University of Colorado Boulder Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management Gwen Pomper is retiring, effective May 1. Pomper oversees admissions, financial aid, registrar and the bursar’s office for the Boulder campus.
A bronze buffalo sculpture is installed on the deck of the CASE building—one of Gwen Pomper's favorite projects to work on. (Glenn Asakawa/University of Colorado)
She has been an employee for more than 31 years and earned an undergraduate degree in accounting from CU Boulder and later an MBA and master’s in health administration from CU Denver. Pomper started in the financial aid office working in the student employment area, where she was able to interact with almost every department on campus.
“Because student employment touches almost every area of campus, it was a great place to create invaluable relationships that have assisted me throughout my CU career,” Pomper said. “I feel so fortunate to have worked under great leadership, and I am most proud of my amazing team that comes up with creative solutions to serve our students.”
Pomper was involved in the creation of the presidential, chancellor's achievement and arts and humanities programs, as well as Esteemed Scholars, the Transfer Excellence Scholarship and the CU Promise Program.
“These programs have been instrumental in allowing us to recognize the academic achievements of our students and ensure access," said Pomper. "In the time that I have been here, the campus has made significant investments in financial aid to help our students pay for their education, and I am proud to have played a role in that.”
Pomper also has led countless cross-functional teams across the university and the CU system over the years, including several major student information and financial system implementations. Most recently she was a sponsor for the Unified Student Experience Project, a campuswide project that is working to unify the online and in-person CU Boulder student experience.
“In everything we do, we need to think of how we are impacting students,” Pomper added.
When asked about a fun project she worked on, she said, “hands down the bronze buffalo statue on the CASE building deck.”
“Gwen has served CU Boulder students for more than three decades in key roles critical to their success,” Chancellor Philip DiStefano said. “Hundreds of thousands of students have graduated likely without knowing Gwen’s contributions to their success. Her work at every turn has exemplified leadership, student success, innovation and positive impact. I am grateful to Gwen for her years of service and her dedication to our students and their families.”
A search for the position will be initiated soon.