognize as well that they involve difficult decisions for the University, including those that will impact faculty and staff at CGU. Pomona will do everything it can to support CGU and its community through this difficult period of transition with care and compassion.
The decision of both Boards to proceed with this historic partnership, following comprehensive due diligence, reflects our shared belief in the promise of a transformed CGU: one that can emerge as a leader in graduate education, strengthen our unique consortium and open new possibilities for collaboration and innovation across the liberal arts.
I invite all of you to continue sharing your feedback as this process unfolds, and we will continue to update our FAQs as new questions come in.
Warmly,
G. Gabrielle Starr