Dear Pomona College community:
We wish all Sagehens a happy 4/7 Day. If you’re on campus, I hope you enjoy the many activities that ASPC and the Wellness Taskforce have prepared for our campus today. I encourage you to come together as a community to find joy with each other on our College’s special day celebrating Pomona’s favorite number 47.
Consistent with my commitment to keeping you informed as best as we can, I also reach out today with a brief update on several matters that have surfaced over the last few days related to the College and higher education nationally:
- International Students: As you may know, news emerged over the weekend that the State Department revoked visas for a number of international students in California in the past week. If decisions like this impact any Pomona students, our Office of International Student Services will work closely with them however possible to provide guidance and advice. If you are an international student who has related questions, please see the resource guide for international students or contact Kathy Guillén Quispe directly.
- NEH Grants: Last week, the administration made devastating cuts in funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) that impacted, among many other areas, faculty NEH research awards, including grants that several of our own faculty members had earned in highly competitive NEH grants processes. The College is fortunate to have accumulated spendable gift balances, including in department-held restricted gift funds, that could be used to support faculty research projects. We encourage impacted faculty to discuss their continuous research needs with the chairs of their department. For guidance regarding external funding agencies, please reach out to Dean Gerstein.
- NIH Grants: We are also closely monitoring news regarding National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants. Attorneys general from 15 states recently filed a complaint with the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts against the Department of Health and Human Services and the NIH for terminating grants to public research institutions and delaying the review and funding of grant applications; those grants include several earned by our faculty in the NIH’s own highly competitive grants process. We are encouraged by related news, though: In a similar case filed in the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island against the termination of grants from NIH-adjacent agencies (i.e., the Centers for Disease Control and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services), a judge has just issued a Temporary Restraining Order that reverses those grant cuts. We are hopeful that a decision in the Massachusetts case will result in a similar decision so that our faculty’s NIH grants can be restarted soon.
- Title IX: We are also tracking closely the developments and potential implications from the joint U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education announcement late last week appointing a Title IX Special Investigations Team. As we learn more, we will share updates with you.
Our support network remains ready to support you. Below are key contacts on our campus that can provide guidance and answers to questions you may have.
- For student-related questions and support resources: Dean of Students Avis Hinkson or her staff members who serve as class deans.
- International students, please reach out to Kathy Guillén Quispe, assistant director of international student & scholar services.
- For questions related to supporting faculty and academic units: Dean of the College Melanie Wu and associate deans in their functional areas.
- For staff and employee support: Assistant Vice President of Human Resources Alejandra Gaytan.
Best wishes,
Bob
Robert Gaines
Acting President
Edwin F. and Martha Hahn Professor of Geology