Higher Education Trends, Academic Successes, New Initiatives Showcased at Fall Conference
University President Soraya M. Coley reflected on the challenges facing high education, outlined future plans for Cal Poly Pomona, and celebrated the successes of individuals and teams on campus during her annual Convocation address.
The Aug. 19 event, which was the first event of Fall Conference, kicked off this week’s start of a new academic year. Coley shared that she spent her summer reading articles about the challenges in higher education from continued barriers for underserved students to a demographic shift pointing to a downward trend in the number of typical 18- to 21-year-old college-going students. The percentage of high school graduates considering a four-year degree is down from 66 percent to 52 percent over the past four years, Coley said.
“Student mindsets are rapidly changing,” Coley said. “During this time of economic uncertainty, research shows that students want to major in something that is going to quickly launch their careers, and colleges around the nation are struggling to connect with prospective students.”
Despite the trend, however, Cal Poly Pomona remains in an enviable position: Students are still applying to Cal Poly Pomona in high numbers. However, CPP is one of only eight universities of the 23 in the CSU to receive state funding for enrollment growth, Coley added.
“We must act in students’ best interest and fight to help them see just how important a broad university education is,” she said. “The work we are doing here at Cal Poly Pomona is essential for the future of our students, our university, our state and indeed our country. We must find ways to ensure we continue to help our students find avenues for success, no matter what barriers they face.”
A Plan of Action
Coley highlighted a few initiatives underway to continue to bolster student success. The university has made significant progress on the Future Career Path Initiative, providing 657 paid micro-internships to 615 students who worked with 61 community partners.
The university will continue to focus on enrollment and retention in the coming year. This effort will include enhancing support systems, looking for ways to expand access to financial aid and scholarships, and addressing concerns about the cost of pursuing an education at Cal Poly Pomona, Coley said. Efforts must include strengthening mentorship programs, providing pipelines for students after they graduate and continuing to support them as they face the academic rigors of university life, she added.
“We have a collective responsibility to ensure that every student who comes through our doors has the opportunity to not only attend our university, but to thrive and excel,” she said. “This commitment will require us to adopt proactive and holistic approaches that address both the academic and non-academic barriers face by underserved students. It will require us to engage with more potential students, share our vision for their lives and find ways to help them achieve their dreams.”
Principles of Community
To cultivate a campus culture that celebrates diversity and commitment to community, CPP has also developed the “Principles of Community.” After nine months of gathering input, engaging in dialogue and refinement, the principles have been finalized and will be further shared through educational initiatives and engagement.
“This is a home for intellectual though, intercultural development and acceptance,” she said. “And, by promoting cultural competency, respect for our diversity, and empathy among faculty, staff and students alike, we can create an environment where every voice is heard, and every perspective is valued.”
The Roots of Success
Coley also recognized the winner of the annual One Team Award, which went to the Roots House project. The award celebrates cross-divisional and cross-departmental collaboration. Faculty and staff from the College of Engineering, College of Environmental Design, College of Business Administration, College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences, the Lyle Center, Strategic Communications and University Advancement teamed up to develop a 1,008-square-foot sustainable and affordable house.
The house, which was the culmination of three semesters of work by approximately 100 students across 11 majors, won 10 awards including a Top 3 spot in the inaugural Orange County Sustainability Decathlon in October 2023.
“The entire project exemplified our ‘Engaged Learning’ and ‘Learn by Doing’ philosophy,” Coley said.
Coley also recognized MediaVision and Strategic Communications for “Dreams of Success,” a video series highlighting students produced in collaboration between the two departments that won two Telly Awards.
The 2023-24 highlight video captured even more accomplishments and awards by students, faculty, staff and teams in the past year.
Showing Up for Students
The Monday afternoon session of Fall Conference included the Academic Affairs Forum and a series of workshops on the future of work, emerging technology and graduate studies.
Terri Gomez, who was named to the permanent post of provost and vice president of Academic Affairs in May, took the opportunity to introduce her family and share her personal story — from being the daughter of immigrant parents from Jalisco, Mexico, to the emphasis her family placed on education to navigating college life as a first-generation student.
Gomez, the youngest of six children, said that she was like many of the students that Cal Poly Pomona serves, adding that her family was a big motivator in her earning her bachelor’s and graduate degrees.
“It was a love letter to my parents, my family and my ancestors who worked so hard and sacrificed so much to give me a better life,” she said.
Gomez shared the progress on Graduation Initiative 2025, highlighting that in 2023, CPP reached an all-time high for the four-year graduation rate of 36.8 percent. Over the past five years, Black and Latinx students have seen a nearly 10 percent increase in their four-year graduation rates, and Asian students have led with a 13.4 percent increase.
In 2023, the graduation rate of two-year transfer students exceeded the CSU’s GI 2025 goals, with Black and Latinx students making strides. Gomez pointed to the associate degrees for transfer programs with local community colleges as the key factor.
The gap in graduation rates for underrepresented minority students has narrowed slightly, but the gap for Pell grant recipients continues to widen, issues that the university is working to address, she added.
CPP is ranked No. 3 in first year retention behind Cal Poly SLO and San Diego State. Also, CPP went from being in the bottom four in the CSU for completion of GE math in the first year to being in the top four, Gomez said.
She also shared various plans for providing culturally relevant resources and support for students. Those plans included tapping into $250,000 in grant funding from the CSU to augment the Black Thriving Initiative, reinvesting in support initiatives for Native American students, and utilizing $360,000 in funding awarded to expand support for Asian Pacific Islander Desi American students, including enhancing the experience of native Hawaiian Pacific Islander students.
Also in the works is the CPP Latinx Excellence and Belonging initiative to be launched this year.
“How do we show up for our students? First, it’s by understanding who they are and the strengths and assets they bring to our campus,” Gomez said. “The work we do to help these students succeed, earn their degrees and launch them into meaningful careers is making a different for them, their families and their communities.”