Claremont McKenna College formally inaugurated William C. Dudley as its sixth president last Saturday, Nov. 7. Alongside an official installation ceremony, the weekend of celebrations featured a football game and a panel on leadership in higher education.
Claremont McKenna College
Forum on CMC’s lack of financial aid draws over 200 attendees
More than 200 students, staff and faculty members at Claremont McKenna College gathered for a forum to discuss financial aid and accessibility last Friday, Nov. 6. Student organizers Oscar Ponteri CM ’27 and Shiraz Smith CM ’27 said they aimed to encourage conversation about CMC’s affordability after recent declines in the college’s provision of need-based financial aid.
CMC admits historically low percentage of students on financial aid, lags behind peers in financial aid support
Claremont McKenna College admitted its lowest percentage of students on need-based financial aid last spring in more than 12 years. The statistic is part of a broader trend in data published by CMC that indicates the college is decreasing its financial aid coverage and lagging behind its peer institutions in financial aid investment. After four consecutive years of a steadily declining percentage of students receiving need-based financial aid, CMC reported an all-time minimum of 37.6% last year, according to CMC’s Common Data Set. A promotional pamphlet in CMC’s Office of Admissions said 33% of this year’s first-year class received need-based financial aid.
ASPC and ASCMC consider policy response to AI poster backlash
Student backlash over AI-generated promotional materials has prompted Associated Students of Pomona College (ASPC) and Associated Students of Claremont McKenna College (ASCMC) to reconsider their use of the technology, with the two student governments taking different approaches to regulation. ASPC is debating a proposed ban on AI use in external communications, with senators divided over enforcement and potential stipend reductions for violations. ASCMC’s executive board reached an informal agreement to avoid AI use but has not adopted a permanent policy.
In a pickle: CMC adds new signage clarifying pickleball courts are CMS only
Claremont McKenna College added new signage to its pickleball courts this week to affirm that they are exclusively meant for CMC, Harvey Mudd College and Scripps College students, faculty and staff. The signage was updated after the Associated Students of Claremont McKenna College (ASCMC) asked staff at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) Athletics about community members’ access to the courts.
CMC’s 1946 Challenge raises $1.4 million, breaks fundraising record
Claremont McKenna College raised $1.4 million in under two days last week, setting a donation record in its annual 1946 Challenge, a fundraising initiative to reach 1,946 donors in 1,946 minutes. Student phone bankers took part in the record-breaking campaign that led 2,060 donors to contribute over Oct. 14 and Oct. 15.
5Cs and student governments invest in U-Pass program amid Metrolink fare hike in prices
Metrolink, the commuter rail transport system across Southern California, raised fare prices on Oct. 5 for the first time in 13 years. In a press release, Metrolink said that “limited fare increases” are due to rising operational costs, decreased ridership and a lack of federal funding. One-way Metrolink fares rose by up to about 14%, while the weekday SoCal Day Pass rose from $15 to $19 and the weekend and holiday pass rose from $10 to $12. Metrolink maintained its 50% student discount, but students still had to pay more as the underlying fares increased.
Report finds four Claremont Colleges linked to ‘uncivil’ discourse programs with billionaire, anti-activist ties
A September report by higher education research collective UnCivil called out four Claremont Colleges for their ties to civil discourse programs it says embrace anti-activist agendas or are funded by billionaire-led conservative nonprofits: the College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, the Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) and BridgeUSA.UnCivil aims to map the donor networks and conceptual origins of the Civil Industrial Complex, or the series of conservative campus initiatives and private- and state-funded “civic thought” centers that claim to support civil discourse and viewpoint diversity.
CMC celebrates 50 years of co-education
From Sept. 25 to Sept. 26, Claremont McKenna (CMC) celebrated its 50th anniversary of co-education. CMC was initially founded as a men’s college in 1946, but officially opened enrollment to all genders in 1976. The Sept. 25 panel invited members from the class of 1980 — the first class of graduates that included women — to reflect on the historical evolution of CMC’s co-education, during which speakers emphasized the importance of accessible education to all genders. In interviews with TSL, some alumni explained what it was like to be women at CMC then and how that experience persists today.
Pomona, CMC and Harvey Mudd top U.S. News & World Report’s liberal arts college rankings
In the new U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges ranking, Claremont McKenna College (CMC) and Pomona College tied for third place, an increase from their joint seventh place spot last year. Harvey Mudd College also made its way into the top 10, ranking eighth. The publication considered “earnings by major” for the first time this year, a shift that placed greater emphasis on measurable post-graduate outcomes.