Welcome to the 2026-27 Academic Year

Dear Pitzer Community,

Welcome back! It is wonderful to see our campus once again filled with the energy, curiosity, and sense of possibility that come with the start of a new academic year. Whether you are joining Pitzer for the first time, returning after the summer, or among those who worked throughout the summer to prepare for the year ahead, I am delighted to welcome you to the 2026–27 academic year. 

We begin this year with much to celebrate and even more to look forward to. 

Over the past year, our community came together to complete Pitzer’s new Strategic Vision, which charts an ambitious path for the College while remaining firmly rooted in the mission and values that have defined us since our founding. We have now turned from vision to action, guided by our shared aspiration: 

Pitzer College ignites change for a more just, sustainable, inclusive world by educating every student to think critically, act courageously, and engage compassionately. 

Implementing our strategic vision helps us build on what Pitzer already does so well while advancing us to an even brighter future. We enter that work with momentum. We had a successful admission year and have welcomed an outstanding group of new students to our community. We also saw strong fundraising results and extraordinary generosity from alumni, families, trustees, and friends who believe deeply in our shared mission, values, and vision. These successes reflect both the enduring appeal of a Pitzer education and the remarkable work of faculty and staff across the College. 

What most makes Pitzer distinctive is our people and the ways we learn from, challenge, and care for one another. Over the past week-plus, Isabelle and I have so enjoyed seeing new students and families discovering Pitzer, returning students reconnecting with friends and mentors, and faculty and staff ready to launch the new semester. I love seeing the campus come alive again. 

The year ahead will bring challenges alongside opportunities. Higher education and the world around it continue to change rapidly. But Pitzer has never been a community that simply observes change from the sidelines. Our mission calls us to engage thoughtfully and courageously with the world around us—and to do so with curiosity, compassion, humility, and an eagerness to learn from one another, including across differences. 

Thank you to everyone who worked to prepare for the new academic year, and to all of you for the innumerable ways you contribute to this extraordinary community. 

I am excited about what we will learn, build, and accomplish together this year. Welcome back, and here’s to a terrific 2026–27! 

Provida Futuri, 

Strom C. Thacker 
President