Coronavirus Response Frequently Asked Questions

These actions are being taken in the interest of the health and safety of our own community as well as the wider community as we try to minimize the spread of coronavirus.

Yes, the College will be open, and the business of the College will continue. Our staff and faculty will be hard at work throughout the course of this period. Many of them will be working remotely yet they will be available and may be contacted by email.

Classes will resume March 30 through remote instruction. The week of March 23-27 will be a second full week of Spring Break.

The semester will not be extended.

It is important to remember that we are not closing the College and our intent is to provide the full range of services and support to students and faculty as we always do.  

Some employees will need to continue working on campus to support our community. Others will work from home during this emergency period in line with communitywide public health efforts and best practices. Staff who are unsure whether they are eligible to telecommute should contact their supervisor.

Student workers will continue to be paid by the College.

For students in jobs that their supervisors think can be done remotely, the College will pay students for the hours they work through the end of the semester.

For students in jobs where they cannot work remotely, they will be paid projected earnings for the remainder of the semester based on their average earnings between January 21 – March 13. 

Your financial aid will remain the same and the College will not be making any adjustments to scholarships and grants for students who move away from campus. Students can use the full amount of their room & board refund to assist with expenses for living away from the College. Students who may be moving into a rental or sublet may use their refund to assist with housing and food expenses.

We do not believe so. The U.S. Department of Education has indicated that, as long as students are enrolled and working toward their degrees, federal Pell Grants, SEOG grants and Federal Direct Loans should not be impacted by this disruption. Pomona College has been in touch with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs about the potential effects to those students receiving GI Bill® benefits and has been advised that payments will continue for students who continue to be enrolled this semester.

Pomona College understands that your family may have very recent and immediate changes to your financial circumstances related to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The pandemic is quickly evolving, and the Office of Financial Aid will work with you to answer your questions and provide as much information as possible. We recognize that as business and school closures continue through the spring, the potential impact to your families grows.

Typically, a family may submit a request for review based on a change in circumstances when there has been sustained unemployment or income changes for at least two months. Changes or anticipated changes to income may not always result in a change to the financial aid offer, or may result in a one-semester revision that will be re-evaluated in the fall, but our staff is committed to working with each student who has concerns about their individual circumstances. Specific questions can be directed to the Office of Financial Aid at financial.aid@pomona.edu. Students may submit the Change in Circumstances Form and supporting materials to IDOC as part of the financial aid renewal process.

If you have questions, please contact the Office of Financial Aid by email at financial.aid@pomona.edu. Even though most Pomona employees are teleworking away from campus during this global public health emergency, we will be available and we will answer your questions.

You will be paid based on an average of your earnings from 1/21/2020 – 3/13/2020 on the next four scheduled bi-weekly pay dates.

You are not obligated to accept the telework position. Consider if you are willing and able to continue to work, and if your current situation would allow you to meet the job expectations. If you do not accept the position, you will continue to be paid your average earnings from 1/21/2020 to 3/13/2020 over the next 4 pay periods on the regular bi-weekly payroll schedule.

Yes, if your supervisors approved you for telework, you can continue to work multiple jobs for the remainder of the semester. You will continue to log your hours for each position separately in Kronos.

Students who continue to work will log their hours in Kronos and be paid for their hours worked. At the end of the semester, if actual earnings are less than the projected earnings, students will be paid an additional payment to meet their projected earnings.

Students who feel that their actual earnings from work will not sustain their expenses may decline the telework and opt into the bi-weekly payment based on your average earnings.The deadline for that decision is Saturday, March 28. Students may also work with the Dean of Students office to request an emergency loan. This loan may be repaid to Student Accounts at the end of the semester after students have been fully paid for the average hours worked.

Supervisors had until the end of day Wednesday, March 25, 2020 to inform Human Resources of students who are eligible to work remotely. This determination cannot be changed later.

The College will not be hiring students for new positions for the remainder of the semester. Exceptions will be made to support students who need accessibility accommodations and Human Resources will work with the Dean of Students Office to support student needs.

Students who are working will continue to monitor their student earnings on their portal. If you require additional funding as you approach your allotment, you should work with your supervisor to submit an Allotment Increase Request Form to the Office of Financial Aid.

Students who are not working do not need to submit a request to increase their allotment.

All Claremont-enrolled students who leave campus by Friday, March 20 will receive a credit to their student account for 50% of their room fees and 50% of their board plan. Students who leave campus after March 20 will receive credits commensurate with the remaining unused period through May 18, the scheduled close of the residence halls. These policies apply regardless of whether the student is on financial aid or not.

Credits will be posted to the student’s account by Tuesday, March 24. Credits will be applied to outstanding balances; for students on a payment plan this will reduce the amount of the final installment payment.

Students will be able to see their Ending Balance on CASHNET if they click on “Click here to view Recent Activity” when they first log into CASHNET and scroll down to the bottom of the activity. Credit balances will be indicated by a dash in front of the amount i.e. -$2,500.00.

If the student account has a credit Ending Balance, they may request a refund payment. Students must complete the Refund of Credit Balance – COVID19 form. This form will be posted on Tuesday, March 24 to the Student Portal.

This electronic authorization allows the student to designate the disposition of the credit Ending Balance. If a student is requesting a payment, the form asks the student to specify the method of payment and whether it will be processed to the student or the parent.

• The direct deposit option is only available for students currently enrolled in direct deposit with Accounts Payable.
• Students will need to confirm new off-campus addresses via email from the student’s Pomona email account to avoid fraudulent requests.
• Students have the option to apply the entire credit balance or a portion of the credit balance toward payment for a future term.
• Students may donate all or a portion of their credit balance to the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to support the unexpected costs due to the extraordinary circumstances of the global coronavirus outbreak.

Once the electronic authorization is received and information verified, refunds will be processed as soon as possible, but no later than five business days. If you have questions about your credit balance, please contact our Student Accounts Manager via email at student.accounts@pomona.edu. The Finance Office staff are working remotely to continue to support the needs of the Pomona College community.

The College may provide refunds to students who returned from their Study Abroad program. Potential refunds of room, board and tuition depend on the unique circumstance for each student and will be determined by the Office of Study Abroad. Please contact Study Abroad via email at sabroad@pomona.edu for further information. Refunds will be posted to the student’s account as soon as possible. Students will need to complete the Refund of Credit Balance – COVID19 form as explained above in order to receive payment for a credit Ending Balance.

Yes, we will make boxes and other supplies available to students. Students can arrange their own storage and shipping, or the College will arrange for non-retrievable storage until the fall at the College’s expense.

Boxes are available for free from Facilities at Bridges Auditorium (Big Bridges). Each student receives three boxes. Packing tape and markers are available in the residence halls.

Once a student has packed their belongings they should label them as follows:

• Name
• Class Year
• Current room
• Cell phone
• Student ID number

All boxes and totes must be labeled. On-campus storage rules apply — no furniture, TVs, couches, or other large/bulky or unboxed items can be stored. No food of any kind (dry, wet, pet food or human food) may be stored. These items may be taken to a personal storage company or donated to Re-Coop which will begin collections this month.

After students have left campus, the College will work with a local moving and storage company to collect boxes from rooms and place them in a storage unit that will then be secured until students return. The College will pay all costs for this storage.

If you have remained on campus you may have additional belongings stored, as well.

Yes. Bicycles may be stored in Pomona College bike storage in Clark I or Oldenborg. First, students should stop by the Office of Housing and Residence Life between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. or the storage units from 1 – 5 p.m. to pick up a bicycle storage label. Students can then put the labels on their bicycle and bring the bicycle to storage. Students will be able to drop off their bikes in storage starting Thursday, March 12, through Wednesday, March 18, from 1 – 5 p.m.

Please contact Frank Bedoya in the Office of Residential Life at housing@pomona.edu to discuss possible options.

Please ensure you have packed all essentials before departing. No access will be granted after the residential facilities close.

Although all shuttle routes have been completed, if you have decided to leave campus and return home you may contact the Dean of Students' Office and they will help arrange your transportation to local airports or train stations.

Yes, you can leave your vehicle on campus. Please ensure your vehicle is registered with Campus Safety. Your parking permit should be visible and relocated to the South Campus Parking Garage. Be sure to close windows, lock doors and alarm the vehicle (if possible).

Absolutely no food should be packed, even if the packaging is unopened, nor should it be left in your room. Please appropriately discard any items you are not taking with you.

There will be spaces in each residential hall to donate items to Re-Coop.

If you live in South Campus, please return your key at the Mudd-Blaisdell desk. (Sunday-Wednesday) 

If you live in North Campus, please return your key at the Walker Hall desk 

You may also return your key at the Housing and Residence Life Office in Smith Campus Center. If Housing and Residence Life is not open, then you can return your key at the ASPC Office in SCC.

You may return your key at Campus Safety (24 hours a day.)

First-years, sophomores and juniors should remember to keep their mailbox key. Seniors may return their mailbox key along with their room key.

No. Only students in campus housing will be required to leave. We strongly suggest you consult with your family/guardians to make the best decision for you and your overall health. Students who decide to stay in off-campus private housing will only be permitted to return to campus for open consortial services. All card access will be restricted.

Students remaining on campus will be relocated as we will be consolidating remaining students into fewer residential facilities. Selected facilities will be those that allow the College compliance with public health recommendations for social distancing. Decisions about which residential halls will be used to house students who are given permission to stay has not been determined yet. We will likely not make that decision until next week.

All students who are given permission to remain at Pomona will move to Oldenborg by Tuesday, March 24 at noon. New key pick up will occur on Monday, March 23 form 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. in the Housing and Residence Life (HRL) in Smith Campus Center. Students may retunr their old room key at HRL by Tuesday, March 24.

There will be student affairs staff available in HRL or the Oldenborg offices from Monday - Friday, 8 a.m.  – 5 p.m.

Frank Dining Hall will host brunch (10:30 a.m. -1 p.m.) and dinner (5 p.m. – 7 p.m.) in a "grab and go" style seven days a week. You will need to swipe your ID to enter Frank.

As instruction transitions to an online environment, technologies like Sakai, will continue to be used. Other technologies may be used by your instructor and they will introduce you to those tools as classes begin.

As students return to their homes, we are taking steps to keep everyone connected to the Pomona College network and to make the network as accessible as possible from wherever anyone may be located. Toward that end, VPN access will be made available on a demonstrated needs basis, along with guidance on how to connect. You should check local laws, conditions, and accepted practices to determine your use.

Please contact ITS at ServiceDesk@pomona.edu or give us a call at (909) 621-8061. We would be happy to help.

You should plan to participate in the course during the time that is scheduled.

The faculty are working to provide instruction and methods of course completion for all courses.

Students may discuss this issue with their faculty member.

For students who will leave campus due to guidance related to coronavirus (COVID-19), we will provide refunds for a portion of payments made to the College related to room and board. We will communicate and process these refunds as soon as possible once details are determined.

If students plan on completing their courses, we do not plan on refunding tuition and fees. For students who withdraw from school, the College will follow its established tuition refund policy.

We understand that the decision to require travel off campus on short notice might create undue financial hardship on some families. Students already planning on traveling home for Spring Break should continue to do so. For students that need to make new or alternative arrangements, we are hopeful that, in many cases, those can be made with minimal or no incremental financial burden. Many carriers have adopted more lenient policies in recent weeks to accommodate changes in travel plans.

However, we recognize that travel changes or new arrangements may be cost prohibitive for some students. The College will consider requests for financial assistance on a case-by-case basis. Please complete the financial assistance petition by no later than Thursday, March 12, at 11:59 p.m.​

The College will provide refunds to students studying abroad this semester if their programs are closed. The refunds will vary depending on the circumstance. In general, if a program is closed and the student is not able to earn academic credit, the College will refund tuition charges and a pro-rata amount for room and board. If the student is sent home but can earn partial academic credit, we will refund a pro-rata amount for tuition based on the amount of credits earned. We will also refund a pro-rata amount for room and board. Given that there may be unique circumstances for each student studying abroad, please contact the Office of Study Abroad (sabroad@pomona.edu) for further information.

Students who were not able to change their flights directly with STA Travel for direct billing to the College should contact the Office of Study Abroad (sabroad@pomona.edu) for more information about flight reimbursement.

Yes. Please reach out to disabilityservices@pomona.edu if you are in need support.

We are providing class captioning services to registered students who are eligible for these accommodations. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), our work is focused on assisting those with accommodations, and broader captioning is not available during this emergency. If you have additional questions, please contact Director of Accessibility Resources & Services Mace Mikaele at mace.mikaele@pomona.edu.

Yes, we’re available Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. PST. All drop-ins and student appointments will be conducted via phone or virtually until further notice. You can contact us at disabilityservices@pomona.edu.

For more information visit the virtual instruction accessibility page.

Visit the virtual instruction accessibility page from our disability services.

Your emotional support animal needs to leave campus when you leave campus. Animals should not be left on campus for any reason.

Sagehen Athletics has decided to suspend all spring sport seasons in response to the rapidly evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and in accordance with the policies enacted by Pomona College and Pitzer College.

With spring break near, students will be leaving campus and will not be returning this semester. Student-athletes still competing in their winter seasons have been given the option to conclude their NCAA championship opportunities and have the personal decision to choose whether or not to participate.

Rains Center is now closed. If you had belongings in your locker, we will leave your items in them. If people are able to enter the facility at a later date before the end of the semester, we’ll organize a time for locker clean out then. If the facility is NOT accessible to people before our building project is supposed to begin, staff will clean out each locker and put each person’s contents into a bag to pick up at a later date.

The survey deadline for students, faculty and staff has been extended to Friday, May 8. To take the Campus Climate Survey, log into the campus portal and follow the link on the top banner. For more information about the survey, visit our Campus Climate Survey website.

Our career advisors are available to talk with you via Zoom, Skype, or by phone. Please schedule your appointment on Handshake – if you cannot find a time that works for you, please email us at career.development@pomona.edu – and a member of our staff will respond. For a quick document review (i.e., resume, cover letter, graduate school statements), you can also email any of the Career Advisors directly.

As of now, yes. The summer domestic experience deadline has been extended until 11:59 PST April 6. Students who applied for Summer 2020 International PCIP have been notified of the changes to the program. You can also check the PCIP web page for updated information regarding the status of the programs and what you can do.

The CDO has subscribed to a range of great web tools to support your career exploration and job and internship search. These web tools are accessible via the Career Center > Resource Library on Handshake.

Yes. Students will be able to continue to receive support and have meetings with their Class Deans. All meetings will be conducted over the phone or using Zoom. 

Various services including Student Health Services, Monsour Counseling and Psychological Services (MCAP), McAlister Center for Religious Activities, CSLA, OBSA among others will continue to operate during online instruction. For hours and more information and how to reach them visit The Claremont Colleges Services.

Student Health Services (SHS) and the Monsour Counseling and Psychological Services (MCAPS) clinics will remain open but will offer limited services as well as limited hours. 

SHS is scheduling patients on an “appointment only” basis; no walk-ins. Nursing staff are conducting telephone triaging before scheduling patients. You can reach the SHS at (909) 621-8222. Students with severe symptoms should call Campus Safety at (909) 607-2000 or 911.  

MCAPS will be open for urgent and crisis appointments as well as psychiatry consultations only. For MCAPS, unlimited online consultations will be available at Campus.Health (all students); Aetna (SHIP students) or call (909) 621-8202. More details are available on the Monsour webpage. 

Please check The Claremont Colleges Services webpage for the latest updates.

Yes. Please call Monsour at (909) 621-8202 and press 1 to be connected to an on-call therapist.

The Claremont Colleges have contracted with TimelyMD, a provider of online medical and counseling services, to offer a telehealth option to all TCC students to expand and supplement services currently available at Student Health Services and Monsour Counseling and Psychological Services. Campus.Health makes it easy for students to get quality medical and mental health care online or from their phone.

Campus.Health offers the following unlimited free visits with student-focused, licensed physicians and counselors:

• 24/7 access to on-demand medical care
• 24/7 access to TalkNow emotional support
• Accessible from any location within the United States on any smartphone or web-enabled device
• This is a pilot project that will be available to students until mid-June 2020

To use Campus.Health services, students should:

• Visit the Campus.Health website or
• Visit the Apple or Android stores to download the free TimelyMD app
• Set up profile and at checkout, enter institution’s customized coupon code POMONA2020

Dining services are take-out only to encourage social distancing as public health authorities are mandating it and to help prevent spread of the virus.

Frank Dining Hall will host brunch (10:30 a.m. -1 p.m.) and dinner (5 p.m. - 7 p.m.) in a "grab and go" style seven days a week. You will need to swipe your ID to enter Frank.

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds prior to entering the dining facility and use the hand sanitizer stations that are placed inside each dining facility.

There will no dining inside of the facility -- please grab your food and take back to your res hall or social distancing site.

If you are experiencing any symptoms of being sick, do NOT enter the dining facility. Please have a friend pick up a meal and drop it off outside your door.

Campus Safety will continue its 24/7 operations. If you have an emergency, call Campus Safety. The Dean on-call is always available via Campus Safety.

To promote social distancing as recommended by public health professionals during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Pomona College Alumni Weekend will not take place on campus this spring. The College will host a global online event May 1-2. You can find more information at the Alumni Weekend website. If you have questions, contact the Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement by email at alumni@pomona.edu or call 1 (888) SAGEHEN.

Commencement originally scheduled for May 17 has been postponed for the fall.

To promote social distancing as recommended by public health professionals during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the College is canceling all internal and public events through the end of the semester.

Access to eBooks through the Huntley Bookstore at no additional charge. Visit the campus store website to gain access to eBooks at no additional charge with your .edu email address. You can access up to seven eBooks for the designated period free of charge. Click the COVID-19 messaging at the top of the page for directions.

The Huntley Bookstore is offering free domestic shipping return labels and is also extending the non-return period without penalty to assist with increased returns by mail. Log in to your rental account on the campus store website. Click on my Account and you can view all your rented books at the bottom page. Students located outside the U.S., contact the bookstore at (909) 607-1502 for alternative options.

Visit the campus store website for free shipping on all items with no minimum purchase. This includes various formats of course materials, supplies, apparel, technology and more.

Bookstore hours are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday – Friday. Visit our Google page for the latest hours or call (909) 607-1502.

Students can request laptops from ITS by emailing us at laptoploan@pomona.edu. As we have only a limited number, please only request to borrow a laptop if you have no other access to a computer at home. Priority will be given to those students who have used the loaner program in the past. After those needs are met, laptops will be distributed on a first come, first served basis until the laptops we have are expended.

Please contact your Vice President or Dean for equipment needs you might have.

Students will be responsible for providing their own Internet access. Please contact a local Internet Service Provider (ISP) for Internet access plans and options. Also, many local municipalities offer some forms of free Wi-Fi. Be sure to check your local area for options.

ITS does have an extremely limited supply of cellular Wi-Fi hotspot that will be delivered on Monday, March 16. Please only request a hotspot if you have no other options for Internet access. To request a hotspot, please email laptoploan@pomona.edu.

Finally, please know that Zoom does have the capability to dial into sessions using just a standard phone if necessary. That said, such access is obviously limited to audio only.

Please visit the ITS instructional and operational continuity webpage for more information.

Contact ITS at ServiceDesk@pomona.edu or give us a call at (909) 621-8061. We would be happy to help.

If you are leaving campus, please make sure your permanent/forwarding address is updated with the Registrar's office. Your mail will be forwarded to you. You can update your address via student portal. Students remaining on campus may access the mailroom. Mailroom hours may be limited after March 18. Updates will be made regarding mailroom hours as they are determined.

Yes, subsidy coverage will be available until May 15^th, 2020. For those students going home, you may find a therapist in your neighborhood and use your insurance along with our subsidy to cover cost. Guidance for the program may be found on Pomona College's wellness site.

This decision is at the discretion of each provider. Please contact your provider directly for additional information regarding alternative arrangements.

Yes. Aetna, the company that provides our Student Health Insurance Plan, has providers throughout the United States. Please contact Aetna customer service at (877) 480-4161 or via the Aetna customer service website.

The 2020 Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) has been suspended.