Dear Members of the Cal Poly Pomona community,

Cal Poly Pomona is an outstanding institution that is growing in prestige every year, testament to our polytechnic approach and our diverse, hard-working students, faculty, and staff. Demand for admission continues to grow, placing pressure on all of our programs. Accommodating more students—and the related increases in personnel, buildings, and transportation alternatives—requires a broad dialog and long-term thinking about space and land use on campus. Consequently, I am excited to introduce the Master Plan process for Cal Poly Pomona.

The University's existing Master Plan, adopted in 2000, has served us well, directing our efforts to improve both scholarship and campus life. Major initiatives conceived and funded through the current plan have included the library expansion, the main parking garage, the renovation of Building 3, new on-campus housing, and improved visual gateways to the campus.

The new Master Plan will provide an up-to-date assessment of the opportunities and challenges facing Cal Poly Pomona. It will forecast the capacity and optimal size of the institution and suggest the level of investment necessary to enhance our physical environment in support of our academic programs.  Ultimately, the new Master Plan will be both a vision and a program for meeting the University's future space and place needs. The planning process will include opportunities for broad campus input with workshops scheduled so that faculty, staff, and students can offer their views and, later in the process, review and discuss alternative planning scenarios.

The new Master Plan is part of a larger campaign to define Cal Poly Pomona's future. My own strategic planning process, now ongoing, includes an extensive outreach program intended to envision possible new directions for the University.  At a more technical level, studies are also underway for the University's transportation, infrastructure, and energy systems. Together, all of these efforts will serve to guide our strategic decisions and physical development over the next decade and aid the Administration and Colleges in raising funds to support our success.

On a final and important note, the Master Plan will include a strong emphasis on environmental sustainability. As a signatory to the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment, Cal Poly Pomona is committed to moving toward a carbon neutral footprint.  The drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will require changes in the way we live and work, touching upon topics as diverse as building design, purchasing policies, and transportation habits. The Master Plan will identify strategies and investments that can help us be more sustainable, including equitable approaches to encouraging greener habits.

I look forward to your participation in the Master Plan process and hope you share my excitement in our continuing transformation and successes.

Michael Ortiz
President