California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Encyclopedia : C : CA : CAL : California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona is a public, nationally-ranked, coeducational university situated at the western corner of the city of Pomona, a suburb of Los Angeles, California, and is adjacent to the Kellogg Interchange and Mt. San Antonio College. Commonly known as Cal Poly Pomona, it is one of the 23 campuses that comprise the California State University and one of the six polytechnic universities in the United States along with the Polytechnic University of New York, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Southern Polytechnic State University, Northwestern Polytechnic University, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
History
W.K. Kellogg develops Arabian horse ranch
W.K. Kellogg, known for his famous Corn Flakes, had a life long passion for Arabian horses. After purchasing 377 acres at a cost of $25,000 USD, Kellogg developed the land into a world-renowned Arabian horse ranch. The first building erected contained the horse stables and it used to be located where the university plaza currently exists.
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, including 87 horses to the California State University. In return for the generous grant, the University agreed to keep the Arabian horses and to continue the Sunday Horse shows that began in 1927.
In 1927, Charles B. Voorhis purchased 150 acres of land near San Dimas to build a facility for students of agriculture.
In 1933, Julian McPhee, assumed the presidency of the California State Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo. Known for his tight fiscal policy, McPhee saved the University during the years of the great depression. After those bleak years, McPhee vision of expanding Cal Poly Pomona to Southern California came close to reality.
Cal Poly Pomona expands
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 of 1938, Charles Voorhis donated his facility as a gift to the California State University System. In the same year, McPhee’s request for the land was approved and the entire horticulture program was moved form San Luis Obispo to the new Southern California campus.
Further expansion was halted by the onset of World War 2. The southern Cal Poly campus was closed when the majority of its students where 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 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 1949, the first Cal Poly Pomona Float was entered in the Tournament of the Roses Parade and won the Award of Merit. The Rose Float tradition continues today and marks the partnership between the two Cal Poly campuses.
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.
Women join Cal Poly Pomona
Many changes occurred in 1961 which affected Cal Poly Pomona profoundly. 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.
In the last 50 years, Cal Poly Pomona’s expansive campus has grown from its humble beginnings as a horse ranch to a nationally and internationally recognized institution with approximately 19,800 students and 2,640 faculty and staff members.
Academics
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 ranked 31st among Western Colleges in the U.S. News & World Report's 2006 college ranking [link] and was named one of the "Best of the West" by The Princeton Review. [link]
The most popular undergraduate majors include 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[#endnote_www.usnews.com.859].
Some departments (mostly in engineering) continue to follow the originally mandatory requirement for an undergraduate senior/research thesis to graduate.
Programs and degrees
The university currently offers BA, BS, and Masters Degrees in seven colleges:
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Noted students and alumni
- Jim Brulte – Republican politician (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.
- Violet Palmer – First female referee in U.S. professional sports, current NBA referee and member of 1985 and 1986 NCAA championship teams.
- 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.
- Jim Zorn – NFL player, NFC Rookie of the Year winner and coach who played starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks during their first seven seasons (1976 - 1983).
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.
- Saul Landau -- 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.
Retired, deceased, and former faculty
- 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.
Student life
Cal Poly Pomona is located in what could be called an industrial-agricultural suburb. This location has contributed to limited local housing and a largely commuter student body. This, in part, has led to an environment where many students come to school only for class and a less active student body than is traditionally seen at state colleges. 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.Athletics
The Cal Poly Pomona Broncos field 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.Cal Poly Pomona ranks among the best of the NCAA Division II schools, most recently boasting the 2001 and 2002 women's basketball champions. Cal Poly Pomona competes in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
However, turnout for games is low, perhaps, influenced by the lack of a football team--disbanded in the early 1980s following a slow decline in performance. Many students do not live in dorms on campus as well, at such "commuter schools" athletic attendance can be low.
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.Campus buildings
- 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. 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.
- 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 1990's 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.
- 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.
Notable involvements
- Tournament of Roses - Cal Poly Pomona together with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has participated in the Tournament of Roses since 1949. In the period from 1949–2005, the floats have won 44 awards.
External links
- [Official Cal Poly Pomona Site]
- [The Poly Post Student Newspaper]
- [Cal Poly Pomona Streamcams]
- [Official athletics website]
- [Student-run Teacher Review/Schedule Creation Site]
- [Student-run News and Forum Site]
| Cal Poly | California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
| Academics | College of Agriculture • College of Business Administration • College of Education and Integrative Studies • College of Engineering • College of Environmental Design • College of the Extended University • The Collins School of Hospitality Management • College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences • College of Science |
| Athletics | NCAA • Bronco Athletics • Darlene May Gymnasium • Cheerleading Squad • California Collegiate Athletic Association |
| Campus | CLA Building • W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center • Cal Poly Pomona University Library • Old Stables • Rose Garden • Japanese Garden • John T. Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies • BioTrek • Innovation Village • American Red Cross blood processing center |
| Research | The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs • Institutional Review Board • Animal Care and Use Committee |
| Student Life | Associated Students Incorporated • Poly Post • Housing |
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