Expertise:
Student Success, Student Life, Student Affairs, Creating College Community, Student Support, Student Inclusion & Equity, Student Retention, Student Success & Data, Student Wellbeing, Organizational Change, Developing LeadersA transformative leader in higher education for the last 20 years, Christina Gonzales has deep experience in all functional areas in student affairs. She joined Cal Poly Pomona in July 2020 as head of the Division of Student Affairs and chief student affairs officer.
She leads a diverse portfolio of 20 departments, including University Housing, Student Health and Wellbeing services, new student orientation, and the Cultural Centers. Additionally, Student Affairs supports more than 300 student organizations, emergency and veteran services, and leadership programs.
Cal Poly Pomona, part of the California State University system, has approximately 28,000 students, with more than 50 percent first-generation college students. An inclusive polytechnic university, it is known for its hands-on approach to education and increasing students’ economic mobility following graduation.
Gonzales was previously at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she served as vice chancellor for Student Affairs and a member of the Chancellor’s executive team. Earlier in her career, she was associate vice chancellor and dean of students at the University of California, Berkeley, and associate dean of students Arizona State University.
Active in student affairs at the national level, Gonzales has been serving on various committees and boards of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, and the Association of American Universities.
Recent Grants and Fellowships:
- Certificate of Excellence in Management, Berkeley Staff Assembly, May 2012
- Chancellor’s Outstanding Staff Award, University of California, Berkeley, April 2010
Selected Publications:
- “The changing student demographic and the I generation: what is next for higher education?,” English Department fall retreat, University of Colorado Boulder, Sept. 2018
- With A. Schmiesing, “The changing landscape of higher education 2019 and beyond,” The 13th annual academic leaders retreat, University of Colorado Boulder, August 2018
- “Women in Leadership Roles,” Colorado College Personnel Association, panelist, University of Northern Colorado (Greeley, CO), Nov. 2013
- “The Changing Nature of Student Demonstrations,” NASPA Annual Conference, Phoenix, AZ, March 2012
Interviews:
- “Identifying Violence-prone Students,” FORUM with Michael Krasny (Radio broadcast), KQED Public Radio (San Francisco), Jan. 12, 2011
Education:
B.A., History, Western New Mexico University
M.A., Educational Management & Development, New Mexico State University