A Connected CPP: Building Our Future Together

Dear Bronco Community,

When I accepted the privilege of serving as President of Cal Poly Pomona, I made a commitment to lead with transparency, accessibility, and a genuine desire to listen. During my first 100 days, I have been meeting with members of our community through my listening tour, and those conversations will continue throughout the year. Everywhere I go, I hear the same deep pride in this remarkable university, optimism about our future, and one consistent message: our community wants to better understand where we are going, how decisions are made, and how each of you can help shape our future.

I heard you.

At Cal Poly Pomona, we are committed to building a culture of transparency, engagement, and trust. That means communicating openly, listening intentionally, and creating meaningful opportunities for every member of our community to help shape the future of our university.

Trust is built through communication, and communication is strongest when it is timely, transparent, and flows in both directions. As we continue building on Cal Poly Pomona's incredible momentum, we are launching a new approach to campus communication centered on four commitments: Inform, Engage, Listen, and Respond.

These commitments reflect not only how we will communicate with our community, but also how we will lead together.

INFORM

Everyone deserves access to timely, accurate, and meaningful information about our university. Keeping our community informed is the foundation of transparency.

Email will remain the university's primary communication tool. Whether you are a student, faculty member, or staff member, I encourage you to regularly read your university email to stay informed about important announcements, opportunities, and university decisions.

To complement email, we are expanding how we share information across campus.

Members of the President's Cabinet will also record weekly Cabinet Update Videos to provide brief summaries of important discussions, decisions, and campus developments.

ENGAGE

Communication should never be one way. It should create opportunities for conversation, collaboration, and shared understanding.

Beginning this academic year, we will host several University Town Halls open to all community members each year. Each town hall will focus on a specific topic, providing context, updates, and ample opportunity for questions and discussion.

This semester, our town hall topics will include:

• October 8: Reflections from my first 100 days and what I learned during the listening tour.
• October 29: CSU Forward and CPP Promise.
• November TBD: Campus capital improvements and the future of our physical campus.

To create more informal opportunities for conversation, the Provost and I will host a monthly Coffee Chats with the President & Provost, where members of our community can join us to discuss ideas, ask questions, and share perspectives. The dates for this semester are included in the link and can be found on the President's website.

Twice each month, I will also host Lunch with the President. Faculty, and staff will be able to sign up on a first-come, first-served basis to join me for lunch and conversation.

I also want you to know where you can find me. Through President Around Campus, I will regularly share where I will be each week on my Instagram page, whether attending a Bronco athletic event, visiting the Farm Store, meeting with a college or division, touring one of our outstanding facilities, or participating in a campus event. Whenever my schedule allows, I will also attend divisional meetings and other gatherings across campus. If you see me, please stop, introduce yourself, and say hello. These informal conversations are some of the most valuable opportunities I have to learn from you.

Throughout the year, we will also open the President's House for holiday celebrations and community gatherings. I hope you will join us as we celebrate our university and continue building relationships across our campus.

LISTEN

My listening tour will continue throughout this academic year, and I encourage you to participate whenever I visit your college, division, or department. Listening should never be a one-time event. It must become part of how we work together.

Members of the President's Cabinet will also begin holding Cabinet Office Hours Thursdays from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the Student Services Building. These sessions are open to everyone and provide another opportunity to ask questions, share ideas, or discuss concerns directly with university leadership.

We are also establishing a University Budget Advisory Committee with representatives from across our campus community. This committee will create an opportunity for thoughtful dialogue around budget priorities, financial planning, and resource stewardship. More information will be shared in separate communications.

To ensure that a wide range of perspectives helps inform our decisions, I will also host Student Advisory Roundtables throughout the year. These conversations will bring together students from different backgrounds and experiences, including first-year students, transfer students, graduate students, veterans, student parents, international students, and other student communities. These smaller conversations will help us better understand the unique opportunities and challenges facing different student populations and ensure that every voice has the opportunity to be heard.

Cal Poly Pomona is strengthened by the diversity of perspectives, experiences, and beliefs that make up our community. Throughout the year, I will also meet regularly with  our faith-based organizations and leaders to better understand how we can continue fostering a welcoming campus where every student feels they belong and can thrive. In addition, beginning this academic year, we will share a monthly campus email highlighting upcoming cultural, heritage, faith-based, and community events that celebrate the rich diversity of our Bronco community and provide opportunities for learning, engagement, and inclusion throughout the month.

Strong relationships are built through ongoing conversation. I will also meet at least once each semester with our employee organizations, including our campus unions, to discuss shared priorities, hear concerns, exchange ideas, and strengthen our partnership in support of our students and the university.

In addition, we will continue creating opportunities for faculty and staff roundtable conversations, allowing smaller groups to discuss issues in greater depth and ensuring that diverse perspectives continue to inform our decisions.

RESPONDING WITH PURPOSE

Cal Poly Pomona's future has never been brighter. We have extraordinary students, dedicated faculty and staff, passionate alumni, and incredible momentum. Building on that momentum requires openness, trust, and a shared commitment to one another.

Responding means more than acknowledging your ideas. It means demonstrating that your voices help shape our decisions, our priorities, and our path forward. We are committed to closing the loop by sharing what we hear, explaining how your feedback informs our work, and working together to address the opportunities and challenges before us. The strongest solutions emerge when we listen to one another, learn from one another, and move forward as one Bronco community, united in our commitment to the success of Cal Poly Pomona.

Thank you for everything you do to make Cal Poly Pomona an extraordinary place to learn, do, and become. I look forward to continuing the conversation and building our future together.

With commitment to create a strong future and Bronco Pride,

Vanya Quiñones, Ph.D.
President