Welcome to Pomona! We are eagerly anticipating your arrival on campus.

Below, you will find the 10 Things To Do before you arrive along with links to the myPomona portal and important Websites. Information about New Student Orientation can be found at: http://www.pomona.edu/campuslife/orientation/.

Student Affairs is here to support you in your transition to Pomona, and you should feel free to contact us with any questions on concerns you may have.

Warm wishes,

Dean Feldblum


10 Things to Do Before You Arrive...

We know that you may have a variety of summer plans, so we thought to give you a jumpstart on the process, and provide you with “10 things to do before you arrive!”  You can select the links below for more information or go to the myPomona portal and select the Student Tab. The "10 Things To Do" will be listed under the New Students tab on the left side of the page.

Thing to Do #1
Sign Up for an Orientation Adventure Trip!
Available: April 15, 2009
Deadline: July 1, 2009

Thing to Do #2
Write a Letter to Your Faculty Advisor
Available: May 1, 2009
Deadline: June 15, 2009

Thing to Do #3
Sign up for an ID 1 Class (First-year students only)
Available May 18, 2009
Deadline: July 1, 2009

Thing to Do #4
Enroll in or Waive out of the Student Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan (SASIP) of the Claremont Colleges
Available: May 1, 2009
Deadline: June 15, 2009

Thing to Do #5
Complete the Emergency Contact and Supplemental Information Form
Available: May 1, 2009
Deadline: June 15, 2009

Thing to Do #6
Complete the Physical Exam Form & Counseling Center Survey
Available: May 1, 2009
Deadline: August 1, 2009

Thing to Do #7
Strongly Consider Having the Meningitis Vaccine

Thing to Do #8
Consider Signing Up for a Zipcar Membership & Personal Property Insurance

Thing to Do #9
Take the Online Alcohol Education Class
Students will be sent a username and password once the website has been activated.
Deadline: August 22, 2009

Thing to Do #10
Complete your Summer Reading!
And email us if you have a different summer address.
Send: studentaffairs@pomona.edu

10 Things to Do

Thing to Do #1
Sign Up for an Orientation Adventure Trip!
Available: April 15, 2009
Deadline: July 1, 2009

Orientation Adventure (OA) is an opportunity to enjoy several days of fun and challenging activities before campus orientation begins. Everyone must participate in Orientation Adventure. Whether you were raised in the wilderness or you’re looking for an urban outing, you’ll find an adventure to your liking. Look over the website thoroughly before selecting your trip—be adventurous—pick something you’ve never done before! All the trips are great fun and provide an opportunity to meet classmates in a relaxed atmosphere before classes begin. For more information on the trips please go to the program’s website at http://www.pomona.edu/studentaffairs/oa/.
 

Thing to Do #2
Write a Letter to Your Faculty Advisor
Available: May 1, 2009
Deadline: June 15, 2009

Pomona prides itself on the fact that its faculty serves as the primary source of advising for students, and the faculty take their advising roles very seriously. During the summer, the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Admissions will assign you an advisor. You will receive your faculty advisor’s name when you arrive on campus in August. You may have a very good idea of what your major will be at Pomona. However, your faculty advisor may or may not be matched with you on the basis of these academic interests alone. For example, your advisor may be in a different department than your intended major, but he or she might be from a small town, just like you. Your advisor may have been an athlete in college, and may have a special understanding of your plans to play a sport at Pomona. Or, your advisor may be someone who has a special understanding of another co-curricular activity that interests you.  

Your faculty advisor will help you think about your academic program for the year, offer advice on the nature of our curriculum and how to satisfy the Breadth of Study requirements, and talk with you about the academic experience at Pomona. Your advisor is also someone with whom you can share your ideas and plans about college life in general. You should be open and honest with your advisor, and you should keep in contact with him or her throughout the year. This relationship can be one of the most valuable ones you develop at Pomona. To prepare for your first meeting with your advisor, please write a one to two-page letter introducing yourself to your faculty advisor discussing your academic and intellectual goals. In writing your letter, consider your broad academic goals and draft a short-term and long-term academic plan that you will discuss with your advisor during the initial advising session. 

Your faculty advisor and the Student Affairs deans will read your letter. The letter helps the deans and advisors become better acquainted with you. Please go to myPomona to submit your letter.
 

Thing to Do #3
Sign up for an ID 1 Class (First-year students only)
Available May 18, 2009
Deadline: July 1, 2009

Critical Inquiry (ID1) is a program of seminars for first-year students in their first semester at the College. Seminars are taught by faculty from across the disciplines and engage students in rigorous reading, writing, and discussion on varied topics. The goal of ID1 is to prepare students to participate fully and successfully in the intellectual community that is Pomona College. Critical writing is an essential component of that participation, and to that end ID1 is a writing-intensive course. All sections of ID1 focus on writing as a recursive process of drafting and revision. The seminars all meet from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Descriptions of the individual seminar topics for Fall 2009 will be available starting May 18 on myPomona. The Fall 2008 ID1 courses are available here to view online.  If you have any questions, please contact Dara Regaignon, Director of College Writing and Assistant Professor of English, who is the faculty coordinator of the Critical Inquiry Program.


Thing to Do #4
Enroll in or Waive out of the Student Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan (SASIP) of the Claremont Colleges
Available: May 1, 2009
Deadline: June 15, 2009

Pomona College requires that all students carry health insurance. You may elect to enroll in the Student Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan (SASIP) provided through the Claremont Colleges, or you may waive out if you may have a private insurance policy. If you do not waive out, you will be automatically enrolled in the student health insurance plan through the Claremont Colleges. 

In the best interest of our students’ health and access to care, we require that a Pomona College student’s alternative coverage be comparable to the Claremont Colleges’ Student Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan (SASIP) if you wish to waive out.  

Please review your coverage thoroughly to ensure comparable coverage prior to completing the waiver form. You are responsible for all medical expenses resulting from services that are not covered by your health insurance. You may wish to pose the following questions to your family’s health insurance company as you decide whether your policy from home is sufficient or whether you should purchase the College’s policy:

• What if you were in a bicycle accident and needed surgery to repair damage to your knee? 
• Would you be covered if you chose to get this surgery near campus or would they only provide coverage if you traveled back home for the surgery?
•  What if you needed to see an allergy specialist or get specialized tests?
•  Could you do so in Claremont?

It is very important that you investigate your home health insurance policy. You might find that it does not cover services that are out of network, and, for example, if your policy is in another state, it may not cover seeing a specialist in California. 

Acceptable Comparable Health Insurance Coverage
Refer to the SASIP website at www.renstudent.com/claremont for a complete description of the insurance plan. In order to waive coverage, your plan must meet the following criteria:

• It covers treatment for emergency care, medical and surgical treatment, diagnostic procedures, laboratory tests, treatment of mental and nervous disorders, specialty consultations, and hospitalization (including inpatient hospitalization for mental health/psychiatric care and chemical dependency) while at Pomona College.
• It covers you for all those services while you’re a student at Pomona College or traveling in the United States or abroad.
• It has a maximum benefit of at least $100,000 per injury or sickness.
• It covers injuries resulting from the practice or play of intramural/club sports
• It is domiciled in the United States.

To Waive or Enroll in the Student Health Insurance Plan:  Students not completing this form or providing private medical insurance information prior to the beginning of the semester will be automatically enrolled in the Claremont College student insurance plan, and the student’s account will be charged with the current annual student SASIP premium. SASIP fee is reflected on your tuition bill. The fee is $1,224 for the period August 7, 2009 to August 27, 2010*. The College further requires that proof of insurance be provided to the College EACH year that you are an enrolled student. If waivers have not been submitted by July 1, 2009 you will be automatically enrolled and $1,224 will be charged to your student account. 

* The rate for students 25 years and under is $1,224. The rate for students 26 years and older is $1,624.

If you have any questions about the SASIP plan, please contact the Office of Student Affairs at 909-621-8017 or studentaffairs@pomona.edu.  Please go to myPomona to submit your form.

Financial Assistance for the Claremont College Student Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan 

Pomona College recognizes that the cost of coverage in the Claremont College Student Accident and Insurance Program (SASIP) may cause financial hardship for some students and their families. If a student does not have medical insurance which meets the minimum standards of SASIP, and is in need of financial assistance to cover the cost of the premium, the student should submit a written request for assistance to the Financial Aid Office. The request will take into consideration the student’s financial aid eligibility based on the schedule posted below. In each subsequent year at Pomona College, the student will be eligible to renew their accident and sickness insurance and will also be able to renew their grant and loan assistance to cover the cost of the premium. Any questions regarding financial assistance should be directed to the Financial Aid Office. 

Thing to Do #5
Complete the Emergency Contact and Supplemental Information Form
Available: May 1, 2009
Deadline: June 15, 2009

The Physical Examination form that you complete and send to Student Health Services is confidential and will be seen only by the staff at Student Health Services. There may, however, be health issues that could affect your safety and well-being in the residence halls. The Office of Student Affairs would like to know about those, as well as your emergency contact information in the event of an emergency. If you have any serious allergies or take medication without which your health or emotional stability would be threatened, please share that information with us. In addition, if there are other health issues that you would like to tell us about to help us ensure your well-being at Pomona, we urge you to do so. Please go to myPomona to submit your form.
 

Thing to Do #6
Complete the Physical Exam Form & Counseling Center Survey
Available: May 1, 2009
Deadline: August 1, 2009

Send to: Student Health Service
757 College Way
Claremont, CA 91711
www.cuc.claremont.edu/shacs

Each year students come to Pomona from all over the world. In treating them, Student Health Services and the Counseling Center need to know as much as possible about the state of their physical and mental health, along with required immunizations that have been completed. The Physical Examination & the Counseling Center Survey must be completed and mailed to the Student Health Center. This information is confidential and will not be reviewed by the Office of Student Affairs. Please go to myPomona to download the forms.

After you print and complete the health history section on the Physical Examination form, have your family physician complete the remainder of the physical examination form and review the immunizations that have been received. A Tuberculosis screening questionnaire is required prior to enrollment at Pomona with a TB skin test and/or CXR to be performed if indicated. A number of immunizations are required as well: two doses of measles, mumps and rubella; and tetanus/diphtheria with a booster in the last ten years. Additional recommended vaccinations include hepatitis A, hepatitis B, human papilloma virus (HPV), meningococcal meningitis, polio, and varicella (chicken pox – if you have not had the disease). 

Thing to Do #7
Strongly Consider Having the Meningitis Vaccine

The Centers for Disease Control Advisory Committee on Immunization noted in 1999 that first-year College students living in residence halls have a six-fold increased risk for meningitis because they are in frequent, close proximity to each other. Although meningitis is rare, its onset is rapid and can lead to severe and permanent disabilities such as hearing loss, brain damage or even death.

During academic year 2000–01, a Pomona first-year student suffered a case of this frightening disease. He was quickly diagnosed, hospitalized, and treated. He fully recovered, but it brought home to the community how important it is for parents and new students to understand the dangers of bacterial meningococcal disease.

A vaccine is available that protects against four types of the bacteria that cause meningitis in the United States. These four types account for nearly two-thirds of meningitis cases among college students. Pomona College recommends that you seriously consider having the vaccine that is available against meningitis. While it does not provide 100% protection, it greatly reduces the bacterial strains from which meningitis can be contracted and contributes to the health of the entire community.

Thing to Do #8
Consider Signing Up for a Zipcar Membership & Personal Property Insurance

Sign up for Zipcar Membership
First-year students are not allowed to bring cars to campus and we strongly encourage you to identify alternative means of local transportation, including bikes, public transportation, and Zipcar. Zipcar is a service that rents cars (including Honda Civic Hybrids) to students 18 and over with good driving records. Pomona has contracted with Zipcar to provide hourly rental cars for students on campus. The rental costs are $7.00 hourly or $66 for the day after a $35 membership fee is paid. Zipcar allows students to have short-term use of a car for shopping, medical appointments or other personal errands. For more information about membership eligibility, or to sign up, please go to http://www.zipcar.com/pomona/.

Assess Your Personal Property Insurance
Pomona College does not assume responsibility for loss or damage to personal property belonging to students. Parents and students should inspect their insurance policies to determine whether the limits and conditions are sufficient to cover student property in Claremont. Loss or theft of personal property from student residence hall rooms does occur and is aggravated by students not locking the doors to their rooms while away from them. It is important to both exercise caution at Pomona as one would at home, and to maintain adequate personal insurance to cover items that may be lost, stolen or damaged. Pomona College does not cover loss or damage to students’ personal property.

During vacations, students are urged to check their valuables into one of the locked alarmed trunk rooms available on campus. These rooms provide an additional measure of safety, but the College does not assume liability for losses which may occur.

Students and parents are urged to:
1)  Be sure that student property is covered under an insurance policy.
2)  Purchase supplemental insurance for students’ personal property if needed.
3)  Leave all but essential valuables at home.
4)  Develop and encourage prudent habits for personal security, especially the habit of locking residence hall room doors when sleeping or when not in the room.

For more information regarding theft or property insurance, please go to www.nssi.com.

Thing to Do #9
Take the Online Alcohol Education Class
Students will be sent a username and password once the website has been activated.
Deadline: August 22, 2009

All first-year and new transfer students are required to take an online alcohol education course before arriving on campus. This online, interactive course educates students about the harmful effects of alcohol. Students must complete the program in order to register for classes. Students will be sent a username and password once the website has been activated. For more information, please go to myPomona.

Thing to Do #10
Complete your Summer Reading!
And email us if you have a different summer address.
Send: studentaffairs@pomona.edu

Each year, Pomona College chooses a “first year” book selection to be provided to all the members of the incoming class & new transfer students. During Orientation, students listen to a faculty speaker on the book, followed by small group discussions led by faculty members. This year, we are very excited to announce that the author will be coming to campus during Orientation to give a talk about the book.

The book we will be reading is the Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights by Kenji Yoshino. In the book, which is part memoir and part analysis of civil rights law and legislation, Yoshino examines how the drive for conformity and the desire or pressure to “fit in” forces us to “cover,” or to downplay, our own identities, beliefs, and personal selves. We will be sending you the book in June. 

If you will be at a different address from the one that is on file with us, please send us an email with your summer address to studentaffairs@pomona.edu so that the summer book can be sent to you as efficiently as possible. Be sure to include in your email, your full name, the full address, and the subject line should read, “Summer Address”.
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