Pitzer College
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Pitzer College is a
History
Pitzer was founded in 1963 as a women's college by Russell K. Pitzer (1878–1978), a California citrus magnate, philanthropist, and Pomona College alumnus. In April 1963, John W. Atherton, the dean of faculty and a professor of English at Claremont Men's College (now Claremont McKenna College) was hired as Pitzer's first president, and over the next seventeen months he recruited students, faculty, and trustees and constructed Scott and Sanborn Halls just in time for the fall 1964 semester. During the College's first year, students and faculty created the curriculum and the school's system of governance. The College graduated its first class of students in 1965 and became co-educational in the fall of 1970.[6] The first academic term in the fall of 1964 began with eleven professors and 153 students from sixteen states and five countries. Pitzer's sixth president, Melvin L. Oliver, is the first African American to lead any of the five Claremont Colleges.
Presidents
- John W. Atherton (1963–1970)
- Robert H. Atwell (1970–1978)
- Frank L. Ellsworth (1979–1991)
- Marilyn Chapin Massey (1992–2002)
- Laura Skandera Trombley (2002–2015)
- Thomas Poon (2015–2016)
- Melvin L. Oliver (2016–2022)[7][8]
- Jill A. Klein (2022–2023)
Campus
Pitzer's campus is in Claremont, California, covering an area of approximately 35 acres (14 ha). The campus is located approximately 10 mi (16 km) west of
The Pitzer College campus occupies the northeast corner of the
Most
The campus also includes auditoriums, sports courts, and science buildings.
Located directly northwest of the main campus, the Robert J. Bernard Biological Field Station, a resource of The Claremont Colleges, is an 86-acre (35 ha) nature preserve consisting of coastal sage scrub.[17]
The Outback Preserve, located in the northeast section of campus, occupies just over three acres of the John Rodman Arboretum. The preserve is home to one of the rarest ecosystems in the world: Alluvial Sage Scrub. Undergoing ecological restoration as part of the Outback Restoration Project, the preserve is a living-learning laboratory. The project seeks to restore the Outback Preserve to a more intact alluvial sage scrub ecosystem, removing invasive plants and ensuring the success of native species. Each semester there are a small number of courses utilizing the Outback Preserve. Courses are open to all students at the Claremont Colleges.[18]
Pitzer owns and operates a 145-acre (59 ha) field station on secondary growth rainforest, the Firestone Center for Restoration Ecology. The facility is located approximately two kilometers east of Playa Dominical, Costa Rica.[19] The property borders the Hacienda Barú nature reserve.[20] The center is home to programs in Pitzer's science, language and international studies curricula.[21]
Rankings
Forbes[24] | 54 | |
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WSJ / College Pulse[25] | 77 |
The U.S. News & World Report College and University rankings 2022-2023 edition ranks Pitzer College as the 33rd best national liberal arts college overall, and tied for 108th in "Top Performers on Social Mobility" out of 216 evaluated liberal arts colleges.[26] In 2015, Pitzer was recognized nationally as the 8th most selective liberal arts college; 20th most selective among all college and universities; 44th in best freshmen retention rate; and 55th for highest proportion of classes with fewer than 20 students.[27][28][29][30][31]
In Forbes' 2019 college rankings, Pitzer was named 54th best among the 650 top-ranked colleges, universities and service academies in the U.S.[32] In addition, Pitzer was named the 44th best private college, the 22nd best liberal arts college, and the 11th best college in the West.[32]
Academics
As a member of the Claremont College Consortium, Pitzer students have access to nearly all facilities available to students enrolled at the other colleges, in addition to all facilities administered by the Claremont College Consortium. Any student attending Pitzer can enroll in classes at the other four colleges, and can complete an off-campus major if the major is not offered by Pitzer.
Pitzer offers 41 majors and 22 minors,[33] many of them cross-disciplinary, and each student is assigned a faculty advisor upon their arrival on campus. The college expects students to take an active part in planning their course of study and has few distribution requirements.[34] The most popular majors, based on 2021 graduates. were:[35]
- Research and Experimental Psychology (22)
- Environmental Science (20)
- Organizational Behavior Studies (18)
- Political Science and Government, General (18)
- Economics (17)
The student/faculty ratio is 10:1, and 100% of Pitzer's tenure-track faculty hold a Ph.D. or the terminal degree in their field.[34]
The college operates 58 study abroad programs, including 41 international exchanges and 6 domestic exchanges. Pitzer College also operates its own study abroad programs in Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Italy, Nepal, Tanzania/South Africa/Zimbabwe, and Vietnam.[36][37]
Pitzer has ranked as a top producer of Fulbright US Student Program awardees for 13 consecutive years thus far and is one of the nine baccalaureate institutes who have been top producers of Fulbright US students every year for at least the past decade.[38] From 2010 to 2015, The Chronicle of Higher Education listed Pitzer first in Fulbright Fellowships among all undergraduate institutions nationwide. In 11 of the 12 years from 2003 until 2015, Pitzer alumni received more Fulbright Fellowships per capita than alumni from any other college or university in the nation.[39]
Admission
2023[40] | 2019[41] | 2018[42] | 2017[43] | 2016[44] | 2015[45] | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Applicants | 4,415 | 4,358 | 3,753 | 4,142 | 4,149 | |
Admits | 605 | 581 | 608 | 569 | 559 | |
Admit rate | 13.7% | 13.3% | 16.2% | 13.7% | 13.5% | |
Enrolled | 276 | 273 | 262 | 268 | 267 | |
Yield rate | 45.6% | 47.0% | 43.1% | 47.1% | 47.8% | |
SAT range | 1350–1460 | 1340–1490 | 1310–1490 | 1300–1450 | 1250–1440 | |
ACT range | 30–33 | 30–33 | 29–32 | 29–32 | 29–32 |
Nearly two decades after becoming the first college on the West Coast to adopt an SAT-optional admission policy, Pitzer College switched to a test-free admission policy for at least three years, beginning with the admission cycle for fall 2022.
Student body
Pitzer College enrolls approximately 1000 students, making it the third largest of the five undergraduate Claremont Colleges (
Community involvement
The Pitzer College community is known for its involvement outside of the classroom. Its students, faculty, and staff donate over 100,000 hours to community service annually. The College has been named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll seven times.[48]
Much of Pitzer's community engagement occurs in the Community Engagement Center (CEC).[49] The CEC runs the Pitzer in Ontario Program, a comprehensive semester-long service learning and cultural immersion program with a strong theoretical foundation in the human sciences informed by the best practices in the field of experiential education. The program integrates extensive internship experiences in city, private or non-profit organizations with interdisciplinary coursework that provides the theoretical framework from which social and urban issues can be evaluated.[50]
At the
Pitzer College students including former
Events and traditions
Kohoutek Music and Arts Festival began in 1974 and is a student-run multi-day outdoor music and arts festival held each spring on the Pitzer campus. The event, which is free and open to all Claremont Colleges community members, is named after Comet Kohoutek. The festival generally includes student vendors, fire performances, a farmers market, and other activities.[54]
Orientation Adventure is the pre-Welcome Week program for incoming students. Usually, students go on an outdoor adventure trip.[55]
Murals provide unique visual atmosphere to Pitzer college. Murals are painted by students, staff, and guests artists on the interiors and exteriors of campus buildings. Diverse themes include portraits, politics, literature, and purely whimsical imagery.[56]
Snackie Snack occurs weekly, and is a free late-night snack served by the Pitzer Activities (PAct) Programming Board. During exam periods, Snackie Snack is served by the president and members of the cabinet.[57]
Reggae Fest began in 2003 as a fall concert event. Sometimes referred to as "BobFest", the event occurs during the first weekend in November and features
Student life
Club and intramural sports
Pitzer students also participate in the Claremont Colleges club sports programs that compete nationally. The school also has many options for intramural sports which are popular with the students body.[59][60]
Gold Student Health and Wellness Center
Originally opened in 1995, the Gold Student Health and Wellness Center was renovated and reopened in 2014. The Center is home to the College's gym, a yoga studio, a Pilates studio, and the student-run Shakedown Café. There is also incorporated club meeting space, multipurpose programming space, and the offices of some Student Affairs staff.[61]
Residential Life Project
The Residential Life Project is expected to be completed in three phases over the next 10 to 15 years. Phase I, which included Sanborn, Pitzer, and Atherton Halls, was completed and inaugurated in September 2007 and received
When Pitzer's Residential Life Project is complete, the College expects to become the first college in the nation to have all Gold or Platinum LEED certified residence halls.[64]
Student clubs and organizations
Pitzer has more than 50 student clubs and organizations on campus, in addition to over 200 others within the Claremont Colleges consortium.[65]
Athletics
Women's | Men's |
---|---|
Basketball | Baseball |
Cross country | Basketball |
Golf | Cross country |
Lacrosse | Football |
Soccer | Golf |
Softball | Soccer |
Swimming and diving |
Swimming and diving |
Tennis | Tennis |
Track and field | Track and field |
Volleyball | Water polo |
Water polo |
Pitzer's varsity athletics teams compete jointly with
Athletics history
Pitzer College began competing with Pomona College in 1970, when it was seven years old. The interim arrangement became permanent two years later.[74]
Cost and financial aid
For the 2015–16 academic year, tuition is $48,400, a double room is $8,770, the 16-per-week meal plan is $6,440.[75] About thirty-seven percent of Pitzer students receive financial assistance in loans, work study, scholarships, and/or institutional grants. Pitzer utilizes the Federal FAFSA and the CSS Profile to determine financial need, and Pitzer has stated a commitment to meeting 100% of every student's demonstrated financial need. The average financial aid package at Pitzer is $40,250. Since 2004, the College has significantly reduced the average amount of indebtedness of its students to $19,422, well below the national average of more than $35,000.[76][non-primary source needed]
Notable alumni
- Anne Archer 1969, actress
- Matthew Berkowitz, filmmaker
- David Bloom 1985, news anchor
- Max Brooks 1994, author and lecturer
- Dennis Cooper, writer and performance artist
- John Darnielle 1995, novelist and singer
- Kevin de León 2003, president of the California State Senate[77][78]
- Eric Douglas, actor and comedian
- Mablean Ephriam 1971, former prosecutor for the city of Los Angeles and actress
- Eli Erlick 2016, transgender activist
- Susan Feniger 1976, celebrity chef
- Tom Freund 1993, singer-songwriter and musician
- Amy Gerstler 1978, poet
- Steven González 1985, Chief Justice of the Washington State Supreme Court
- Jenniphr Goodman 1984, writer/director
- Matthew Karatz 1994, deputy mayor of Los Angeles
- John Landgraf 1984, FX Network president
- J.Lately (Jeremy Namkung) 2009, rapper[79]
- Dana Levin1987, poet
- Rocky Mountain Institute
- Setha Low 1969, anthropologist
- Jonah Matranga 1991, singer-songwriter
- Sandra Mitchell 1973, professor and philosopher of science
- Sharon Monsky 1975, founder of the Scleroderma Research Foundation
- Dee Mosbacher, documentary filmmaker, gay rights activist, and psychiatrist[80]
- U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 26th congressional district
- Matt Nathanson 1995, singer-songwriter and musician
- Ashwin Navin 1998, CEO of Sambaa
- Fabian Núñez, former Speaker of the California State Assembly
- Susan Patron 1969, author
- Sarah Penna 2006, entrepreneur
- Nick Simmons 2011, reality television personality
- Sophie Simmons reality television personality
- Michael Simpson 1986, producer/composer
- Rob Magnuson Smith 1991, author
- Debra Wong Yang 1981, former United States Attorney
Notable faculty
- Halford Fairchild, psychologist
- Judith Grabiner, mathematician[81]
- David Moore, psychologist[82]
- Gregg Popovich, men's basketball coach
- Dana Ward, political scientist
- Phil Zuckerman, sociologist[83]
See also
References
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