Our Bright Future: Reflections from My First 100 Days

Dear Bronco Community,

One hundred days ago, I began a listening tour with a simple goal: to learn from you. I wanted to understand what makes Cal Poly Pomona extraordinary, what challenges we must address, and what aspirations we share for our future.

Since then, I have had the privilege of meeting with more than 2,000 students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, community leaders, and partners at more than 40 events across our university. I have listened, learned, and been inspired.

One message has been remarkably consistent: the greatest strength of Cal Poly Pomona is our people.

I have been deeply impressed by the commitment of our faculty who transform lives through teaching, research, and mentorship; our staff whose dedication keeps our university moving forward every day; our administrators who lead with purpose and care; our alumni who continue to open doors for future Broncos; and our community partners who believe in our mission and invest in our success.

I also heard about emerging needs and ways we must improve. We need to build a deeper culture of care. We must strengthen student and employee support and wellness resources. And we must address aging infrastructure, outdated equipment and classrooms, and overly complicated processes.

Above all, I have been inspired by our shared belief that every student deserves the opportunity to thrive. Every conversation has reaffirmed our common purpose: helping our students achieve their dreams, preparing them for meaningful careers, and creating opportunities that strengthen families and communities.

As I conclude my first 100 days, I am more optimistic than ever about our future because I have seen both the strength of this community and its willingness to work together to address the challenges before us.

Today, I am pleased to introduce CPP 2030.

By 2030, Cal Poly Pomona will be recognized as the nation’s leading university for opportunity, innovation, upward mobility, and student success.

At its heart is a simple but ambitious goal: to strengthen the value of a Cal Poly Pomona degree by ensuring every graduate is prepared for career success, workforce leadership, economic mobility, and a lifetime of opportunity.

We will not measure our success by the students we admit, but by the leaders they become.

At the center of CPP 2030 is the Cal Poly Pomona Promise. Building on our renowned Learn. Do. Become. philosophy, we will work to ensure that every student completes at least one meaningful career-connected experience before graduation. Whether through a paid internship, cooperative education, undergraduate research, entrepreneurship, service learning, or another career-connected opportunity, every Bronco should leave Cal Poly Pomona with more than a diploma.

We will deepen partnerships with employers, industry, alumni, and community organizations so every Bronco graduates with knowledge, experience, professional connections, and confidence to succeed.

Every Bronco will Learn. Do. Become.

To achieve this promise, we will also strengthen our Bronco Student Success Ecosystem and expand affordability through Broncos Covered, which will cover tuition and fees for approximately 50% of students, with a goal of reaching 70% within four years. In the coming weeks, we will share a more detailed implementation plan and work with our campus community to further design and advance these initiatives together.

Preparing our students for the future also means preparing our university for the future. Through CPP 2030 Digital Campus, we will modernize how we work by simplifying processes, embracing technology, and creating a more agile, responsive university that better serves students, faculty, and staff.

Technology should make our university more humane, not more complicated.

We will also tell the Cal Poly Pomona story more boldly than ever before. For too long, many have described us as a “hidden gem.” While we appreciate the sentiment, it is time to retire that phrase.

Cal Poly Pomona is No Longer a Hidden Gem.

Our graduates are transforming industries. Our faculty are advancing discovery. Our students are solving real-world challenges. Our alumni are leading across California and beyond.

It is time our reputation reflects our impact.

Finally, we will continue investing in what matters most: our people.

Our success depends on the faculty, staff, administrators, and students who make this university exceptional. We will strengthen a culture of care, belonging, innovation, leadership, sustainability, and continuous learning. We will invest in professional development, leadership opportunities, employee engagement, and the workplace culture that allows every member of the Bronco Herd to thrive.

Investing in Our Future

A vision becomes reality only when it is matched with action and investment. To support the goals of CPP 2030, we will launch the CPP 2030 Fund, leveraging Bright Tomorrow Funds, a transformative gift from MacKenzie Scott, to direct $3 million to $5 million annually toward initiatives that advance student success, modernize our university, and invest in our people.

These investments will support innovative ideas that advance student success, strengthen research and scholarship, expand paid internships and career-connected learning, modernize our university through technology and operational excellence, enhance teaching, research, and Learn by Doing spaces, and invest in the professional growth and well-being of our people.

Additional information will be shared in the coming weeks regarding eligibility, application timelines, and how to apply for the various CPP 2030 Fund grants.

The future will not be defined by any one initiative. It will be defined by the people who come together to build it.

That is who we are.

We are innovators. We are problem solvers. We are resilient. We are ambitious. We believe in opportunity, in the power of education, and in the limitless potential of our students. We are Cal Poly Pomona.

The work begins now, and I invite every member of our Bronco community to help shape what comes next. Over the coming weeks, I will share additional information about CPP 2030, including implementation plans, strategic priorities, and the CPP 2030 Fund. I also encourage you to stay tuned for the many ways our campus community can participate in shaping this exciting next chapter together.

Thank you for believing in our students, in one another, and in the extraordinary promise of Cal Poly Pomona.

The future is bright. Together, we will build it.

With Bronco Pride and excitement for our future,

Vanya Quiñones, Ph. D.
President