Cal Poly Pomona has sealed a ground-breaking agreement with a local school district to help its students attain the dream of a college education.
Under key components of the pact, Cal Poly Pomona will guarantee admission to qualified Pomona Unified students for certain majors.
University President Soraya M. Coley and Pomona Unified School District Superintendent Richard Martinez signed a memorandum of understanding on Nov. 10 to formalize details of the agreement.
The university will also encourage and support PUSD students in the campus' four-year pledge program, communicate regularly with the district about financial and admission requirements, and support Pomona students with programs to improve retention and completion.
"We are increasing college access to students in Pomona," Coley said before the signing of the agreement. "This program will also benefit teachers and parents, who are critical partners in our students' success."
The agreement also is expected to build stronger ties with the district and the community. Up to 5 percent of first-time freshmen enrolled each year at Cal Poly Pomona hail from the Pomona Unified School District.
"When you have an institution representing higher education saying 'We're here and we're willing to support you and prepare you while you're still in your K-12 environment,' that sends a significant message to this community that an exceptional university like Cal Poly Pomona believes in us," Martinez said. "This is going to transformative."
The agreement also calls for Pomona Unified to offer additional math classes, improve English proficiency, tell district parents about the importance of college, and give training for teachers, counselors and parents about California State University admission requirements.
The pact is the latest step by Pomona unified to get students ready for college. In 2009, 24 percent of graduating students were ready for college-level English and math. The number jumped to 61 percent in 2015, according to district data.
This fall, Cal Poly Pomona has signed similar memorandums of understanding with the Fontana Unified and Chaffey Unified school districts.