There are many special study and experiential opportunities available at Pomona College, including The Writing Center, study abroad programs, Oldenborg Center, cooperative academic programs at other colleges/universities, career planning and volunteer programs.
The Writing Center
The Writing Center provides students with a community of experienced readers and writers, offering free, one-on-one consultations at any stage of the writing process—from figuring out how to approach an assignment, through generating a thesis and structuring an argument to fine-tuning a draft. Consultations are free and confidential.
The Writing Fellows are Pomona students—sophomores, juniors and seniors—majoring in subjects as varied as English, neuroscience, politics and religious studies. They are trained to work with writers at all levels, and on assignments in any discipline. For more information, please see The Writing Center page on the portal under the “Academics” tab. pomona.edu/academics/resources/writing-center/index.aspx
Study Abroad
Study Abroad Committee
Pomona College offers qualified students a variety of opportunities for study abroad. The Study Abroad Committee, a standing committee of the faculty that includes two student representatives, has jurisdiction over all aspects of Pomona’s study abroad programs. The committee identifies and approves programs, authorizes credit and selects participants.
Office of Study Abroad
The Office of Study Abroad was established in 1973 to develop and supervise overseas programs. The office staff assists and advises students who are interested in studying in other countries. Approximately one-half of each graduating class participates in a Pomona semester abroad. A booklet titled Pomona College Study Abroad Guide, with detailed information on the programs described below, may be obtained from the Office of Study Abroad, Sumner Hall, Pomona College. Students should refer to the office’s Website for updated information: http://www.pomona.edu/administration/study-abroad.
Pomona Programs
The College sponsors programs in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, China, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, New Zealand, Russia, Scotland, Senegal, South Africa, Spain and Taiwan. These programs vary in content and format, and availability is subject to change. The range of subject matter reflects the particular opportunities and scholastic strengths available in each location. Language instruction is an integral part of the programs in foreign-language countries.
Non-Pomona Programs
In cases where no appropriate Pomona program exists, a student may request that the Study Abroad Committee approve a specific program on an ad-hoc basis. The applicant must convince the committee of the academic merit of the request to study on a non-Pomona program based on the quality of the proposed overseas program and the student’s own background and academic goals.
Credit
The maximum allowable credit a student may receive for a semester abroad is four Pomona course credits. The evaluation process for work done abroad differs among Pomona programs and non-Pomona programs. Credit for study abroad is determined by the director of study abroad on the recommendation of the relevant overseas program director.
Application Procedures
All students who wish to study abroad and receive Pomona course credits must submit an application to the Study Abroad Committee for acceptance and approval during the semester before the proposed study abroad. The necessary forms may be obtained online from the Study Abroad Website: http://www.pomona.edu/administration/study-abroad. The forms must be returned to the Office of Study Abroad by the late-September deadline for spring programs and by the mid-February deadline for programs beginning in the fall.
Selection Criteria and Eligibility
Students must present evidence of the necessary academic strength, linguistic skills and special preparation in the area of the proposed course of study. They should make a persuasive case that the proposed program and destination are appropriate in terms of academic and cultural goals. They must also demonstrate the individual initiative and sense of responsibility necessary to complete the program abroad.
Competition may occur within the various programs since some have a limited number of spaces. It should be noted that some programs have specific course prerequisites and/or GPA requirements.
The student’s advisor must support the applicant and indicate that the proposed foreign study will advance and not impede progress toward the degree. Applicants are also asked to complete a form indicating how they expect to complete graduation requirements.
Students may study abroad as second-semester sophomores, juniors or first-semester seniors. First-semester sophomores and second-semester seniors are not generally eligible for study abroad. Students on probation may not apply for or participate in programs abroad.
Cost
Students accepted for study abroad programs are charged Pomona tuition, room and board. This amount covers the academic program fees abroad, room and board, as well as a travel stipend toward round-trip transportation between Los Angeles and the program site. In exceptional cases, a surcharge may be added. Students on financial aid normally receive their regular assistance while on a semester abroad.
Students who withdraw after submitting a signed contract accepting the offer to study abroad will be charged a withdrawal fee of $350, plus all direct unrecoverable costs contracted on the student’s behalf and a prorated share of the program’s administrative costs. A reduction in course load of an overseas program will not result in any adjustment in the semester’s fees as originally billed.
Research Opportunities
The College encourages the active participation of students in research projects working closely with faculty and/or working on their own independent projects. A number of talented students are able to gain valuable inquiry, library, laboratory and/or field experience while working with professors or independently on research projects during the academic year and the summer break. Student research participation is made possible through external grants obtained by individual faculty members, support to the College from outside funding sources and College-supported grants awarded competitively to students who propose collaborative projects.
The Summer Undergraduate Research Program, or umbrella term “SURP,” encompasses the summer research activities of all Pomona College students irrespective of the funding source or location of the research endeavor. The program enables students to conduct extended, focused research in close cooperation with a Pomona faculty member as a research assistant or delve into an independent research project, on or off campus. Specialized grants are awarded in environmental analysis, media studies, the natural and social sciences and other fields. Projects generally range across all disciplines.
The College supports students’ SURP work with research funds of up to $4,000 each for the summer project. As a culmination of their efforts, students make a presentation of their summer research endeavors to the College community at the Annual Fall Poster Conference. In addition, students with particularly meritorious projects may apply for College support to present their results at a national conference. SURP projects frequently form the basis of a senior exercise project. Titles of a few typical SURP-projects include: “Invariance Relations for Random Walks on Cubic Lattices,” “An Evaluation and Analysis of Legislative and Congressional Redistricting in California: 1974-2004” and “Imaging the Chrysanthemum Princess: Japanese Journalists Cover Princess Masako.”
Cooperative Academic Programs
Student Exchange Programs
Under arrangements made each year, Pomona sophomores, juniors and first-semester seniors may study as exchange students for a semester at Colby College in Waterville, Maine; Smith College in Northampton, Mass.; Spelman College in Atlanta; or Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Penn. Interested students should ask for further information from the Office of Student Affairs. A program for sophomores and juniors for an entire academic year is possible at the California Institute of Technology. The Physics Department can provide information on this program.
Combined 3-2 Plan in Engineering: California Institute of Technology and Washington University in St. Louis
Qualified students may receive a Bachelor of Arts degree from Pomona College and a Bachelor of Science degree from the California Institute of Technology or Washington University in St. Louis after a combined five-year program. The first three years are taken at Pomona and comprise the student’s general education and preparation for the major of the second institution. Students pursuing this plan will be accepted at Caltech or Washington University under an expedited procedure less elaborate than admission as a transfer student, if recommended by Pomona and if they have the requisite grade point average in science and mathematics courses at Pomona. Caltech specifically reserves the right to limit both the number of students admitted in certain fields of study under the 3-2 program and the financial aid they may offer to accepted students. Interested students should consult with the pre-engineering advisor as soon as possible after their arrival on campus.
Under a feature of Washington University in St. Louis’ dual-degree program, each year the Pomona College faculty liaison is authorized to award one two-year merit scholarship, covering half-tuition at Washington University, to a suitably qualified Pomona College candidate about to enter the dual-degree program with a Pomona grade-point average of at least 10.5 (i.e., equivalent to 3.5 on a 4.0-point scale).
3-2 Program students must satisfy the General Education requirements of Pomona College. In addition, the following lower-division courses must be completed: PHYS 070 PO , PHYS 071 PO and PHYS 072 PO (or placement out of 71 and/or 72); PHYS 101 PO ; MATH 102 PO ; and CHEM 001A PO , CHEM 001B PO or CHEM 051 PO . Further courses in the relevant scientific discipline, and possibly courses in engineering at Harvey Mudd, are recommended.
In addition to completing the requirements and prerequisites as noted above, students who participate in the Combined 3-2 Plan in Engineering must make satisfactory progress toward a Pomona science major in their third year. Normally, this implies that by the end of the junior year the student has taken at least five other upper-division courses in physical science and mathematics, selected in close consultation with the faculty advisor, from among those courses normally required for a major in physics or chemistry. The requirements of the second institution should also be carefully considered during the three years at Pomona in consultation with the advisor.
The work completed at Pomona College, together with successful completion of the required two years for the engineering major at the second institution, are considered as fulfilling the requirements for the bachelor of arts degree at Pomona College and the corresponding bachelor’s degree at the partner school. The student’s Pomona major is labeled as “pre-engineering” and can only be awarded upon fulfillment of the requirements at both schools as described above.
Washington Semester Program of Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College operates a semester program in Washington, D.C., which combines traditional coursework with an emphasis on internships in a wide variety of public and private organizations. This program is open to applicants from Pomona College and is offered both semesters.
Academic work in the program consists of a full-time internship, two weekly seminars and a research project. Four course credits are earned by successfully completing all of these activities.
Candidates selected for the program pay regular tuition to Pomona College while paying for their own room and board and remain eligible for financial aid. The program pays travel expenses to and from Washington, D.C., within certain limits. Students have the primary responsibility for finding accommodations in Washington.
Students interested in the program should contact Professors David Menefee-Libey or Richard Worthington in the Pomona Politics Department.
Teacher Education Internship Program
The Teacher Education Internship Program, offered by Claremont Graduate University, is an accelerated, combined Credential and Master of Arts in Education program. Seniors who have made a commitment to enter the Teacher Education Internship Program may enroll in the Teaching/Learning Process I (ED 300G) course, which is offered in the spring semester, with permission of the instructor. (See course description and prerequisites following.) Attendance in this course also qualifies students to apply for a $10,000 BA/MA fellowship in addition to transferring these four units towards their MA and Credential.
Students who begin the program in May/June following graduation must take 12 units of credit, while those who complete Teaching/Learning Process I (ED 300G) in the spring take only eight units and complete their pre-internship in the summer session. During the internship teaching year that follows, students engage in full-time paid employment while continuing course work. A second summer of full-time study completes all requirements for the credential and the master of arts degree in Education.
Credentials offered include multiple subject, single subject and special education.
Complete details about the Teacher Education Internship Program are provided in a brochure available from the Office of Teacher Education at Claremont Graduate University at (909) 621-8076. A directory listing credential requirements for every state is available in the Career Development Office.
Teacher Education Courses (Claremont Graduate University):
170G. Introduction to Public School Teaching. Staff. Offered by Claremont Graduate University for undergraduate course credit for students considering the field of education. Introduction to elementary and secondary teaching through analysis of the philosophical and sociological foundations of schooling and basic psychological theories applied to classrooms. Explores current issues in K–12 schooling, including restructuring, multiculturalism, diversity, critical pedagogy and high-performing schools literature. Field experience includes 18 hours of classroom observation and participation. Enrolled students will need to have a current “TB Clearance” before being allowed to be admitted. This can be obtained from student health services. Offered every fall.
300G. Teaching/Learning Process I. Staff. This course is for Claremont Colleges’ students who wish to enter the CGU Teacher Internship Program in the summer. It prepares interns for their first semester of supervised teaching in the summer when they begin the teacher education program. Particular attention given to cultural and linguistic diversity, contemporary pedagogies, classroom planning and reading and writing across the curriculum. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Limited to seniors who have made a commitment to enter the CGU Teacher Education Internship Program. If admitted, students receive one undergraduate course credit toward the bachelor’s degree and four units of graduate credit toward the combined Credential and Master of Arts in Education Program (see Teacher Education Internship Program). They also become eligible to apply for a special B.A./M.A. $10,000 fellowship. Offered every spring.
Pre-Professional Education
Business
Pre-Professional Advisor for Business: Professor James Likens
While students may apply successfully to graduate programs in business administration with any major, it is advisable to complete courses in economics, statistics, accounting, mathematics through calculus and have a good command of oral and written communication. Professional schools of business administration also view favorably any business-related work experience, including summer, part-time or full-time employment and volunteer work. Students interested in business should discuss their graduate plans with the pre-business advisor or members of the Economics faculty, visiting graduate-school representatives and the Career Development Office early in the senior year. Most schools require applicants to take the Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT), applications for which are available in the Career Development Office or from the Educational Testing Service.
Engineering
Pre-Engineering Advisor: Professor Alma Zook
Pre-Chemical Engineering Advisor: Associate Professor Alfred Kwok
Students who plan to enter a professional engineering school, or who are thinking of a career in engineering or applied science, should arrange a program of study emphasizing the physical sciences and mathematics. When planning such a program, students are strongly urged to consult early in their first year with the engineering advisor; those specifically interested in chemical engineering should consult the chemical engineering advisor. For students who are prepared to commit to engineering early in their college careers, Pomona College offers a combined plan of study with either the California Institute of Technology or Washington University in St. Louis (described earlier in this section).
Law School
Pre-Law Advisor: Susanne Mahoney Filback
Law schools do not require any particular undergraduate concentration; they are interested in breadth of background, quality of work and the ability to write and speak with clarity and precision. Generally, most students find some work in politics, economics and history helpful. Students and alumni interested in law school should contact the Career Development Office or email the pre-law advisor directly at susanne.filback@pomona.edu to schedule an appointment.
Medicine and Allied Fields
Pre-Health Sciences Advisor: Professor Richard Lewis
Pre-professional preparation for human and veterinary medicine, dentistry and other allied health professions does not require a student to major in any particular area, but only that certain requirements be met. Students should major in the area of study that most appeals to them and would prepare them for alternate future plans in case they are not accepted by a professional school. Students majoring in areas outside the natural sciences should take more science courses than the minimum required by the professional schools. All potential applicants should have substantial volunteer, internship or paid experience in a health or human services setting by the time of application.
The following suggested minimum list of courses is based on the requirements of medical schools but is also generally applicable to other health-science professional schools. Remember that these are minimum requirements. Therefore, it is always advantageous to consider taking additional course work in the sciences.
Chemistry (two years): CHEM 001A PO , CHEM 001B PO or CHEM 051 PO ; CHEM 110A PO , CHEM 110B PO ;
Physics (one year): PHYS 041 PO ; PHYS 042 PO (Calculus I, II are prerequisites);
Biology (one year): BIOL 040 PO , BIOL 041C PO .
Mathematics: The amount of college mathematics required varies widely. Some schools require no mathematics while others require some math-related courses such as calculus (MATH 030 PO and MATH 031 PO ), statistics or computer science.
English: Most medical schools require one or two courses in English for admission. ID 001 PO can serve as one semester of this requirement. If a medical school of interest requires two semesters, you should take at least one English course.
Biochemistry (one semester): Increasingly, schools are requiring or strongly recommending biochemistry.
In addition to taking the required and recommended courses, students are encouraged to study in a variety of areas. Professional schools look for broadly educated individuals, so students should avail themselves of the liberal education opportunities of Pomona College, studying in a variety of areas in which they have an interest. Increasingly, medical schools are placing higher value on students’ preparation in the behavioral and social sciences. Therefore, students should consider coursework in these fields of study (e.g. psychology and sociology).
Students should familiarize themselves as early as possible with the specific requirements for their pre-professional areas. The requirements for each allopathic (MD) medical school, along with other useful information, are described in the book Medical School Admission Requirements, which may be purchased from the Association of American Medical Colleges, 2450 N Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20037, and also at www.aamc.org, the site of the Association of American Medical Colleges. Requirements for each osteopathic (DO) medical school are described in the Osteopathic College Information Book, available as a free download from the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, www.aacom.org. Loan copies of these books are available in the Career Development Office. All medical schools have Websites that are updated regularly.
Although many factors are taken into account in the admission process, grades from college are usually the single most important evaluation factor. Because admission to medical school is very competitive, applicants with a low B average upon graduation from Pomona have significantly diminished prospects and should consider a year of post-baccalaureate study to strengthen their application. Students should avoid excessive use of the Pass/No Credit option; all required courses should be taken for letter grades.
Almost all medical schools require applicants to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). The MCAT is administered on computers at testing centers on various dates throughout the year. The Dental Aptitude Test is required by dental schools, and certain other health professions require similar tests.
The Health Sciences Committee, in cooperation with academic advisors, helps students plan their undergraduate programs. When students are ready to apply to medical schools and other health-science professional schools, the Committee advises them on procedures, mutual responsibilities and etiquette; writes letters of evaluation; and counsels and supports them during the process. For further information, consult the Pre-Health Sciences Advisor. Also see www.medsci.pomona.edu.
Teaching
Pre-professional Advisor for Education/Public School Teaching: Assistant Professor Aaron Kunin
Pomona College does not recommend candidates for teaching credentials, though undergraduate classes that may meet certain credential requirements are available to Pomona students through Claremont Graduate University (see Teacher Education Courses). In California, a year of post-bachelor’s degree course work is required for the credential.
Career Development
The Career Development Office (CDO) helps students discover and develop satisfying careers from their first days at Pomona College. The office accomplishes this mission by providing career counseling, internships (including the Pomona College Internship Program - PCIP), a national on-campus recruiting program, cutting-edge technology and extensive information about graduate and professional schools and career-related topics. The CDO prides itself on creating a welcoming environment, and encourages students from all class years to visit regularly.
The CDO provides individual career counseling and drop-in advising to assist students in the career development process. This process involves multiple steps: assessment, exploration, skill development, and job/graduate school search implementation. In addition to the counseling and advising that students receive to help them through the process, the CDO presents workshops on career options, internships, conducting job searches and other career-related topics, such as salary negotiations, interviews, resume writing and networking. These workshops teach students the necessary tools to compete in today’s world of work and to manage their own career development.
As part of career exploration and information gathering, the office has numerous programs that connect students with alumni. Sagehens Beyond the Gates is a program that brings panels from alumni from specific fields to talk to students about career options. Through a program called “The Real World,” the office transports up to 20 students to a local organization where alumni are employed to learn about careers in that particular field. Past participants include Paramount Pictures, Fred Segal, JPL, DGWB Advertising, Idealab, and City of Hope. Every year, alumni help students find jobs and internships.
Knowing that internships are an integral part of gaining work related experience, the CDO assists students in their search for internships, whether it is during the academic year or the summer. During the academic year, the Pomona College Internship Program (PCIP) provides part-time internships in a variety of professional settings (see detailed description of PCIP in the next section). If students choose not to, or are unable to participate in PCIP, they can do internships on their own during the semester. Furthermore, students are encouraged to intern during the summer months and these internships can be at sites all around the world. The CDO provides numerous resources to help students find internships, including a database of over 6,000 opportunities. As part of the Daring Minds Capital Campaign, the CDO offers internship funding awards. Information and applications are available in the spring semester.
The CDO assesses internship options and can approve a transcript notation indicating that the internship may be valued as one-half course credit by schools which award graduation credit for internships, which Pomona College does not. In order for the transcript notation to be approved, students will be required to complete a term paper and return a satisfactory evaluation from their internship sponsor. Curricular Practical Training is available for international students through the CDO.
The Pomona College Recruiting Program is national in scope. As a part of The Claremont Colleges joint on-campus recruiting program, students are exposed to various employers and graduate programs. The joint program allows Pomona students access to employers, representatives, or workshops offered at any of The Claremont Colleges. Our web-based recruiting and career information system, Route 47, is the gateway to internships, full and part time positions, graduate schools and more.
To broaden the opportunities for our students, the CDO collaborates with peer colleges acrossthe nation. The CDO is a member of the Selective Liberal Arts Consortium (SLAC), the Career and Internship Consortium (CIC), and the Nationwide Internship Consortium (NIC). These consortia coupled with our partnership in The Claremont Colleges joint on-campus recruiting program provide our students with access to over 14,000 jobs and internships postings, over 350 on-campus events (interviews, information sessions, career fairs), and over 30 graduate school information sessions. This past year, the Career Development Office hosted over 80 employers and graduate schools on the Pomona campus.
The Career Resource Library, one of the largest of its kind in the nation, contains print and Web-based material on graduate schools, as well as hundreds of books and publications on career fields and job-hunting techniques. The library also distributes information on the following entrance examinations: CBEST, GRE, GMAT, LSAT and MCAT. Full-time, part-time, summer jobs, internships and on-campus jobs are available on the office’s website through password-protected databases. At any given time, students can access thousands of internship or job listings nationally and internationally. The office maintains and makes available to students and alumni an online database, the Sagehen Career Connection with nearly 2,000 Pomona College alumni and parents who are interested in providing career or graduate school-related guidance and assistance. The office is open during business hours year-round with web access 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The office communicates with students through a number of channels. The CDO e-newsletter, The Onramp, lists forthcoming events, alumni and major spotlights, as well as internship, fellowship, and job opportunities. The Onramp is distributed to all Pomona students, faculty and staff. The CDO Listservs send targeted email messages to students pertaining to jobs, internships and workshops. The office posts announcements regularly on CHIRPS!, the daily campus wide digested email. Finally, the office maintains the CDO Web at http://www.pomona.edu/administration/career-development. The CDO Web offers a wide variety of online career resources and tips as well as other valuable career site links including the Route 47 calendar, which features career event listings for all Claremont campuses.
Pomona College Internship Program
Each semester during the academic year, the Pomona College Internship Program (PCIP) provides part-time, 10-week internships in a variety of professional settings. Students are eligible for credit as part of the internship, as well as an hourly wage. Geographic locations for the internship sites range from the campus, to the local community, to the greater Los Angeles area. This program helps students engage in the community and gain practical, pre-professional experience while exploring a career interest. It also encourages students to integrate their liberal learning with the working world outside of academia. More than 100 opportunities at 70 internship sites are available through the program each semester, representing a wide variety of industries. Sites include television stations, motion picture production studios, newspapers, alternative dispute resolution centers and traditional law offices, local businesses, scientific research sites, medical service centers, museums, public and private elementary and secondary schools, social services and public policy organizations, and state and local government offices. Student responsibilities have included chemical or biological research, editing or graphic arts layout and design, landlord-tenant mediations, and helping to design and teach lessons to elementary school students. Students who wish to design their own internships are encouraged to discuss their ideas with the internship coordinator.
Off-Campus Community Engagement
The Draper Center for Community Partnerships
In its inaugural year and building on the programs of the former Office of Community and Multicultural Programs and the Hart Volunteer Center, the Draper Center for Community Partnerships fosters mutually beneficial exchanges among community members, students, faculty and staff in order to support educational outreach initiatives, community based research and learning and other community engagement activities.
On campus, the experiences, ideas and new perspectives that emerge from college community connections can expand the classroom; enhance critical thinking; encourage students to view themselves as change agents; develop student leadership; support the recruitment and retention of diverse students, faculty and staff; establish mentoring networks among diverse individuals; and help students refine the values and skills that will supportlifelong practices of social responsibility.
Off campus, these activities support the College’s responsibility and commitment to contribute to the surrounding communities in which we live and from which we receive intellectual, academic and staffing resources. The Draper Center reinforces existing ties and forges new ones between the College and other community organizations ensuring dynamic, mutually educational and constructive partnerships. Current educational outreach programs include America Reads, the Pomona College Academy for Youth Success (PAYS) and Pomona Partners. Community engagement programming includes alternative fall and spring break trips (Alternabreak) and episodic, weekly volunteer opportunities. An example of community based learning is the course: Theater for Young Audiences, a partnership between the Draper Center, the Department of Theatre and Dance and Fremont Middle School in the Pomona Unified School District.
The Draper Center for Community Partnerships was founded with a generous gift from Ranney E. Draper ’60 and Priscilla Draper and the Draper Family Foundation.
Curricular Support
The Libraries of The Claremont Colleges
The Libraries are partners with The Claremont Colleges in learning, teaching and research. Library resources are available to all members of The Claremont Colleges’ academic community. Librarians and staff provide assistance with locating and using both traditional and electronic information sources. The libraries also offer research assistance via email and instant messaging. One of the major activities of the libraries is teaching students how to find, evaluate and effectively use information. Research instruction for classes and other groups, as well as individual appointments for instruction and research assistance, may be scheduled with any of the librarians. Classes in Honnold/Mudd Library are held in the Keck Learning Room or Keck 2, the libraries’ hands-on classrooms.
The joint library resources of The Claremont Colleges include nearly 2.5 million volumes. The Libraries also have extensive holdings of journals, magazines and newspapers: they provide online electronic access to more than 50,000 titles and receive many current magazines and newspapers. The libraries’ large collection of electronic resources provides ready access to a wide variety of bibliographic, full-text and multimedia information. Through the Web, it is possible to search Blais, the online catalog, or any of hundreds of databases including services such as Lexis-Nexis Academic and ISI Web of Knowledge. Full-text resources include electronic books and journals, as well as specialized resources such as the ACM Digital Library, Congressional Quarterly Library and Grove’s Dictionary of Art Online. The Claremont Colleges Digital Library (CCDL) provides access to a growing number of digital collections from The Claremont Colleges, as well as from the libraries’ Special Collections. Digital collections such as Early English Books Online and North American Women’s Letters & Diaries make available thousands of additional primary source materials. Most of these resources are accessible via the Internet to students, faculty and staff of The Claremont Colleges in their dorms, labs, offices and homes, as well as in the libraries.
Honnold/Mudd Library is a depository for United States government publications, with a collection of historic documents dating back to the late 1700s and many recent publications in electronic formats. The government publications collection also has extensive holdings issued by the State of California, the United Nations, other international agencies and Great Britain. The Asian Studies Collection in Honnold/Mudd has a collection of materials in Chinese, Japanese and Korean languages. The libraries have a large collection of microforms, including long runs of newspapers, early printed books from England and the United States and anthropological source materials in the Human Relations Area Files.
There are many special collections in the libraries. Among the holdings in Special Collections at Honnold/Mudd are the Oxford Collection (books about the university and the city of Oxford) and the Renaissance Collection (volumes about the Italian Renaissance focusing on the life and work of Angelo Poliziano). The Westergaard and Bjork collections complement one another in providing important materials on Northern Europe, primarily Scandinavia and the Baltic area. Western Americana and Californiana are represented in several collections: the William Smith Mason Collection, the Wagner Collection of History and Cartography of the North Pacific, the William F. McPherson Collection of Western Americana, The Claremont Colleges Archives, a Claremont collection focusing on the city of Claremont, and a collection of materials on the water resources of Southern California. The Norman D. ’35 and Geraldine Womack ’36 Philbrick Library of Dramatic Arts and Theatre History is one of the world’s largest private collections chronicling the history of theatre from the 17th century to modern times. The Robert Burton Collection includes various editions of his Anatomy of Melancholy and most of the sources cited by Burton in his work. The John Dryden Collection features early editions of the author’s plays, poetry, criticism and works that he translated or to which he contributed a preface or commentary. The McCutchan Collection contains many rare books on American hymnology. The Irving Wallace Collection includes extensive materials used by the late author for his writings. Pomona collections in Special Collections include the Mason, Wagner, McPherson, Westergaard and Philbrick collections.
The Ida Rust Macpherson Collection at Denison Library features books on the history and achievements of women. Collections in Denison’s Rare Book Room focus on the history of the book, book arts, printing and literary presses. Contemporary fine printing collections include the archives of the Scripps College Press.
Services, including LINK+ and InterLibrary Loan, provide access to books, articles and other materials not held in the collections. The Libraries have membership in the Center for Research Libraries (CRL) in Chicago. All the collections at CRL are available for extended periods of time through InterLibrary Loan.
Close working relationships are maintained with the George C. Stone Center for Children’s Books, a division of Claremont Graduate University’s Center for Developmental Studies in Education, and with the libraries of affiliated institutions in Claremont. The Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden maintains a large botanical and horticultural library, as well as two large herbaria. The library of the Claremont School of Theology has strong collections in such subjects as Biblical studies, theology and church history.
Oldenborg Center for Modern Languages and International Relations
Oldenborg Center is a residential hall with an academic program that provides each student with formal and informal opportunities to improve or maintain foreign-language skills and to become acquainted with other cultures. It is staffed by a director, an assistant director, an administrative assistant and six Language Residents who are native speakers of French, German, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Russian and Spanish. The Language Residents, who live in apartments in the residence hall, coordinate student activities in the individual language living areas and teach intermediate and advanced conversation classes for academic credit.
Each year, the center sponsors a wide variety of international and intercultural activities, most of which are open to the entire campus community. These include the International Relations Colloquium (IRC), a luncheon lecture series featuring speakers on topics of current international interest, an international film series and special dinners featuring world cuisine and cultural entertainment. The Oldenborg Language Lunch Program provides students, faculty and staff members the opportunity to converse in more than 20 different languages each week. Tables for the six languages mentioned above meet daily, and other languages, such as Hebrew, Portuguese, Italian, Hindi-Urdu, Arabic, Swedish, Korean, Vietnamese, Hungarian, Swahili, Armenian, Farsi and Cantonese are scheduled once or twice a week depending on interest.
Special facilities available to residents of the center are the language lounges with foreign-language reading materials and television sets connected to satellite-dish antennas capable of receiving live international programming. Other special facilities include the Glass Memorial Conference Room, the International Theatre and two tutorial rooms equipped with computers, printers, software to learn foreign languages, TV monitors and international DVD and VCR players.
Foreign language tutoring and other resources are available in the state-of-the art Foreign Language Resource Center, which is located in Mason Hall but is central to Oldenborg’s academic programming mission. On campus, Oldenborg also offers the International Research and Travel Grant to Pomona students seeking to travel abroad in order to complete research necessary for their senior projects and it also coordinates the Model Arab League (MAL) and Model United Nations (MUN). Both programs give students the opportunity to engage in research, public speaking and debate in a diplomatic simulations.
Although the use of foreign languages is strongly encouraged in the living quarters and required at lunch tables, the common language of the center is English since the program is designed to enrich the residential life of the entire Pomona College student community. More than half of all Pomona students and faculty, as well as significant numbers of students and faculty from the other Claremont Colleges, participate in one or more aspects of the Oldenborg program, which is unique in the nation for its distinctive living/learning environment.
Hart Institute for American History
The Hart Institute for American History was established in 2000 with a gift from Gurnee F. Hart ’51 and Marjorie Hart. The institute’s purpose is to ground the study of broad and abiding themes in American history in the close reading of primary documents, a term defined broadly to include such sources as photographs, music, material culture and literary works, as well as traditional historical sources. The institute sponsors an annual lecture and workshop series, bringing distinguished scholars to campus for substantive discussions with students and faculty. Students interested in pursuing independent historical research are invited to apply for stipends from the Institute’s Summer Research Program. Students may also enroll in the History 125 (“Topics in American History”) seminars, which run in cooperation with the Hart Institute lecture series. ( See course listings under History Department .)
Pacific Basin Institute
A nonprofit, public foundation established in 1979, the Pacific Basin Institute (PBI) is dedicated to improving communication among the peoples of the Pacific Basin and to increasing knowledge of the cultures, as well as the politics and economics, of the Asia/Pacific nations. PBI moved to Pomona College in 1997. The Pacific Basin Archive of film and documentary video, greatly expanded from the footage used for PBI’s television series, “The Pacific Century,” puts at the disposal of Pomona students and faculty, as well as community members, a wealth of documentary and archival film and video material. These materials are also used by students and faculty from the other Claremont Colleges as well from institutions beyond Claremont. In cooperation with the Media Studies Department, the archive affords interested students opportunities to assist its work in film-editing, cataloguing and documentary film production. Notably, PBI sponsors a Student Summer Research Video Project which sends students abroad to film their video documentaries (available for viewing on our Website at www.pomona.edu/pbi). In addition to its film production activities, PBI sponsors a continuing series of conferences, workshops and lectures, featuring scholars, authors and public figures from the Asia Pacific region. PBI’s ongoing publication program of language translations, beginning with its Library of Japan series, is designed to offer works of Pacific Basin authors. PBI periodically publishes the results of its activities in the PBI/Pomona Forum, presenting the views of Pomona faculty, visiting lecturers and students to campus and community audiences. |
