Pomona College has officially entered exclusive negotiations with Claremont Graduate University (CGU) to pursue a potential partnership, according to a letter from President Gabi Starr sent to the Pomona community this afternoon.
According to Starr’s statement, the CGU Board of Trustees officially invited Pomona’s Board of Trustees to enter exclusive conversations exploring a possible partnership the weekend of Dec. 13. For CGU, this has been an ongoing process, having announced their intention to seek a partnership with another institution in 2024 in efforts to preserve their financial sustainability.
This update follows months of conversation between the institutions, involving a working group composed of Pomona faculty, staff and trustees engaged in a confidential independent review process established by CGU, according to Starr’s letter. Starr shared that after months of review and evaluation, Pomona is now legally allowed to discuss a potential partnership with community members.
In her statement, Starr repeatedly emphasized the college’s commitment to protecting their liberal arts undergraduate mission, as well as their commitment to the consortium.
“A soundly aligned partnership could allow all parties involved—the Consortium, CGU and Pomona—to remain at the forefront of educational innovation in an era of dynamic change in higher education,” Starr wrote.
In her Dec. 18 announcement, CGU Interim President Michelle Bligh wrote that the negotiations would likely last several months and echoed Starr’s sentiments of a shared history between Pomona and CGU.
“This would not be a bailout or merger,” Bligh wrote. “Should we reach a partnership agreement, CGU would preserve its name and graduate identity.”
According to Starr’s email, specific opportunities for discussion will be communicated to students in early 2026 and throughout the spring semester.
Official updates from Pomona College can be found on Pomona’s new Partnership Initiative page.
This story is breaking and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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