If you are a faculty member, please contact your dean or a representative of the Faculty Executive Committee. Staff may reach out to HR and members of the Staff Assembly, and students may talk to their dean. All members of the campus community are also encouraged to contact Interim President Michelle Bligh and/or Interim Provost Jody Waters if they have questions.

Information will continue to be shared via email updates. In addition, students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend the regular update forums being hosted on campus.

We encourage you to attend the campus forums, where time will be set aside for Q&A. In addition, you may ask questions via this feedback form.

Legally speaking, the partnership under discussion would give Pomona a formal governance role at CGU, similar to a parent organization, while CGU remains a distinct, degree-granting institution with its own academic mission.

On a day-to-day basis, CGU faculty and staff would continue to work within CGU’s own academic and administrative structures and shared governance, reporting through CGU’s leadership. As part of the partnership, some administrative functions may be evaluated for possible integration to improve service across the two institutions. Any changes in these integrated areas would be determined jointly with input from affected staff and would take place only after an agreement is signed. CGU’s academic programs and faculty roles would remain within CGU.

Any decisions about changes to administrative services that might result from a partnership remain separate from CGU’s own academic redesign, which is already underway independent of the partnership discussions.

Pomona’s role in the partnership would be to help CGU establish a strong foundation for transformation and sustainability. In particular, Pomona would do so based on its operational strength, such as providing financial and strategic expertise. Eventually, the two institutions might explore additional ways to collaborate where it benefits both communities, but the specific nature of those opportunities would only follow upon establishment of a formal partnership and the development of a stronger financial foundation for CGU.

No. If a partnership developed, CGU would continue to exist as an independent institution, with its own degree-granting authority, faculty, and academic programs. A partnership would not combine the two schools into one.

No. Pomona has made clear it is not seeking to become a graduate institution or to operate CGU as an extension of its own undergraduate program. CGU would continue to serve its own graduate students under its own academic mission.

CGU’s leadership is committed to engaging CGU faculty and staff as academic and operational plans are developed.

Yes. Under the partnership structure being discussed, CGU would keep its name, degree-granting authority, and academic identity and mission.

Yes. The partnership would be designed to preserve CGU’s relationships with the other Claremont Colleges. As with any significant structural change at a member institution, this partnership would also go through The Claremont Colleges’ standard approval process, including review by the Council of Presidents and the TCC Board.

Yes. CGU would continue to have its own president, its own Board of Trustees, and its own academic governance structures, including its own Faculty Executive Committee and academic leadership. CGU’s board would be composed to bring the expertise and commitment needed to support the university through its stabilization and transformation. CGU’s day-to-day academic and administrative life would continue from within CGU, including its president, faculty, and programs.

Under the structure being discussed, CGU would continue to hold and use its own facilities. Decisions about long-term facilities planning would be made jointly, similar to how facilities decisions are made across The Claremont Colleges.

Yes. CGU would retain its own accreditation as an independent institution. Any change in CGU’s institutional structure would go through the appropriate accreditation substantive change process. CGU’s degree-granting authority would not transfer to Pomona.

The financial strategy underlying the affiliation is designed to achieve a sustainably balanced operating model in a responsible and deliberate manner while preserving the academic quality and mission of the institution. The strategy is not dependent on a single action, but on a combination of expense discipline, focused investment, and a more diversified and resilient revenue model.

On the expense side, the plan anticipates savings from program consolidation, potential efficiencies from integrated services where they make sense, and continued attention to aligning the institution’s cost structure with its long-term priorities. These changes would be implemented thoughtfully, recognizing that achieving financial sustainability must be balanced with maintaining academic quality and supporting students, faculty, and staff.

At the same time, the strategy recognizes that financial sustainability cannot be achieved through expense reductions alone. It includes targeted investments in areas important to the institution’s future and a revenue model built around several complementary sources: responsible and sustainable support from the endowment; stable enrollment in strong core academic programs; increased philanthropy; and growth in noncredit and other new revenue opportunities.

Taken together, these efforts are intended to move the institution to a durable balanced budget, with a cost structure and revenue base that can be sustained over time. The affiliation would provide additional capacity and resources to support this transition, but the long-term objective is clear: an institution whose ongoing operations are financially sustainable and not dependent on continuing extraordinary support.

Open communication and accountability would be important throughout this transition. Each year, the community would receive detailed updates on financial performance and progress toward the long-term strategy, including the institution’s published annual operating budget and year-end financial results. These updates would provide a regular opportunity to assess progress, explain significant developments or variances, and demonstrate how the institution is advancing toward sustainable financial balance.

Faculty are the core of the university’s educational mission. If the partnership went into effect, all CGU tenured, tenure-track, and full-time term faculty would retain their current classifications. Their existing rights and privileges would be unchanged by a partnership agreement, subject to the outcomes of the Academic Portfolio Review, including decisions regarding program structure and instructional needs. Renewal of term appointments would be based on the results of that review and resulting programmatic and instructional needs.

CGU would continue to have responsibility for faculty promotion and tenure through its governance processes.

Yes, CGU would continue to maintain its own faculty policies and faculty governance. These policies, including the university’s faculty bylaws, would continue to provide the primary structure governing faculty engagement and decision-making processes. During the transformation phase, these policies would be reviewed and updated as needed to align with the goals of the partnership, while preserving appropriate faculty authority over academic matters.

CGU would retain authority over its academic matters through established shared governance processes, including curriculum and degree requirements within its programs.

As part of the academic restructuring and reorganization that CGU has already begun, it is likely that there will be many changes to roles and jobs within CGU units. It is important to note that the partnership discussions and proposed affiliation agreement are not determining the outcomes of the academic redesign.

A reorganization of this scale requires the university to reconsider how functions are organized, how teams work together, and how responsibilities are distributed. As the organizational design continues to take shape, the necessary changes in reporting relationships will become clearer. The work thus far suggests that some functions will move to a shared services structure for administrative operations while academic units are reorganized to focus more on supporting faculty and students. The goal will be to create an organization that allows all staff members to focus on their primary roles with adequate resources to perform them. CGU will work with both external and internal experts to design an organization that fully supports its academic mission and students.

Medical, dental, vision, and voluntary benefits options would not change. Under a partnership, CGU would remain a member of The Claremont Colleges, so all TCC employee benefits negotiated jointly with the other seven consortium institutions would apply to CGU.

CGU aims to restore its retirement contribution for employees to 10 percent as quickly as is reasonably possible. In addition, we intend to work toward bringing compensation levels into better alignment with relevant market benchmarks. These goals will be a multi-year effort and will depend on the university’s financial performance and available resources.

No. If a partnership formed, compensation decisions would continue to be determined by management and supervisors at CGU.

Full exploration of integrated services would be deferred until after the signing of an Affiliation Agreement. However, early discussions between relevant departments at CGU and Pomona have begun to explore potential integration of some administrative operations between the two institutions. These conversations are preliminary, and no decisions have been made about which functions might be integrated or how. As the evaluation of these opportunities progresses, CGU will seek input from affected employees and provide timely information to help them understand how changes might impact their areas and their roles.

CGU’s endowment would remain dedicated to CGU’s mission. Details about how CGU’s investments would be managed as part of the partnership are still being finalized. Pomona’s expertise in investment management could have a significant, positive impact on the endowment’s long-term growth. As is the case today, investment performance would continue to be reported to CGU’s Board of Trustees on a regular basis.

Yes. Restricted gifts to CGU would continue to be used according to donor intent, regardless of the partnership structure.

In December 2025, the two institutions signed a non-binding Letter of Intent and since then have been conducting extensive due diligence about a possible partnership. As part of this intensive process, they have also been finalizing the terms of a definitive affiliation agreement in preparation for review by both the CGU and Pomona Boards of Trustees. Both boards are expected to consider the agreement in October 2026.

While the due diligence evaluating a potential partnership has been underway, CGU has continued its own academic transformation planning, as this work must move forward regardless of the outcome of the partnership discussions and votes.

If either Board of Trustees determines that a partnership is not in the best interests of the institution each respective board serves, the partnership would not proceed and CGU would resume its search for a partner.

If both boards approve the partnership agreement, the institutions would begin transition and implementation planning, including addressing any remaining regulatory and accreditation steps required before the partnership would take effect

Any final partnership would be subject to approval by both the CGU and Pomona Boards of Trustees. Beyond that, several forms of external review would apply, including review by CGU’s and Pomona’s separate accrediting bodies, as well as applicable state and federal approvals. These reviews would help ensure the partnership met all relevant educational, legal, and regulatory standards before it took effect.

The goal is twofold: to address CGU’s financial challenges and to build a more focused, sustainable, and academically strong university. Like many institutions, CGU must ensure that its academic model is financially sustainable and that its resources are aligned with areas of greatest strength, student demand, and future opportunity. The redesign provides an opportunity to review and revise CGU’s academic portfolio so that faculty, staff, and financial resources can be deployed more strategically. This will require making choices about where to focus resources, where greater collaboration or consolidation makes sense, and where targeted investment can strengthen programs with significant potential.

CGU has an ongoing responsibility to ensure that its academic portfolio, organizational structure, and use of resources support the university’s long-term financial and operational sustainability. This is work CGU needs to undertake for its own future, with or without a partner.

At the same time, strengthening CGU’s academic and financial model is important as the university works toward a potential affiliation with Pomona College. The redesign helps position CGU to enter such a potential relationship as an institution that can use its resources strategically, respond effectively to changing needs and opportunities, and contribute responsibly to the success of the affiliation. The prospective partnership, in turn, is intended to strengthen CGU’s operational capacity and financial position over the long term.

As part of the partnership discussions, Pomona has made outside consultants and advisors available to assist CGU’s leadership as they carry out the redesign, with CGU approving those selected. This resource has given CGU’s leadership additional capacity to work through complex organizational questions. Pomona has not been involved in the redesign process itself; CGU’s leadership has led the work independently, with periodic updates shared with Pomona as it progresses consistent with the due diligence process appropriate to such a partnership.

The redesign is being led by CGU’s academic leadership in consultation with faculty and other members of the university community. Decisions involving academic programs will follow CGU’s established academic governance processes. The goal is to combine broad consultation with timely decision-making and a clear focus on the university’s academic mission, long-term financial strength, and market position.

CGU is committed to ensuring that changes affecting academic programs are implemented responsibly and with appropriate consideration for faculty and currently enrolled students. Planning for the academic redesign is underway. Subject to the anticipated faculty and Board of Trustees votes on the redesign this fall, more detailed design and implementation work would begin thereafter and proceed in phases. Some changes may be implemented relatively quickly, while others will require additional planning, academic governance review, or carefully managed transitions over a longer period.

Throughout the process, the university will communicate key decisions, milestones, and implementation timelines as they are established.

The redesign is examining how CGU’s programs can be organized most effectively to support students, faculty collaboration, academic quality, and long-term financial sustainability. A proposed configuration is being reviewed by faculty and other stakeholders who are providing feedback that will help shape the final design.

The current proposal envisions a more focused academic structure, with programs organized into a smaller number of academic units based on areas of intellectual and professional alignment. This could include bringing related programs together within common academic structures, creating opportunities to share faculty and other resources more effectively, and, in some cases, consolidating, repositioning, or discontinuing programs.

The process is not based on a predetermined organizational chart. The configuration currently under consideration is a starting point for review and discussion, and specific decisions will be informed by stakeholder feedback, academic and financial considerations, and CGU’s established governance processes.

The redesign is about both focus and investment. Addressing CGU’s financial challenges requires us to make choices about how we use our resources, not simply to reduce costs, but also to direct resources more strategically toward areas of academic strength, student demand, and future opportunity.

As part of the redesign, CGU will identify programs and areas where targeted investment can strengthen existing offerings, support innovation and growth, and better respond to the evolving needs of students, as well as the professions and communities they will serve. In some cases, the changes made through the redesign will help create the capacity for those investments.

The objective is not simply to reduce. It is to build a more focused, financially sustainable, and academically stronger university, extend the reach and visibility of its academic strengths, and increase the impact of its teaching, research, and engagement.

The success of the redesign will be measured by more than financial results. Sustainability is essential, but the redesign must also strengthen CGU’s academic programs, support a high-quality student experience and strong student outcomes, improve our ability to attract and retain students, and create greater capacity to invest strategically in areas of strength and opportunity.

As implementation proceeds, CGU will establish measures to assess progress against these goals, communicate that progress, and make adjustments where needed. The ultimate measure of success will be a CGU that is academically stronger, financially sustainable, and better positioned to fulfill its mission for the long term.

A program pause temporarily suspends recruitment and new enrollment for a specific academic program. Pausing programs helps us prioritize the success of current students while thoughtfully evaluating programs’ long-term direction and sustainability within the emerging academic portfolio.

A pause does not necessarily mean that a program will be discontinued; decisions about the future of individual programs will be made as the redesign progresses and through appropriate academic governance.

If a decision is ultimately made to discontinue a program, CGU would develop and implement an appropriate teach-out plan consistent with WSCUC requirements, university policy, and our obligations to students. These plans are designed to ensure that students can continue to make progress toward their degrees with access to the courses, faculty guidance, and the academic support they need.

Because students may be at different points in their programs, transition plans may vary. CGU would communicate directly with affected students and work with them to provide clear information about their individual paths to degree completion.

The academic redesign will result in meaningful changes to CGU’s academic portfolio and organization. We recognize that a period of change can create questions and uncertainty for current and prospective students and are committed to communicating openly about those changes and to explaining decisions and their implications as clearly and promptly as possible. Throughout the redesign, CGU’s obligations to its students remain unchanged. Current students can expect the university to support their progress toward degree completion, provide the academic resources and guidance they need, and, where programs are changed or discontinued, develop appropriate transition and teach-out plans consistent with university policy and accreditation requirements.

Prospective students also deserve clarity about the programs they are considering. CGU will communicate accurately about program status and future plans as decisions are made so that students can make informed choices about their graduate education.

There will be changes, and some will be significant. The purpose of undertaking this work now is to ensure that CGU can continue to provide an excellent graduate education while building the stronger and more financially sustainable university that our current and future students deserve.