Messages from the Dean of Faculty’s Office

Special Call for Courses
04.11.24

April 11, 2024

Dear Colleagues,

In an effort to expand the curriculum and take active steps to address faculty aspirations to “lay the foundations for a sustainable and peaceful future for all,” the FEC and Dean of Faculty are jointly issuing this call for individual courses OR full-time adjunct positions to teach courses that engage topics related to Gaza, Palestine, and Palestinian people. This call is a direct response to the approved motion from the April 4 faculty meeting.

All Field Groups are invited to apply for individual courses or a full-time adjunct position, and Field Groups can also partner on a position request. These courses/positions are additions to the curriculum and do not require replacement courses or other Field Group investments. However, Field Groups should be prepared to discuss course plans and provide mentorship to instructors/visiting faculty. In allocating individual courses and positions, priority will be given to proposals projected to have the greatest impact on the Pitzer community and that best address Pitzer’s values, especially interdisciplinarity, intercultural understanding, and social responsibility. The FEC will assist in evaluating all proposals.

Proposals are due by April 29, 2024, and should be sent to [email protected]. Proposals may be submitted after this date and will be evaluated on a rolling basis, but with approval contingent on funding availability.

Individual Courses

The goal is to have individual classes taught by scholars/artists from Gaza or who identify as Palestinian, and/or who have expertise related to Palestine and Palestinian people and issues. This could include scholars/artists who have been displaced from Gaza or who have been directly affected by the current crisis. If the instructor cannot be physically present on campus, the classes may be taught in a special hybrid format in which students are in a classroom together and the instructor is on Zoom. Another option is for classes co-taught with a continuing Pitzer faculty member who is on campus and in the classroom with students. New courses will require Curriculum Committee approval.

Proposals for individual courses should include:

· Name, location, and brief bio and/or cv of proposed instructor;

· Brief description of the proposed course, including how it addresses the intent of this call and contributes to Pitzer’s academic goals;

· Planned course format (e.g., will the course be taught via Zoom? Will the course be co-taught with a Pitzer faculty member, and if so, who?) and semester to be offered;

· Evidence of teaching effectiveness for the proposed instructor, such as course evaluations or letters of recommendation.

Adjunct Faculty Positions

In addition to individual courses, the Dean of Faculty is creating one or more full-time adjunct teaching positions, with particular emphasis on hiring faculty who are from Gaza or who identify as Palestinian, and/or who have expertise related to Palestine and Palestinian people and issues. This could include scholars/artists who have been displaced from Gaza or who have been directly affected by the current crisis. Funds are available to hire a limited number of teaching faculty for one-year or two-year appointments (2024-25 and 2025-26 academic years). Supplementary funds or arrangements may be possible to support the instructor’s research and travel, and to assist with visa requirements, relocation, and local housing. Pitzer College has a robust faculty search and hiring process and, to the extent possible, Field Groups are expected to utilize these processes to identify candidates. Approval by APT will be required for proposed adjunct faculty, and new course offerings will be subject to Curriculum Committee approval.

Field groups interested in hiring full-time adjunct faculty should submit the following:

· A brief description of the focus of the adjunct line and desired length of appointment;

· Proposal for the subfield and courses likely to be offered, including how the courses address the intent of this call and contribute to Pitzer’s academic goals;

· The search plan for identifying candidates that is consistent with the spirit of Pitzer’s affirmative action procedures;

· The proposed composition of the search committee (including specific names if possible);

· A draft position description/ad.

In addition to this call to expand the curriculum through course offerings, IGLAS and RJI are working together to issue a separate call to provide funding for speakers or enhancements to existing classes that engage topics related to Gaza, Palestine, and Palestinian people. The FEC looks forward to faculty and Field Groups responding to these calls, and through these efforts to enhance Pitzer’s commitment to social justice and positive change.

Allen M. Omoto, Ph.D.
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dean of Faculty
Pitzer College
1050 North Mills Ave
Claremont, CA 91711
https://www.pitzer.edu/dean-of-faculty/

Pitzer Study Abroad Programs
04.02.24

April 2, 2024

I write to inform the Pitzer campus community that on April 1, 2024, the Faculty Executive Committee voted to accept the recommendations of the Academic Planning Committee to remove 11 current study abroad programs from Pitzer’s list of pre-approved programs and to place eight additional programs on a review list.  These recommendations originated from the Study Abroad and International Programs (SAIP) Committee and after applying criteria outlined in the Guiding Principles for Opening and Closing Pitzer Approved Study Abroad Programs. Following our shared governance processes, these recommendations also were previously reviewed and endorsed by the Curriculum Committee.

The programs are no longer pre-approved for enrollment by Pitzer students because they do not meet our criteria, due, specifically, to lack of enrollments for at least five years, exchange imbalance, or curricular overlap. I want to clarify that these programs are not closed, nor do any of these actions reflect an academic boycott. Pitzer students may still attend these programs through a petition process overseen by the Study Abroad and International Programs Committee; the programs are simply no longer pre-approved for enrollment by Pitzer students.

The programs that are being removed from Pitzer’s pre-approved list include:

  • Federal University of Roraima (Brazil)
  • University of Aaloborg (Denmark)
  • University of Helsinki (Finland)
  • Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen (Germany)
  • University of Haifa (Israel)
  • Singapore Management University (Singapore)
  • Hanyang University (South Korea)
  • University of Seoul (South Korea)
  • Södertörn University (Sweden)
  • Middle East Technical University (Turkey)
  • University of Aberdeen (UK-Scotland)

The eight programs being placed under review, meaning that they will be monitored by the SAIP Committee and reconsidered at a later date using the Guiding Principles, are:

  • University of Essex (England)
  • Leuphana University of Luneburg (Germany)
  • SIT Ghana Globalization and Afro-Chic (Ghana)
  • Al Akhawayn University (Morocco)
  • Habib University (Pakistan)
  • University of KwaZulu Natal (South Africa)
  • Mälardalen University (Sweden)
  • Haverford College; Domestic Exchange (USA)

I greatly appreciate the diligent work that has gone into finalizing the Guiding Principles as well asreviewing our study abroad offerings to ensure that they provide the best possible learning and growth opportunities for students. Opportunities for study abroad and international engagement continue to be key elements of the Pitzer educational experience, and we will continue to evaluate our programs using the Guiding Principles. In the meantime, I have asked the Office of Study Abroad and International Programs to implement these changes promptly and to update the list of Pitzer pre-approved programs.  Information on programs can be found on the Office of Study Abroad and International Programs website.

Allen M. Omoto, Ph.D.
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dean of Faculty
Pitzer College
1050 North Mills Ave
Claremont, CA 91711

SIS Project Update
04.01.24

Dear Pitzer Faculty,

The five undergraduate campuses have contracted with Anthology to migrate to a new student information system (SIS) for the 5Cs. The SIS supports academic records, course scheduling, degree audits, academic advising, student accounts, and internal and external reporting. Faculty members interact with the SIS via the faculty portal, where you view course rosters, clear advisees to register, and enter grades. We plan to transition to the new SIS and a new faculty portal in the summer of 2025.

This project is being coordinated by teams from Anthology and TCCS, along with representatives and key stakeholders from each of the colleges. Please know that members of the Pitzer community are deeply involved in this effort and have been working hard to configure the new system to meet our needs. While there will be some differences compared to our current portal, the new system will deliver many of the same features that faculty rely on.

A formal introduction with training for faculty members on the new system is anticipated for early spring 2025. Meanwhile, TCCS has launched a website to keep the 5C community informed about the project’s progress. Please visit https://sisproject.claremont.edu/ for project details and information including an FAQ document. Any questions regarding the new SIS may be directed to [email protected].

Faculty-In-Residence Application 2024-2025 (Deadline 04.10.2024)
03.27.24

Dear Faculty,

The Dean of Faculty is currently accepting applications for the Faculty-in-Residence position in Pitzer, Atherton, and Sanborn residence halls. This position is designed with the purpose of supporting first-year students and bridges academic and residential experiences in a living-learning environment.

Attached, you will find a description of key responsibilities. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, April 10, 2024.  The link to the application is copied below. 

https://pitzer.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dpqypGy6WWALt3M

Scholar-In-Residence 2024-2025 Selection Announcement
03.21.24

Dear Colleagues:

I am pleased to announce and congratulate Rachel VanSickle-Ward as the 2024-2025 Scholar in Residence. 

Faculty serving as Scholar in Residence (SIR) pursue scholarly activities and offer a seminar course during their semester SIR residency. The aim of the seminar is to engage students in the process of creating knowledge or artistic work and to enable the SIR faculty to make substantive progress on a scholarly or artistic product by the end of the semester.

Professor VanSickle-Ward’s project and seminar are focused on Caregiving and Political Engagement.  With her research collaborators and the students in her seminar, Professor VanSickle-Ward will explore how caregiving responsibilities broadly defined (e.g., childcare, elder care, sibling care, and the anticipation of those responsibilities) structure political engagement and policy attitudes, with a particular focus on the context of the COVID pandemic.  Specifically, she plans to conduct analyses of recently collected data in exploring how the pandemic influences caregiving responsibilities and perceptions across diverse segments of the population while also exploring connections between caregiving and different forms of political engagement.  The students in her seminar, to be offered in spring 2025, will learn about the policy context of caregiving and have opportunities to analyze data and conduct policy analyses.

I look forward to the positive impact of this program for faculty and students alike. I also thank members of the application review committee for their work: Amanda Lagji, Curriculum Committee faculty representative; Annie Voss, Curriculum Committee student representative; Carina Johnson, FEC faculty representative; Shagan Bhullar, FEC student representative; and Phil Zuckerman, DoF representative.

Course Evaluations Spring 2024
03.20.24

Dear Faculty: 

As the semester’s end is nearing, the Dean of Faculty’s Office would like to remind you of the course evaluation process. The Faculty Handbook (Section V.F.1.b) states, “…A faculty member is responsible for distributing each semester to all students in his or her classes course evaluation forms in each course taught, with the choice of any of the approved Pitzer forms or a form of his or her choice or design.” 

To increase completion rates, the Dean of Faculty’s Office encourages faculty to administer evaluations during class time if possible. Please review the information below on how to select and administer online evaluations and how to select, administer, and return paper evaluations. 

COURSE EVALUATION FORMS 

The College has four template forms for your use. You may select a template, make adaptations to a template, select a customized form previously adapted, or create a new customized form. If you choose to customize a form that will be distributed electronically, please be sure to contact us as soon as possible to allow enough production time. 

ONLINE EVALUATIONS  

The College uses Qualtrics for the production and release of course evaluations. The evaluation reports include data summarization by default. 

Select Online Evaluations 
Step 1: Review Template Forms 
Please visit the Course Evaluations Page to preview inactive templated Forms A, B, C, D and a supplemental questions template.  

Forms Preview
https://www.pitzer.edu/information-technology/services/course-evals/ 

Step 2:  Submit Course Evaluation Request Please complete the Course Evaluation Request Form to submit up to four course evaluation requests in a single form.   

Request Form
https://pzforms.pitzer.edu/it-course-evaluation-request/ 

Reuse of previously customized forms 
Please complete the “Additional Instructions or Notes” field in the Course Evaluation Request Form with the following information so that we can recall the correct form. Semester Year Course Number New customized forms You can use the Request Form (link above) to upload a document with information about your customized request.  Please be sure to submit new customization requests as soon as possible so that we can ensure it will be released to your students on time. You will receive a link to your customized form for your review and approval.  

Administer Online Evaluations
You will receive notification from the Dean of Faculty’s Office via Smartsheets confirming your selected course evaluation form and the release date and time to your course.   

Return of Online Evaluations to Faculty
Provided that you have submitted final grades on time (Thursday, May 16 at noon), you can expect to receive online course evaluations at your Pitzer email address no later than May 30, 2024.  If you need to receive your evaluations at a non-Pitzer email address or have any questions, please email us at [email protected].   

PAPER EVALUATIONS  

Duplicating services are available to make copies of paper evaluation forms. You may collect your course evaluation copies from our office, Scott Hall 114, between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. 

Please note that the Dean of Faculty’s Office does not provide data summarization services for paper evaluation forms. 

Select Paper Evaluations
Step 1: Review Template Forms
Please see the links below to review the available paper evaluation forms.  
Form A  Form B  Form C  Form D  

Step 2: Submit Paper Course Evaluation Request & Duplication Form Please use the request form to submit up to three evaluation requests in a single form for duplication and pickup.  

Request Form
https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/b45e72db2b2a452d8048aa577f7c7354  

Administer and Return Paper Evaluations 
Students should only complete the evaluations in blue or black ink and place them in the accompanying envelope. Please assign one student in your class to return the envelope to Scott Hall 114. If your class occurs after 5:00 p.m., students may deposit envelopes in the Dean of Faculty’s mailbox Box A104 in Scott Hall 127 (next to Career Services).   

Release of Paper Evaluations to Faculty
Provided that you have submitted final grades on time (May 16 at noon), you can expect to receive scanned course evaluations at your Pitzer email address no later than May 30, 2024.  If you need to receive your evaluations at a non-Pitzer email address or have any questions, please email us at [email protected].    

DEADLINES 

Our office will follow up by email if you have not communicated your online distribution plans or have not initiated your copy request for paper-based evaluations by April 10. Faculty who do not communicate their plans to administer course evaluations by April 24 will have Form B online evaluations arranged for distribution to their course roster by default. 


Scholar-In-Residence Application 2024-2025 (Deadline 02.26.2024)
01.22.24

The DoF is now accepting applications for the 2024-2025 Scholar-in-Residence positions. The details of the program and application process appear below. The deadline for complete applications is Monday, February 26, 2024, 11:59 pm. Please submit proposals at this link. If you cannot use this link, send the materials below in a PDF to [email protected]. 

Up to two faculty members may be chosen to be Scholar(s)-in-Residence (SIR) for a single semester each during the 2024-2025 academic year. During their SIR semester, the faculty member will be released from regular committee and teaching responsibilities in order to pursue scholarly or artistic activities and to offer a seminar course. The seminar will be open to students and faculty and will center on the faculty member’s scholarly or artistic work. The aim of the seminar is to engage students in the process of creating knowledge or artistic work and to enable the faculty member to make substantive progress on a scholarly or artistic product by the end of the semester. Students enrolled in the seminar for credit will respond to the faculty member’s work with written comments during the semester. 

The SIR will be chosen from the applicants by a committee consisting of faculty and student representatives from the Curriculum Committee and the Faculty Executive Committee, with the Dean of Faculty and an Associate Dean as ex-officio members. Proposals should be 3-5 pages in length and should 1) outline the nature of the planned scholarly or artistic activities, 2) provide an overview of the planned seminar, including the topics likely to be covered and how student performance will be evaluated, and 3) describe the value of the seminar to the College curriculum. In addition, an updated C.V. should accompany the proposal submission. Selection will be based on the following criteria: 

  • The breadth of appeal of the topic 
  • The value of the seminar to the College curriculum 
  • The feasibility of the scholarly or artistic project 
  • The faculty member’s research, service, and publication record 

The SIR will make regular progress reports to the Dean of Faculty during their appointment. In addition, a final report of 2-4 pages describing 1) progress made on the scholarly or artistic project and 2) evaluation of the seminar should be submitted within one semester of completing the SIR appointment. This report will be retained on file in the Dean of the Faculty Office as part of the faculty member’s personnel file. 

ELIGIBILITY 
All full-time faculty members on multi-year contracts through the term of the SIR appointment are eligible to apply with the following exceptions: 

  • Faculty members on leave Spring 2024 are not eligible to be Scholar-in-Residence in the Fall of 2024. 
  • Faculty members who are on leave/sabbatical for one or both semesters of the academic year 2024-25 are not eligible to be Scholar-in Residence during the 2024-25 academic year. 
  • Previous Scholars-in-Residence are not eligible until five years after their term as Scholar-in-Residence and only if their final report is on file in the DoF. 

Preference will be given to faculty members who have not had a recent leave and to faculty who are not eligible for a leave in 2025-26. Please note that the semester identified for the SIR appointment should be the semester in which the faculty member is scheduled to have a two-course teaching load (consistent with expectations for sabbatical leaves). The Field Group of the selected SIR will receive one course replacement to be used in the semester the selected faculty member serves as SIR. 

Spring Semester 2024
01.11.2024

Dear Pitzer Faculty:

Happy New Year! I hope that you all had an enjoyable and rejuvenating semester break. Special warm and welcoming wishes to the faculty returning from sabbatical as well as those who are new to Pitzer this semester. This message, although long, contains information about campus policies and practices and also about select upcoming events. I hope that it will be useful as you prepare for the upcoming semester. 

Campus Safety & Precautions

  • All faculty and staff must be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations, meaning they have received all doses of the primary vaccine series and at least one booster. Please contact HR ([email protected]) if you have questions about this expectation or require a medical or religious exemption.
  • Masking with medical grade masks (e.g., KN95) is recommended but not required on campus. Surgical masks and KN95 masks are available across campus, including at the Dean of Faculty’s Office (DoF, Scott Hall 114), Office of Student Affairs (Scott Hall 120), Office of Residential Life, Gold Student Center, Human Resources, and Facilities. 
  • All Pitzer students must be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations and have received the bivalent booster. In addition, all consortium students should have received a flu vaccination during the fall.    
  • COVID tests for faculty and staff are available through HR, Facilities, and DoF. In addition, faculty and staff can test at home or off campus. Positive test results should be reported to HR within 24 hours using this link: Covid Exposure – Self-Reporting Form. 
  • COVID tests for students are available through the Student Health Services, from a vending machine located at Honnold Library, or through home tests or private provider/insurance. Student positive test results should be reported to the Student Health Services.
  • Disinfecting wipes are available in classrooms and through Facilities and DoF, and hand sanitizing stations are located across campus.  Please assist in keeping our campus community safe and healthy by regularly washing hands and wiping down surfaces (e.g., printers, keyboards before and after use). 
  • Faculty are encouraged to review the emergency information posted in the classrooms in which they teach.  The information outlines helpful responses to a variety of conditions and includes the location of primary and secondary evacuation sites. 
  • All types of discrimination and harassment are unacceptable and antithetical to Pitzer’s community and core values, and maintaining student wellbeing and safety are always the highest priorities.  If you experience or witness any behaviors that conflict with Pitzer’s values and policies, please contact Christine Guzman, Pitzer’s Senior Director of Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Misconduct & Title IX at [email protected] or complete the Online Reporting Form.

Infrastructure & Support

  • Classroom assignments have been made based on class requirements, enrollments, and, when possible, faculty preferences, and are now on the portal. Although options may be limited, and especially for highly impacted time slots, requests for classroom changes or scheduling can be sent to [email protected]. For assistance scheduling an academic event, please contact [email protected]. 
  • In advance of first class meetings, faculty are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the technology available in their classrooms. Any questions or requests for assistance should be directed to IT at [email protected] or at (909) 607-3065.
  • If, at any time, faculty experience technology issues during a class, the fastest way to get help is to send an email message to [email protected] with “URGENT: IN CLASS” in the subject line of the message or by calling the AV Support Line at (909) 607-2638. To assist others, please return classroom technology and settings to their original positions after class.
  • If faculty who want to take students on a field trip, please see the policies and guidelines posted on the DoF website, including a form to request support. For travel for field trips and other off-campus educational activities, all participants should abide by relevant transportation policies. 
  • Faculty can hire a student Technical Assistant to support their teaching. These student employees assist with classroom technology, uploading and organizing course materials, etc.; they are not graders or tutors. Faculty are responsible for hiring and supervising Technical Assistants, although students cannot work until they have completed the employment process with HR and received appropriate authorization. To request a student Technical Assistant, see Student Employment Request for Course Support.
  • Canvas and Sakai are available to support classes. Steve Anderson from Pitzer IT is available to assist with migrations to Canvas; contact him at [email protected] or schedule an appointment at https://calendly.com/steve-pitzer.
  • Several outdoor spaces are available for instruction by reservation, including space at the Redford Conservancy and on campus (e.g., Broad Center patio). Faculty wishing to teach or hold an event in an outdoor space should send their request to [email protected] or [email protected].

Instruction & Accommodations

  • Although instruction will be in-person across the 5Cs, faculty can use online tools and technology to support their in-person teaching and for student meetings. For example, faculty can use Sakai or Canvas to support teaching by recording and posting lectures, for asynchronous chats/conversations, etc. There may be circumstances for which short-term, temporary use of Zoom or other online technology may be appropriate in the context of in-person instruction. 
  • Faculty are encouraged to think about and discuss with Field Group colleagues pivots or modifications they could make should campus or personal circumstances change during the semester. These considerations may influence course design and requirements. 
  • Faculty are empowered to set expectations for their classes, and ideally, should clearly state requirements and possible affordances in their syllabi. Of note:
  • Although masking is currently not required on campus, faculty can require masking in their classes, labs, or office hours. If a student indicates that there is a documented medical reason they cannot wear a mask, they should be referred to Pitzer Academic Support Services (PASS) to seek accommodations. If a student comes without a mask to a class for which the instructor has required masks, please refer them to DoF or the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) to obtain a mask. Repeated non-compliance with classroom masking policies should be reported to OSA for follow up. 
  • Faculty are encouraged to consider potential student isolation when constructing their class attendance policies and include relevant information in their syllabi, including about possible affordances (e.g., late submission of work). Penalizing students for all absences may deter them from engaging in good health practices. Faculty will be notified by Student Affairs when a Pitzer student in their class tests positive and enters isolation, as well as when the student is released from isolation. Faculty are asked to please work with students in isolation, their advisor, and Student Affairs to help students continue their work or do make-up or extra-credit work. More information on isolation can be found here.
  • The PASS website has a useful Faculty Resource Guide that includes FAQs, suggestions for syllabus language, and information on different types of accommodations. There is valuable information on faculty roles, rights, and responsibilities, as well as suggestions for universal design for learning. 
  • For any health-related or documented student accommodations, faculty and students should work with PASS to develop a collaborative plan that works best for their situations and classes.  The general process involves the following steps:
    • Student completes application for accommodations and uploads documentation on PASS website.
    • Student sets up appointment with PASS by contacting [email protected] to determine accommodations through an interactive process with PASS staff.
    • Each semester, the student must renew their accommodations through their accommodation portal to ensure that faculty are notified of their accommodations by email.
  • Please be cognizant of religious holidays and observances in setting assignment due dates; the Consortium chaplains have posted a list of major religious holy days here. 
  • Faculty who plan to administer final exams should follow the posted Consortium schedule. Please do not separately schedule final exams (even if at the usual class meeting time). 
  • The 2023-2024 academic calendar is available on the Registrar’s website. Key dates for spring semester include:
    • January 16 (Tues), first day of classes
    • March 11-15, spring break (no classes)
    • March 29 (Fri), César Chavez Day observed (no classes) 
    • May 1 (Wed), last day of instruction
    • May 3 (Fri), grades for graduating seniors due by noon
    • May 6-10, final examinations
    • May 11 (Sat), commencement
    • May 16 (Thurs), grades for non-graduating students due by noon

Upcoming Events

  • Faculty hiring will continue in high gear during the spring semester. We will have multiple prospective candidates visiting campus for the first several weeks of the semester. Faculty are encouraged to attend job talks and special meetings as schedules permit and also to offer feedback on candidates to respective search committees.
  • The Glass Humanities Lecture featuring guest speaker Báyò Akómolafe is scheduled for March 19, 2024. More information on this event will be forthcoming.
  • Pitzer’s Academic Festival, a chance to highlight student work, is being planned for Thursday, May 2, 2024. 
  • The FEC approved a Commencement Participation Policy for the May 11, 2024 ceremony. This policy has already been distributed to students and faculty, although it also can be found on the Dean of Faculty website.

I look forward to seeing many of you in person in the near future. Thank you for your continuing work on behalf of the Pitzer community, and especially our students.  As a reminder, recent notices and calls, contact information for staff, and also information on faculty support services and budget processes can be found on the Dean of Faculty website. I wish you the very best for an academically enriching semester.

Spring 2024 Commencement Participation Policy
12.15.2023

I write to alert you to the 2024 commencement participation policy that FEC approved earlier this fall and for release at the end of the semester.  Students who may qualify to participate in commencement under this 2024 policy will be notified by the Registrar’s Office and with follow up communications scheduled to be sent early next semester.  Our Catalog policy on commencement can be found here, and the approved policy, for 2024 only, is provided below:   

For the May 2024 commencement ceremony, students who are expected to graduate the following summer or fall, are within 4 credits of fully completing all College and major(s) graduation requirements by the end of spring semester 2024, and are enrolled full-time in spring semester 2024, are permitted to “walk” in the commencement ceremony without petition, provided they remain in good financial, conduct, and academic standing during the spring semester.

I hope that the end of the semester is kind to all of you and I wish you a restful and restorative break.

Associate Dean for Student and Faculty Development, Ahmed Alwishah
12.07.2023

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Ahmed Alwishah as Associate Dean for Student and Faculty Development effective January 2024. Professor Alwishah has been at Pitzer College for well over a decade and has served on a number of College committees during his tenure here, including on APC, APT, the Committee on Strategic Plan Implementation, and the search committee for a previous Dean of Faculty. He also has served as the Director of the Munroe Center for Social Inquiry. Professor Alwishah teaches a variety of classes, including Introduction to Philosophy, Islamic Philosophy, and Knowledge, Mind and Existence. He has scholarly expertise and interests in Islamic Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Philosophy of Mind, and Philosophy of Language.

In his role as Associate Dean, Professor Alwishah’s responsibilities will primarily revolve around faculty development and mentoring, faculty and student research, support and programming for faculty and students from historically underrepresented groups, and initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Professor Alwishah also will work with select College offices and serve on governance and consortial committees.

I very much look forward to working with Professor Alwishah. He is well-respected by faculty and staff colleagues, dedicated to Pitzer and its core values, and has worked to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion at many levels and in different contexts. He also has extensive experience at Pitzer and across the consortium that should serve him well in this role. Please join me in thanking Professor Alwishah his willingness to serve as Associate Dean, and also in offering support to him in this position.

Support After Passing of Pitzer Student
10.30.2023

October 30, 2023

Dear Colleagues:

As you likely know by now, Pitzer student Jesse Lopez passed away last Friday, a loss that has deeply affected the community (message from President Thacker).  The Student Senate cancelled several social events and its general meeting this past weekend, and instead offered opportunities for students to receive and offer support.  Meanwhile, Pitzer HR sent out information on support resources for faculty and staff, including group and individual counseling sessions scheduled for today (see forwarded message below). 

The sudden loss of a Pitzer community member, against the backdrop of truly horrific and painful world events, is affecting students, faculty, and staff.  It will take time to heal, and it is a time that requires all of us to be there for and with each other.  Consequently, I ask you to extend special compassion and care to students at this time. 

The semester has been stressful, and this is a particularly stressful time of the semester under any circumstances.  I know that many students and faculty are finding it challenging to continue with rigorous academic work as they grieve and process.  Faculty are not required to take action, but I remind you that you are free to make supportive or accommodating changes to your classes and requirements as you deem appropriate. 

Finally, and not least of all, I ask you to please take care of yourself.  Avail yourself of support resources as needed, and take time to be in the company of loved ones.

In community,

Allen Omoto

Dear Staff and Faculty,

With the recent loss of a member of our community, it’s important for us to come together and support one another. These words may feel insufficient, but we want you to know that we are here to support you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or any of the confidential resources available. 

·         24/7 Telehealth Mental Health Support is available at: The Claremont Colleges – TimelyCare

·         Employee Assistance Program: (800-234-5465)

·         Deanna Caballero, HR – (909-609-0898)

·         Helpful information: Grief & Trauma – Coping together

For anyone needing immediate assistance we have arranged direct counseling sessions, either group or individual:

Sunday, Oct 29th, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

·         Group Session
Therapist: Phebie Zaky
Join Zoom Meeting
https://r3c.zoom.us/j/88301096161?pwd=NKGIkosXKjQQCicETgvq8syYzRshtP.1
Meeting ID: 883 0109 6161
Passcode: 524831
888 475 4499 US Toll-free

Sunday, Oct 29th, 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM

·         Individual Session
Therapist: Phebie Zaky
Book 15-30 minute session(s) with provider, go to: https://ecm.r3c.com/shifts/379490/service_recipient_schedules?service_recipient_code=gjsmwbdd

Monday, Oct 30th, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM

·         Group Session

Therapist: Liliana Salinas
Join Zoom Meeting
https://r3c.zoom.us/j/83316728437?pwd=ww8Oc4grJxOQE0n7dH7xRD9Jc1gtx7.1
Meeting ID: 833 1672 8437
Passcode: 365878
888 475 4499 US Toll-free

Monday, Oct 30th, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

·         Individual Session

Therapist: Liliana Salinas
Book 15-30 minute session(s) with provider, go to: https://ecm.r3c.com/shifts/379491/service_recipient_schedules?service_recipient_code=gjsmwbdd

Seeking support is a courageous step toward healing. Please take care of yourselves and each other.

Deanna

Start of Fall 2023
08.22.2023

Dear Pitzer Faculty:

The start of the new academic year is just around the corner!  I hope that you all enjoyed a restful and rejuvenating summer, and for those of you in Southern California this past weekend, I hope that you stayed safe and dry in the wake of Hilary’s drenching.  This message contains information about campus policies and practices and also notices about upcoming events.  I know that it is long, but I hope that you will find it useful as you prepare for the upcoming semester.

Campus Safety & Precautions

  • All faculty and staff must be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations, meaning they have received all doses of the primary vaccine series and at least one booster.  Please contact HR ([email protected]) if you have questions about this expectation or require a medical or religious exemption.
  • Masking with medical grade masks (e.g., KN95) is recommended but not required on campus.  Surgical masks and KN95 masks are available across campus, including at the DoF Office (Scott Hall 114), Office of Student Affairs (Scott Hall 120), Office of Residential Life, Gold Student Center, Human Resources, and Facilities.
  • All Pitzer students must be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations and have received the bivalent booster.  In addition, all consortium students will be expected to receive a flu vaccination this fall if they haven’t already done so.
  • COVID tests for faculty and staff will be available through HR, Facilities, and DoF.  In addition, faculty and staff can test at home or off campus.  Positive test results should be reported within 24 hours to HR using this link: Covid Exposure – Self-Reporting Form.
  • Meanwhile, COVID tests for students will be available through the Student Health Services, from a vending machine located at Honnold Library, or through home tests or provided through private insurance.  Student positive test results should be reported to the Student Health Services.
  • Disinfecting wipes will be available in classrooms and through Facilities and DoF, and hand sanitizing stations are located across campus.  Please assist in keeping our campus community safe and healthy by regularly washing hands and wiping down surfaces (e.g., printers, keyboards before and after use).
  • I encourage you to take a few minutes to review the emergency information posted in the classrooms in which you teach.  The posted information outlines helpful responses to a variety of conditions and includes the location of primary and secondary evacuation sites.

Infrastructure & Support

  • Facilities was busy over the summer renovating several restrooms and instructional spaces.  Over the past few years, all of our main classrooms have been renovated and technology updated.  I suggest you have a peek at your assigned classrooms before your first class meetings to be sure that you are familiar with the set up and classroom technology.  As always, IT can assist with classroom technology; send a note to [email protected] or call the IT Help Desk at (909) 607-3065 with your request.
  • Related, if at any time you experience technology issues during a class, the fastest way to get assistance is to send an email message to [email protected] with “URGENT: IN CLASS” in the subject line of your message or by calling the AV Support Line at (909) 607-2638.  To assist others, please return classroom technology and settings to their original positions after your class.
  • Classroom assignments have been made based on class requirements, enrollments, and, when possible, faculty preferences, and are now on the portal.  Although options may be limited, and especially for highly impacted time slots, requests for classroom changes or scheduling can be directed to [email protected].  For assistance scheduling an academic event, please contact [email protected].
  • In the absence of tents, several outdoor spaces have been set aside for instruction, including existing spaces (e.g., at the Redford Conservancy) and some spaces that we will reserve for classes (e.g., Broad Center patio).    If you would like to teach outdoors, please send your request to [email protected] as soon as possible.
  • Field trips and other off-campus educational activities (e.g., internships in community agencies) are permitted, although all participants should abide by relevant transportation policies.
  • Faculty can hire a student Technical Assistant to support their teaching.  These student employees assist with classroom technology, uploading and organizing course materials, etc.; they are not graders or tutors.  Faculty are responsible for hiring and supervising Technical Assistants, although students cannot work until they have completed the employment process with HR and received appropriate authorization.  If you missed the information about these positions sent out last week or want to request a Technical Assistant see Student Employment Request for Course Support.
  • Canvas is now available to support classes; it is an alternative to Sakai.  Steve Anderson from Pitzer IT is already assisting several faculty in using Canvas, and he will hold open information sessions during the semester.  Currently, sessions are tentatively scheduled for September 22 from 2:00-4:00 pm and October 5 from 11:00-1:00 pm.  More information about these sessions will be forthcoming.  In the meantime, feel free to contact Steve directly at [email protected] or schedule an appointment with him at https://calendly.com/steve-pitzer.

Instruction & Accommodations

  • The 5Cs are committed to in-person and residential educational experiences, with all undergraduate classes expected to be taught in-person across the consortium.
  • Faculty are free to use online tools and technology to support their in-person teaching and for student meetings.  For example, faculty can use Sakai or Canvas to support teaching by recording and posting lectures, for asynchronous chats/conversations, etc.  There may be circumstances for which short-term, temporary use of Zoom or other online technology may be appropriate in the context of in-person instruction.
  • The fall semester academic calendar is available on the Registrar’s website.  Key dates include:
    • August 28, classes begin
    • September 4, College holiday (Labor Day)
    • October 16-17, fall break (no classes)
    • November 22-24, Thanksgiving break (no classes)
    • December 8, last day of instruction
    • December 21, all grades due by noon
  • Faculty who plan to administer final exams should follow the posted Consortium (see schedule) and not separately schedule their exams (even if at the usual class meeting time).
  • Please be cognizant of religious holidays and observances in setting assignment due dates; the Consortium chaplains have posted a list of major religious holy days here.
  • Faculty are encouraged to think about and discuss with Field Group colleagues pivots or modifications they could make should campus or personal circumstances change during the semester.  These considerations may influence course design and requirements.
  • Faculty are empowered to set expectations for their classes, and ideally, should clearly state requirements and possible affordances in their syllabi.  Of note:
    • Although masking is currently not required on campus, faculty can require masking by students in their classes, labs, or office hours.  If a student indicates that there is a documented medical reason they cannot wear a mask, they should be referred to Pitzer Academic Support Services (PASS) to seek accommodations.  If a student comes without a mask to a class for which the instructor has required masks, please refer them to DoF or the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) to obtain a mask.  Repeated non-compliance with classroom masking policies should be reported to OSA for follow up.
    • Faculty are encouraged to consider potential student isolation when constructing their class attendance policies and include relevant information in their syllabi, including about possible affordances (e.g., late submission of work).  Penalizing students for all absences may deter them from engaging in good health practices.  Faculty will be notified by OSA when a Pitzer student in their class tests positive and enters isolation, as well as when the student is released from isolation.  Faculty are asked to please work with students in isolation, their advisor, and OSA to help students continue their work or do make-up or extra-credit work.  More information on isolation can be found here.
    • The PASS website has a useful Faculty Resource Guide that includes FAQs, suggestions for syllabus language, and information on different types of accommodations.  There is information on faculty roles, rights, and responsibilities, as well as suggestions for universal design for learning.  I encourage you to make use of the material in this resource guide.
  • For any health-related or documented student accommodations, faculty and students should work with PASS to develop a collaborative plan that will work best for their situations and classes.  The general process involves the following steps.
    • Student completes application for accommodations and uploads documentation on PASS website.
    • Student sets up appointment with PASS by contacting [email protected] to determine accommodations through an interactive process with PASS staff.
    • Each semester, the student must renew their accommodations through their accommodation portal to ensure that faculty are notified of their accommodations by email.

Upcoming Events

  • As announced yesterday, Convocation for first year students and faculty will be this Friday, August 25, at 12:15 pm in Benson Auditorium.  There also will be a Pitzer community lunch that day from 11:00-2:00 pm in McConnell Dining Hall and a cupcake social from 1:30-2:30 pm at Broad Center.  If you have first-year advisees, please strongly encourage them to attend Convocation.  I hope that you will also attend; there will be a reserved section for faculty in Benson and also a faculty receiving line to welcome the new students at the end of the ceremony.  Faculty will not dress in regalia.
  • On Thursday, August 31, I am hosting a Welcome Reception for faculty and President Strom Thacker and Isabelle Thacker from 4:30-6:00 pm. A separate invitation will be sent out.  I hope to see you there!
  • President Thacker and Isabelle Thacker are hosting a Welcome Back Reception for faculty and staff from 4:00-6:00 pm on Tuesday, September 12.  An invitation to the community will be sent out in the near future.
  • President Thacker’s Inauguration will be October 20, 2023.  More details will be released as they are finalized.

I look forward to seeing many of you in person in the near future.  Thank you for your continuing work on behalf of the Pitzer community, and especially our students.  As a reminder, recent notices and calls, contact information for staff, and also information on faculty support services can be found on the Dean of Faculty website.  I wish you the very best for an academically enriching semester.

Allen Omoto

Announcement: Fall 2023 Student Course Support Positions and Hiring Process
08.10.2023

Dear Faculty:  

In addition to usual support, the Dean of Faculty’s Office is coordinating student employment for fall semester. Positions include students serving as Technical Assistants, as well as Course Assistants, Tutors, and Graders.  Hiring for all these positions is a two-step process. The first step is authorization and posting of positions through the DoF (completed by faculty), and the second step involves HR clearance and onboarding of the student employee (completed by the student). Students can only work after successfully completing both steps of this process.  All students, including work-study, are hired through this process. 

Link: Student Employment Request for Course Support  

All student positions are paid at established institutional rates.  Faculty are responsible for setting student work schedules and course specific training and duties.  Please review the position overviews and the full position descriptions at the links below for more information.    

Instructions for requesting positions, including which ones require Curriculum Committee approval, and information on the hire process can be found on the DoF’s Faculty Support Services webpage.   

The priority deadline for receipt of faculty requests for fall semester, and especially for positions for which work is required early in the semester, is August 17. All other requests received after that date will be considered on a rolling basis.  

Please get in touch with Carlos Alvarez for any questions.   

Position Links and Overviews  

  • Technical AssistantTechnical Assistants work up to 5 hours/week and must be currently enrolled Pitzer students living in the United States. Technical Assistants are supervised by and will primarily work with a single faculty member, although there is the possibility, they will work with multiple faculty members or interact with students in a class on some activities.  Technical Assistants are not tutors and are not permitted to grade or evaluate student work.  Students can hold multiple Technical Assistant positions, in-person support in some cases.   
  • Course Assistant   The Course Assistant will work up to 5 hours/week and must be a currently enrolled student at Claremont Colleges living in the United States. The Course Assistant is supervised by and will primarily work with their supervisor and interact with students in and outside class on some activities for a course offered by Pitzer.  The Course Assistant may serve as a group discussion (recitation) leader with guidance from the instructor, coordinate activities for the course with guidance from the instructor, and communicate with students on behalf of the faculty supervisor.  There are also opportunities to support the course logistics pertaining to field trips, guest speaker visits, and course-related events hosted by the supervising professor.   
  • Tutor  The tutor will work up to 5 hours/week and must be a currently enrolled student at the Claremont Colleges living in the United States.  The tutor is supervised by and will primarily work with their supervisor and interact with students over email as needed for informational awareness of sessions and through tutoring sessions offered in-person on-campus at Pitzer or over Zoom.  The tutor position offers student opportunity to develop teaching and leadership skills.  Tutors are expected to reflect a strong sense of commitment to the Pitzer Tutoring Program mission of providing academic support to Pitzer students requesting assistance.  The success of the program is dependent upon the dedication, professionalism, confidence, and skills of tutors.   
  • Grader  A class grader will work up to 5 hours/week and must be a currently enrolled student at Claremont Colleges living in the United States.  The grader is supervised by and will primarily work with their faculty supervisor and may interact with students in and outside class on some activities for a course offered by Pitzer.  The grader will only grade or evaluate student work that is relatively unambiguous (true/false, multiple choice, vocabulary, short responses to questions with specific answers) and with answer keys provided by the faculty member in charge.   

Announcement: Faculty Contract Renewals and Promotions
06.09.2023

Dear Colleagues:

It gives me great pleasure to inform you of recent actions taken by the Appointments, Promotion and Tenure Committee and Pitzer’s Board of Trustees in renewing contracts and promoting faculty and lecturers across the College.  Please join me in congratulating the individuals below on their accomplishments and for the next steps in their career advancement.

Tenure Track Faculty Contract Renewal:

Fély Catan, Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

Hanzhang Liu, Political Studies

Promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure:

Findley Finseth, Biology

Steffanie Guillermo, Psychology

Amanda Lagji, English and World Literature

Marcus Rodriguez, Psychology

Urmi Engineer Willoughby, History

Promotion to Full Professor:

Juanita Aristizábal, Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

Patrick Ferree, Biology

Todd Honma, Asian American Studies

Andrea Scott, Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

Appointment at Rank of Full Professor with Tenure:

Strom Thacker, Political Studies

Promotion to Senior Language Lecturer:

Arianna Alfaro Porras, Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

José Luis Florez, Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

Leah Herman, Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

In addition, I extend sincere thanks to the 2022-2023 members of APT who worked diligently to review files, deliberate on cases, and make recommendations.  The committee included faculty members Brian Keeley (chair), Tim Berg, Melinda Herrold-Menzies, Barbara Junisbai, Nancy Williams, and Kathy Yep, and student members Isabella Pollalis and Aiden Henrikson.  And special thanks for Assistant Dean Shelva Paulse for all of her work helping to shepherd through all of these reviews.

FYS Director Announcement, Sumangala Bhattacharya
05.19.2023

Dear Colleagues:

I am pleased to announce that, beginning immediately, Professor Sumangala Bhattacharya will serve as the Director of the First Year Seminar Program. Sumangala has taught FYS numerous times and recently participated in the Claremont Faculty Leadership Program. She will work with members of the FYS Advisory Committee, DoF and OSA staff, and the faculty in administering and further developing the program. She will be the go-to person for faculty who are teaching FYS sections and also for incoming first year students who are taking FYS classes.

I offer a heartfelt thank you to Professor Sarah Gilman who served as FYS Director for the past several years, and also to Muriel Poston for serving as Interim Director for the last few months. Pitzer’s FYS program has distinctive features that assist our first year students to discover and be supported on their academic paths. Sarah helped to refine and regularize the program, and she and Muriel have worked with the FYS Advisory Committee in evaluating and implementing recommendations from the recent external review of the program. Sumangala will be able to build on the solid foundation that has been set for the program and to further develop it in ways that keep it vital, fresh, and helpful for faculty and students alike.

Finally, let me recognize and thank the other members of the FYS Advisory Committee for all the work they are doing to support this program and its Director: Leah Herman, Jessica Kizer, Lexi Andres Lai, Stephanie Liu-Rojas, and Phil Zuckerman.

I appreciate faculty interest in and commitment to the FYS program. I wish you all a restorative and productive summer!

2023-24 Scholars in Residence
05.04.2023

Dear Colleagues:

I am pleased to announce and congratulate the 2023-2024 Scholars in Residence: Jemma Lorenat and Timothy Justus.

These Scholars in Residence will pursue scholarly activities and offer a seminar course during their fall residencies. The aim of the seminar is to engage students in the process of creating knowledge or artistic work and to enable the SIR faculty to make substantive progress on a scholarly or artistic product by the end of the semester.

Professor Lorenat’s seminar centers on the potential and limitations of biographies for the history of mathematics and will complement the last chapter of her book about women becoming mathematicians around 1900. Methods will range from the meta-biographical to micro-historical as informed by local archives.

Professor Justus’s seminar is centered on prediction—a concept that has stimulated more than a decade of robust theory building across diverse disciplines, from neuroscience to philosophy to cognitive literary theory. This seminar will inform a chapter on the predictive mind in literature in Justus’s forthcoming book concerning cognition and the arts.

I look forward to the positive impact of this program on the scholars and students alike. The committee and I enjoyed reviewing the applications, and I would like to thank them for their work: Sarah Gilbert, Curriculum Committee faculty representative; Soren Laskin, Curriculum Committee student representative; Rachel VanSickle-Ward, FEC faculty representative; Juan Santos, FEC student representative, and Phil Zuckerman; DoF representative.

Mellon Foundation Grant Info Session on 02.22.2023, “Humanities for All Time”
02.15.2023

Dear Faculty Colleagues:

On behalf of the Office of College Advancement & Communications, I invite you to attend a special Zoom information session to learn about submitting concepts for a Mellon Foundation grant competition.  Specifically, Pitzer is among a select group of liberal arts colleges that have been invited to submit applications for Mellon’s Humanities for All Times competition.  Mellon expects to make awards of up to $1.5 million to be used over three years to support curricular development that will increase humanities enrollments “by articulating the distinctive aims and methods of humanistic analysis and demonstrating the importance of such analysis for the social-justice objectives to which so many students are rightly committed.” 

Pitzer Advancement staff will share more information about concepts, requirements, commitments, and timeline for applications during this information session.  The session will be on Wednesday, February 22, from 1:00-2:00 pm, and you can attend by using this link: https://pitzer.zoom.us/j/83647905473?from=addon.

If you cannot attend this meeting but would like more information about this competition, please contact Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations, Melissa Foster, at [email protected].    

Scholar-in-Residence Application Announcement (Deadline 03.06.2023)
02.09.2023

The DoF is now accepting applications for the 2023-2024 Scholar-in-Residence positions. The details of the program and application process appear below. The deadline for complete applications is Monday, March 6, 2023, 11:59 pm. Please submit proposals at this link.

Up to two faculty members may be chosen to be Scholar(s)-in-Residence (SIR) for a single semester each during the 2023-2024 academic year. During their SIR semester, the faculty member will be released from regular committee and teaching responsibilities in order to pursue scholarly or artistic activities and to offer only a seminar course. The seminar will be open to both students and faculty and will center on the faculty member’s scholarly or artistic work. The SIR will make regular progress reports to the Dean of Faculty during their appointment, and students enrolled in the seminar for credit will respond to the faculty member’s work with written comments during the semester. The aim of the seminar is to engage students in the process of creating knowledge or artistic work and to enable the faculty member to make substantive progress on a scholarly or artistic product by the end of the semester.

The SIR will be chosen from the applicants by a committee consisting of faculty and student representatives from the Curriculum Committee and the Faculty Executive Committee, with the Dean of Faculty and an Associate Dean as ex-officio members. Proposals should be 3-5 pages in length and should 1) outline the nature of the planned scholarly or artistic activities, 2) provide an overview of the planned seminar, including the topics likely to be covered, and how student performance will be evaluated, and 3) describe the value of the seminar to the College curriculum. In addition, an updated C.V. should accompany the proposal submission. Selection will be based on the following criteria:

  • The breadth of appeal of the topic
  • The clarity and appropriateness of the proposed seminar
  • The value of the seminar to the College curriculum
  • The feasibility of the scholarly or artistic project
  • The faculty member’s credentials and record

A final report of 2-4 pages describing 1) progress made on the scholarly or artistic project and 2) evaluation of the seminar should be submitted within one semester of completing the SIR appointment. This report will be retained on file in the Dean of the Faculty Office as part of the faculty member’s personnel file.

ELIGIBILITY

All full-time faculty members on multi-year contracts are eligible to apply with the following exceptions:

  • Faculty members on leave Spring 2023 are not eligible to be Scholar-in-Residence in the Fall of 2023.
  • Faculty members who are on leave for one or both semesters of the academic year 2023-24 are not eligible to be Scholar-in Residence during the 2023-24 academic year.
  • Previous Scholars-in-Residence are not eligible again until five years after their term as Scholar-in-Residence and only if their final report is on file in the DoF.

Preference will be given to faculty members who have not had a recent leave and to faculty who are not eligible for a leave in 2024-25. Please note that the semester identified for the SIR appointment should be the semester in which the faculty member is scheduled to have a two-course teaching load (consistent with expectations for sabbatical leaves). The Field Group of the selected SIR will receive one course replacement to be used in the semester the faculty member serves as SIR.

CTL Director
01.17.2023

The Academic Deans Committee is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Sara Hollar as the new Director of the Claremont Colleges’ Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), effective January 1, 2023.  Sara has served as the Interim Director since last summer and after a national search for a new Director Sara was selected for this important role.

The mission of the CTL is to support faculty in their pursuit of teaching excellence so as to promote the intellectual and personal growth of all students at the Claremont Colleges. The CTL accomplishes this mission by: (1) promoting a faculty culture of life-long learning and commitment to effective and excellent teaching, (2) enabling and supporting faculty to learn about, implement and advance evidence-based, student-centered, inclusive teaching and learning practices and technologies in every stage of their careers, and (3) building institutional capacity for supporting excellence in teaching and learning.

Sara is a longtime member of the Claremont community, having earned her PhD from Claremont Graduate University in 2022, and has served the Colleges in various roles since 2015, such as the Assistant Director at the CTL, Research Associate for Assessment and Institutional Research at Scripps College, and Research Consultant at Pomona College, Harvey Mudd College and the Keck Science Department.

We very much look forward to her leadership role and partnership with the faculty of the Claremont Colleges.

Spring Semester 2023
01.10.2023

Dear Colleagues:

Happy New Year!  I hope that you all had an enjoyable and rejuvenating semester break.  I send special warm and welcoming wishes to the faculty returning from sabbatical as well as those who are new to Pitzer this semester.  Across the 5Cs, we remain committed to in-person residential education despite the challenges posed by COVID, RSV, and the flu.  The safety and well-being of our community remains our highest priority and information on College policies and safeguards can be found on the Pathway Forward website.  Here, I provide information specifically for faculty about the upcoming semester.  

 Campus Safety and Precautions

  • All faculty and staff must be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations, meaning they have received all doses of the primary vaccine series and at least one booster.  Additional boosters are available and recommended.  Faculty who have not already done so should submit this information through the Healthy Pitzer Portal or contact HR ([email protected]) to submit using an alternate method.  Please contact HR should you require a medical or religious exemption.
  • Masking with medical grade masks (e.g., KN95) is highly recommended but not required with some exceptions (see below).  Surgical masks and KN95 masks are available across campus, including at the DoF Office (Scott Hall 114), Office of Student Affairs (Scott Hall 120), Office of Residential Life, Gold Student Center, Human Resources, and Facilities. 
  • All consortium students must be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations and recommended boosters.  The bivalent booster has been highly recommended for all students and Pitzer and HMC students are required to have received this booster.  In addition, Pitzer students will be required to complete a pre-arrival COVID-19 PCR test, and to test weekly as scheduled by OSA, through the first two weeks of classes.  
  • Free COVID testing for faculty and staff continues to be available at the clinic on the north end of West Hall.  For COVID questions or testing, please contact [email protected] or visit the clinic website.  
  • Some campus offices will have limited walk-in availability for services or limit the number of people in the office at one time.  Offices also may require masking.  In many instances, faculty and students will be able to make appointments for service or to send online queries/requests for information.  
  • Disinfecting wipes are available in classrooms and through Facilities, and hand sanitizing stations are located across campus.  Please assist in keeping our campus community safe by regularly washing hands and wiping down surfaces (e.g., printers, keyboards before and after use). 

Instruction

Accommodations-related Considerations

  • Faculty are encouraged to think about and discuss with Field Group colleagues pivots or modifications they could make should campus or personal circumstances change during the semester.  These considerations may influence course design and requirements. 
  • Faculty are empowered to set expectations for their classes, and ideally, will clearly state requirements and possible affordances in course syllabi.  Of note:

Thank you for your continuing work on behalf of the Pitzer community, and especially our students.  As a reminder, recent notices and calls, contact information for staff, and also information on faculty support services can be found on the Dean of Faculty website.  I wish you the very best for an academically enriching semester.

Allen O

Student Course Support Positions and Hiring Process
12.12.2022

Dear Faculty: 

In addition to usual support, the Dean of Faculty’s Office is coordinating student employment for spring semester. Positions include students serving as Technical Assistants, as well as Course Assistants, Tutors, and Graders.  Hiring for all these positions is a two-step process.  The first step is authorization and posting of positions through the DoF (completed by faculty), and the second step involves HR clearance and onboarding of the student employee (completed by the student).  Students can only work after successfully completing both steps of this process.  All students, including work-study, are hired through this process.  Students who worked in these positions in fall semester may be eligible to continue in spring, although they must complete a truncated hire process again. 

Link: Student Employment Request for Course Support 

All student positions are paid at established institutional rates.  Faculty are responsible for setting student work schedules and course specific training and duties.  Please review the position overviews and the full position descriptions at the links below for more information.   

Instructions for requesting positions, including which ones require Curriculum Committee approval, and information on the hire process can be found on the DoF’s Faculty Support Services webpage.  

The priority deadline for receipt of faculty requests for spring semester, and especially for positions for which work is required required early in the semester, is January 10. All other requests received after that date will be considered on a rolling basis. 

Please get in touch with Carlos Alvarez for any questions.  

Position Links and Overviews 

Technical Assistants work up to 5 hours/week and must be currently enrolled Pitzer students living in the United States. Technical Assistants are supervised by and will primarily work with a single faculty member, although there is the possibility, they will work with multiple faculty members or interact with students in a class on some activities.  Technical Assistants are not tutors and are not permitted to grade or evaluate student work.  Students can hold multiple Technical Assistant positions, in-person support in some cases.  

The Course Assistant will work up to 5 hours/week and must be a currently enrolled student at Claremont Colleges living in the United States. The Course Assistant is supervised by and will primarily work with their supervisor and interact with students in and outside class on some activities for a course offered by Pitzer.  The Course Assistant may serve as a group discussion (recitation) leader with guidance from the instructor, coordinate activities for the course with guidance from the instructor, and communicate with students on behalf of the faculty supervisor.  There are also opportunities to support the course logistics pertaining to field trips, guest speaker visits, and course-related events hosted by the supervising professor.  

The tutor will work up to 5 hours/week and must be a currently enrolled student at the Claremont Colleges living in the United States.  The tutor is supervised by and will primarily work with their supervisor and interact with students over email as needed for informational awareness of sessions and through tutoring sessions offered in-person on-campus at Pitzer or over Zoom.  The tutor position offers student opportunity to develop teaching and leadership skills.  Tutors are expected to reflect a strong sense of commitment to the Pitzer Tutoring Program mission of providing academic support to Pitzer students requesting assistance.  The success of the program is dependent upon the dedication, professionalism, confidence, and skills of tutors.  

A class grader will work up to 5 hours/week and must be a currently enrolled student at Claremont Colleges living in the United States.  The grader is supervised by and will primarily work with their faculty supervisor and may interact with students in and outside class on some activities for a course offered by Pitzer.  The grader will only grade or evaluate student work that is relatively unambiguous (true/false, multiple choice, vocabulary, short responses to questions with specific answers) and with answer keys provided by the faculty member in charge.  

National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity
10.14.2022

Dear Colleagues,

I write to let you know that we have renewed Pitzer’s Institutional Membership in the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD). The NCFDD is an independent faculty development center dedicated to supporting academics in making successful transitions throughout their careers, and the Institutional Membership provides all faculty with access to NCFDD’s member resources.

Because Pitzer is an Institutional Member, faculty have free access to the following resources:

• Weekly Monday Motivator

• Monthly Core Curriculum Webinars

• Monthly Guest Expert Webinars

• Access to Multi-Week Courses

• Access to Dissertation Success Curriculum for graduate students

• Private Discussion Forum for peer-mentoring, problem-solving, & moderated writing challenges

• Monthly accountability buddy matches

• Access to 14-Day Writing Challenges

• Access to the Member Library that includes past webinar materials, referrals, and readings

To take advantage of these and other opportunities, activate your confidential, personal membership by completing the following steps:

1) Go to https://www.FacultyDiversity.org/Join

2) Choose Pitzer College from the drop-down menu.

3) Select “Activate my Membership”

4) Complete the registration form using your Pitzer email address (i.e., [email protected])

5) Go to your Pitzer email inbox to find a confirmation email. Click “Activate Account” in the confirmation email.

Sabbatical/Leave Information 2022-23
10.12.2022

Dear Colleagues,

This coming Monday and Tuesday are non-instructional days.  Consequently, I am extending the deadline for sabbatical and leave applications to a week from Monday.  The new deadline is noon, Monday, October 24.

In addition, please note that the number of faculty eligible for sabbatical next fall far exceeds the FHB limit that “no more than 15% of persons holding continuing faculty appointments will be on sabbatical in any given semester.”  If you are eligible for sabbatical and have flexibility in which semester to take it, I encourage you to request a spring semester sabbatical or to indicate your flexibility.  Doing so will help to create space for as many faculty as possible to take sabbaticals next year and also facilitate FEC’s review and approval of sabbatical requests. 

Call for Munroe Center for Social Inquiry Directorship
09.20.2022

Colleagues:                                                          

The Dean of Faculty’s Office is seeking nominations, including self-nominations, for the Munroe Center for Social Inquiry Directorship for the 2022-23 and possibly the 2023-24 academic year(s).  The details of the program and position appear below.  The application deadline is Friday, October 7, 2022 at 5:00 pm.  Monday, October 10 at 10:00 a.m.

Responsibilities and Resources

The Director will organize a public lecture series and develop and teach an interdisciplinary research seminar focused on a particular theme that links interdisciplinary learning and public inquiry.  Preference will be given to proposals that have clear connections to current College programs and initiatives as well as pressing societal issues. The public lecture series (with speakers such as academics, public intellectuals, activists, artists, etc.) could include virtual and on-campus events and should be coordinated with the research seminar.  This seminar is subject to usual course approval processes and should offer students opportunities to pursue focused research on a topic connected to the theme and to interact with the series speakers. 

  • The Director organizes a public lecture series.
  • The Director designs and teaches an interdisciplinary research seminar.
  • The Director receives a course release to be used in the semester they offer the research seminar, unless other arrangements are made with their field group and Dean of Faculty.
  • The Director’s field group receives a single course replacement to be used during the Director’s appointment.
  • In addition to a course replacement, the Director works with the Dean of Faculty in administering a budget of approximately $20,000 to support guest speakers and seminar costs.

Eligibility

All tenured/tenure-track faculty at Pitzer College are eligible to apply; faculty who have not previously served as MCSI Director are especially encouraged to apply.  If nominating a colleague, please confirm that they are willing to serve as Director if selected.

Application Information

To apply/nominate, please submit 1) a current CV and 2) a statement of no more than 1,000 words that addresses the following:

  • Length of proposed service as MCSI Director: 2-4 semesters,
  • The vision/theme for the series including description or examples of guest speakers and brief outline of the proposed research seminar,
  • How the theme addresses, intersects with, or complements other campus programming, centers, or organizations,
  • The potential contributions the proposed series and seminar make to the broad intellectual life of the College as well as any connections to Pitzer’s educational mission and core values.

Please use this file submission form to upload CV and supporting statement by 5:00 pm, Friday, October 7, 2022. Monday, October 10, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.

For information on past programs see the MCSI website.

Call for Glass Humanities Lecture Faculty Lead 2022-23 (2nd Call)
08.31.2022

Dear Colleagues,

The Faculty Executive Committee is accepting proposals from faculty interested in serving as a faculty lead for the annual Glass Humanities Lecture for 2022-2023.  Any full-time Pitzer faculty member can apply, although preference generally will be given to faculty members on continuing or tenure-track/tenured appointments.  The faculty lead is responsible for securing a speaker and coordinating the logistics for this distinguished lecture, which typically takes place in the spring semester.  The faculty lead must also work with the donors and Steve and Sandy Glass.  If interested please submit the information noted below no later than 5 pm on Friday, September 26, 2022.  Please use this link to upload your submission.

  • Your name and field group
  • Speaker nomination for consideration (may nominate up to 3 speakers).  Each nomination should include the following:
  • full name of nominated speaker
  • brief bio of nominated speaker (< 400 words) and sample of publications, presentations, or public work,
  • rationale for the nominated speaker (< 400 words), including explanation of
  • potential benefits to the broad College community of hosting this speaker, and
  • potential professional benefits for the faculty lead in hosting this speaker (< 400
  • words).

The Stephen and Sandra Glass Humanities Lecture

The Stephen and Sandra Glass Humanities Lecture Series was established in 2004 through the generosity of Alumna Nancy Bushnell ’69 and her husband, the late David Bushnell, who passed away in 2005.  Ms. Bushnell graduated from Pitzer College in 1969 with a humanities degree, and she served as a Pitzer College trustee from 1987 to 2007.

Emeritus Professor Stephen Glass is a founding faculty member of Pitzer College and former John A. McCarthy Professor of Classics.  He and his wife, Dr. Sandra Glass, were vital partners in the creation of Pitzer’s campus and in the mentoring of Pitzer students.  Known for their stimulating conversation and as being great thinkers in the humanities, this named lecture series permanently links the immeasurable contributions of Steve and Sandy Glass to the history of Pitzer College.

The Glass Humanities Lecture Endowed Fund underwrites the cost to bring leading scholars in the humanities to Pitzer College.  These visiting lecturers add vibrant texture to the fabric of campus life through their intellectual and social interactions with our students, faculty, the Claremont Colleges community, and the surrounding communities.

An annual endowment payout supports this lecture.  Although not yet finalized, it is expected that next year’s payout will be approximately $6,000.

Speaker History

March 2005 T.C. Boyle, English professor, author

April 2008 Njabulo Ndebele, literary scholar and South African thought-leader

March 2010 Philip J. Deloria, historian on the American Indian experience

October 2010 David Goldblatt, sports writer and global soccer (football) aficionado

February 2011 Marcus Coates, London-based live performance and film artist

March 2013 Angus Johnston, community college professor, student activism expert

April 2014 Susan Griffin, poet, essayist, playwright, and screenwriter

February 2016 Elaine Scarry, aesthetics professor, author, literary critic

February 2017 Ariella Azoulay, documentary filmmaker, curator, professor, author

April 2018 Jeffrey Stewart, Black studies professor, author

April 2019 Moussa Sene Absa, filmmaker, editor, producer, songwriter, painter

March 2020 (postponed to April 2021)

April 2021 Ishion Hutchinson, English professor, poet

April 2022, Carolina Caycedo, multidisciplinary artist

Welcome back
08.25.2022

Dear Pitzer Faculty:

The start of the semester has arrived!  I hope that you are all rejuvenated and energized for the academic year ahead!  It is exciting to be back, and the students who I met during move-in days the past two weekends are thrilled to be on campus and eager for fully in-person learning.  They also understand that the safety and well-being of our community remains our highest priority.

In case some of you missed the announcement and open house sessions last week, we have nine newly renovated classrooms this fall: Avery 201, 204, 224, Broad Hall 110, 207, 214, and Fletcher 104, 106, and 112.  If you are scheduled to teach in any of these classrooms, you may want to have a peek before your first class meetings.  As always, IT can assist you with classroom technology; send a note to [email protected] with a request.

Related, if at any time you experience technology issues during a class session, the fastest way to get assistance is to send an email message to [email protected] with “URGENT: IN CLASS” in the subject line of your message.

Outdoor classroom (tent) assignments have now been completed.  If you decide that you would like to teach outdoors, please send a note to [email protected] as soon as possible.  We will be releasing the tents for other uses and reservations in the room reservation system next week.

Faculty can still hire a student Technical Assistant to support their teaching this semester.  To do so, please submit the Student Employment Request: Technical Assistant form by September 9.  You must submit this form even if you previously supervised a Technical Assistant.  And remember, students cannot work until they have completed the employment process with Human Resources and received appropriate authorization.

There are several special events planned for this week:

  • On Wednesday, August 31, Interim President Jill Klein is hosting a Welcome Back Reception for faculty, emeriti faculty, and staff from 4:00 – 6:00 pm at the President’s Residence, 739 Harvard Ave.  The invitation for this event was previously sent out to campus listserves.  I hope to see you there!
  • On Thursday, September 1, the Dean of Faculty Office will have an Open House from 3:30 – 5:00 pm.  Please stop by Scott 114 to say hello to DoF staff and faculty colleagues.

Finally, I previously sent out a message about this semester, including extensive information about campus health and safety and faculty instructional issues.  This message can be found here, although here are a few quick reminders:

  • Masking with medical grade masks (e.g., KN95) is highly recommended across campus.  Surgical masks and KN95 masks are available at many locations, including at the DoF Office (Scott Hall 114), Office of Student Affairs (Scott Hall 120), Office of Residential Life, Gold Student Center, Human Resources, and Facilities. 
  • COVID testing for faculty and staff is available at the clinic on the north end of West Hall.  For COVID questions or testing, please contact [email protected] or visit the clinic website.  
  • Faculty are empowered to set expectations for their classes, and as per Consortium agreement, can require masking by students in their classes, labs, or office hours. 
  • Faculty can use online tools and technology to support their in-person teaching and for student meetings.  There may be circumstances for which short-term, temporary use of Zoom or other online technology may be appropriate.  Faculty are asked to alert DoF if they need to use Zoom for more than a few class meetings.  
  • For any health-related or documented student accommodations (including related to masking), faculty and students should work with Pitzer Academic Support Services to develop a collaborative plan that will work best for their situations and classes. 

I look forward to seeing many of you in person.  Thank you for all that you do to contribute to educational excellence here at Pitzer and within the Consortium.  Your support for and commitment to our students and the Pitzer community is much appreciated.

Student Technical Assistants Hiring
08.15.2022

Dear Colleagues:

Pitzer IT, DoF staff and Faculty Support staff, and the consortial Center for Teaching and Learning (https://teaching.claremont.edu/) are all providing specialized services, support, and backup for faculty this semester.

In addition, DoF is once again offering Pitzer faculty the opportunity to hire a student Technical Assistant for up to 5 hours/week to assist with classroom technology, sourcing and retrieving readings, uploading and organizing of course materials, help with editing instructor-generated material, and some in-person logistical support. These student employees are expected to possess basic, but not necessarily specialized, technical skills. They are not class tutors and are not permitted to grade or evaluate student work. Faculty are responsible for direct supervision of student work.

Pitzer faculty who wish to hire a student Technical Assistant to support their teaching this semester should submit the brief request form Student Employment Request:Technical Assistant, even if they have previously supervised a Technical Assistant. The DoF will review requests and send authorization to proceed with hiring a Technical Assistant using a standard position description (unless special arrangements have been made in advance). Students cannot work until they have completed the employment process with Human Resources and received appropriate authorization.

If faculty have already determined a student they would like to hire, they must still submit the request form and, once approved, may move forward with completing the hire paperwork.

The priority deadline for receipt of faculty requests, and especially for assistance required early in the semester, is August 22nd. Requests received after that date will be considered on a rolling basis and until September 9th.

Fall 2022 Semester Update
08.11.2022

Dear Colleagues:

Welcome to the 2022-2023 academic year!  I am excited about the year ahead, even as we develop a “new normal” for classes and campus living and engagement.  We begin this semester with renewed commitment to in-person residential education.  The safety and well-being of our community remains our highest priority.  As supplement to the recent communication about return to campus, I provide information here specifically for faculty.  Additional information on College policies and safeguards can be found on the Pathway Forward website, and updates will be disseminated as warranted as we monitor County and State directives and participate in Consortium decision-making. 

 Campus Safety and Precautions

  • All faculty and staff must be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations, meaning they have received all doses of the primary vaccine series and at least one booster.  Anyone who hasn’t already done so should submit this information through the Healthy Pitzer Portal or contact HR ([email protected]) to submit using an alternate method.  Please also contact HR should you require a medical or religious exemption.
  • Masking with medical grade masks (e.g., KN95) is highly recommended but not required with some exceptions (see below).  Surgical masks and KN95 masks are available across campus, including at the DoF Office (Scott Hall 114), Office of Student Affairs (Scott Hall 120), Office of Residential Life, Gold Student Center, Human Resources, and Facilities. 
  • All consortium students must be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations and recommended boosters and will be required to provide a negative PCR test from 3-5 days before arriving on campus.  In addition, students will be required to test 2-3 days after their arrival and again once/week through the first two weeks of classes.
  • COVID testing for faculty and staff is available at the clinic on the north end of West Hall.  For COVID questions or testing, please contact [email protected] or visit the clinic website.  
  • Some campus offices will have limited walk-in availability for services or limit the number of people in the office at one time.  Offices also may require masking.  In many instances, faculty and students will be able to make appointments for service or to send online queries/requests for information.  
  • We anticipate cross-campus dining and student activities will resume this fall, subject to modifications or requirements as the situation dictates.  Faculty and staff will be able to get food from McConnell and other campus locations.  However, please note that certain hours (e.g., 11:50 am – 1:00 pm) may be especially busy. 
  • Disinfecting wipes will be available in classrooms and through Facilities, and hand sanitizing stations are located across campus.  Please assist in keeping our campus community safe by regularly washing hands and wiping down surfaces (e.g., printers, keyboards before and after use). 

Instruction

  • The 5Cs are committed to in-person and residential educational experiences, with all undergraduate classes expected to be taught in-person across the consortium. 
  • Faculty are free to use online tools and technology to support their in-person teaching and for student meetings.  For example, faculty can continue to use Sakai (and Canvas) to support teaching by recording and posting lectures, for asynchronous chats/conversations, etc.  Hyflex teaching capacity is available in some classrooms and with advance notice to IT.  Finally, there may be circumstances for which short-term, temporary use of Zoom or other online technology may be appropriate in the context of in-person instruction. 
  • Student Technical Assistants are available to assist faculty in retrieving, uploading, or organizing course materials and in using classroom technology.  These students are NOT graders or tutors.  A call for these positions will be sent out early next week.
  • To increase opportunities for social distancing, and to better accommodate our growing student enrollment, final classroom assignments will be made based on class requirements, class enrollments, and faculty preferences.  Although options may be limited, requests for classroom changes can be sent to [email protected]. 
  • Several outdoor classrooms (tents) will be available.  Although there is no way to control heat, wind, and ambient noise, and projection capabilities, wi-fi, and electricity are limited, many faculty enjoyed teaching outdoors last year.  If you want to teach any of your classes outdoors, please complete this survey by Monday, Aug 22.  For outdoor classes, and to the extent possible, we will hold an indoor classroom at the same time in case of inclement weather or for other purposes.   
  • Windows in some classrooms are able to be opened.  Please contact Facilities to make this request. 
  • Field trips and other off-campus educational activities (e.g., internships in community agencies) are permitted, although all participants should abide by relevant transportation policies. 

Accommodations-related Considerations

  • Faculty are encouraged to think about and discuss with Field Group colleagues pivots or modifications they could make should campus or personal circumstances change during the semester.  These considerations may influence course design and requirements. 
  • Faculty are empowered to set expectations for their classes, and ideally, will clearly state requirements and possible affordances in course syllabi.  Of note:
  • Although masking is currently not required, as per Consortium agreement, faculty can require masking by students in their classes, labs, or office hours.  If a student indicates that there is a documented medical reason they cannot wear a mask, they should be referred to Pitzer Academic Support Services to seek accommodations.  If a student comes without a mask to a class for which the instructor has required masks, they can be referred to DoF or OSA to obtain a mask before returning to class.  Repeated non-compliance with classroom masking policies should be reported to OSA for follow up. 
  • Faculty are encouraged to consider potential student isolation when constructing their class attendance policies and include relevant information in their syllabi, including about possible affordances (e.g., late submission of work).  Consistently penalizing students for absences may deter them from engaging in good health practices.  Faculty will be notified by OSA when a Pitzer student in their class tests positive and enters isolation, as well as when the student is released from isolation.  Faculty are asked to please work with students in isolation, their advisor, and OSA to help students continue their work or do make-up or extra-credit work. 
  • For any health-related or documented student accommodations, faculty and students should work with Pitzer Academic Support Services to develop a collaborative plan that will work best for their situations and classes.  The College also continues to invest in class tutors and note-takers; contact OSA for more information. 

Thank you for your work on behalf of the Pitzer community, and especially our students.  The past few years have been extraordinarily challenging personally, professionally, and for the College as a whole.  Through it all, we have persevered while learning the importance of flexibility and patience.  The Pitzer community is strong and resilient, and I am confident we will continue to work together to provide a distinctive and high-quality education in a healthy and safe environment.  

With best wishes for good health and an academically enriching semester,

Allen O

2022-23 Scholars in Residence Announcement
04.25.2022

Dear Colleagues:   I am pleased to announce and congratulate the 2022-2023 Scholars in Residence: Harmony O’Rourke and Marcus Rodriguez.   These Scholars in Residence will pursue scholarly activities and offer a seminar course during their residency. The aim of the seminar is to engage students in the process of creating knowledge or artistic work and to enable the SIR faculty to make substantive progress on a scholarly or artistic product by the end of the semester.

Professor O’Rourke’s project is on “Natural Disaster and Latent Violence in Cold War Cameroon.”  She plans to produce an article during the semester and teach an interdisciplinary seminar that draws on African studies, history, environmental studies, political studies, anthropology, and research and writings on natural disasters and history of science. Students will be exposed to and assist with oral history methods and archival research.       

Professor Rodriguez’s project, “Peer Counseling,” will include completing a systematic review and meta-analysis of domestic and international peer counseling initiatives for teens and young adults.  His seminar will examine mental health interventions by non-specialist providers from the perspectives of clinical psychology, public health, epidemiology, and human rights.  Students will obtain first-hand experiences providing peer counseling and conducting a meta-analysis.    

I look forward to the positive impact of this program on the scholars and students alike. The committee and I enjoyed reviewing the applications, and I would like to thank them for their work: Carmen Fought, Curriculum Committee faculty representative; Jessica Sass, Curriculum Committee student representative; Brent Armendinger, FEC faculty representative; Juan Santos, FEC student representative, and Adrian Pantoja; DoF representative.  

Call for Glass Humanities Lecture faculty lead 2022-23
04.19.2022

Dear Colleagues,

The Faculty Executive Committee is accepting proposals from faculty interested in serving as a faculty lead for the annual Glass Humanities Lecture for 2022-2023. Any full-time Pitzer faculty member can apply, although preference generally will be given to faculty members on continuing or tenure-track/tenured appointments. The faculty lead is responsible for securing a speaker and coordinating the logistics for this distinguished lecture, which typically takes place in the spring semester. The faculty lead must also work with the donors and Steve and Sandy Glass. If interested please submit the information noted below to this private folder no later than 5 pm on Tuesday, May 3, 2022.

  • Your name and field group
  • Speaker nomination for consideration (may nominate up to 3 speakers).
  • Each nomination should include the following:
  • full name of nominated speaker
  • brief bio of nominated speaker (< 400 words) and sample of publications, presentations, or public work,
  • rationale for the nominated speaker (< 400 words), including explanation of
  • potential benefits to the broad College community of hosting this speaker, and
  • potential professional benefits for the faculty lead in hosting this speaker (< 400
  • words).

The Stephen and Sandra Glass Humanities Lecture

The Stephen and Sandra Glass Humanities Lecture Series was established in 2004 through the generosity of Alumna Nancy Bushnell ’69 and her husband, the late David Bushnell, who passed away in 2005. Ms. Bushnell graduated from Pitzer College in 1969 with a humanities degree, and she served as a Pitzer College trustee from 1987 to 2007.

Emeritus Professor Stephen Glass is a founding faculty member of Pitzer College and former John A. McCarthy Professor of Classics. He and his wife, Dr. Sandra Glass, were vital partners in the creation of Pitzer’s campus and in the mentoring of Pitzer students. Known for their stimulating conversation and as being great thinkers in the humanities, this named lecture series permanently links the immeasurable contributions of Steve and Sandy Glass to the history of Pitzer College.

The Glass Humanities Lecture Endowed Fund underwrites the cost to bring leading scholars in the humanities to Pitzer College. These visiting lecturers add vibrant texture to the fabric of campus life through their intellectual and social interactions with our students, faculty, the Claremont Colleges community, and the surrounding communities.

An annual endowment payout supports this lecture. Although not yet finalized, it is expected that next year’s payout will be approximately $6,000.

Speaker History

March 2005 T.C. Boyle, English professor, author

April 2008 Njabulo Ndebele, literary scholar and South African thought-leader

March 2010 Philip J. Deloria, historian on the American Indian experience

October 2010 David Goldblatt, sports writer and global soccer (football) aficionado

February 2011 Marcus Coates, London-based live performance and film artist

March 2013 Angus Johnston, community college professor, student activism expert

April 2014 Susan Griffin, poet, essayist, playwright and screenwriter

February 2016 Elaine Scarry, aesthetics professor, author, literary critic

February 2017 Ariella Azoulay, documentary filmmaker, curator, professor, author

April 2018 Jeffrey Stewart, Black studies professor, author

April 2019 Moussa Sene Absa, filmmaker, editor, producer, songwriter, painter

March 2020 (postponed to April 2021)

April 2021 Ishion Hutchinson, English professor, poet

April 2022, Carolina Caycedo, multidisciplinary artist

Davis-Doman Fellowship Funding Call
04.15.2022

Dear Faculty:

We are now accepting proposals for The Doman Social Sciences Research Fund and the Davis Humanities Research Fund for research activities, including direct and research-related cost, training and professional development, conference registration, and curriculum design and enhancement beginning July 1, 2022. Attached please find the application form and below the application guidelines. The deadline for proposals for these fellowships is Friday April 29, 2022 at 5:00pm. Electronic submissions should be submitted to [email protected].

Awards can be processed as follows:

  • Reimbursement- Will need to submit receipts before June 30, 2023
  • Stipend- Will be issued in July paycheck
  • Research Assistant: the research assistant will be paid directly and must be set up through HR prior to beginning to work for you or they will not be paid

Please indicate in your proposal how you want to receive the funds.

SOCIAL SCIENCES (Doman Fund) –

The scope of support for projects includes, but is not limited to, the study of the following: anthropology, economics, environmental studies, history, linguistics, political studies, psychology, and sociology. Interdisciplinary research is encouraged. Persons undertaking studies in the humanities and natural sciences that have significance for the Social Sciences are eligible and encouraged to apply.

HUMANITIES (Davis Fund) –

The scope of support for projects includes, but is not limited to, the study of the following: language, both modern and classical; linguistics, literature, history; jurisprudence; philosophy; archaeology; comparative religion; ethics; the history, criticism and theory of the arts; and those aspects of the social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods. Persons undertaking studies in the social and natural sciences which are historical or philosophical, or which attempt to cast light on questions of interpretation or criticism traditionally in the humanities, are eligible and encouraged to apply.

Eligibility- All continuing full-time members of the faculty are eligible to apply.  Awards will be determined by the proposal, the requested amount, and the amount of funding available from the endowment spinoff. Eligible faculty members may apply either for a Humanities fellowship or a Social Sciences fellowship, but not for both in the same year.

Questions about either fund or proposal requirements can be directed to Andrea Harris at [email protected].

Davis-Doman ApplicationDownload

End of Semester course evaluations
04.05.2022

Dear Faculty,

As the semester’s end is nearing, the Dean of Faculty’s Office would like to remind you of the course evaluation process.  The Faculty Handbook (Section V.F.1.b) states, “…A faculty member is responsible for distributing each semester to all students in his or her classes course evaluation forms in each course taught, with the choice of any of the approved Pitzer forms or a form of his or her choice or design.”

To increase completion rates, the Dean of Faculty’s Office encourages faculty to administer evaluations during class time if possible.  Please review the information below on how to administer and collect both online and paper evaluations.

Please note that students can access online evaluations by laptop or smartphone and have a shorter return processing time than paper evaluations.  You will also receive summary information for evals completed online.  Paper evaluations are also an option, but no summary analysis will be provided.

ONLINE EVALUATIONS

The College has four template forms for your use.  You may select a template form, make adaptations to the template, or design a new form.  Please note, however, that adaptations and new designs require additional time from our IT team.  So, be sure to submit requests as soon as possible to allow enough ready time.  Please note that preview links are available only for template forms, not for adaptations or new forms.  You will receive a link to your course forms when it has been finalized by IT.

Template Forms

Please visit the Course Evaluations Page to preview inactive templated Forms A, B, C, D, and Supplemental questions at this link: https://www.pitzer.edu/information-technology/services/course-evals/.

Course Evaluation Request
If you have developed adaptations/designs in the past with IT support, and would like to reuse that form, please make a note with the semester, year, and course number in the “additional instructions or notes” field of the Course Evaluation Request Form for IT to recall and reuse.

Please complete the IT – Course Evaluation Request Form at this link: https://pzforms.pitzer.edu/it-course-evaluation-request/.  You can submit up to four-course form requests at one time.  

The deadline to submit course evaluation forms is Monday, April 18.

PAPER EVALUATIONS

Please email Duplicating Services at [email protected] with the information listed below.  Duplicating will envelope and label the forms for pick-up.  Please request the evaluations one week before distribution and collect the evaluation printouts within three business days after notice from Duplicating Services of their being ready.  Forms will be held at the Dean of Faculty’s Office (Scott Hall 114) if they are not collected within three business days.  You may collect your forms during our regular business hours.

  • Preferred Course Evaluation Form
  • Instructor Name
  • Course Number
  • Semester & Year
  • Number of Copies 

Administering Paper Evaluations

Students should complete the evaluations in blue or black ink only and place them in the envelope provided by Duplicating Services.  Please assign one student in your class to return the envelope to Scott Hall 114 between 8 am and 5 pm, Monday thru Friday.  Students may deposit envelopes in the Dean of Faculty mailbox, #A 104 in Scott Hall 127 (neighboring Career Services) if your class occurs after business hours.

RESULTS

Provided that you have submitted final grades for a course, you can expect to receive online course evaluations for that course at your Pitzer email address in late May.  If distributed and returned by a student to the Office of the Dean of Faculty in Scott Hall 114 during or before finals week, paper evaluations will be available approximately the first week of June.

If you need to receive your evaluations at a non-Pitzer email address or have any questions, please us at [email protected]. 

Appreciation and best wishes
03.11.2022

Dear Pitzer Community,

I write on behalf of President Oliver and the entire Pitzer leadership team.  It was two years ago today – March 11, 2020  –  that the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.  Only a few days later, we sent students, faculty, and staff home to finish the semester online.  It was an abrupt and disruptive change in operations and just the beginning of two years filled with stress and loss, modified class and work schedules, alternative modes of teaching and learning, and fractured interpersonal and community relationships. 

Today, at the start of spring break 2022, I want to extend my deepest appreciation and thanks to the entire Pitzer community for how it has responded to the pandemic.  Faculty, students, and staff have gone above and beyond, demonstrating incredible resilience and strength as they carried on the Pitzer educational mission while prioritizing health.  We have found new ways to work, developed creative solutions to unpredictable challenges, and remained united in striving to put the best interests of the community foremost in our actions.  No doubt, it has been extremely difficult, we don’t always agree, and we are tired.  Still, I am continuously heartened by the spirit and resourcefulness of the Pitzer community.  We continue to take precautions in attempting to ensure the health and well-being of our whole Pitzer community, but now with a glimmer of hope on the horizon. 

And, on this anniversary of the pandemic declaration, I want to let you know that we are planning a special event in April to recognize the extraordinary individual and collective efforts that have been so critical to our operations and response.  This will be an opportunity for us to gather together, to say thank you, and to reinvest in the relationships that are at the heart of our community.  More details on this event will be forthcoming. 

In the meantime, I hope that you will be safe and healthy, and that spring break will provide you opportunities for rest and rejuvenation. 

Provida Futuri,

Allen M. Omoto
Dean of Faculty
Vice President for Academic Affairs

Faculty-in-Residence Application Announcement (deadline 03.25.2022)
02.25.2022

The DOF is now accepting applications for two Faculty in Residence positions for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years, one focused on first year students and the other focusing on sophomores, juniors, seniors.  The job description for the position is attached.  The deadline for applications is Friday, March 25, 2022, at 5:00 pm.

Faculty-In-Residence (FIR) should be interested in student learning and have the desire to relate to students in a residential setting, outside of the formal classroom or laboratory.  The work of the FIR in Pitzer, Atherton, Sanborn (PAS) residence halls is targeted at first-year students and has been designed with the purpose of offering a distinctive benefit to students in their first and most formative year at Pitzer.  The work of the FIR in West, East, and Skandera (WES) is targeted at sophomores, juniors, and seniors and has been designed with the purpose of offering programming that focuses on major selection, academic advising, internships, study abroad considerations and campus involvement.

Eligibility

FIR must be tenure track or have a continuing contract.

To apply, follow this link and complete the application by the date stated above: https://forms.gle/bSk2uJQHAihXb8r5A

Questions may be directed to [email protected].

FIR-Job-Description-2022-23Download

Scholar-in-Residence Application Announcement (deadline 03.07.2022)
02.14.2022

The DoF is now accepting applications for the 2022-2023 Scholar-in-Residence position. The details of the program appear below. The deadline for applications is Monday, March 7, 2022, 5:00 pm.  Please submit proposals to this private Box folder.

This year, up to two faculty members may be chosen to be Scholar(s)-in-Residence for a single semester each. During that semester, the faculty members will be released from regular committee and teaching responsibilities in order to pursue scholarly or artistic activities and to offer only a seminar course. The seminars will be open to both students and faculty and will center on the faculty member’s scholarly or artistic work. The Scholar(s)-in-Residence will present frequent progress reports to the Dean of Faculty, and students enrolled in the seminar for credit will respond to the faculty member’s work with written comments on a regular basis. The aim of the seminar is to engage students in the process of creating knowledge or artistic work and to enable the faculty member to make substantive progress on a scholarly or artistic product by the end of the semester.

The Scholar(s)-in-Residence will be chosen from the applicants by a committee consisting of faculty and student representatives from the Curriculum Committee and the Faculty Executive Committee, with the Dean of Faculty and an Associate Dean as ex-officio members. Proposals should be 3-5 pages in length and should outline the nature of the planned scholarly or artistic activities, including a detailed description of the value of the seminar to the curriculum, the topics likely to be covered, and how student performance in the seminar will be evaluated. In addition, an updated C.V. should accompany the proposal submission.  Selection will be based on the following criteria:

  • The value of the seminar to the curriculum
  • The breadth of appeal of the topic
  • The feasibility of the scholarly or artistic project
  • The faculty member’s credentials and record

A final report should be submitted at the end of the semester in residence. This report will be retained on file in the Dean of the Faculty Office as part of the faculty member’s personnel file.

ELIGIBILITY

All full-time faculty members on multi-year contracts are eligible to apply with the following exceptions:

  • Faculty members on leave Spring 2022 are not eligible to be Scholar-in-Residence in the Fall of 2022
  • Faculty members who are on leave for one or both semesters of the academic year 2022-23 are not eligible to be Scholar-in Residence during the 2022-23 academic year.
  • Previous Scholars-in-Residence are not eligible again until five years after their term as Scholar-in-Residence.

Preference will be given to faculty members who have not had a leave this academic year and to faculty who are not eligible for a leave in 2023-24. Further, the semester identified for the Scholar-in-Residence appointment shall be the semester in which the faculty member is scheduled to have a two-course teaching load (consistent with expectations for sabbatical leaves).

Allen M. Omoto, Ph.D.

In-Person Instruction
01.29.2022

Dear Colleagues:

I hope that you are all safe and healthy.  As we return to in-person instruction and re-populating campus this week, I am sending you a few quick reminders.  Much of this information has been disseminated previously, although at different times and in different messages. 

  • Our fall cohort of students are fully vaccinated and over 90% are boosted; Student Affairs continues to work closely with Student Health Services to provide booster clinic access to get all students boosted.  In addition, students are currently being tested for COVID twice/week for two weeks upon their return to campus, following which they are tested weekly.  Students who test positive are placed in isolation and their Pitzer faculty are notified by our Office of Student Affairs.
  • Unless they have an approved exemption from HR, faculty and staff are required to be vaccinated and boosted.  If you haven’t already done so, please upload your booster information at Healthy Pitzer or show proof of your booster to Nurse Zephyr by January 31, 2022.  HR will be reaching out to faculty who have not provided booster information.  Additional information on faculty and staff testing is forthcoming, likely in the next week.
  • Classroom and outside tent assignments have been made based on class enrollments, technology requirements, and faculty preferences.  If you made a request or your classroom was changed, you should have received direct notification.  Otherwise, the portal has updated information on all classroom assignments.  It may be difficult to accommodate new changes, but if you would like to request a change in your assigned classroom, please send your request to [email protected].  For IT issues, please contact [email protected].
  • Faculty, staff, and students are required to wear N95, KN95, or surgical masks indoors when on campus.  All of these mask types are available through DoF, Office of Student Affairs, or Facilities.  You can pick up masks from the DoF office during regular business hours at Scott Hall 114.
  • Monday, January 31, is the last day to add a course or drop one for full refund, so some students may still be trying to PERM or “shop” for classes.  To avoid over-crowding classrooms, I have sent a message to students discouraging them from attending classes in person until they have received professor/instructor approval through the PERM system.  Similar messages have or will be sent from the other colleges.  I hope that you will reach out to any students still on your PERM lists to let them know what they should do or when you will let them know about enrolling in and attending your classes. 
  • Finally, faculty are free to use online tools and technology for their classes and student meetings to support their in-person instruction.  That is, there may be circumstances or assignments for which temporary use of Zoom or other online technology may be appropriate in the context of in-person instruction.  Moreover, our learning management system (i.e., Sakai), specialized IT, and Pitzer Academic Support Services (PASS) are available to assist with teaching and learning accommodations that may be needed over the semester and with fluctuations in student and faculty health. 

As noted above (see also Pitzer Pathway Forward), we have precautions and protocols in place while also continuing to monitor the number of positive tests and other community health indicators.  Thank you for your online teaching over the past two weeks and for now transitioning to in-person instruction – to the kind of teaching and learning that faculty and students relish at Pitzer and across the Claremont Colleges.  I also thank you for continuing to be mindful of community health and well-being, and for helping all of us to be safe and comfortable on campus.  I know I am not alone in looking forward to the day when COVID begins to recede in our rearview mirror.  For now, I appreciate your continuing patience and flexibility, and I wish you good health and best wishes for an academically enriching semester.

Allen Omoto

Water Shutdown, Power Outages, and COVID Update
01.23.2022

Dear Colleagues:

I know that the start of the spring semester has been challenging and unpredictable, requiring pivots and flexibility.  I appreciate your patience and perseverance.  I sincerely hope that you are all safe and doing well. 

At this time, I wanted to update you on recent events that have affected many members of the Pitzer community, and importantly, may have impacted students and their ability to complete academic work this past weekend. 

First, and as you may already know, the entire campus unexpectedly lost all water supply for several hours on Friday.  This happened again on Saturday. 

In addition, Claremont experienced very strong winds on Friday night that knocked out power and internet connections.  Students living on campus were affected, and the students living in CCA housing had an even longer period of outage (lasting until earlier today).  And, depending on where they live, other students may still be without power and internet connectivity.  Many trees were downed throughout Claremont, including on our campus.  Thankfully, all of our students are safe.

Finally, many of our students are still navigating delayed returns to campus and all of them are subject to twice/week COVID testing.

I am in regular contact with Vice President for Student Affairs Sandra Vasquez.  Her dedicated team is working diligently to meet student needs and to help ensure that they are safe and supported, including the handful of on-campus students who are in COVID isolation.  Our students have demonstrated tremendous resiliency, with many of them taking recent events in stride.  However, please know that this has been a difficult few days.

I thank all of you, the faculty, for what you are doing to support each other and our students.  My hat also goes off to the staff across the College – and especially dining services, facilities, and student housing – who have gone above and beyond these past few days. 

Let’s hope that the coming weeks are calmer and that we can get back to focusing on coursework and academic and co-curricular pursuits without new problems or distractions. 

Best,

Allen

Faculty Support Services
01.14.2022

Dear Colleagues:

Although instruction will be remote through January 28, support services remain available to faculty through the Dean of Faculty’s Office and across campus. Below you will find support service information for the online period of instruction and the remainder of the semester.

  • To align with efforts to reduce campus density, DoF staff will be available in-person by appointment from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, January 18 through January 28. Remote assistance is also available from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm by email, phone, and virtual meeting modes.
  • Surgical and KN95 masks are available for pick-up in the Dean of Faculty’s Office, Scott Hall 114. Please schedule an appointment to arrange pick-up.  Masks are also available through Facilities.
  • As desired, faculty can teach remotely from their assigned classrooms during our online instructional period.  Please notify DoF at [email protected] if you plan to teach from your classroom.  You are encouraged to test equipment and technology in your offices and classrooms before classes begin. If you need assistance with a test-run, please contact the IT Help Desk at [email protected]. 
  • If you experience technology issues during a class session, the fastest way to get assistance is to send an email message to [email protected] with “URGENT: IN CLASS” in the subject line of your message.
  • As a reminder, DoF is once again offering Pitzer faculty the opportunity to hire a student Technical Assistant for up to 5 hours/week to assist with class technology needs.  The recent message about these positions can be found here.  
  • In spring 2020, Pitzer faculty contributed to a community Sakai site with information and tips on remote instruction (PZ Remote Instruction Sakai Site). This site remains available for use or for faculty to upload additional materials.   
  • Finally, here is contact information for several faculty support offices:

Dean of Faculty’s Office
Location: Scott Hall 114
In-Person Appointments: https://calendly.com/dofcore
M-F, 10 am – 3 pm

Virtual Support: [email protected]
Phone: 909.621.8217
M – F, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Information Technology
Location: Bernard Hall Computer Lab
Help Desk: [email protected]
Hours M-F, 8 am – 12 pm, 1 pm – 5 pm

Facilities and Campus Services
Location: McConnell 113
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 909.607.2226
Work Request: https://www.pitzer.edu/facilities/work-requests/

Duplicating Services
Location: Bernard Hall 111
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 909.621.8461
Duplicating Request: https://pzforms.pitzer.edu/pitzer-duplicating-online-submission-form/
Hours: M-F, 8 am – 12 pm, 1 pm – 5 pm

Allen Omoto, Dean of Faculty

PERMs and Zoom
01.13.2022

Dear Colleagues – 

In anticipation of the on-line start of the semester — and recognizing that students have historically used the first two weeks of the semester, prior to the add deadline, as a “shopping period” for courses — we are asking students who want to potentially enroll in a course to inquire directly with instructors about Zoom access to their courses during the first two weeks.

You are welcome to share the zoom information with any students seeking to possibly add your courses, at your discretion.

Below, please find some helpful guidelines from IT:  

How to create and share a recurring Zoom class meeting link: https://www.pitzer.edu/information-technology/services/zoom/scheduling/ 


How to add a Zoom link to Sakai: https://www.pitzer.edu/information-technology/services/zoom/scheduling/#sakai 

How to access, process, and/or deny PERMs : https://pitzer.box.com/s/bxsfm9pmv3pzbj5q4j1sms6tsudmdw1x 

How to access and manage your class Email Roster: https://pitzer.box.com/s/grlz61jw5uc38hjptqytmt5heu9iv4xa 


How to use Zoom (refresher overview): https://www.pitzer.edu/information-technology/services/zoom/  (also available at https://pitzer.zoom.us)

Thanks all,

Phil Zuckerman

Student Academic Accommodations
01.13.2022

Colleagues –

As mentioned in an email last week, you may encounter students who request accommodations related to course work or activities. Please encourage them to contact Pitzer’s Academic Support Services (PASS) in the Office of Student Affairs to inquire about accommodations and support services (https://www.pitzer.edu/student-life/academic-support-services/). Also, given the on-going COVID situation, please anticipate additional (higher than typical) personal, mental, physical, and/or family-related challenges that our students may have to contend with. As such, please be pro-active in anticipating such; perhaps consider including information or options for accommodations or student needs in your syllabus, or potential class modifications, changes, etc. that you may want to enact on these fronts.

In addition to the above, below are additional resources on the Accommodations front:

  • Attached is the “Claremont Colleges Care Guide.”
  • For Accessibility and Accommodation Contact emails at all of the Claremont Colleges:

Pitzer College: [email protected]
Pomona College: [email protected]
Claremont McKenna:  [email protected]
Scripps College: [email protected]
Harvey Mudd College: [email protected]
Claremont Graduate University: [email protected]
Keck Graduate University: [email protected]

These links provide further helpful information:

On-Campus and Community Resources Page 
Faculty Resource Guide for Accommodations 

Best,

Phil Zuckerman

Attachment: Claremont Colleges Care Guide

Student Technical Assistants
01.10.2022

Dear Colleagues:

Pitzer IT, DoF staff and Faculty Support staff, and the consortial Center for Teaching and Learning (https://teaching.claremont.edu/) are all providing specialized services, support, and back up for faculty again this semester.

In addition, and with the online start of the semester, DoF is once again offering Pitzer faculty the opportunity to hire a student Technical Assistant for up to 5 hours/week to assist with class delivery and lesson preparation, including sourcing and retrieving readings, uploading and organizing of course materials, help with editing instructor-generated material, some in-person logistical support, etc.  These student employees are expected to possess basic, but not necessarily specialized technical skills.  They are not class tutors and are not permitted to grade or evaluate student work. Finally, Technical Assistants are expected to work remotely prior to and including the period of remote instruction.

Pitzer faculty who are teaching and wish to hire a student Technical Assistant to support their teaching should submit this brief request form.  The DoF will review requests and authorize faculty to hire a Technical Assistant from students who have applied.  After faculty select a technical assistant, they are responsible for notifying interviewed students about their choice. Faculty are also responsible for working with Carlos Alvarez in the Dean of Faculty’s Office in completing the hiring paperwork. Finally, faculty are responsible for direct supervision of student work.

Faculty must submit a new request for spring 2022 even if they hired a technical assistant in fall 2021. If you have already determined a student you would like to hire, you must still submit the request form and, once approved, may move forward with completing the hiring paperwork.

Requests to hire a Technical Assistant may be submitted at any time, but faculty are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Allen M. Omoto, Dean of Faculty

Religious Holidays, Academic Accommodations, Spring Calendar, and Other Resources
01.10.2022

Colleagues, 

As this Spring semester begins, I call your attention to the following:

  1. Religious holidays. Please be aware of religious holidays and any related accommodation requests you may receive; see attached list for specific dates.  https://services.claremont.edu/chaplains/major-religious-holydays/ .  Students are generally excused for religious observance, but it is their responsibility to talk with professors in advance to arrange for any make-up work.  Thank you for taking these religious holidays into consideration when planning exams and course-related events, and also for assisting students in meeting their academic responsibilities.
  1. Academic accommodations.  You may encounter students who request accommodations related to course work or activities.  Please encourage students to contact Pitzer’s Academic Support Services (PASS) in the Office of Student Affairs to inquire about accommodations and support services (https://www.pitzer.edu/student-life/academic-support-services/).  It would be best for students to contact PASS early in the semester so that a collaborative plan can be developed for the academic year.  PASS will work with students to identify reasonable and appropriate accommodations, and also follow up with a letter to relevant faculty members outlining specific accommodation options. 
  1. Related to the above, given the on-going COVID situation, please anticipate additional (higher than typical) personal, mental, physical, and/or family-related challenges that our students may have to contend with. As such, please be pro-active in anticipating such; perhaps consider including information or options for accommodations or student needs in your syllabus, or potential class modifications, changes, etc. that you may want to enact on these fronts.
  1. IT needs. Given that we will be starting the semester on-line, if you have any computer needs or need any tech support, please reach out to IT as soon as possible. And any students or advisees you have that have similar computer/tech needs should reach out to OSA.
  1. Spring academic calendar.  Key dates in the Spring academic calendar can be found on the Registrar’s website: https://www.pitzer.edu/registrar/academic-calendar/.  This calendar includes information on drop/add deadlines, deadlines for changing grade options and class withdrawals. 
  1. Information about our returning to campus, including COVID-19 protocols, testing, and FAQs can be found here: https://www.pitzer.edu/pathway-forward/
  1. Resources and upcoming events provided by the Claremont Center for Teaching and Learning can be found here: https://teaching.claremont.edu/

 All of us in the DoF wish you the best for the upcoming semester. 

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Thanks,

Phil Zuckerman, Associate Dean of Faculty

Spring Semester 2022
01.06.2022

Dear Colleagues:

Welcome back and Happy New Year!  We are on the verge of another semester like no other. I know that there are a lot of questions about this semester, and by this time, I trust that you have seen President Oliver’s community message describing current plans for the spring semester.  Importantly, the current plan is for the semester to begin with two weeks of online instruction, and then to return to in-person instruction.  In this message, I hope to address many faculty concerns, while also reminding you of recent communications that have gone out with campus-wide information. A townhall meeting for faculty and staff is scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, January 7, from 10:00-11:00 am; a Zoom link will be forthcoming.

The Pitzer community is approaching this semester committed to remaining mindful of each other and to an in-person residential educational experience.  The safety and well-being of our community remains our highest priority in returning to in-person instruction and students living on campus.  There is already considerable information on this semester’s plans and safeguards on our website (see Pathway Forward), and we will continue to disseminate additional information over the next several weeks.  Across faculty, staff, and students, we have clear expectations for health behaviors and social norms that will help to ensure community safety and well-being.   

We remain mindful of the recent and rapid rise in COVID-19 transmission due to the Omicron variant locally and nationally.  Vaccinations, including a booster shot, and masks are the best currently available protection.  Before enrolling in classes or moving into campus housing, students are required to submit documentation that they received their booster unless they have a religious or health exemption.  Across the consortium, students must be vaccinated and have received boosters to live on campus and be enrolled in classes.  Among staff and faculty, we are requiring vaccinations and boosters by the start of the semester.  Unless they have an approved exemption on file with HR, Pitzer faculty and staff should provide evidence of having received a booster vaccine by January 18th. 

Below you will find important information about our policies and expectations for the start of the spring semester.  As you are aware, the situation is dynamic and subject to change.  We continue to monitor COVID-19 transmission and daily new cases, County and State directives, and consortium decisions, all of which may impact our plans. 

 Campus Safety and Precautions

  • All faculty and staff are required to submit proof of vaccine booster through the Healthy Pitzer Portal by January 18, 2022. Please contact HR at [email protected] to submit proof of vaccination using an alternative method. If you require an exemption, please contact HR. A “how to” for completing this upload can be found here.  If you already have an exemption on file or have previously submitted proof of receiving the booster vaccine, please disregard this point.
  • Mask requirements have changed.  All Pitzer employees and students are required to wear medical grade face masks while indoors. This includes well-fitting medical grade masks, surgical masks, medical procedure masks, or higher-level respirators approved by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, such as a N95 filtering face respirator.  KF94 and KN95 masks are also approved for use on campus.  Surgical masks will be supplied by Pitzer and available through the DoF Office (Scott Hall 114), Office of Student Affairs, Office of Residential Life, or Campus Facilities.  When we transition to in-person instruction, unmasked students are not permitted to attend classes.  You can send them to DoF or Student Affairs to obtain a mask if they arrive to your class without one. 
  • All faculty and staff are required to complete the brief daily health screening questionnaire every time they come to campus.  If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or if you are unvaccinated and have been in contact with a person with a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 diagnosis in the past 10 days, it is critical that you do not come to campus. 
  • All Pitzer students will be required to complete a PCR test at least 72 hours prior to spring move-in arrival and produce a negative test at that time; if they are unable to test before arrival, Student Affairs and the Student Health Service will work with students to arrange a test.  Thereafter, vaccinated students will be routinely tested twice/week in the first two weeks of the semester and at least once/week thereafter.  Meanwhile, unvaccinated individuals (students, faculty, staff) who have an exemption on file will be tested twice/week.   For now, if you experience any symptoms or think you may have been exposed to COVID, you are encouraged to get a test.  On campus, tests are available from the Hamilton Health Box nurse (Zephyr) on the north end of West Hall; contact Nurse Zephyr at [email protected] to make an appointment.   
  • It is possible that we will institute mandatory faculty and staff testing.  Please watch for updates on testing requirements.
  • All individuals – faculty, students, staff, – must wear a facemask when indoors, regardless of vaccination status.  This includes when in class and office hours.  The only exceptions for faculty are when you are alone in your office with your door closed or when you are actively eating/drinking.  Anytime someone joins you in your office or other indoor locations, all individuals should be masked. 
  • Outdoors, masking is recommended but not required if you are fully vaccinated. 
  • At the outset of the semester, many campus offices and departments will have limited walk-in availability for services.  In many instances, faculty and students will be able to make appointments for service or to send online queries/requests for information.  
  • We will be limiting in-person gatherings, at least at the beginning of the semester.  Students, staff, and faculty from the Claremont Colleges will be allowed on our campus, although they must comply with our safety precautions (i.e., be masked).  However, we will not hold in-person campus-wide speakers or other public events.  For broader reach and participation, we will continue to rely on Zoom or Hyflex capabilities.
  • At this time non 7-C guests are not permitted on campus. This will be re-evaluated in early February.
  • The cafeteria will be open only to Pitzer students, at least for the first several weeks of the semester.  In addition, no catering services will be available through the campus food service.
  • The PitStop and Shakedown Cafe will offer “grab and go” options for students only, at least for the first few weeks of the semester. The Grove House will most likely be closed for the entire semester.  Thus, faculty and staff should bring food from home or make arrangements for dining that do not include going to campus facilities and services.
  • The water fountains on campus will not be functioning, but water bottle filling stations should be operational.   
  • Disinfecting wipes will be available in classrooms and through Facilities.  In addition, hand sanitizing stations are located across campus.  Please assist in keeping our campus community safe by regularly washing your hands and wiping down surfaces (e.g., printers, keyboards before and after use). 
  • Facilities has worked to make windows operable in many offices.  Please contact Facilities if you have a question about your windows. 

Instruction

  • Undergraduate classes at the 5Cs will begin in online format for the first two weeks of the semester as we do baseline testing and establish protocols for community health and safety.  The Presidents Council will continue to receive information on COVID cases and testing and quarantine capabilities, and make a decision about potentially continuing online instruction beyond two weeks.  At this time, however, the Colleges remain committed to in-person and residential educational experiences, and the intent is to return to in-person instruction as soon as possible after the start of the semester. 
  • Some faculty may have health concerns or other circumstances for which they would like to request accommodations.  There may be a limited number of online or hybrid offerings taught by faculty who request and receive teaching accommodations.  Faculty should contact the DoF at [email protected] as soon as possible to discuss possible teaching accommodations, which also will include conversation with Pitzer HR.  Faculty may be asked to provide medical or other documentation to support accommodation requests.  
  • Faculty are free to use online tools and technology for their classes and student meetings, and even after we resume in-person instruction.  For example, faculty can continue to use Sakai (and Canvas) to support teaching by recording and posting lectures, utilizing asynchronous chats/conversations, etc.  In addition, Hyflex teaching capacity is available in some classrooms and with advance notice to IT.  All of these tools are available to assist with teaching and learning accommodations that may be needed over the semester and with fluctuations in student and faculty health. 
  • Student Technical Assistant positions will once again be available for this semester.  More information on this program will be forthcoming.
  • We are able to use our current classrooms at normal/full capacity, although LACDPH recommends social distancing within classrooms when possible.  Like fall semester, we will be utilizing larger spaces that have not traditionally been used for classes.  Classroom assignments are being made based on faculty preferences, class requirements, and class enrollments.  If you would like to request a change in your assigned classroom, please send your request to [email protected] so that we can help coordinate the search for available alternatives. 
  • Windows in some classrooms are able to be opened.  Please contact Facilities to make this request. 
  • We have several outdoor classrooms available, although masking is still recommended in these settings and some faculty may require it for their classes.  There is little that can be done to control heat, wind, and ambient noise in these classrooms, and projection capabilities, wi-fi, and electricity is limited.  If you would like to explore having your class outdoors, please contact [email protected].  Even if you opt to teach in an outdoor space, we will do our best to ensure that you have an indoor classroom reserved at the same time that you can use in the case of inclement weather or for other purposes.   
  • For office hours, faculty are encouraged to consider different options: masked and in-person (indoors or outdoors) or meeting online.
  • No class field trips will be permitted for at least the first two weeks of the semester.  Once we have clearance to resume field trips and other off-campus educational activities (e.g., internships in community agencies), faculty and staff should abide by the College transportation policy. 

Accommodations

  • Faculty are encouraged to think about and discuss with Field Group colleagues possible accommodations or pivots they could make during the semester should our campus circumstances change or in case their own health is compromised.  These considerations may also influence course design and requirements.  Pivoting to online instruction after the first two weeks may be a viable short-term teaching accommodation.   
  • In the event that a student needs to be isolated or quarantined for a period of time, please work with the student, their advisor, the Office of Student Affairs, and the DoF to help them to continue their work or do extra-credit work.  Faculty will be notified by the Pitzer Student Affairs Office when a Pitzer student tests positive and enters quarantine/isolation.  Student Health Services is hopeful that it will have antigen testing for isolation release on Day 6 (assuming a negative test) available by the start of the semester.  Until antigen tests are available, a 10-day isolation period will apply.
  • Given the ubiquity of the Omicron variant, we can expect that students, staff, and faculty may be infected over the semester and need to avoid attending in-person classes or on-campus activities.  Faculty and students should contact Pitzer Academic Support Services to discuss specific accommodations and what will work best for their situations and classes.  We are hopeful that our high vaccination and booster rates, insistence on masking, and best practices for community health will help us to limit absences and to address them using our usual accommodation processes.  Hyflex teaching capabilities are also potentially available, and we will have tutors and note-takers for a number of classes this semester.  
  • Faculty are encouraged to consider isolation and potential quarantine requirements when constructing their attendance policies and to make clear statements in their syllabi about student attendance and possible accommodations.  For example, students who have tested positive for COVID, been exposed, or are experiencing even mild symptoms should not come to class.  Consistently penalizing students for absences may deter them from engaging in good health practices.  Recording and posting lectures to a class Sakai site, meanwhile, may permit students to continue making progress even if they cannot attend class sessions. Faculty are empowered to set policies and expectations for their classes, and to the extent possible, it is best to do so through clearly stated guidelines in the course syllabus and class discussion.  
  • Faculty who are medically unable to come to campus should be in contact with the DoF at [email protected]; HR may be consulted for medical accommodations.  
  • If faculty cannot work from campus because they are caring for an individual(s) who is subject to a federal, state, or local quarantine or isolation order, or who has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to COVID-19, they should contact the DoF at [email protected].  Again, HR may be consulted to determine appropriate accommodations.

In closing, I would like to thank all of you for your continuing work on behalf of the Pitzer community, and especially our students.  The past 21 months have been extraordinarily challenging for all of us personally and professionally, and for the College as a whole, and we have all learned the importance of flexibility and patience.  I am proud of how our community has adapted and helped each other.  Clearly, though, more patience and adaptations will be needed in this next semester.  The Pitzer community is strong and resilient, and I have confidence that we will continue to work together to meet the challenges posed by the pandemic so as to continue to offer a distinctive and high-quality education to our students in a healthy and safe environment.  

If you have questions or suggestions for steps that we can take to increase safety and comfort on campus, please send them to DoF at [email protected] or reach out to members of our Pitzer COVID Task Force.  My office will continue to send out updates as they become available and as the College continues to monitor developments and make adaptations.   

With best wishes for the coming semester,

Allen Omoto, Dean of Faculty