Welcome to Spring 2021! We hope you have made necessary time over the break for reflection, connection with those who bring meaning and joy to your life, and restoration.
We are so very proud of each and every one of you. We know it has not been easy and that we faced challenges along our pathways. Our thoughts are with those of you who have been impacted or had loved ones impacted by Covid-19 and racial injustice. Many of you have risen to help serve in leadership capacities and build bridges by way of Student Senate, clubs, organizations, or student employment during the pandemic crisis. Together, you have navigated these unprecedented challenges, and are the innovative and creative leaders that will lead our nation and world in years to come. You are our silver-lining.
The arts for me are a powerful form of inspiration, reflection, storytelling, activism and organizing, healing, diversity of interwoven intersectionality, symbolism, and powerful form of stirring the soul. Over the break this unique piece illuminated the many seeds that are planted and nourished in community at Pitzer that forge deeply rooted branches of pathways and opportunities. As you launch forward into your Spring 2021 semester, it is your innovation, creativity, ability to find and explore the intersections together, to engage in meaningful dialogue with others, construct and deconstruct knowledge, and to bring others into care in community and action, that will bloom leaves, new branches, fruit, seeds, and further strengthen our roots. Sustaining the greater good of our community wellbeing will also continue to be the responsibility of all by honoring our “Mindful of Each Other” Community Agreement expectations, together.
I invite you to email me at [email protected] to share any of the following: what your “silver lining” has been, what you are most grateful for, or what has brought meaning or inspiration to your life during this time (please include your mailing address). Students who submit an email will receive a care package in the mail.
Below please find important updates and information related to expectations outlined in our Community Agreement, “Mindful of Each Other”. Learn about health, safety, and virtual student engagement community guidelines in a time of Covid-19, and opportunities for you to engage in community.
Mindful of Each Other,
Sandy
Sandra Vasquez
Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students
Mindful of Each Other: Local, Off-Campus Student Guidance
Practicing being Mindful of Each Other cannot be more critical now, than ever, and the health and safety of our community is dependent on our united efforts. Being a responsible community member will be critical to the health and safety of our community. Below are expectations that are required of local, off-campus students:
All students who live off campus agree to cooperate fully with any contact tracing efforts of any of the individual Claremont Colleges or SHS.
All students who live off campus must immediately report any positive COVID-19 test results to Student Health Services (SHS) regardless of the provider that conducts the test. SHS contact information: https://services.claremont.edu/student-health-services/
Any student who lives off campus but engages the services of SHS, whether remotely or in-person:
– Agrees to cooperate with all SHS follow-up care and symptom monitoring efforts,
– Consents to the release of information by SHS to the College for the purpose of activating
support measures deemed appropriate by the College, and
– Agrees to cooperate with the College in the provision of such support measures.
COVID-19 Concern Reporting Form: Students may engage in being Mindful of Each Other through community action by using this form to report a COVID-19 concern involving themselves, another individual, or a group. These concerns may involve issues related to: monitoring symptoms, face covering guidance, physical distancing, cleaning, COVID-19 Disclosure, or other concerns. Submissions are also welcomed from local community members who wish to report concerns such as large off campus student gatherings.
Local off campus students should review the College’s guidance around medical amnesty and student conduct as it relates to COVID-19 here. All Pitzer students are required to comply with College, state, local, and CDC guidelines on or off campus. The hosting or attending of large student gatherings on or off campus, is strictly prohibited, and will result in immediate interim suspension for the party hosts, at a minimum. Students are also expected to comply contact tracing and directives to quarantine or isolate by Student Health Services or other medical providers. Failure to comply with these expectations may result in disciplinary action including, but not limited to, immediate interim suspension, conduct probation, suspension, expulsion, and loss of College privileges.
Pitzer Friday Returns in February!
Get ready to snap some photos! Pitzer Friday returns the 1st week of February with weekly drawings to win Pitzer swag and other fun prizes! Submit your photo any day of the week – drawings held the following Monday. Show your love for Pitzer by submitting a photo that shows just that! The possibilities are endless! Sport your favorite Pitzer swag, express Pitzer colors creatively or enjoy a juicy orange! Whatever you do to show you’re proud to be a part of the Pitzer community, snap a photo a submit it at the link below any day of the week! Open to Pitzer students, staff, faculty, parents, families & alumni! Visit the Pitzer Friday webpage for more information and to submit your photo!
Spring 2021
Student Success Support Services & Resources
Need help navigating the first week of classes? Students can email [email protected] 24/7 and a member of our team will strive to respond within 24 hours.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out regarding technology needs utilizing the Dean’s Loan Program for hot spots, laptops, headphones and webcam loans.
Pitzer Academic Support Services (PASS) Welcome back to another semester! All students who are registered with Pitzer Academic Support Services (PASS) are encouraged to login to our AIM portal to update their accommodations during the first week of the semester once classes have been finalized. Doing so will allow our office to send the appropriate accommodations to their faculty in a timely manner. Should there be any difficulty, PASS can be reached at [email protected]. We look forward to assisting you throughout this Spring 2021 semester.
Connie’s Corner (Pitzer Academic Coach) Welcome to Spring 2021! I think we’ve all learned some things about remote learning that work for us and don’t work. Here are a few tips to consider for the beginning of the semester to help you improve your academic experience. If you would like to meet with me for a one-on-one academic coaching session, you can contact me at [email protected].
I have heard a lot of students, faculty and staff talk about Zoom fatigue. One way to step away from your screen and let your eyes recover is to plan to buy physical books rather than e-books and print articles that are assigned. Several studies also indicate that reading comprehension is higher when reading on paper.
Use office hours early and often. Office hours are not just for addressing problems you are having with the class. This is your chance to get to know your professor and engage with material on a different level than what you may experience in class.
MCAPS will be offering a drop-in weekly time for students in any location to get support around pandemic-related stress, including those students experiencing quarantine, health concerns for self/other, or any other concerns related to COVID-19. The group will meet on Wednesdays at 12:00 noon Pacific time. Students who are interested in the group can email [email protected] for the link to join.
Complete Required Contact Information, Emergency and Missing Persons Information
All students who live off campus must provide updated address, emergency contact, and personal contact information to the College by no later than February 1, 2021.
Students are required to update their contact information and physical address for spring semester on their Residence portal. This information will assist in our contact tracing efforts if the need arises.
Students are required to update their emergency contact and missing persons contact information on their MyCampus2 Portal. Once logged in, click “Student” on grey navigation bar at the top of the page, then click “Pitzer Student Info” and scroll down to “Missing Persons/Emergency Contacts Info” to update this information. Out of care and concern for student wellbeing, emergency contact information may be used to facilitate contact tracing efforts if students do not reply to direct outreach to the contact phone numbers on file with the College.
Spring 2021 Co-Curriculum & Student Engagement Opportunities & Programming
Residence Life, and our team of student Community Assistants, is again excited to engage with our virtual student body this spring semester in both class-based co-curricular programs and all-student community building initiatives. Be sure to follow us on Instagram @PZreslife, and check your email regularly, to stay connected with us!
Students are also still welcome to join our Co-Curriculum Student Voice Committee for spring! This volunteer group of students, usually known as our “Residence Hall Council”, will meet regularly to advise and give feedback on our co-curriculum. Complete this form to get involved. ALL are welcome to join!
Pitzer Career Services has planned a robust programming schedule for spring 2021. Check the Career Services newsletter for information about:
Career Action Week
February 1-5, 2021
Pitzer Connect Series
Weekly series that will feature career conversations with members of Pitzer’s Alumni Board and Family Leadership Council
Just for Seniors Series
Collection of conversations offered to those who plan to graduate soon.
Re-Introduction to Career Services
A kick-off event for the spring semester on Wednesday, January 27th @ 12:30pm PST
NEW Weekly Drop-Ins
Facilitated by Career Fellows
CAPAS Monthly Check-in: Vision Board & Goal Setting with Academic Coach Connie Helland
Thursday January 28th
4pm-5pm PST
Contact [email protected] for Zoom information!
**Now Accepting Applications for 2021-2022 CLSA Sponsors**
MLK Commemorative Lecture: Yara Shahidi in Conversation
Saturday, January 30, 2021 | 3 p.m. PST/6 p.m. EST
FREE
“We vote for not only ourselves, but for ‘all sons and daughters’ and every layer and intersection of identity. We vote for each other,” says Yara Shahidi. The actress is as passionate about politics as she is about her work in television and film. To wit: The star and executive producer of Grown-ish is also the founder of We Vote Next, an organization dedicated to voter education. Join for a conversation about creating culture and changing culture during these politically charged times. This program celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and work and is supported in part by the Office of Black Student Affairs, Scripps Presents, the Katharine A. Miller Endowed Speaker Fund, the Pitzer Diversity Committee, and Pitzer Office of Student Affairs.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2021: OPEN CALL FOR EVENTS!
OBSA is excited to kick off the celebration of Black History month by featuring and highlighting events occurring around the colleges, as well as nationally. To submit an event you or your organization is organizing four our yearly calendar, complete the form: https://bit.ly/BHM2021. Please email any flyers or media to [email protected].
February 19-21, 2021: HACK FOR BLACK LIVES
Click here to read more information about this event.
THE FIFTH ANNUAL BLACK INTERSECTIONS CONFERENCE: JUSTICE & BLACK JOY | DIGITAL SHOWCASE
February 22-26, 2021
CALL FOR DIGITAL SUBMISSIONS: DEADLINE FEB 15, 2021
We are excited to present a hybrid event for the 5th annual OBSA Black Intersections Conference: Justice and Black Joy. This year we welcome digital content of ANY kind—including but not limited to video performance and presentation, digital documents, power point presentations, art, mixed media and other work that broadly fits the theme(s) “Justice and Black Joy” for a special exhibit. Each year our goal is to highlight the many accomplishments of Black students, faculty, staff and alumni while engaging in dialogue around issues and ideas surrounding Black identities, lived experiences and forms of expression. The submission deadline Feb 15: https://bit.ly/BIC2021Submit. Media will be uploaded to a platform for public viewing.
Attendees will be able to navigate the exhibit on their own time throughout that week alongside chatrooms and streaming experiences, culminating in an closing zoom-based workshop with Professor Carolyn Ratteray (Pomona, Theatre & Dance) and special guests on the conference’s final day.
The event is free (there are no associated costs for presenters or attendees), no registration is required and the event is open to the public.
Students can get recognized for the amazing work they do by applying for The Claremont Colleges Library Undergraduate Research Award! The award is accompanied by a cash prize and recognizes exemplary, original student work demonstrating skill and creativity in the use of library and information resources. It’s open to projects in various formats by individuals or groups, as long as all applicants are undergraduates currently enrolled at one of The Claremont Colleges and the work was done for a class or independent study at The Claremont Colleges. You don’t even have to be finished with your paper – works in progress will be accepted!
Submissions are due Sunday, February 7, 2021 by 11:59 p.m.
Monsour Counseling & Psychological Services
SPRING 2021 PROGRAMMING | GROUPS & WORKSHOPS
MCAPS & THE QRC PRESENTS
Every Other Thursday with Patty Gonzalez ( she/ her)
Join Patty, MCAPS Senior Staff Therapist, and the QRC for coloring & questions. Every other Thursday we invite you to grab your coloring supplies and take a moment to de-stress while coloring in community. Attendees also have the option of one-on-one time with Patty to ask questions.
Sign up at: bit.ly/CQwithPatty
*If cost of materials is a barrier to participation, materials will be provided.*
The goal of SUMMA is to increase diversity in the health professions in order to better care for underserved communities. Our annual pre-medical conference is one of the oldest on the west coast and draws hundreds of students from throughout the Bay Area.
We are excited to offer this virtual conference experience, simulating that of our in-person meeting with concurrent tracks, educational sessions, networking opportunities, and social activities.
Learn more and register here.
