By Madison Slocum, March 3, 2026
Since Cal Poly Pomona exceeded its enrollment milestone for the 2025-2026 year, it received $1.8 million in permanent funding, according to the provost’s report in the last Academic Senate meeting on Feb 25.
“The new funding will help strengthen CPP’s long-term financial position and will provide greater stability moving forward,” said Associate Vice President for Academic Programs Laura Massa.
CPP enrolled 27,958 students in 2025-2026, 23,388 of whom are resident full-time equivalent students, exceeding the target by 1.9%. The achievement is a direct result of coordinated cross divisional efforts across campus to increase new student enrollment and retention, according to Massa.
“It’s not just a milestone,” Massa said. “It’s more than that. It’s momentum.”
The Division of Student Affairs budget is currently $156 million. Of that, $101 million is projected to be spent this year with 30-40% on salaries and 60% on operating expenses. It was discussed that the budget has impacted student hiring, which was reduced by 150 students this year. Costs have shifted because the work-study requirements are more expensive, according to Sharma. CPP also lost 20 staff members because of the budget pressures, according to Senator Bharti Sharma from the college of science.
The CSU board is expected to announce the new permanent president March 11 and are currently in the transition period of electing a president.
Seven new general education courses were also introduced in this meeting, including Beyond the Needle: Vaccine Science, Trust, and Public Health (BIO 1030), Bilingualism: Language, Culture, and Cognition (ENG 3230), Critical Issues in Global Food Systems (HRT 4550), Apocalypse! The End of the World Across Time and Culture (IGE 3700), Introduction to Political Thought (PLS 2040), Introduction to Psychology (PSY 2201), Critical Data Studies (LS 4100).
Senator Melissa Aaron from the college of letters, arts and social sciences voiced concern the courses are only going to be conditionally accepted instead of being stated that “we accept” all the courses.
“How come there’s nothing that says, ‘We accept’, and we are voting to say ‘Yes it’s fine,’ but then after it will be adjusted?” Aaron said. “I understand you have a lot of ECO’s to be approved for existing courses, and I want to know more about the procedure of that.” s fine,’ but then after it will be adjusted?” Aaron said.
CPP is hosting the California State Summer School for the Arts in July 2026. This program is for high school students seeking to get in-residence, hands-on art training. The program will bring 500 students and 150 faculty to campus.
It will run for four weeks each summer, showcasing CPP’s learning-by-doing approach. It is structured to help students and families get comfortable with CPP’s campus and create a pipeline for future CPP students, according to Massa.
The Division of Student Affairs conducted research throughout the year with surveys sent to different groups of students to learn more about their challenges. Students cited their top challenges as financial insecurity, mental health and food insecurity, according to Sharma.
Freshmen were also surveyed about how they are feeling as they integrate onto the campus. Their answers showed they feel a strong sense of belonging mainly after orientation because their leaders were helpful, which reduced anxiety and made them feel they can persist in their education.
The next academic senate meeting will be March 18 at 3 p.m. in Building 98, Pillar 2, Room 007.
Feature image courtesy of Reyes Navarrete
