California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Students

Demographics

About 4% of the student body is African American, 30% is Asian American, 25% is European American, 27% is Latino American, less than half of a percent are Native American, and 5% are international students.

Clubs and Organizations

In addition to the usual assortment of student government, clubs, and organizations, the campus has a number of cultural centers for students. The African American Student Center , the Asian and Pacific Islander Student Cetner, the Cesar E. Chavez Center for Higher Education, the Pride Center, the Native American Student Center all strive to meet the needs of their target populations as well as provide hospitality and education to visitors. Most of the cultural centers throw graduation celebrations in the spring, a highlight of the social and academic calendar. There are 11 sororities and 18 fraternities. The student newspaper is the Poly Post. Students also write for PolyCentric, the university’s online magazine.

The Student Development and Leadership Institute is one of the larger organizations on campus. It provides free training and conferences for any interested student. Participants work to build self-confidence, develop a personal philosophy of leadership, an amplify personal growth and development. At the end of the program, students receive a certificate of completion that can then be added to a resumé.

One of the highlights of student life is the annual Rose Bowl Parade Float. Students from Pomona join with students from the original Cal Poly (in San Luis Obispo) to design and build the float. Students take care of every aspect of the project, including growing the flowers that decorate it. Although several colleges and universities enter floats in the parade, this float is the only one to be entirely orchestrated by students. Over the decades, the floats have won nearly 50 awards and trophies for their original and creative designs.

Transportation

Students have access to a free campus shuttle bus called the Bronco Express. The college also runs a shuttle service, BroncoLink, to area Metrolink stations. This allows students to easily access public transportation into Los Angeles or wherever they may wish to go.

Residence Halls

About 52% of first-year students live on campus, and about 12% of all undergraduates.There are two different types of residence hall. Phase I halls are coed by alternating wings and consist of Alamitos Hall, Aliso Hall, Encinitas hall, and Montecito Hall. Phase II halls are newer construction and consist of Cedritos Hall and Palmitas Hall. All residence halls contain laundry rooms, study areas, TV lounges, mailboxes, and kitchenettes. Satellite television service and high speed internet connections are located in all of the dormitory rooms.

Another residential option is the residential suites, a series of five buildings on campus. Each suite has an interior entrance that leads to a living room and kitchenette area. Suites feature single bedrooms, private balconies, elevators, large study rooms, and a convenience store and Denny’s Diner in the middle of the suite area.

Many students choose to live at University Village, an independent housing complex affiliated with the university that offers a choice of single or double rooms in apartment-like suites close to campus. Students from other institutions also live in University Village.

Dining on Campus

Dining options for residential students include traditional cafeteria-style dining as well as a number of fast food restaurants. Locally and campus grown foods and food products are sold at the farm store of Kellogg Ranch. Students who wish to experience upscale dining on campus can eat at The Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch. Students in the hospitality management program run this restaurant, which uses fruits, vegetables, and herbs grown in the ranch’s culinary garden. The restaurant has won several awards for food, service, and ambiance.