Dear Pitzer Community,
Last week we formally welcomed the newest members of the Pitzer community, the students and families of the Class of 2014.
In order to create the superb opening of the semester and new student orientation, staff, faculty and administrators have been at work all summer preparing for our students’ arrival with a beautiful campus, upgraded facilities and a challenging academic program. I would like to call special attention to the Office of Student Affairs and the Orientation Adventure student trip leaders for taking every one of our new first year students on what I have heard from students and parents alike were adventures of a lifetime. Whether exploring the mountains and oceans of Southern California by foot, boat, kayak or surfboard or searching for the best food, art, culture and activist opportunities Los Angeles has to offer, the Class of 2014 has been warmly welcomed into our happy, creative, intellectually challenging College.
In June I wrote to you describing the projects scheduled to take place over the summer, and I am quite pleased to share that all went well and were finished on time and on budget.
Thanks to the fine work of Larry Burik and his facilities team along with the Dean of Faculty and Dean of Joint Sciences, for the first time in Pitzer’s history Joint Sciences courses will be taught on our campus with installation of four science modular units on the former Sanborn Hall parking lot. This is entirely apropos considering the increased enrollment in the physical sciences by Pitzer students; last year we enjoyed a ten percent rise in the number of our students enrolled in Joint Science courses. We expect the units will be completed by October and I look forward to hosting an opening celebration in recognition of our Joint Science faculty and our founding family, the Pitzers, who represent generations of highly regarded scientists. These modular units are in effect placeholders for a long-planned permanent building to be constructed in that space within the next ten years, creating an impressive science complex at the corner of 9th and Mills.
In addition to the installation of the modular units, the east entry of McConnell Center has been redesigned to complement the west entry. The redesign is mindful of enhanced accessibility, water conservation, and earthquake safety. Joe Clements has designed more drought tolerant and native gardens and following our safety consultant’s recommendations, the unreinforced covered walkway was removed while digital images of student work on the columns were posted on the web: (https://www.flickr.com/photos/pitzercollege/sets/72157623216929124/).
The bathrooms on the second floor of McConnell were significantly upgraded and made more accessible for everyone, and plans are continuing to install an elevator in the main lobby of McConnell to enable easy access from floor to floor particularly for physically challenged individuals who in the past were required to use the freight elevator in the back of the building to access the third floor. Work will begin on that project over winter break.
I’m sure we are all very pleased, although none more so than Lynda and Brooke, with the expanded and remodeled Duplicating Services space in Bernard Hall. Thank you to all of you who were so patient about Duplicating’s temporary move to Pomona College over the summer.
As has been shared in many email announcements over the summer, new parking arrangements have been made as a result of the Joint Science modulars in the Sanborn lot. CMC has dedicated spaces for Pitzer in the Bauer lot, Scripps has dedicated spaces for Pitzer on Platt Boulevard, and spaces formerly reserved for the Psychology lab guests have been relocated to the circle in front of Broad Center. These new spaces at CMC, Scripps and on the street will be monitored by Campus Safety.
As always, I welcome your emails to [email protected] and your personal visits to my office in Broad Center 219 on Friday afternoons during my open office hours from 3:00 – 5:00. Pitzer’s vice presidents also hold open office hours on Friday afternoons, which I share with you here:
- Academic Affairs/Dean of Faculty, Alan Jones: 4:00 -5:00
- Administration/Treasurer, Yuet Lee: 4:00 – 5:00
- Admission and Financial Aid, Arnaldo Rodriguez: 1:00 – 2:00
- Advancement, Dennis Trotter: 2:00 – 3:00
- Public Relations, Kira Poplowski: 1:00 – 3:00
- Student Affairs, Jim Marchant: 2:00 – 3:00
Like me, Pitzer’s vice presidents look forward to meeting with you, answering any questions and addressing your concerns.
I hope to see you Monday afternoon, September 20th, at Benson Auditorium where I will share more about the College—where we stand now and where we’ll be going this year and in the years leading up to our 50th. I am looking forward to Pitzer College’s forty-seventh year, and my ninth as President.
Provida Futuri,
Laura Skandera Trombley
President
(Sent to the Pitzer Community in September 2010)
