Spring Semester 2025

Dear Pitzer Faculty:

Happy New Year! I hope that you all had an enjoyable and rejuvenating semester break. I know that many of you have been directly impacted by the recent fires and wind in Southern California.  I hope that everyone is safe, and I encourage you to reach out to me or Pitzer’s HR team (hr_email@pitzer.edu) if you have needs that the College may be able to help address.  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 spring 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 (hr_email@pitzer.edu) if you have questions about this expectation or require a medical or religious exemption.
• Masking with medical grade masks (e.g., KN95) is recommended on campus. Surgical masks and KN95 masks are available across campus, including at the Dean of Faculty Office (DoF, Scott Hall 114), Office of Student Affairs (Scott Hall 120), Office of Residential Life, Gold Student Center, Human Resources, and Facilities. 
• COVID-19 and flu vaccinations are highly recommended for all students and are available through the Student Health Services.  The Pitzer Student Affairs team continues to reach out to Pitzer students to strongly encourage them to prioritize their health and wellness by getting these vaccinations.
• 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 and self-administered tests are available at Campus Safety. 
  • 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 christine_guzman@pitzer.edu 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 on the portal. Although options may be limited, especially for highly impacted time slots, requests for classroom changes or scheduling can be sent to registrar_email@pitzer.edu. For assistance scheduling an academic event, please contact facilities_help@pitzer.edu.
• 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 IT_help@pitzer.edu or (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 IT_help@pitzer.edu 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 each class.
• Faculty who want to incorporate a field trip in a class should review the policies and guidelines and then submit the Field Trip Request Form. 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 it is important to note that students cannot work until they have completed the employment process with HR and received appropriate authorization. More information on student course support positions is available here, including a link to Faculty Request for Course Support Student Position(s) Form.  Requests for graders or course assistants should be directed to the Curriculum Committee for approval before submission of the student employment course support form.
• All of the 5Cs continue to transition to Canvas as the Consortium’s single learning management system.  Steve Anderson and Nick Webster from Pitzer IT are available to assist with Canvas, including migrating current Sakai sites to Canvas; contact Steve or Nick at canvas@pitzer.edu.  Following this semester, Canvas will be the only “live” online class support system.
• Campus Duplicating and Mail Services are in Atherton Hall Room A101. There is also a Print Satellite location in Scott Hall 113 for simple print jobs, copying, and light scanning.
• Several outdoor spaces are available for instruction or meetings 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 registrar_help@pitzer.edu or DoFCore@pitzer.edu.

 Instruction & Accommodations 

• Although instruction will be in-person across the 5Cs, faculty can use online tools and technology to support their classes and for student meetings. For example, faculty can post recordings of lectures or other material on course Canvas sites 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 the 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 or prolonged absences 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 for COVID and enters isolation, as well as when the student is released from isolation. Faculty are asked to please work with symptomatic 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. Faculty can also contact Jessica Austin, Associate Director of Disability, Access, and Success at jessica_austin@pitzer.edu for additional resources or with questions.
• 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 the application for accommodations and uploads documentation on PASS website.
  • Student sets up an appointment with PASS by contacting academicsupport@pitzer.edu to determine accommodations through an interactive process with PASS staff.
  • Each semester, students who have registered accommodations must renew their requested accommodations through their accommodation portal.  It is best for students to do this early in the semester and will help ensure that their current faculty receive notification about their accommodations.
• Faculty are asked to 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 final exam schedule.  They should not separately schedule final exams, even if at the usual class meeting time, nor should final exams or other work be scheduled on reading days (except for seniors).
• The 2024-2025 academic calendar is available here. Select key dates for this semester include:
  • January 21 (Tues), first day of classes
  • February 3 (Mon), last day for students to drop or add classes
  • March 17-21, spring break (no classes)
  • March 28 (Fri), César Chavez Day observed (no classes) 
  • May 7 (Wed), last day of instruction
  • May 8-9, Senior finals; Reading days (no instruction/exams/labs) for all other students
  • May 9 (Fri), grades for graduating seniors due by noon
  • May 12-16, final examinations
  • May 17 (Sat), commencement
  • May 22 (Thurs), grades for non-graduating students due by noon

 Upcoming Events

• On-campus visits by Dean of Faculty finalists are currently planned for the first three weeks of the semester. Watch for details on campus meetings and how to submit feedback on the candidates.
• The election for 2025-2027 FEC members will take place in the second and third weeks of the semester (weeks of January 27 and February 3).  Faculty eligible to vote will receive their ballot via email.
• Tenure-track faculty hiring will continue during the spring semester, with multiple prospective candidates visiting campus. Faculty are encouraged to attend job talks and special meetings as schedules permit and to provide feedback on candidates to respective search committees.
• The Glass Humanities Lecture featuring guest speaker Erika Doss and organized by Bill Anthes is scheduled for April 15 at 4:15 pm in Benson Auditorium. More information on this event will be forthcoming.
• Pitzer’s Academic Festival, a chance to highlight student work, is tentatively planned for Thursday, May 8.  Watch for more information and plans during the semester. 
• The FEC approved a Commencement Participation Policy for the May 17, 2025 ceremony. This 2025 exception policy has already been distributed to students and faculty, but can also be found here. 

In closing, I offer my sincere thanks for your continuing work on behalf of the Pitzer community, and especially our students. To make an appointment with me or for questions specifically directed to the DoF, please email dean_faculty@pitzer.edu. For information on faculty support services and resources, please go to Faculty Support Services or send an email message to DoFCore@pitzer.edu. As a reminder, recent notices and calls, contact information for staff, and information on services and budget processes can be found on the Dean of Faculty website. I wish you the very best for an academically enriching semester and look forward to seeing you soon!

Allen Omoto