News Bites Week of March 3

Pitzer auditing study abroad programs

Pitzer’s administration will be conducting an audit of Pitzer’s study abroad programs to gauge attendance and interest, according to student senator Claire Wengrod PZ ’19, who authored a Pitzer Student Senate resolution proposing the audit.

Wengrod proposed the audit in response to dissatisfaction that students voiced to her via an anonymous survey. It seeks to gather a wide variety of data, Wengrod said.

Some statistics Wengrod is hoping to capture are the number of students who participated in each program in the last five years, the distribution of majors attending study abroad programs, the number of international students and students of marginalized identities attending study abroad programs, the most common majors to apply for non-approved programs and the support given to students of marginalized identities while studying abroad.

“After having people reach out to me, or filling out my anonymous survey that I posted via our student talk server, I felt like it was necessary to move forward with doing an audit,” she said.

The survey was circulated several times between late September and early October. Student responses to the survey indicated a dissatisfaction with a perceived lack of variety of programs offered, specifically those intended for STEM majors.

— Lilly Carden

Correction: An earlier version of this news bite stated that the study abroad office and committee would be conducting the audit. Wengrod and Pitzer Associate Vice President for International Programs Michael Ballagh clarified that multiple other divisions of Pitzer’s administration would be involved as well. The previous article also implied that dissatisfaction had been voiced directly to the study abroad office and committee, rather than to Wengrod via her survey. TSL regrets these errors.

Pomona undergoing numerous staffing changes in deans’ offices

Pomona College is in the process of hiring and promoting several staff members in the Dean of Students and Dean of the College offices.

The Dean of Students office is hiring a director of disability services who will begin this fall, a role previously filled by Associate Dean Jan Collins-Eaglin, Dean of Students Avis Hinkson said during a March 6 faculty meeting.

Pomona is also working with search firm Koya Leadership Partners to locate a new Career Development Office director and new senior associate dean of students for wellness and personal success to replace Collins-Eaglin, who is transitioning out of the role, Hinkson said in an email to students.

The search firm will meet with students March 14.

Tony Boston, currently an associate dean of the college, will take over Associate Dean Nicole Weekes’ role focusing on diversity issues, according to Dean of the College Audrey Bilger.

Physics professor David Tanenbaum will also become an associate dean, Bilger said at the faculty meeting.

— Marc Rod

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