The California State Polytechnic University, Pomona , commonly known as Cal Poly Pomona or erroneously as Cal Poly by locals (but never by the university)  is a public, nationally-ranked, coeducational university, and one of the 23 general campuses of the California State University system. The main campus sits on 1,438 acres (582 ha) of a suburban district in the western corner of Pomona, California a city within Los Angeles County. This figure includes a 53 acre ranch in Santa Paula, California donated in 1978. Founded in 1938 as the Voorhis Unit, Cal Poly Pomona is known for pioneering a learn-by-doing philosophy in several areas of the educational spectrum.

As a polytechnic university, Cal Poly Pomona maintains strong science and engineering departments. The university’s engineering program was ranked 12th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in 2009 based on peer assessment, student selectivity, financial resources, and other factors in the “Universities-Master’s” category.Cal Poly Pomona is a member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)[18] and a “University of Excellence” according to the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges.

Cal Poly Pomona offers more than 65 undergraduate programs, over 20 graduate programs and 13 teaching credentials/certificates in seven colleges and one professional school.

Cal Poly Pomona’s sports teams are known as the Broncos and play in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II of the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Their nickname was inspired by the horse ranch which the campus grounds used to be before being given as a gift to the state university system in 1932. The women’s basketball team won back to back national championships in 2001 and 2002.

History

The history of the university could be traced back to the origin of the first campus in San Luis Obispo, California when on March 8, 1901 California Governor Henry T. Gage signed the California Polytechnic School Bill that led to the foundation of an institution today known as the California Polytechnic State University.It was a few years later, on September 30, 1903, when the school started offering high school-level classes to its first class comprising 20 students. In 1924 full institutional control was shifted to the California State Board of Education when they changed the institution’s status to a Two-year technical and vocational college in 1933, which in 1942 was incremented to a Bachelor’s granting university. After a long period of financial struggles due to World War II, in 1947 the university changed its name to California State Polytechnic College to better reflect the collegiate nature of the institution.

The Early Stages of the Polytechnic in Los Angeles County: Kellogg, Voorhis, and McPhee
Will Keith Kellogg made generous donations to the California State University which prompted the eventual foundation of Cal Poly Pomona.
Will Keith Kellogg made generous donations to the California State University which prompted the eventual foundation of Cal Poly Pomona.

In 1928 industrialist and food manufacturer Will Keith Kellogg, known for pioneering the process of making baked cereal, purchased 377 acres (1.53 km2) of land in Pomona and turned it into a world-renowned horse ranch to start an Arabian horse breeding program, which today remains the oldest in the United States and the fifth largest in the country.Kellogg’s ranch eventually became so well-known around the area that even some Hollywood stars took time to frequent it.The first building erected contained the horse stables and it used to be located where the university plaza currently stands. On May 17, 1932 a crowd of more that 20,000 spectators converged on the ranch to witness Kellogg’s donation of his Arabian Horse Ranch, which had grown to 750 acres (3.0 km2), which even included 87 horses, to the California State University system. In return for the generous grant, the University agreed to keep the Arabian horses and to continue the Sunday Horse shows. During World War II, on October 28, 1943 the ranch was taken over by the U.S. War Department and was known as the Pomona Quartermaster Depot (Remount).

In 1928, a retired automotive executive named Chales B. Voorhis founded a college specialized on educating young underprivileged male students in San Dimas, California. He was known for having donated over $3 million to various charitable institutions. It was until 1938 when the Voorhis School for Boys was acquired by the state of California and later became part of the California Polytechnic School in San Luis Obispo, and in 1949 Kellogg’s ranch was acquired as well.

In 1933, Julian McPhee, assumed the presidency of the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. McPhee was known for his firm fiscal policy, he is often accredited for saving the University during the years of the great depression. After those bleak years, McPhee’s vision of expanding Cal Poly to Southern California came close to reality.

The Polytechnic Expands to Southern California

Plagued with financial problems, Voorhis was forced to close his doors only ten years after he had opened his facility. The demise of the facility gave McPhee the opportunity to expand Cal Poly Pomona. In August 1938, Charles Voorhis donated his facility as a gift to what is today the California State University System. In the same year, McPhee’s request for the land was approved and the entire horticulture program was moved from San Luis Obispo to the new Southern California campus.

Further expansion was halted by the onset of World War II. The southern Cal Poly campus was closed when the majority of its students were called into active duty and the former Kellogg ranch was transformed into an Army remount station. After the war, the ranch faced an uncertain future, but in 1949 the 813-acre (3.29 km2) W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Ranch was deeded to the state, a proposal to which Kellogg foundation agreed, provided the Sunday horse shows returned.

In 1956, the first classes were held on the campus in the present-day science building. Six programs in agriculture, leading to four Bachelor of Science degrees, were offered. In the class of 1957, 57 agricultural majors were the first graduates of Cal Poly Pomona. By 1959, the curricula of the college included six degree programs in the arts and sciences and four in their nationally recognized engineering program.

Independence from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Cal Poly Pomona broke off from Cal Poly in 1966, becoming a separate campus of the California State University system.

 Profound Changes Occur

Classroom, Laboratory & Administration (CLA building) at dusk
Many changes occurred in 1961 which affected Cal Poly Pomona radically. One of the changes included in the Master Plan for Higher Education established the California State College System with its own Board of Trustees, and 329 women enrolled at the University for the first time. In that same year, the Legislature enacted Education Code Section 22606, which identified the primary function of the State College as “…the provision of instruction for undergraduate students and graduate students, through the master’s degree, in the liberal arts and sciences, in applied fields and in the professions, including the teaching profession.”

The Legislature recognized the special responsibility of this institution as a “polytechnic college” by adding Education Code 40051 which authorized the college to emphasize “…the applied fields of agriculture, business, home economics, and other occupational and professional fields.”

In 1966, the California State Polytechnic College, Kellogg-Voorhis, was established as a separate institution from the San Luis Obispo school. Both campuses were awarded full university status in 1972. On June 1, 1972, the campus name was officially changed to California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. In 1982, The California State University and Colleges became The California State University.

The college has gone through tremendous growth in the last fifty years, with the construction of the CLA Building and new College of Engineering, and addition of innovative programs such as the Center for Regenerative Studies and International Polytechnic High School. Cal Poly Pomona’s biggest current project is its $58.5 million library expansion. According to university spokesperson Uyen Mai, “At this time the university is focused on the renovation of buildings 1 and 3 to create more classroom space. We’re also in the early phase of design for new student housing to accommodate another 800 students as well as a new building for one of our biggest colleges, the College of Business.” In addition, the school just completed its first parking structure adding 2,378 new parking spaces.[31] Currently, Cal Poly Pomona is a nationally and internationally recognized institution with approximately 19,800 students and 2,640 faculty and staff members.

Campus

* CLA Building - Apart from the bland Modernist boxes that are typical of CSU campuses, Cal Poly Pomona is also home to a futuristic-looking structure called the Classroom/Laboratory/Administration Building. Designed by Antoine Predock, the CLA Building was used in the films Gattaca and Impostor as well as several TV commercials for products such as cars and cell phones. The CLA complex sits directly above the San José Hills Fault and has the second-highest seismic “risk score,” 72.94, in the Cal State University system, after a building at CSU East Bay. It has leaked water since it was completed in 1993, and connections and beams at the building do not meet California earthquake-safety standards. It needs so much work that university officials are contemplating tearing it down.
* W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center - As part of the 22 terms and conditions to the donation of the Kellogg ranch, the University maintains a herd of purebred Arabian horses. These horses became the defining character of the University’s mascot, The Broncos.
* Old Stables - The Arabian Horse Center was formerly located here and horse performances were held behind the structure where the University Union now stands. The Old Stables is now part of the University Union Plaza and serves as offices for student services and organizations.
* Rose Garden - The Rose Garden is located behind the CLA building and is one of the oldest sites of the Campus. In the 1990s a gazebo was added in the center together with the Walk of Fame.
* Japanese Garden - The Japanese Garden was built in the Summer of 2003, costing $777,000 and covering 57,650 square feet (5,400 m²), it is located next to the CLA building adjacent to the Rose Garden.
* John T. Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies - This facility, built adjacent to an old landfill, stresses sustainable technology and agriculture, with solar-powered dormitories, aquaculture ponds, and organic gardens.
* BioTrek - Composed of a rainforest greenhouse, a California ethnobotany garden, and an aquatic biology center, BioTrek provides environmental education at all levels.
* Innovation Village - The Innovation Village is a section of land that is part of the Kellogg ranch deed, as a separate section independent of the University, it is managed by a cooperative called AccelTech, formed between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the College of the Extended University of Cal Poly Pomona. AccelTech is also sponsored by other institutions like Caltech and Larta Institute. The 65 acres (263,000 m²) tract of land is located between South Campus Drive and Valley Boulevard.
* International Polytechnic High School is a public college preparatory high school located on the western edge of Parking Lot K. It is operated by the Los Angeles County Office of Education in conjunction with the College of Education and Integrative Studies.
* American Red Cross blood processing center - The first and anchor tenant of the new Innovation Village, the American Red Cross built their largest blood processing center in the United States in Innovation Village, which was completed early 2005 and opened May 13, 2005.

Academic profile

Cal Poly Pomona promotes its “learn by doing” philosophy, where an essential part of the curriculum is hands-on application of knowledge. The university shares with the University of California, Riverside, the distinction of having the only agriculture programs in Southern California. Farmlands flank the campus, giving a stark contrast to a stereotypical urban university. Furthermore, Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo maintain the only accredited architecture programs in the California State University system.

Cal Poly Pomona’s polytechnic approach of teaching applied sciences draws a large number of students from other states. The Washington State Higher Education Coordinating Board mentions that Cal Poly Pomona is regarded as a peer institution by both the University of Washington and Washington State University as well as the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the oldest polytechnic university in the nation.

Cal Poly Pomona ranked 31st among Western Colleges in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2006 college ranking and was named one of the “Best of the West” by The Princeton Review.

The most popular undergraduate majors include Architecture, Business Administration, Liberal Studies, Computer Science, Animal Science, Hospitality management, Biology, and Psychology. In terms of comprehensive rankings, U.S. News & World Report placed Cal Poly Pomona’s Engineering Program 5th nationally among the best public undergraduate engineering programs, and 14th overall, in the publication’s 2006 Guide to Colleges 1.The Architecture undergraduate program was ranked 15th nationally by the journal DesignIntelligence in 2008 and in 2006, the department received 2,000 applicants for 120 spots making it the most selective program of the university.

Some departments (including engineering and architecture) continue to follow the originally mandatory requirement for an undergraduate senior/research thesis to graduate.

Admissions

Cal Poly Pomona’s admissions process is selective. The California State University lists Cal Poly Pomona among five of its institutions with stricter admission standards. In a recent study, the American newspaper USA Today listed its acceptance rate at 29.4%.

In fall 2006, Cal Poly Pomona admitted 4,121 students from an applicant pool of 17,252 students, yielding a 23.9% acceptance rate. The average high school GPA of admitted freshmen was 3.21. The average SAT Reasoning Test score was 1020 (out of a possible 1600), based only on reading and math scores.

For some fields of study, the university requires prospect students to declare a major when applying for admission, as certain majors, such as Architecture, Civil Engineering, Animal Science and Animal Health Science have stricter admission standards than others. To prevent students from applying for an easy-to-get-into major and transferring to another major, Cal Poly Pomona makes it troublesome to change to those majors.

Programs and degrees

The university offers BA, BS, B.Arch and Masters Degrees in eight colleges:

* College of Agriculture
* College of Business Administration
* College of Education and Integrative Studies
* The Collins College of Hospitality Management
* College of Engineering
* College of Environmental Design
* College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
* College of Science

College of Engineering

The $52 million Engineering Laboratory Building is an impressive two story structure that houses a 117,000 square feet (10,900 m2) state-of-the-art learning environment, an appropriate setting for the largest engineering college in California.

The College of Engineering provides study opportunities to more than 4,500 undergraduate and graduate students in seven engineering departments, offering eleven programs leading to Bachelor of Science degrees in Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Construction Engineering, Engineering Technology (Mechanical and Manufacturing options), and Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology. In addition, the graduate division offers programs leading to Master of Science degrees in Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Management, and Mechanical Engineering. The undergraduate curricula are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission or the Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc. (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology).

College Rankings

Cal Poly Pomona is 14th overall in the nation for top undergraduate programs in engineering, according to the U.S. News & World Report 2006 College Rankings: Universities-Master’s category. Of the top 14 schools, only five are public schools, which makes Cal Poly Pomona the 5th best public school for engineering in the U.S. (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, U.S. Military Academic, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy).

Cal Poly Pomona is 9th overall in the nation for top Civil Engineering undergraduate programs, according to the U.S. News & World Report 2006 College Rankings: Universities-Master’s category. Of the top 9 schools, only four are public schools, which makes Cal Poly Pomona the 4th best public school for Civil Engineering in the U.S.

Cal Poly Pomona is 13th overall in the nation for top Electrical Engineering undergraduate programs, according to the U.S. News & World Report 2006 College Rankings: Universities-Master’s category. Of the top 13 schools, only six are public schools, which makes Cal Poly Pomona the 6th best public school for Electrical Engineering in the U.S.

Cal Poly Pomona is 15th overall in the nation for top Mechanical Engineering undergraduate programs, according to the U.S. News & World Report 2006 College Rankings: Universities-Master’s category. Of the top 15 schools, only five are public schools, which makes Cal Poly Pomona the 5th best public school for Mechanical Engineering in the U.S.

Student life
Bronco Student Center

Housing

There are three styles of residence halls on the Cal Poly Pomona campus. The first to be built are the six residential halls located on University Drive. Phase I of the construction of those halls are four red-brick halls named Alamitos, Aliso, Encinitas, and Montecito and provide room for 212 students each. The remaining two were part of Phase II of the construction project and are named Cedritos and Palmitas and have room to accommodate 185 students each.In contrast to the residential halls, the University Village offers a different style of living as it offers apartments rather than just dormitories to its students. The Village holds room enough to accommodate up to 1,300 students. The newest on-campus residential unit is referred to as the Suites. Phase I of the construction of the suites was completed in 2004 and provides housing for 420 students.The total on-campus population is 3,000 (as of 2008), but will grow to over 3,622 after the Phase II of the Residential Suites are completely opened in summer 2010, making it one of the largest student housing program in the California State University system.

The goal of the fierce housing development launched by president Ortiz is to avoid an environment where many students come to school only for class. Unlike most California Universities, Cal Poly Pomona does not have a student TV or radio station, but campus events are covered by the student newspaper, the Poly Post. A rival newspaper/e-letter The Pomona Point formed in 2007 to satirize articles written in the Poly Post as well as humour students who are familiar with buildings, events, and ideas seen on campus.

PolyCentric is the university’s official online magazine. PolyCentric features up-to-the-minute breaking news, announcements of campus events, spotlight on various departments, and faculty and staff resources. The Web site also provides a comprehensive archival search for past articles and photos.

The students of Cal Poly elected their first female student body president in 1983. This was the last campus in the CSU to elect a female as the President of the Associated Students, Inc. Teresa Shuff, and Agricultural Business Management major served as ASI President during the 1983-1984 academic year.

Bronco Pep Band

The Bronco Pep Band is a student-run band at Cal Poly Pomona. The band is a group within the athletic department. It follows the tradition of other student-run bands in the sense that the Bronco Pep Band focuses on the individuality of each one of its members. The band attends athletic events during the year to encourage the school’s athletic teams and audience support/involvement. The pep band is entirely voluntary and all students at Cal Poly Pomona or anyone else in the area are free to join.

Rose Parade float

Cal Poly Universities Rose Float Logo

Cal Poly Pomona together with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has participated in the Tournament of Roses since 1949; winning the Award of Merit in their first year. In the period from 1949–2005, the floats have won 44 awards. This joint program is one of the longest consecutive running self-built entries in the parade, as well as the only “self built” floats designed and constructed entirely by students year-round on both campuses. The Rose Float tradition continues today and marks the partnership between the two Cal Poly campuses.

Athletics

Athletic mascot, the Broncos

The Cal Poly Pomona Broncos fields twelve sports for men and women for the fall, winter, and spring seasons. Fall sports for men are cross country and soccer. Fall sports for women are cross country, soccer, and volleyball. The winter sport for men and women is basketball. Spring sports for men are baseball, tennis, and track and field. Spring sports for women are tennis and track and field.

The Cal Poly Pomona is a NCAA Division II school that competes in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Cal Poly Pomona most recently boasting the 2001 and 2002 women’s basketball national champions and is competitive in most major Division II sports. The Broncos are currently by far the most successful program in their conference having achieved 53 CCAA[44] and 11 NCAA National Championships,  almost double as much as their closest rival. The national championships have been won in the following events:

* Men’s sports: Baseball (1983, 1980, 1976), Cross country (1983)
* Women’s sports: Basketball (2002, 2001, 1986, 1985, 1982), Tennis (1981, 1980)

Over the years, 369 Cal Poly athletes have earned All-American honors in their respective sports, including 90 in men’s track and field alone.

Two notable sports facilities serve as home venues for Cal Poly sports. The Bronco baseball team plays home games at the Scolinos Field on campus named after the baseball coach who led the team to three national championships. The volleyball team plays at Darlene May Gymnasium on campus. This facility was named after the women’s basketball coach who led her team to three national championships.The women’s basketball team rarely plays in the May Gym preferring to play in the larger Kellogg Gym (seats 5,000) with the men’s team.

Cal Poly Pomona has not had a football team since 1982. The university cancelled their football program because of operating expense.

Noted students and alumni

Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives Hilda Solis

NFL player and current Washington Redskins head coach Jim Zorn

* Jonathan Bornstein - American professional footballer who plays as a left midfielder/defender for the United States men’s national soccer team and Chivas USA in the MLS.
* Jim Brulte – Former Republican leader of the California State Senate (class of 1980).
* Chi Cheng – Olympic Bronze medalist, World Record setter and Taiwan political leader, considered by many as the top female Asian athlete of the 20th century.
* Jack Dangermond – Founder and President of ESRI, the largest manufacturer and seller of geographic information systems in the world.
* Alan Haskvitz, National Teacher’s Hall of Fame educator. National Teachers Hall of Fame Biography
* Eddy Hartenstein - Publisher of the Los Angeles Times. Graduated in 1972 with degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Mathematics.[48]
* Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen – Vietnamese-American personality and co-host of Thuy Nga’s Paris by Night shows.
* Kye Palmer – Trumpet player who currently performs with the Tonight Show Band.
* Violet Palmer – First female referee in U.S. professional sports, current NBA referee and member of 1985 and 1986 NCAA championship teams.
* Wilber Pan - American-born Taiwanese singer, rapper, and actor.
* Richard Pombo – Republican member of the United States House of Representatives (attended three years).
* Kim Rhode – Medalist in three separate Olympic Games, including two Gold medals, for double trap shooting.
* Hilda Solis – Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives.
* Carol Vaness - Metropolitan Opera soprano.
* Forest Whitaker - Academy Award winning actor (”Panic Room,” “The Crying Game”, “The Last King of Scotland”), director (”Waiting to Exhale”) and host of UPN’s revival of The Twilight Zone.
* Walter Ray Williams Jr. - professional ten-pin bowler who holds the all-time PBA titles record with 44; also a six-time world horseshoe pitching champion.
* Jim Zorn – NFL player; NFLPA’s NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year (1976); starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks during their first seven seasons (1976 - 1983); head coach of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (2008- ).

Noted faculty members

Active faculty

* Paul Caligiuri—Head soccer coach and National Soccer Hall of Fame player whose 1990 ‘Goal Heard Round the World’ launched the United States into the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 40 years.
* Renford Reese-Professor of Political Science, founder and director of the “Colorful Flags” program aimed at reducing ethnic and racial tensions, servicing 17 school districts and a variety of law enforcement, social service, and other agencies in Southern California.

Retired, deceased, and former faculty

* Roman Gabriel—Former NFL starting Quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles. Served as coach of the football team during its last years.
* Virginia Hamilton Adair (deceased)—Poet, author of “Ants on the Melon”.
* Takeo Uesugi—Professor emeritus in Landscape Architecture noted for his work in Japanese gardens, Dr. Uesugi designed the garden at the Washington Center in Washington, D.C., among other notable landmarks.
* Darlene May (deceased)—Former head coach of the women’s basketball team.
* Thom Mayne—Former professor of architecture. Principal of Morphosis, Pritzker Prize laureate, and Co-Founder of Southern California Institute of Architecture. (SCI-ARC)
* Ronald Muldrow (deceased)—Jazz guitarist and former member of the Music faculty.
* Phillip Clarke (deceased)—Pianist and professor of the Music Department Faculty.
* Saul Landau (former faculty)—Director of Digital Media Programs noted internationally for his films and writing on domestic policy and cultural issues, he is the recipient of numerous awards, including a 1980 Emmy.
* Donald H. Pflueger (deceased) — Historian, educator, and author. Prolific author of local stories. A founding member of the Glendora Historical Society, the Pomona Valley Historical Society. Also served on the Board of Directors of the Historical Society of Southern California.
* Ray Kappe (former faculty) — Founding Chair of the Department of Architecture.

Controversies

In 1998, the university planned to confer an honorary degree to Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe (the degree was to be conferred at the College of Business commencement, on June 13; Mugabe would be the commencement speaker). Strong negative opinion arose among students and employees; most often cited were anti-Semitic and anti-gay statements made by Mugabe and human rights violations that had taken place during his regime. The Faculty Senate passed a resolution against conferring an honorary degree. Mugabe’s decision not to attend the commencement provided a rationale for the decision by the university not to grant the degree.