Pitzer College
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

05.17.23: Here is a link to our non-discrimination statement:
https://www.pitzer.edu/about/statement-of-non-discrimination-equal-opportunity-and-related-laws/#:~:text=Pitzer%20College%20admits%20students%20of,to%20students%20at%20the%20school.
This is our statement: Pitzer College admits students of any race, color, national, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs.

05.17.23: https://www.pitzer.edu/academics/diversity-equity-inclusiveness-academic-affairs/
The pilot Bias Education Support Team (BEST) is available for Pitzer community members in response to bias incidents, inequities, and collective trauma. The main component of BEST during this initial phase is “Seen and Heard” sessions rooted in indigenous, contemplative, and transformative justice practices. (e.g. Thich Nhat Hanh, GenerationFive) The “Seen and Heard” sessions provide an alternative practice of dialogue outside of grievance procedures, digital formats such as email listservs, formal meetings, and governance structures. This was begun through the Diversity committee and now resides in the Office of Student Affairs.

05.17.23: Link to diversity Program:
https://www.pitzer.edu/admission/diversity-at-pitzer/ We have diversity fly ins for underrepresented students and diversity programs each Spring for admitted students.

Admissions' Diversity Program
The Diversity Program is an all-inclusive, all-expense-paid program for which round-trip transportation (air, train, bus, gas/mileage reimbursement) will be covered. Attendees will be hosted by current students in the residence halls and will dine on campus throughout the three-day weekend. This program is designed specifically for high school seniors from underrepresented racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds from across the United States.

There are two different ways we recruit faculty from underrepresented groups: Through the consortium for faculty diversity, as well as through our Visiting Junior Scholars Program, which seeks to recruit a scholar of special promise or distinction at an early career stage and is supported by our diversity committee https://www.pitzer.edu/academics/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2018/02/Consortium-for-Faculty-Diversity.pdf

We also have an innovative affirmative action recruitment program, which has led us to have one of the most diverse faculty cohorts in the nation at a small liberal arts college.

05.17.23: Academic Support Services
Academic Support Services assist physical and learning disabled students with accommodations to help develop and enhance their student life skills as well as their academic needs.

Center for Asian Pacific American Students (CAPAS)
CAPAS seeks to enrich and develop social, intellectual and personal growth in our students by providing Asian American resources as well as a welcoming, supportive environment. The Center serves as an advocate for the Asian and Pacific Islander community and promotes an educational dialogue that embraces the unique experiences of ethnic communities, the cultural fabric of our institution.

Queer Resource Center
The Queer Resource Center is a 7 College resource center serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, asexual, omnisexual, pansexual and allied communities at the Claremont Colleges.

Black Students Affairs
Black Student Affairs (OBSA) supports and enhances the well-being of undergraduate and graduate students of African descent earning degrees at The Claremont Colleges. OBSA collaborates with faculty, staff, and alumni of the Claremont consortium of colleges to ensure comprehensive consideration and creation of services that complement our students’ stellar education with culturally significant scholarship, programming, and events.

Chicano Latino Student Affairs
Chicano Latino Student Affairs (CLSA) provides support programs and services that enhance the academic success and personal development of Chicano/Latino students at the Claremont Colleges. CLSA offers academic support, personal guidance, cultural development and leadership opportunities designed to promote social awareness.

International Place (I-Place)
I-Place is the international student office of The Claremont Colleges, serving all seven of The Colleges as a center for cultural exchange and international educational programming, as well as a resource center for international students and scholars.

First gen program for incoming students that also pairs new students with first gen juniors and seniors: https://www.pitzer.edu/iglas/first-gen-initiative/

For faculty, Once at Pitzer, we provide Faculty Peer Mentoring that is also supported by the Diversity committee as well as an associate dean of diversity equity and inclusion within the Dean of Faculty's office:

* Tenure-track faculty select peer mentors for the academic year and receive a small amount of funding to support effective mentoring relationships.

* Tenure-track and tenured faculty are paired with incoming tenure-track faculty and receive a small amount of funding to support effective mentoring relationships.

* Weekly junior faculty lunches in the dining hall.

* Weekly womyn of color faculty lunches.

05.17.23: AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRAM
Pitzer College has achieved a national reputation for its emphasis on cultural diversity and intercultural understanding. In order to maintain this reputation, the College is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse faculty to teach, advise and mentor its diverse student body. We believe that a diverse faculty (i.e., one that includes people of various races, genders, sexual orientations, ages, creeds, physical abilities or disabilities, socioeconomic backgrounds, veteran statuses, and political perspectives) is essential to achieve the intellectual vitality Pitzer seeks to foster. The College is especially cognizant of its role in representing the interests of historically underrepresented U.S. minorities in higher education: African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics (Latin@s/Chican@s), and Native Americans.
1. As a step toward furthering this Affirmative Action policy, Pitzer College has adopted the goal
of increasing the overall size and diversity of the faculty. To assure gender and ethnic diversity across age and rank, it is expected that some appointments will be made at the Associate and Full Professor levels. It is understood that these are goals and not quotas, and that this policy is to be implemented in congruence with Pitzer‘s policy of hiring the most qualified candidate for every position.
2. While the principle of affirmative action applies to all faculty positions, special emphasis shall be placed upon regular full-time and/or multiple year positions.
3. While certain routine responsibilities rest with the Dean of Faculty, the Affirmative Action Officer of the College, and the Affirmative Action Facilitator for each search (see below, paragraph 4) to ensure that regular affirmative action procedures are followed and records are kept, it is recognized that the identification and recruitment of women and minority candidates does not occur automatically as a result of following routine procedures but depends upon the initiative and effort of each field group and every individual faculty member.
4. Affirmative Action Facilitators. All members of the APT Committee must undergo training in the Affirmative Action protocols of the College (see below, M.7). Each year the APT will appoint one of its faculty members as the Affirmative Action Facilitator (AAF) to serve in an advisory role to every search committee. The AAF will also serve as liaison between the search committee and APT. Due to his/her role as Affirmative Action Officer of the College (as designated in V.M.3), the Dean of Faculty will not serve as the AAF for any search. Different APT members may serve as the AAF for different searches. The AAF and the Dean of Faculty are charged with ensuring that Pitzer‘s affirmative action policies are followed throughout the process.
5. In furtherance of its commitment to its stated goals of diversity, as stated previously in this policy, Pitzer College is committed to the following strategies for increasing the diversity of its Faculty:
a. In cases in which a Field Group has been authorized to fill a position and it has identified an extraordinary individual who meets the Field Group‘s needs and who would also serve to further the College‘s commitment to a diverse faculty, that Field Group will make the case to APT that the person proposed is of high quality and offers an unusual opportunity to the College. If APT concurs, that Field Group may proceed without a national search.
The remainder of the College‘s hiring procedures will be used to consider the hiring of
such a person. That is, the person will be invited to submit an application, visit the
campus, give a professional talk, and meet with members of APT and other community
members. The Field Group will then make a recommendation to APT, and APT, in turn,
will choose whether or not to make a recommendation to the President.
b. Pitzer College will develop a Diversity Fund to allow the College to make occasional
tenure-track and/or part-time appointments that meet diversity criteria. The Diversity Fund will be a designation for annual fundraising activities as well as any capital campaign(s). In addition, the Budgetary Implementation Committee will include possibilities for funding a Diversity Fund position in its five-year budget cycle. Whatever the source of funding, it is intended that, in its long-range planning functions, the Academic Planning Committee include consideration of Diversity Fund positions. (See Section IV.F.1.3.g. of the charge to the committee in the Faculty Handbook: ―This Committee will consider and recommend to College Council the allocation and description of multi-year positions within the context of long-term planning.‖) The Committee may, as part of the long-term planning process, recommend for College Council approval a Diversity Fund position and manner of funding in consultation with the Budgetary Implementation Committee.
Proposers of candidates for such an approved Diversity Fund position may include, in
addition to Field Groups, interested cross-disciplinary coalitions. The proposing body will
make the case to APT that the person proposed is of high quality and offers an unusual
opportunity to the College and that the proposed appointment would serve to further the
College‘s commitment to a diverse faculty. If APT concurs, the candidacy may proceed
without a national search. The remainder of the College‘s hiring procedures will be used
to consider the hiring of such a person. That is, the person will be invited to submit an
application, visit the campus, give a professional talk, and meet with members of APT
other community members. The Field Group will then make a recommendation to APT,
and APT, in turn, will choose whether or not to make a recommendation to the President.
c. Pitzer College is committed to using some portion of sabbatical replacements as a way of diversifying the faculty and establishes two programs toward this end:
i. Visiting Junior Scholars Program: The College may use sabbatical replacements to further diversity goals by pooling some sabbatical replacement money to fund one-year appointments for junior scholars who would meet these goals and who show special promise or distinction at an early stage in their career. These scholars will be invited to team-teach a course with a faculty
mentor in the first semester. In the second semester, the teaching arrangement will depend on where the scholar is in her/his career (i.e., ABD or beyond). Participants in the Visiting Junior Scholars Program will give at least one public talk during their year at the College. Candidates for this program may be proposed by Field Groups, individual faculty members, cross-disciplinary coalitions, or other members of the Pitzer College community.
ii. Visiting Advanced Scholars Program: The College may use sabbatical replacements to
Section V. Faculty Personnel Policies and Procedures – rev 8/16/2011 Page 28 of 53
further diversity goals by pooling some sabbatical replacement money and seeking one semester or one-year appointments of established scholars who would meet these goals. Such scholars would be expected to teach at least one course per semester and also to offer at least one public presentation for the community. Appointments to the Visiting Advanced Scholars Program may be initiated by Field Groups, individual faculty members, cross-disciplinary coalitions, or other members of the Pitzer College community.
iii. In making appointments under the Visiting Junior Scholars Program and Visiting Advanced Scholars Program, APT will necessarily orchestrate—in conjunction with the Dean of Faculty—particular sabbatical replacement requests with diversity priorities. This orchestration will generally require more lead time in planning for sabbatical replacements. Core curricular areas should be covered each year from within the Field Group.
6. This policy and all affirmative action procedures relating to faculty, including the Affirmative Action Protocols in Section M.7 below, shall be reviewed every five years by a subcommittee appointed by the Faculty Executive Committee, which shall report on progress (or lack thereof) in affirmative action and make appropriate recommendations for change. The Faculty Executive Committee shall, in turn, report to the faculty.

05.17.23: The above fields have been updated to address the comments received. See also additional website:
https://www.pitzer.edu/president/support-transgender-non-binary-students/