Trays of Italian food and a roaring fireplace greeted the 30 students who provided their feedback on the Claremont Colleges Chaplaincy at the McAlister Center on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
The student session was part of an external review of Religious and Spiritual Life requested by 7C presidents in March, after Father Joe Fenton’s contentious departure from the Catholic chaplaincy position last October and The Claremont Colleges Services’ (TCCS) subsequent attempt to terminate the Catholic chaplaincy.
Students were asked to provide input on how The Claremont Colleges Services (TCCS) supports religious life at the 7Cs. They came on behalf of organizations including the 5C InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Catholic Student Association, Claremont Christian Fellowship, Hillel and Chabad. All campuses but Pitzer and the Keck Graduate Institute were represented.
Lucas Lemos HM ’26 was one of the students in attendance. He said there was a “mercenary-like attitude” from attendees in advocating for their religious groups and interests due to TCCS’ proposal last year to combine both the Catholic and Protestant chaplaincies into a single Christian chaplaincy, thus leaving a position open to establish a new Dharmic or humanist chaplaincy.
“The tone has been set by TCCS, that’s like, ‘We’re going to try and cut one of you — who’s on the chopping block?’” Lemos said.
But students did commend TCCS on cultivating an environment for students to find community around faith. Ava Neal SC ’28 is an Interfaith Student Assistant at the Chaplains Office, as well as a Buddhist. She was heartened to hear the positive feedback.
“It made me really happy to hear that students from various groups found it to be such a safe space,” she said. “The way that it’s so utilized by people from all different backgrounds, I’ve kind of gotten to witness that from behind the front desk. Hearing people rave about the chaplains and the space in that way was really nice.”
Neal said all of her spiritual guidance prior to coming to the 5Cs was through books, online teachers and occasional retreats. So when she arrived at the colleges, she was excited to have the chaplains and staff at TCCS immediately embrace her and be eager to hear about her religious beliefs.
Despite there not being a specific Dharmic chaplain, Neal noted the interfaith nature of the chaplaincy and how Protestant chaplain Rev. Dr. Joel Daniels also serves the Buddhist community.
“All of their job titles are interfaith chaplains, and I think that’s a really cool approach, and for me, that works,” she said. “I do feel more represented than ever.”
Students also said TCCS was not the most front-facing or visible organization on campus. In response, Neal said she hopes to start a McAlister newsletter where Chaplains and student organizations can share their events.
Professor of Mathematics at Claremont McKenna College Lenny Fukshansky is a co-chair of the Committee on Religious Affairs (CORA), an advisory body at the Claremont Colleges. Last year, CORA criticized TCCS for not involving them in discussions about restructuring the Chaplaincy.
TCCS responded in a March press release, saying CORA does not have “oversight” or “purview” over any such changes in the Chaplaincy. Fukshansky said CORA never claimed to have that authority.
“We don’t pretend to make decisions,” he said. “However, we do feel that we have something to contribute, and at least in the past, we have always been consulted.”
But Fukshansky did emphasize the experience of CORA’s members with previous chaplaincy reviews and structural changes, with members including medieval studies professor Kenneth Baxter Wolf, who chaired the last chaplaincy review in 2015.
He hopes TCCS starts involving CORA more to consult on chaplaincy issues.
“I would greatly appreciate the TCCS administration recognizing the importance and the institutional knowledge that CORA carries, and collaborating with CORA more closely than has happened,” he said.
At the student session, multiple students affirmed the need to instate permanent Catholic and Jewish chaplains. Rev. Fr. Vitus Mbamalu has been serving as interim Catholic chaplain since October of this year. Rabbi Salomon Gruenwald also began his service this fall.
One student noted that while religious student organizations are strong at the 7Cs, even the most passionate student leaders end up graduating and cycling out, whereas a permanent chaplain can offer constant support.
One major complaint from students was TCCS’ alleged mistreatment of Religious Affiliates, who oversee and support religious student organizations at the 7Cs, citing how they do not have swipe access at the McAlister Center and cannot get discounted meals with students at the dining halls.
Fukshansky expressed similar sentiments, stating that Religious Affiliates “often have sort of second-class citizen status when it comes to access to campus” and the ability to provide service in an official capacity.
Lemos said that despite an “eggshell-like” atmosphere, which led to students not being fully comfortable admitting all of their qualms with TCCS, a broad consensus was reached around the issue of Affiliates, with students requesting TCCS to grant them swipe access and discounted meals.
External reviewers Dr. Vanessa Gomez Brake and Fr. Albert Duggan guided the student session in person. Rev. Janet Cooper Nelson is also part of the review board, but was unable to attend in person.
Fukshansky said the reviewers hosted two similar sessions with faculty and staff to discuss religious life at the 7Cs, with a third scheduled to happen on Friday over Zoom. He also noted that they did not schedule time to meet with CORA individually.
The overall review will focus on “the organizational structure of Religious and Spiritual Life, interfaith services and programming, and the Religious Affiliates program,” according to TCCS communications officer Laura-Muna Landa in an October press release to TSL.
Fr. Duggan said during the session that the reviewers aim to submit a final report to the 7C presidents by December.
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