| Office of Student Affairs |
| |
|
| Q: |
Does Pitzer offer storage for my student's use during the semester or over the summer? |
| A: |
No. Unfortunately, there is simply no space on campus for storage. Storage space can be obtained for reasonable rates from local storage vendors. |
| |
|
| Q: |
Can my student change roommates in the middle of the semester? |
| A: |
Yes. After attempts to resolve any differences with the help of the residential life staff are unsuccessful, a student may request a room change through his or her hall director. |
| |
|
| Q: |
If I know that my child is using an on-campus counseling service, can I obtain information about their counseling sessions? |
| A: |
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), also known as the Buckley Amendment, provides for the confidentiality of student records and information for students 18 years and older. In compliance with this federal regulation, the Office of Student Affairs requires that in order for a parent to receive confidential information regarding their son or daughter, a student must complete and sign a release form authorizing the release of such information. |
| |
|
| Q: |
My child is involved in a disciplinary hearing. Can I find out the status of the hearing? |
| A: |
Again, FERPA applies as above. |
| |
|
| Q: |
Should I be worried if my student is involved in protests? |
| A: |
Pitzer College encourages and promotes responsible social action. Students and parents should understand that civil disobedience, while valuable to the process of education, might potentially result in undesirable consequences. Pitzer recognizes the right of students to protest, and encourages students to take responsibility for their individual actions. |
| |
|
| Q: |
My student doesn't want to use the on-campus dining services. Do I have to pay for a meal plan? |
| A: |
All students who live on campus are required to purchase a meal plan. Exceptions can be made for medically documented conditions. |
| |
|
| Q: |
My student complains that there is nothing to do on campus. Are there activities on campus to attend? |
| A: |
A wide variety of free activities are offered weekly at Pitzer and the other Claremont Colleges. Occasional off-campus activities are offered at no or minimal cost. There are a number of student organizations and ways to participate in institutional governance that are also good outlets. |
| |
|
| Q: |
I am worried about substance use on campus. |
| A: |
Pitzer College adheres to all state and federal laws regarding alcohol and drug use. The College seeks to promote responsible decision-making on the part of all members of the community and takes an educational approach to substance use/abuse issues. The Office of Student Affairs offers awareness, prevention, and education programs, as well as the services of an on-campus substance abuse counselor/educator. Other local resources are also available. Students who egregiously or repeatedly violate the College’s policies on alcohol and drugs will be subject to disciplinary action. |
| |
|
| Q: |
My son/daughter needs something fixed in his/her dorm room. What should he/she do? |
| A: |
Your son/daughter should obtain a work order from their hall director or resident assistant. All work orders go through the hall director. |
| |
|
| Q: |
What security measures are taken to ensure a safe campus? |
A: |
Student safety is a top priority at Pitzer. Campus Safety and Facilities work hand-in-hand with the Office of Student Affairs to promote and provide a safe environment on campus and to educate students about their responsibility in contributing to a safe campus. Lighting is being continually assessed and improved when necessary. Emergency call boxes/phones are installed throughout campus, and many parking lots and other areas have continual video surveillance. Resident Assistants, Hall Directors, Campus Safety Officers, and many students have Red Cross, CPR and First-Aid training. In addition, professional staff members, including a Hall Director and a Dean from the Office of Student Affairs, are on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The College-issued student identification card is necessary for access to any campus service or activity. |
| |
|
| Q: |
Does my child need to get a California State Driver's License? |
| A: |
According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles:
If you are a visitor in California over 18 and have a valid driver license from your home state or country, you may drive in this state without getting a California driver license as long as your home state license remains valid. If you take a job here or become a resident, you must get a California driver license within 10 days. Residency is established by voting in a California election, paying resident tuition, filing for home owner’s property tax exemption or any other privilege or benefit not ordinarily extended to nonresidents. |
| |
|
| Q: |
Can students remain on campus during breaks in the academic calendar? |
| A: |
Students may remain on campus during Fall Break and Spring Break but they should be aware that dining services are not available. Residence halls are closed during Winter Break and the summer. |
| |
|
| Q: |
My student is struggling to maintain passing grades. Is any assistance available? |
| A: |
Students are encouraged to work directly with their faculty instructors as well as their academic advisor to address academic issues or concerns. Student Affairs staff, particularly Rochelle Brown, the Director of Academic Support Services, are available to provide support and resources to help students academically. |
| |
|
| Q: |
Will there be any power outages this year? |
| A: |
Generators have been installed to provide power to all of the Claremont Colleges in the event of a power outage. All services and functions should continue as normal. |
| |
|
Who to Contact |
| |
Housing |
| |
If you have questions regarding housing assignments, changes to room or board plan and billing, safety, furnishings, contact Tressi Mehana Chun at (909) 607-3132. |
| |
|
| |
Residential Life |
| |
If you have questions regarding Hall Directors, Residential Advisors, residence hall programs, counseling and other resources contact Moya Carter at (909) 607-4176. |
| |
|
| |
Medical Insurance |
| |
All students must have medical coverage. If you have questions regarding the Student Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan offered by The Claremont Colleges contact Rochelle Brown at (909) 607-3553. |
| |
|
| |
Questions of a confidential nature can be directed to Micky Lee at (909) 607-2821. |
| |
|
| |
You can also email any question you have to parenthelp@pitzer.edu or call the Office of Student Affairs at (909) 621-8241 and your question will be directed to the appropriate person and answered in a timely manner. |
| |
|
| Dean of Faculty's Office |
| |
|
| Q: |
What is the role of the faculty advisor? Do they only carry out academic advising? |
| A: |
Certainly a central role of the faculty advisor is to help the student in academic planning. For incoming students, that involves explaining the college's educational objectives and helping the student chart a path towards those academic goals. Later in a student's career, it may involve helping students design a special major or meeting the objectives for a specific major. But faculty members also try to support students who are dealing with various personal or social issues at the college (e.g. problems with roommates, difficulties with time management) and try to get students the needed assistance. We like to think that faculty can act as a first line of guidance and support during the course of students' careers at Pitzer. |
| |
|
| Q: |
Should I check in with my child's advisor regarding how my child is doing at Pitzer? |
| A: |
While advisors certainly enjoy meeting parents, and feel that this gives them a broader picture of their students, please keep in mind that the advisor's primary role is in working directly with the student. For legal and ethical reasons, faculty cannot share details of a student’s academic record unless the student himself/herself gives written permission to share that information. |
| |
|
| Q: |
Do students have to stay with their assigned advisor for the duration of their time at Pitzer? |
| A: |
No. The initial advising assignments are made to help students get oriented to Pitzer, and to find initial sets of classes that work well for them. However, students are free to change advisors later in the semester. Students often switch advisors upon major declaration, as they need advisors specializing in their chosen fields of study. Students with joint or double majors often have two advisors with whom they work concurrently. |
| |
|
| Financial Aid Office |
| |
|
| Q: |
My child wants to live off-campus. How does this affect financial aid? |
| A: |
Pitzer does not make any adjustment in a student’s financial aid award for off-campus living. What does change is the amount you need to pay to the College because you will be billed for tuition and fees only. My child wants to go on an external studies program. Is there financial aid available for this? A student who goes on an external studies program receives the same financial aid as being in Claremont with the exception of work-study. The student is packaged with an additional loan in the amount of that semester's work-study. |
| |
|
| Q: |
Is there a GPA requirement for renewal of financial aid? |
| A: |
No. If the student is eligible to re-enroll, as determined by the College's Academic Standards Committee, the student is eligible to receive financial aid. |
| |
|
| Q: |
When do we apply for renewal of aid? |
| A: |
The Financial Aid Office mails out the necessary applications for renewal of aid immediately after Christmas. The deadline for returning students to apply for financial aid is March 2. |
| |
|
| Q: |
How does my child find a work-study job? Are there enough jobs for everyone? |
| A: |
Career Services has a listing of all of the work-study jobs and is happy to work with students. Jobs are available on the campus and at approved off-campus non-profit agencies. There are enough jobs that any student with work-study can find one. How many hours per week do you expect the student to work? In general, Pitzer expects work-study students to work between 11 and 14 hours per week, depending on grade level. The hourly rate of pay is $7.75. |
| |
|
| Student Accounts Office |
| |
|
| Q: |
Is there any monthly payment plan available if we cannot pay in full at the beginning of each semester? |
| A: |
Yes. Tuition Management Systems (TMS). The TMS interest-free monthly payment plan enables you to spread tuition payments equally over either 10 or 12 months without interest or finance charges. By paying monthly through current income and savings, you limit borrowing and keep the overall cost of education down. The Tuition Management Monthly Payment Planner is provided for your convenience. Because it is not a loan, there are no interest or finance charges. The monthly payment plan is available to all families, regardless of financial need. The only cost is an annual enrollment fee of $65. Please call 1-800-356-8329 to obtain additional information on this 10 or 12-month payment plan. |
| |
|
| Q: |
Does Pitzer College have a monthly payment plan? |
| A: |
No. We require full payment at the beginning of each semester (August 15, 2007 for Fall and January 16, 2008 for Spring). |
| |
|
| Q: |
Can we pay our statement with a credit card? |
| |
Tuition Management Systems (TMS) offers payment by credit card. You will pay a teleprocessing fee for each transaction. This fee varies based on the amount charged. For details, contact TMS at their toll-free number: 1-800-356-8329. (Pitzer no longer directly accepts credit cards for payment of student accounts.) |
| |
Contact Info: |
| |
Tuition Management Services (TMS)
P.O. Box 0169
Cincinnati, OH 45274-0169
Phone: 1-800-356-8329
Website: www.afford.com |
| |
|
| Q: |
Can you tell me what my financial aid package is? |
| A: |
No. You will need to contact the Financial Aid Office. Their number is (909) 621-8208. |
| |
|
| Q: |
What are facilities fees and do I have to pay them? |
| A: |
All students are charged the facility fee. This is for the maintenance of all grounds and buildings. This fee is part of the tuition charges. |
| |
|
| Q: |
What is the student body fee and do I have to pay it? |
| A: |
All students are charged the student body fee. This fee is allocated by the student senate to student organizations including PACT (Pitzer Activities) which offers many activities for students on Pitzer College campus free of charge. This fee goes towards those activities. |
| |
|
| Q: |
What is the campus activity fee and do I have to pay it? |
| A: |
All students are charged the campus activity fee. There are many activities offered to all Claremont Colleges students free of charge. This fee goes toward those activities. |
| |
|
| Q: |
My son or daughter plans to live off campus. Why was I charged for a room? |
| A: |
All students must discuss living off-campus with Tressi Mehana Chun in the Residential Life Office at (909) 607-3132. |
| |
|
| Q: |
Can the Student Accounts Office change my student's meal plan? |
| A: |
No. You will need to speak with Tressi Mehana Chun in the Residential Life Office at (909) 607–3132. |
| |
|
| Q: |
Who do I contact when I receive a dorm damage charge on my student account? |
| A: |
You will need to speak with Tressi Mehana Chun in the Residential Life Office at (909) 607–3132. |
| |
|
| Q: |
Why was I charged for insurance when I already have coverage for my son or daughter? |
| A: |
Rochelle Brown in the Office of Student Affairs handles all information on the Pitzer College medical insurance. All students must have medical coverage. She requests a copy of the medical coverage information each year to verify that the student has medical coverage. If she does not receive any information, the student account is charged. Rochelle can be reached in the Office of Student Affairs at (909) 607-3553 or by emailing rochelle_brown@pitzer.edu. |
| |
|
| Q: |
Who do I contact when there is a lab fee on my student’s statement? |
| A: |
The Registrar’s Office applies lab fees to the student account. They can be reached at (909) 607-2650. |
| |
|
| Q: |
Where should my son or daughter register a vehicle? |
| A: |
Vehicles can be registered at the Campus Safety Office. A hang tag is issued and must be displayed at all times in the vehicle. The Student Accounts Office bills the vehicle fee of $30 per semester for students living on-campus and $15 per semester for students who live off-campus. Please be aware that Campus Safety issues citations. Any disputes must be handled through their office. They are located at 251 E. 11th Street. Their number is (909) 621-8170. |
| |
|
| Q: |
Who do I contact for a copy of the Baxter Medical charge that appears on my statement? |
| A: |
The Baxter Medical Office will give medical information to students only. Your student needs to request all billing information from the Baxter Medical Office in writing at (909) 621-8222. |
| |
|
| Related Links |
| |
|
