ACF-Claremont Colleges Condemns Student Resolution of No Confidence

ACF-Claremont Colleges Condemns Student Resolution of No Confidence

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 28, 2019

Contact: Avi D. Gordon, Executive Director Alums for Campus Fairness

917-512-4585, [email protected]

Alums for Campus Fairness at the Claremont Colleges (ACF-Claremont Colleges) condemns the recent Pitzer College Student Senate’s proposal of a Resolution of No Confidence aimed at President Melvin Oliver.

On March 15, ACF-Claremont Colleges sent President Oliver a letter of support and appreciation for a record of effective leadership in protecting academic freedom, President Oliver defended the campus community against hate and division by rejecting the call by the Pitzer College Council to suspend Pitzer’s direct-enroll program at the University of Haifa in Israel. Oliver showed a commitment to the entire campus community and the educational mission of Pitzer by vetoing this biased and hateful vote.

We would like to express our support for shared governance and the value it brings to the campus community. The Pitzer administration and community see their system of governance as “one of the highest expressions of the College’s founding idea of participation and community, and offers members of the College community an active role in setting institutional priorities and shaping academic and student life.” Part of this system of shared governance is that students and faculty are empowered to provide policy recommendations to the Pitzer administration. We believe that these recommendations should serve as such and final decisions on university matters should be made by President Oliver and his administration, according to their evaluations of how a policy best serves the campus community.

ACF-Claremont Colleges, representing nearly 200 alumni, parents of current students, and donors, strongly supports President Oliver’s leadership and we call on the campus community to show its support for this administration.