Inviting you to join in selecting our next Provost

November 22, 2021

Dear Cal Poly Pomona community,

I’m writing to announce the candidate forums for the three finalists selected by our search committee for the position of Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.  This is a crucial leadership role for our campus, providing strategic leadership for the University’s academic enterprise. These forums serve as opportunities to learn about the candidates’ experiences, insights and vision for the future of teaching, learning, research, scholarship and creative activities at Cal Poly Pomona. As important as this role is, it has even greater significance as we take the lessons learned from the last year and a half to inform our modes of instruction in a post-pandemic environment.

The forums will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 30; Wednesday, Dec. 1; and Thursday, Dec. 2 from 1:30 to 2:20 p.m., and will be broadcast virtually. Information on the finalists — including bios, CVs and links to the webinars — can be found on the Executive Search website. I invite all members of the campus community to participate and provide your feedback.

I also want to take this opportunity to express gratitude to each of our students, faculty and staff for your ongoing dedication during this uniquely challenging time. As our planful repopulation of campus continues, I acknowledge that learning, teaching and working while we transition from being mostly virtual to mostly in person presents a range of difficulties and adjustments. Even during so-called “normal” times, an academic term can be a period of intense stress. A once-in-a-lifetime pandemic can exponentially intensify those moments. If you are in need of help, I ask that you please take advantage of the wealth of campus resources available to students, faculty and staff.

I am encouraged that our campus vaccination rates are high and our positivity rates remain low — about one-third the positivity rate in LA County by comparison. And as we look to the spring semester, we are planning for more than three-fourths of all courses to include an in-person component. We will continue to take advantage of technology that expands access to Cal Poly Pomona and that facilitates both our academic and operational efforts. But nothing replaces the interpersonal interactions so intrinsic to our educational, social and professional activities. We are truly a community, a reality ever more present as we safely return to campus in greater numbers and frequency.

With holidays approaching this week — and in the month to come — I hope that you will take time to rest, relax and reconnect with family and loved ones. As important as our work is, we all need opportunities to recharge. Please do so and know that your university supports you.

Sincerely,

Soraya M. Coley, Ph.D.
President