To build a dynamically diverse community at Pomona and to deeply engage our students with diverse perspectives around today's issues of political, social, and structural inequities, Pomona College is committed to inclusive excellence in the classroom, and to supporting our faculty through curriculum development and learning opportunities. To this end, the College, particularly within the Academic Dean's Office, is working to refine faculty recruitment and hiring efforts and to promote a supportive environment where all faculty members are able to succeed.
This work is not just about creating curricular adjacencies and diverse perspectives in the learning environment; it is about making the most of that diversity in pursuit of a critical education mission for our students. It is about how education engages with the forces of globalization that bring the local and the global together. The opening lines of the College’s Strategic Vision reaffirm this as a core value: “At this moment, when the world is ever more interconnected in confronting vast problems and pursuing the search for solutions, the liberal arts education Pomona College offers is more essential than ever. Our focus on creative, holistic and rigorous education equips our students to lead the way in an ever-changing world. Our emphasis on building relationships and learning in a diverse community prepares our students to engage both locally and globally.”
Learning Opportunities
The Academic Dean's Office, the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) at Pomona College, and The Claremont Colleges Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) sponsor events, workshops and learning opportunities throughout the academic year. Watch for email announcements. Both TLC and CTL offer an array of resources for strengthening approaches to teaching, pedagogy, and inclusivity.
Analyzing Differences Courses
Students must pass at least one Analyzing Difference course to graduate. These courses are primarily focused on a sustained analysis of the causes and effects of structured inequality and discrimination, and their relation to U.S. society. Such courses will make use of analyses that emphasize intersecting categories of difference. Examples include, but are not limited to: race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, citizenship, linguistic heritage, class, religion, and physical ability. Approved courses may also concurrently fulfill a Breadth of Study area requirement.
An Analyzing Difference Committee certifies approved courses. The committee includes at least three faculty (appointed by the Executive Committee) and two students (appointed by ASPC). The Executive Committee may elect to appoint additional faculty based on their ability to support the charge of the committee. The committee maintains learning outcomes related to the requirement, provides sample syllabi of approved courses, and creates evaluative criteria and standards related to the approval of courses.
Community Partnership Courses
The Draper Center for Community Partnerships works with Pomona College faculty to provide community engagement opportunities throughout Southern California. Whether as part of a Community Participation (CP) course integrating community work as part of the learning process, a community-based research project, or an extracurricular activity, the Draper Center is available to help Pomona College faculty every step of the way.