By Melanie Arias, September 22, 2026
Cal Poly Pomona’s Associate Provost for Academic Programs and Innovation Laura Massa announced the integration of the winter intersession and spring semester, starting spring 2027, at the first Academic Senate meeting of fall 2026.
This integration means CPP’s current eight-week winter intersession and the spring semester will operate normally. The difference is the grades students receive at the end of both terms will be totaled for a final grade point average, which students will receive at the end of the spring semester.
The winter term will remain the same length and stay self-supported, meaning no financial aid will be provided. Similarly, the spring semester will remain the same and state supported, according to Massa.
Massa said financial aid limits, graduation requirements and academics won’t change under the new academic calendar structure. The only thing changing is the academic calendar, Massa said.
“Because spring and winter will be one semester, GPA, academic standing, grade forgiveness and the dean’s list won’t be finalized until after spring ends,” Massa said.
According to Massa, faculty contracts for winter and spring will continue to stay separate.
In addition, Academic Senate’s committee chair Bharti Sharma discussed the 2026-27 budget of $448.7 million.
According to CPP’s financial transparency website, the operating budget for 2026-27 is funded through student tuition and state appropriation.
Sharma said the California State University finance committee identified a $712.6 million increase in operating resources for the CSU system. This included $143.8 million from 2025-26, $365.7 million from partial-year four and full-year five compact funding in the State General Fund, $179.4 million from the approved 6% increase in tuition rates and $23.6 million in enrollment growth.
CPP Vice President and Chief of Staff Nicole Hawkes said increasing CPP’s enrollment will further strengthen the university’s long-term financial sustainability.
“Enrollment is not simply a revenue issue,” Sharma said. “It connects directly to our academic capacity.”
For the fall 2026 semester, CPP currently has 23,815 resident full-time equivalent students, and Massa said more enrollment data will be released within a week.
FTES is the combination of part-time students, who take less than 12 credits, to create full-time equivalent students, who take at least 12 credits.
In comparison, 25,311 undergraduate students were enrolled in fall 2025 with 2,874 FTES. This included 4,004 first-time freshman and 2,448 transfer students.
Hawkes said CPP’s goal for 2026-27 enrollment are to serve 28,571 students, 24,032 FTES and 23,815 resident FTES , as this will position CPP to receive additional permanent CSU funding for the third consecutive year. CSU funding relies on FTES, the more full-time students, the more funding the CSU can receive.
“Enrollment is one of the clearest indicators of Cal Poly Pomona’s institutional health,” Sharma said. “We’re currently in a strong position.”
According to Hawkes, fall 2026 welcomed 4,277 first-time freshman and 2,496 transfer students.
Furthermore, Hawkes said an enrollment goal for spring 2027 is to bring in a total of 785 new transfer students.
Massa said admission for the projected spring transfer students will be open for all non-impacted programs and a few impacted majors. The impacted majors are sociology, accounting, physics, kinesiology and general education.
Also, Associate Professor of Finance, Real Estate and Law Anthony Orlando updated the Academic Senate on the completion of pre-development work for the Lanterman Development Center.
Orlando said the new marketing analysis, preliminary environmental assessment, assessment of the historical significance of existing buildings and a consultation with a state historic preservation officer are complete.
A new financial feasibility analysis, utility infrastructure improvement assessment, cost estimation and conceptual land-use plan are in progress or close to completion.
The next steps for Lanterman in spring 2027 include Board of Trustees concept approval, finding a developer and negotiating an agreement.
Orlando said Lanterman’s next steps are progressing toward phase one of construction in fall 2031.
The next Academic Senate meeting will be Oct. 14 in Building 98-PS-007 at 3 p.m.
