Pomona College President Gabrielle Starr confirmed in an announcement last month that the college’s Board of Trustees approved a $125 million investment plan for the Center for Global Engagement (CGE), the facility that will replace Oldenborg Center for Modern Languages and International Relations, a residential complex and dining hall where students learn and practice foreign languages. College officials said they will adjust for the temporary decrease in housing after Oldenborg is demolished and before the CGE is completed.
The college has raised $50 million for the CGE’s construction so far, but will need to raise an additional $75 million to reach their goal, the announcement said.
Pomona plans to break ground on building the CGE this fall after Oldenborg is demolished in May, according to the announcement; the CGE is planned to be completed by fall 2028. Once built, it will house 200 students, an increase from Oldenborg’s housing capacity of 120 students.
According to Associated Students of Pomona College President Grace Zheng PO ’26, some students have expressed concern about the impact of Oldenborg’s absence before the CGE is completed.
“There [are] a lot of anxieties over what will happen during the transitional period, especially with regards to impacts on housing [and] dining services, as well as Oldenborg programming in general,” Zheng said.
Pomona’s Housing and Residence Life Office (HRL) will not be able to officially assess the housing demand for the fall until registration for “off-campus housing and study away options are complete” this spring, according to their Center for Global Engagement website.
To reduce the potential rise in housing demand in the fall 2026 semester, HRL said they recently approved more off-campus housing requests for juniors and seniors than in previous years.
Pomona may also renovate residence halls by converting some single rooms into doubles and some double rooms into triples. If Pomona does so, Clark III, Wig and Lyon Halls will be most affected, while Lawry Court will be used as the interim location for residents of the foreign language program previously housed in Oldenborg, according to HRL’s website.
Additionally, the college is encouraging eligible upperclassmen to join study abroad programs for the 2026-2027 academic year and inviting second-year students to explore study abroad opportunities for the 2027-2028 academic year in light of these anticipated housing changes.
“Yes, there will be pain during this period, but there’s also more exciting opportunities to come in terms of the programming and the new spaces that the CGE will have,” Zheng said.
According to Jeff Roth, vice president, chief operating officer and treasurer of Pomona, Oldenborg is being demolished rather than renovated because of the building’s physical deterioration.
“After more than 60 years, the Oldenborg Center was beginning to show its age, and could not be meaningfully renovated given the methods used in its construction,” Roth wrote in an email to TSL. “The building would not be able to sustain the interactions, engagements, learning experiences and programming … for coming generations.”
According to Pomona College’s CGE Planning and Design page, the CGE will give students greater access to “connect with partners around the globe.” The complex will be 111,000 square feet and include “a multi-level design that incorporates student residential areas, collaborative workspaces, dining, classrooms and offices.”
The CGE will continue Oldenborg’s programs and begin new ones, according to a statement from Dr. Kara Godwin, Pomona’s assistant vice president and chief global officer.
“A growing variety of pilot programs are already taking shape, focusing on either global or interdisciplinary learning,” Godwin said. “These programs include student-led conferences, faculty-led study-away courses and international academic workshops.”
Despite housing concerns, Zheng said that many students are excited about the new changes and opportunities the CGE will create.
“People have a lot of concerns, but they also recognize that there are a lot of exciting opportunities that come with the construction of the CGE, like better spaces,” Zheng said. “Yes, there will be pain during this period, but there’s also more exciting opportunities to come in terms of the programming and the new spaces that the CGE will have.”
In an email statement to TSL, Starr said the CGE will help Pomona achieve its mission of fostering international education on campus. Starr believes this is an opportunity for the college to support students who aspire to participate in growing international communities in addition to learning a foreign language.
“The Center for Global Engagement … is key to Pomona’s path forward,” Starr wrote. “It’s a transformative initiative that weaves global learning, hands-on interdisciplinary collaboration and immersive residential experiences into the fabric of a Pomona education.”
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