December 2011 E-Newsletter

Upcoming Regional Events

To get more information or register for any of the events listed below, please visit the Alumni Association Events page or send an email message to the Alumni Relations Office.

Winter Break Parties

These annual events provide alumni, students and parents an opportunity to gather and connect with other members of the Pomona College family in their local communities. This year, we hope you will be able to join us at one of the events being held in the following locations:

Austin, TX - January 4, 2012
New York, NY - January 5, 2012
Boston, MA - January 7, 2012
Denver, CO - January 7, 2012
San Diego, CA - January 8, 2012
Menlo Park, CA - January 8, 2012
Phoenix, AZ - January 10, 2012
Washington, DC - January 12, 2012
San Francisco, CA - January 12, 2012

More locations may be added! Make sure to check the Alumni Events page for updates.

January 9, 2012 - San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art.
Tour and reception with artist Helen Pashgian '56. For more information, click here.

January 21, 2012 - "Performance at Pomona"
In conjunction with the "It Happened at Pomona" exhibition and as part of the Pacific Standard Time Performance and Public Art Festival, "Performance at Pomona" consists of a series of three performance pieces by artists represented in each of the three segments of the exhibition. For more information, please click here.

Alumni Weekend 2012

April 26 - 29, 2012
Mark your calendar now, and prepare to return to Claremont and reconnect with your classmates and the campus. In 2012, for the first time ever, all 5 colleges will be hosting their Alumni Weekends at the same time - this is the year to be here!

Work Authorization Requirements Stir Campus Unrest

These last few weeks have been difficult ones for the Pomona College community. Last fall, an investigation of the College’s hiring practices revealed deficiencies in the work authorization documents of 84 College employees. As this normally confidential personnel matter has become public, it has also raised questions and created divisions on campus.

The situation began with a complaint from a College employee to the leadership of Pomona’s Board of Trustees alleging that President David Oxtoby and his administration had a long-standing policy of not asking new employees to demonstrate their authorization to work, as required by law. The resulting investigation involved a College-wide audit of legal work authorization documents, which brought to light deficiencies in the files of 84 employees. Most of these cases were subsequently resolved as employees provided updated documentation, but in the case of 17 employees, proper documentation was not provided and, as required by law, the College had no choice but to end their employment.

During this difficult process, the College offered as much support as possible to the affected employees while complying with the law, including the offer of independent legal assistance, at College expense. For each person whose employment was ultimately terminated as a result of this situation, the College provided severance benefits based on years of service, as well as a continuation of current health care coverage at College expense.

For more information on the process and events, click here.

"The Liberal Arts Shall Set You Free"

President David Oxtoby and the College as a whole welcomed the class of 2015 with convocation exercises in Bridges Hall of Music on August 30, 2011. This year, the keynote speaker was Professor Elizabeth Crighton, who discussed "The Liberal Arts Shall Set You Free." To read and/or watch her speech, please click here.

Pomona College Events in Asia

In October, President David Oxtoby and his wife Claire, VP for Advancement Chris Ponce, and Regional Director Catherine Okereke went on an eight-day tour of Asia, which included Campaign events in Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. Trustee Bernie Chan '88 hosted the Hong Kong event and joined the travelers in Singapore. To read more about this trip and see photos, click here.

Los Angeles School Named for Julian Nava ’51

On Wednesday, November 30, Julian Nava ’51 was on hand in Los Angeles for a great honor and celebration: The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new middle school named after him. The Dr. Julian Nava Learning Academy on Adams Boulevard in Los Angeles is a unique middle school for students seeking specific learning paths. Housed in a new building that opened to students in September, the Academy is actually three schools focusing on science, business and technology, and arts and music, with three separate principals and staffs - similar to our own consortium. To learn more about the school and Julian Nava, click here.

Pomona Students Bring Their Best Pop Culture Debates to the Blogosphere

What happens when seven opinionated Pomona seniors decide to unleash their perspectives on popular culture into the blogosphere? The result is a compilation of sharp, analytical and eloquent tirades on Robyn, Bon Iver, Modern Family, and everything in between. To learn more about the collection of essays on popular music, movies and television from contributors Samuel Cheney '12, Nick Hurwitz '12, Max Lebo '12, Professor Jonathan Lethem, Ariana Mygatt '13, Luca Rojas '12, Julius Taranto '12 and John Thomason '12 that make up "Another Thing That Interests Me," click here.

Pomona College Summer Undergraduate Research Program Awarded $247,500

Pomona College has been awarded a $247,500 grant from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation Science Education Program for the College’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP). Opportunities for undergraduate students to engage in hands-on research are one of the hallmarks of a Pomona College education. The Sherman Fairchild grant will fund 15 students each year from 2012-2014, for projects in biology, chemistry, molecular biology, neuroscience, physics/astronomy, geology and environmental analysis. To learn more about the grants and the SURP program, click here.

The Sagehen Report: Weekly Athletic Updates

Each week, The Sagehen Report provides concise and timely updates on the latest athletic achievements of Pomona-Pitzer student-athletes. You will find the postings in the News section of the Pomona website. To catch up on the latest news from our fields, tracks and courts, click here.

Kara Murphy Joins the Alumni Relations Staff

In November, Kara Murphy joined the Alumni Relations team at the Seaver House as an Assistant Director. Kara is a Princeton alumna who has worked as the director of alumni and annual giving at The American Boychoir School in Princeton, NJ since her graduation. She has recently relocated back to Southern California where she used to live. Kara will be focusing on young alumni and student outreach, social media, and regional programming.

Celebrate the "Season of Giving" by giving a gift in honor or memory of your favorite Sagehen (or friend)!

Your gift will directly impact the lives of today's Pomona students (click here to see how your gift will be used), and will send an unforgettable message of appreciation to the professor, classmate, staff member or friend who has made a difference in your life. We'll even send a letter informing your honoree of your gift!

Just click here to let us know whom you would like to honor with your gift to Pomona's Annual Fund and enjoy taking part in the Season of Giving!

Help Yourself Today While Helping Pomona Tomorrow

A Note From Georgia McManigal ’54

Pomona is now helping me to stretch my resources to last a lifetime.

When obtaining my gift annuities from Pomona, I followed what I like to call “Georgia’s Investment Strategy:”

Investing in the future of our young Pomona students, while
Investing in a secure source to maximize my income for the rest of my life.

Following this investment strategy did not require that I be wealthy or even so-called “well fixed.” In fact, Pomona’s generous rates are accessible to everyone.

-Georgia Ritchie McManigal ’54

It’s a win-win situation!
In exchange for a minimum gift of $10,000 to fund a charitable gift annuity, you can help provide for the future of Pomona College and ensure that you receive:

Lifetime annuity payments at favorable rates
Partially tax-exempt income
An immediate income tax deduction
No capital gains tax on long-term appreciated assets upon transfer
The flexibility to choose when payments begin.

If you have questions or want additional information about gift annuities or other life income opportunities, call the Office of Trusts & Estates at (800) 761-9899, email us at pomonaplan@pomona.edu, or visit us at www.pomona.planyourlegacy.org.