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The economic climate of the 1990s and the consequent loss of State tax revenue coupled with the decline in student enrollment led to a significant loss of revenue for the university. The budget for the university absent any other factors is enrollment driven. The economic climate of the country and especially of the State has improved steadily since the mid-1990s. The improved tax revenue has allowed the State to increase the funding to the CSU including Cal Poly Pomona. At the same time, enrollment has steadily increased, almost to its pre-recession high, which has improved the funding base. The university has almost regained its 1990 financial condition.

A major area in the university’s progress is in private funding. Several of the college based advancement programs have achieved spectacular successes. The Collins School of Hotel and Restaurant Management development officer and their Industry Advising Council raised the funds needed for all new capital improvements, which include a new building. The College of Engineering effort in fund raising was utilized to leverage CSU support for state funding of approximately two thirds of the costs to replace outdated engineering laboratory facilities with a new building and equipment. The College of Science is in the process of raising funds and in-kind gifts for 50% of the equipment for the new Bio-Technology Building, which will provide infrastructure support for the first, and currently only, major in Bio-Technology within the CSU while updating infrastructure in the College of Science.

By effectively managing and planning resources the university has benefited from developed opportunities through energy savings and strategic agreements. Energy savings have provided for the construction of the Chilled Water Central Plant and our utility infrastructure. Specifically, quality of life within our university has improved with interior lighting across the campus, heating and air conditioning upgrades in the library, the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, and the College of Science. A large project to improve the heating, air conditioning and ventilation system in the College of Environmental Design is almost complete thanks to the cost savings from this energy program. The funding and implementation of the Agriscapes project and Center for Regenerative Studies have been feasible due to partnerships and agreements with the Sanitation District.

Formation of the Division of University Advancement and the Directors of Development

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Prior to the creation of the Division of University Advancement by the Administration, fundraising, grants, contracts and other various sponsored programs existed but were not part of the mainstream university culture. The current mission statement of this Division is: To generate the external and internal resources (fiscal, informational, emotional) that improve and support the delivery of exceptional education at Cal Poly Pomona.

The Founder’s Day Banquet, VIP tours, and other annual campaigns such as the Alumni campaign, maintenance of the information system, gift administration, and the Annual Fund are also handled by the Division. Discussions held with the Division indicate that these fund-raising activities, while expensive in themselves, are generating needed additional moneys for academic programs.

Before the creation of the Division of University Advancement at Cal Poly Pomona, the Vice President of Academic Affairs told each college or school dean that they must hire a person whose sole responsibility was development. They had to raise funds and resources and build infrastructure from the bottom up. Salaries offered were well below the prevailing market rate, according to the VP, though comparable to other CSUs, so seasoned veterans did not apply. The new development officers were expected to have expertise in most areas of development, including grant writing, contracts, alumni campaigns, planned giving, corporate relations and any other expertise that had been successful at any other institutions.

Review of real property

The real property which comprises Cal Poly Pomona is owned by the State of California and has grown in size from the original Kellogg grant to the State. The property is our most substantial asset, measurable not only in dollar amounts, but in terms of the emotional attachment people feel for the campus, the lovely and peaceful environment it provides for learning and work, and its suitability for the kind of polytechnic educational endeavor in which we are engaged.

The Sanitation District of the County of Los Angeles maintains a landfill (Spadra) on the south side of the campus. The District agreed to cede this property to the university - actually to the State of California - when the landfill could no longer accept trash. This transfer of responsibility has taken place, amid considerable controversy regarding its subsequent utilization.

Among the many plans proposed for use of the property when acquired was a golf course. The landfill area in itself is not large enough for a full eighteen-hole golf course; therefore the proposal included some campus real property in the area known as "Ag Valley." A detailed analysis and a full economic and environmental feasibility study was conducted for the proposed golf course, under the aegis of LandLab and a committee set up to evaluate the proposals. While other suggestions were brought to the committee (hike and bike trail, conservation area for indigenous plants and wildlife, commercial area, expanded produce store, among others), it was clear that the golf course idea had a great deal of cachet with the administration. The feasibility studies were tepid — not resoundingly positive, nor damning. The ‘final’ version was a nine-hole course to be designed and managed by a firm specializing in ecologically appropriate golf courses (those that fit the natural terrain, that are not as water- or chemical-intensive as ordinary golf courses, that can utilize native materials, etc.).

Faculty reaction to the proposal was generally negative. The administration continued the effort to bring the golf course notion to fruition despite the faculty reaction. Finally, the president agreed to have the proposal presented to the Academic Senate for a vote and to abide by the outcome of the vote. Both sides of the proposal were presented to the Senate, and after a protracted discussion the proposed golf course was rejected. (Arguments for both sides are contained in reports available in the Team Room.)

Theme One has targeted the prioritization of the human factor as a crucial step in the formation of a more cohesive, affirming community on campus. Our study of resources confirms the importance of this kind of community to the establishment of more effective planning and management processes. Please refer to the endnote above for examples of programs that empower the human resources of our university. (Pay is still an issue in the on-going negotiations between the CSU and various bargaining units; CPEC data on comparative compensation is available in the Team Room, as is a recent Update on the Trustees’ Resolution.)

Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) at Cal Poly Pomona promotes externally funded research. The office acts as a central source of information about major government agencies, foundations and corporations that support research. The staff provides assistance to faculty and staff on developing and planning for research through implementation. Assistance is available for identifying potential funding sources; developing budgets; completing application forms; and assuring compliance with applicable university rules, and federal and state regulations.

Although Cal Poly Pomona is primarily a "teaching institution" as compared to a "research institution", the level of interest in research by the faculty is relatively high as is the success of their efforts, reflected in the chart in Figure 26. Grant and contract work takes place through the International Center, the College of the Extended University, and the various colleges and schools, as well.

Using ‘90-’91 as a base year, the level of proposals submitted through the ORSP has increased from thirty-eight with a value of $7 million in that year to seventy-eight with a value of $22 million in ‘99-’00. The dollar value of awards received for the same years is evidence of the quality of the proposals: $3 million for ‘90-’91 and $12.5 million for ‘99-’00.