Campus Life

Pomona College students pursue many academic and co-curricular interests and come from various social and geographic backgrounds. 

Students at Pomona enjoy both the intimacy of a small residential college and the university atmosphere of The Claremont Colleges. Interaction with Pomona professors is greater and more frequent than at a large university; at the same time, Pomona students have the libraries and multiple student services of the colleges in Claremont, which together enroll more than 7,000 students.

The majority of Pomona students live on campus all four years and take their meals in campus and consortium dining halls. Life outside the classroom is centered in continued learning within residence hall communities, student organizations, community engagement, athletics and intramural sports and various identity-based student mentor groups. 

Resources and Services

Campus Living and Dining

There are 15 residence halls. Various types of accommodations include single, double, and triple rooms and suites. First-year students are assigned rooms on south campus. The residence hall staff includes residence life coordinators, student resident advisors, head sponsors and sponsors. The Residence Hall Committee—a group of students and administrators—is responsible for proposing changes in residence hall policy to the Student Affairs Committee.

The board program options for 2022-23 include the Ultimate Meal Plan with $200.00 Board Plus Dollars for students living in College-sponsored housing or the 10 Meal Plan with $100.00 Board Plus Dollars for students living off-campus.

A faculty meal plan provides for faculty to join students in the dining halls at the expense of the College, for two meals a week. 

Health and Counseling

The Student Health Service (SHS) and Monsour Counseling and Psychological Services (MCAPS) are located in the Robert E. Tranquada Student Services Center, which is in front of Honnold Library. SHS is open when classes are in session and during the summer break. MCAPS is open each semester when classes are in session. The Student Health Service provides care for both acute as well as chronic health conditions, along with preventive care such as physicals and immunizations. Consultation and outpatient treatment by the physicians, nurse practitioners and nurses are available to students by appointment at no charge. There are minimal charges for walk-in visits, medications, X-rays, laboratory tests, special procedures, and supplies. Students may opt to pay at the time of service or have the cost charged to their student account. Referral for subspecialty consultation, hospitalization and surgery can be arranged by SHS but will not be financed by the College—payment is the student’s responsibility. All students must have a health history and entrance physical on file to use the services. These forms are required for initial admission to Pomona College as a first-year or transfer student. Forms completed by a family member/relative who is an M.D./nurse practitioner will not be accepted. All students’ records are confidential. Medical records are not made available to anyone without the student’s permission. The Student Health Service maintains a website where more information about medical services can be accessed.

Monsour Counseling and Psychological Services assist students facing personal and emotional challenges. MCAPS provides short-term individual therapy, medication evaluation, group therapy and referrals to other mental health resources. The following programs and services are offered at Monsour Counseling and Psychological Services: short-term individual counseling, psychiatric medication management, screening for anxiety and depression, support for students with learning disabilities and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), groups and workshops, consultation and referrals to community clinicians, crisis intervention, campus outreach programs and after-hours emergency consultation. Students who have personal concerns, psychological or emotional distress or who simply wish to talk with someone are welcome. There is no charge for the services of psychologists or a consulting psychiatrist at MCAPS. No show appointments with a psychiatrist are subject to a $15 charge. It is understood that a relationship formed with MCAPS clinical staff is confidential.

The College does not assume responsibility for the medical or psychological care of its students beyond the capacity of its health and counseling facilities. Student Health Insurance is available to students for purchase through The Claremont Colleges Services (TCCS). All incoming students are automatically enrolled in the TCCS Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). Students may waive out of the plan by submitting proof of comparable insurance. International students are required to purchase the TCCS plan. Designed to supplement the care provided by the health and counseling services, the TCCS Student Health Insurance Plan includes benefits for psychological services, accidental injuries, hospitalization, surgery, doctor visits in the hospital, emergency care and ambulance services. Premiums for coverage are listed in an insurance-plan brochure mailed to each student. Information is also available from the Student Health Service.

Chaplains

The Chaplains serve as confidential spiritual counselors and provide ethical leadership to the seven schools of The Claremont Colleges. Located in the McAlister Center, our Chaplains include a Pastor, a Priest, a Rabbi, and an Imam. Each of the Chaplains encourages and supports all religious and spiritual student groups and communities on campus. The Chaplains are here to strengthen individual faith and promote interfaith relations by offering religious support and engagement opportunities and to foster a faith community for students as they pursue their education.

Please join us for our diverse holiday celebrations throughout the year, our weekly programs that support several religious traditions or simply to enjoy a quiet space to meditate and pray.

The Chaplains are located at the McAlister Center for Religious Activities, 919 N. Columbia Ave.

Contact the office by phone at (909) 621-8685, or email chaplains@claremont.edu.

Services for Students of African Descent

The Office of 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, administrators and alumni of the Claremont consortium of colleges to ensure a comprehensive consideration and creation of services that complement our students’ stellar education with culturally significant scholarship, programming and events. We offer individual and small group consulting and mentoring to advance our students’ academic, professional and personal excellence. In addition to academic and career advising, professional development and leadership training stand as a centerpiece of OBSA’s mission.

Recognizing the collective and individual diversity of the student communities we serve, OBSA explores the breadth of African diasporic life and culture through a wide range of opportunities. These occasions include hosting prominent guest speakers, cultural celebrations and community education workshops.

All students of African descent are encouraged to participate in the programs and services we offer. Along with providing assistance and opportunities while earning their degrees, we aim to support the realization of the students’ highest aspirations.

OBSA is located at 139 E. Seventh Street and can be reached by phone at (909) 607-3669.

Services for Asian American and Pacific Islander Students

The Asian American Resource Center’s (AARC’s) mission is to build a stronger sense of Asian Pacific Islander Desi American community, raise awareness of issues affecting Asian American and Pacific Islanders and Desi Americans, develop student leadership and act as a resource for the campus community. The AARC also houses the Asian American Advisory Board (AdBoard) which convenes Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) mentor groups across the Claremont Colleges. We organize our work around three guiding principles:

Engagement

The AARC seeks to engage the Pomona College primarily, as well as the larger Claremont Colleges community. We actively target various people and groups through our programs and other opportunities for collaboration. We seek to put on informed programming that appeal to many different audiences. We’ve also held study breaks, film screenings and have invited experts to speak on many topics related to the Asian American community and experience. In 2018, the AARC launched an APIDA Alternabreak program which exposes a cohort of students to current issues and social movement of urban regions in California. The AARC also seeks and creates opportunities to co-program with other offices and organizations at Pomona College and across The Claremont Colleges.  

Production of Resources

The AARC seeks to support the production of new research, periodicals and videos that help to inform the community of various topics and issues relevant to the Asian American and Pacific Islander experience. We maintain a blog and collect oral histories of APIDA communities in the Inland Empire.  

Service

The AARC is committed to engaging the Inland Valley and Los Angeles Asian American and Pacific Islander community through service. We believe that participation in the local community will help to enhance the educational experience that our students receive while at the same time promoting responsibility and accountability to community building. Our service programs are:

• Saturday Tongan Education Program (STEP) serves the Inland Empire’s Tongan community by providing academic support, cultural connections, leadership development, and other opportunities to explore personal identity. STEP is one of the few resources available to Inland Empire’s Tongan community. Through tutoring, STEP works towards the community’s empowerment and self-determination.

• Motivating Action Leadership and Opportunity (MALO) is a nonprofit organization that serves Tongan Americans in the Inland Empire area through youth mentorship, job readiness, resource literacy, and cultural gathering events.  MALO is a core partner with AARC and students have interns, volunteered, and supported MALO in different capacities. 

The Asian American Mentor Program (AAMP) is a peer mentoring program established to support first-year and transfer APIDA students to adjust to college life. AAMP provides a solid base of social, academic and emotional support for students by fostering one-on-one relationships and organizing small-group activities and campus-wide events.

The AARC is located at the Smith Campus Center in Suite 240. For information about programs, contact (909) 621-8639 or visit the AAMP website.

Services for Chicano/Latino Students

The Chicano Latino Student Affairs (CLSA) Center supports student development through educational, professional, social, and cultural programming. CLSA seeks to build community through various activities and events designed to bring together students from the Claremont Colleges. Their anchor programs include the New Student Retreat, Latino Heritage Month, Dia de los Muertos, Dia de la Virgen, the Dolores Huerta + César Chávez Commemoration Program, along with monthly coffee with the CLSA deans, study breaks, and guest lectures that help students engage our greater campus community in a myriad of ways. Moreover, the CLSA’s Peer Mentor Program creates a sense of belonging for incoming Latinx students across the Colleges.

All students are welcome to participate in our programming. Our Center is located on the 2nd floor of the Tranquada Student Service Building, at 757 College Way, Claremont, CA 91711l. To contact CLSA, you can email staff at clsa@claremont.edu, call (909) 621-8044, or visit our website: https://services.claremont.edu/clsa/.

Services for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex and Asexual/Agender Students

The mission of the Queer Resource Center (QRC) of The Claremont Colleges is to empower each lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual/agender (i.e., LGBTQIA+) person to have a positive college experience, grow as a self-aware individual and be a responsible community member. The QRC does this through enlivening our physical space, providing quality programming, building strong relationships, encouraging personal growth, advocating for services, creating a brave space and documenting history. In working towards these goals, the QRC recognizes and actively addresses the diversity within and beyond our expansive queer and trans communities. This includes, but is not limited to, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, sex, class, religion, ability and the many intersections within these identities. The QRC provides year-round Ally Trainings for Claremont College students, faculty and staff and offers students mentorship opportunities through QQMP (i.e., Queer and Questioning Mentor Program), LEGS (i.e., Leadership and Engagement in Gender and Sexuality), and QSAFE (i.e., Queer Staff and Faculty Engagement) mentor programs to connect with queer life on and off-campus. To learn more about how to get involved with QQMP and LEGS and to keep updated on what we offer throughout the academic year, follow us on Instagram: @TheQRC and through our Instagram Linktree. You can also sign up for our listserv.

Major programming efforts include planning social, educational and social justice advocay programs including but not limited to queer faculty and staff luncheons, gaymer nights, queer cooking and movie nights, letter writing campaigns, events focused on queer, trans, and intersex Black, Indigenous and people of color (i.e., QTIBIPOC), Gaypril events and Lavender Graduation for graduating students. The Assistant Dean, Director and Assistant Director are available to meet with students during weekly office hours at the QRC and host drop-in hours across the colleges.  The Director, Bri Sérráno, is also a confidential resource and you can email them at bri.serrano@pomona.edu to schedule a meeting.

The QRC provides co-sponsorship funding for conferences and collaborative programming, a large library collection of LGBTQIA+-related DVD’s and books for check-out, a free clothing closet and offers referrals to LGBTQIA+ resources and services on and off-campus. The QRC is equipped with a full kitchen and card-swipe access so students can access the space from 9:00AM to 11:00PM, seven days a week. There is an accessibility door on the back side of the QRC which can be accessed during business hours 9:00AM-5:00PM, Monday-Friday. The lounge can be used and reserved for student club meetings, hosting events and programming, or used for doing homework/studying with friends. The QRC is launching a binder and tucking underwear program for students who can’t afford these items in the 2024-2025 academic year.

Policy Making, Student Conduct and Regulations

When students live together in a residential environment, as they do at Pomona College, it is necessary to establish policies concerning campus life.

Policy Making

The College values the experience and judgment of faculty and students in the management of college life. For this reason, many of the policy-forming committees of the College have both faculty and students as voting members. Students serve on the following committees: Admissions, Academic Procedures, Communications, Curriculum, Study Abroad, Public Events, Student Affairs and the Women’s Commission. There is student representation on four committees of the Board of Trustees: Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Buildings and Grounds and Institutional Advancement.

The College attempts to maintain a campus environment conducive to the personal and intellectual development of its students. Formulating policy for non-academic life and for developing, administering and enforcing the necessary regulations has been delegated through the president to the faculty. The committee charged with this responsibility is the Student Affairs Committee, which consists of five administrative officers and faculty members, the president and vice president of the Associated Students of Pomona College (ASPC), two other representatives from the ASPC Senate and a Student-at-Large.

Student Conduct

All Pomona College students electronically sign an agreement to abide by established community standards of Pomona College and to abide by its general practices that ensure an environment conducive to living and learning.

The basic philosophy governing conduct is that each student shares responsibility with peers, faculty, staff and administrators for the development and maintenance of community standards that contribute to the welfare of the entire Pomona College community.

Individually, students must bear full responsibility for their conduct, both within and beyond the confines of the campus. The College expects students to abide by local, state and federal laws, and to govern their conduct with concern for the entire community. Behavior on or off the campus that is contrary to the welfare of the College community may result in disciplinary action.

Pomona College’s disciplinary authority has been delegated by the Board of Trustees to the faculty, which exercises this responsibility through the Student Affairs Committee. The Judiciary Council, acting under a constitution approved by the Student Affairs Committee, is a student body chaired by a student. It holds primary authority for the discipline of students in nonacademic matters and is empowered to take action up to and including expulsion from the College.

Regulations and Policies

The Pomona College Student Handbook contains specific regulations governing student conduct and academic life and is electronically distributed to students at the beginning of the academic year. The following are some regulations of general interest.

Students are required to live in a residence hall, unless an exception is made in the statement offering admission. After the second year, some exceptions are made to the policy on residential living, although the College generally expects its students to live on campus and to participate in the life of the College. Students who live on campus are required to take one of the meal plan options offered in the dining halls.

The College does not assume responsibility for loss or damage to students’ personal property. Parents and students should inspect their own insurance policies and determine whether the limits are sufficient to cover the student’s belongings in Claremont. Students living on campus are liable for all damages to or losses from their rooms, and all students are liable for damage they cause in public areas.

Pomona reserves the right to dismiss from residence or to withdraw dining privileges from any student who becomes an undesirable occupant. Room or board fees will be refunded on a prorated basis.

Students who wish to live off campus must make formal application to the Housing & Residence Life Office. Students who are married, have children or have health problems may be granted permission to move off campus. Students who have chosen a room and later request and receive authorization to live off campus will receive a refund of one-half the semester room and board charges.

First-year students are not allowed to bring cars to campus. Every student living on or off campus who plans to own or maintain an automobile, motorcycle, motor scooter or motorbike on the campuses of The Claremont Colleges is required to register the vehicle with Campus Safety at the beginning of each semester or within three days after the vehicle is driven in Claremont. There is a registration fee. When registering a vehicle for on-campus use, the student receives a booklet of information and regulations for which he or she is responsible. Parking and traffic regulations are outlined in the handbook.

All Claremont Colleges’ students who bring bicycles to the campus are required by law to license them with the State of California. Registration of serial numbers and descriptions expedites recovery of lost or stolen bicycles. Student bicycle registrations may be obtained at the Campus Safety Office free of charge.

Student Organizations and Activities

A wide variety of academic, social, political and other interest groups are represented on campus. Activities and organizations change from year to year as interests change. The most current listing of registered student organizations can be found on Engage, via the Engage link on my.pomona.edu. 

Associated Students of Pomona College

The Associated Students of Pomona College (ASPC), with officers elected by the student body, participates in the governance of the College by representing the students to the administration and faculty and by appointing students to a wide range of College-wide committees and boards. The Senate is the governing body of the ASPC and is responsible for administering the affairs and properties of the Associated Students. The Senate consists of the President, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Finance, Vice President for Student Affairs, Commissioners representing areas of interest and Representatives representing classes and residential areas. The ASPC Senate coordinates student activities and allocates funds collected from student fees. These funds go to a wide variety of student clubs and organizations, including The Student Life, KSPC, the Women’s Union and the Pomona Events Committee (PEC). The Senate supports several student services, including the New York Times program, the airport rideshare program and the poster lab. The Senate also operates the Coop Store located in the Smith Campus Center.

Co-curricular Activities

Under the leadership of the Associated Students of Pomona College, the ASPC Commissioners, Senators and the committees on which they serve arrange many of the activities on campus and in the community. Pomona’s array of student organizations includes publications, religious, cultural, academic and social groups. Pomona students also participate in a range of five-college organizations.

The Pomona Events Committee (PEC) is the programming board of the Associated Students. Chaired by the Commissioner of Campus Events, PEC is responsible for providing social and cultural programs and activities for the College community. Committees of PEC are organized by the types of events (e.g., annual events, off-campus events, multicultural events, social events and live music). Committee chairs are selected in the spring, following student-body elections. Participation in PEC committees is open to all interested students.

Student Publications. The Student Life, established in 1889, is the oldest college newspaper in Southern California. Other student publications include The Claremont Business Review, The Claremont Journal of Law and Public Policy, The Claremont Journal of International Affairs, and Hear, Here.

Broadcast Media and Film. KSPC is an FM radio station owned by Pomona College and operated by students from each of The Claremont Colleges. Its broadcasting range encompasses the Los Angeles basin. KSPC is also streamed online via www.kspc.org and mobile apps. The station provides all interested students with broadcasting experience; students and community volunteers host a variety of music and talk shows. Students interested in television participate in Claremont Colleges TV (CCTV), a student run online television channel.  Students interested in filmmaking participate in Studio47, a student run organization that provides filmmaking equipment and training workshops.

Honorary Fraternities. The following honorary fraternities are based at Pomona College: California Gamma Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; Gamma Chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta sociology fraternity; California Alpha Chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon national honorary mathematical fraternity; Delta Phi Alpha, a local chapter of the national honorary German society; Pi Sigma Alpha honorary society in political science; Psi Chi honorary psychology fraternity; Sigma Delta Pi, a Spanish national honor society; and Sigma Xi, the scientific research society.

Local Social Fraternities and Sororities. From the early days of the College, Pomona has sponsored a system of local fraternities. There are two, one of which has women members: Kappa Delta and Sigma Tau. As these fraternities do not own houses, most fraternity members live in the residence halls.

Dance

The Dance Program at Pomona, which exists as part of the Theatre and Dance Department, offers a modern dance-based curriculum supported by courses in ballet, history, theory and several cultural styles. Students from the five undergraduate Claremont Colleges, regardless of major concentration, have the opportunity to audition for participation in informal student productions, as well as faculty-student concerts. The annual Pomona Spring Dance Concert features choreography by renowned artists, faculty and senior dance majors.

Music

The Pomona College Orchestra, College Choir, Glee Club, Gospel Choir, College Band, Jazz Ensemble, Balinese Gamelan, other non-Western ensembles and chamber-music groups offer opportunities for regular participation and public performance.

Through the Department of Music, students, faculty members and visiting artists give public recitals on campus.

The Geiger Fund, an endowment established by Hector Geiger in memory of his wife, Elizabeth McLeod Geiger; Mitchell Fund, established in memory of Robert Mitchell ‘23; and Hanson Fund, a gift from H. Endicott Hanson ‘26 and Alice Schulz Hanson, enable the College to bring distinguished musicians to campus.

Theatre

The Pomona College Department of Theatre serves as the theatre program for all five of the Claremont Colleges.  The Department continues a long and lively tradition of studying and producing important dramatic works from around the world.  Students can participate in all aspects of the department’s dynamic production program as performers, designers and technicians, directors, playwrights, dramaturges and/or audience members.  A bequest by Charles and Marion Holmes enables the department to enrich its curriculum with guest artists, companies and teachers.

Athletics

Pomona College, in concert with Pitzer College, join to form the Pomona-Pitzer Intercollegiate Athletic Program and compete together as the Sagehens. Pomona-Pitzer competes in Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC).

Pomona-Pitzer Athletics offers 21 varsity NCAA Division III athletics teams, 10 for men and 11 for women. Varsity sports: There are men’s teams in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field and water polo; and women’s teams in basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, swimming, track and field, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball and water polo.

The Sagehens have enjoyed recent success at the national level with the men’s cross country team earning their 3^rd NCAA National Championship in four years as well as the 2^nd national championship for women’s water polo. Pomona-Pitzer has sustained athletic and academic excellence at the highest levels of Division III and continue to find themselves highly ranked in the Learfield IMG Directors’ Cup with their second highest finish in 2024 at 154th place.

A Faculty Committee on Athletics, appointed by the president of the College, serves in an advisory capacity to the athletic director and as liaison between the department and the faculty at large.

The department has established regulations concerning the use of physical education facilities. Recreational users of the equipment and facilities do so at their own risk. They should carry accident insurance available through the College Health Service or through a plan of their own choice. Those who participate on varsity teams must present evidence of coverage, other than the College plan, before checking out equipment or practicing with a team. Physical examinations and other compliance documents are required of all student athletes prior to participation on intercollegiate athletic teams.

Club Sports/Intramurals Office

The Claremont Colleges have established two offices, under the administrative supervision of the Physical Education departments at Pomona College and Claremont McKenna College, to assist club sports teams in scheduling fields and facilities for practice and competition. The combined Claremont Colleges offer student-organized club sports teams in badminton, cycling, fencing, women’s flag football, women’s field hockey, men’s lacrosse, rugby, men’s volleyball and ultimate frisbee.

Although the major emphasis is on competition within the SCIAC conference and with selected schools of the Haverford Group consortium, qualified students or teams may advance to competition at NCAA regional or national playoffs and championships.

The offices schedule and provide a trainer to attend home events for selected sports. To be eligible to use a Claremont Colleges’ field or facility or receive funding assistance from the associated student governments, a club sport must be registered with the Office of Intramural, Club and Recreational Sports and the Smith Campus Center Office. The directors for intramural, club and recreational sports are available to assist in the registration process by maintaining copies of all required records, forms and waivers and will coordinate the scheduling and use of fields and facilities. Individual club sports are responsible for their own funding, membership, coaches/advisors, equipment and transportation. Copies of The Claremont Colleges Club Sports Handbook are available in the club sports offices.

Intramurals. The College also sponsors an extensive intramural program. Schedules are arranged for men’s, women’s and coeducational teams in activities ranging from beach volleyball to flag football to inner-tube water polo. Competition centers around the dormitory leagues, but some competition also occurs in independent leagues and at individual meets.