January 22, 2020
Dear Scripps College Community Members,
Happy New Year, and welcome back to campus! As we begin our spring semester, I’m eager to share the following recent College news, updates, and announcements.
Academic News
Mary Routt Chair of Writing
Best-selling novelist R.O. Kwon is this year’s Mary Routt Chair of Writing. Kwon will teach a semester-long course, deliver public presentations, and arrange for other acclaimed writers and artists to visit campus for readings and performances in partnership with Scripps Presents.
Faculty Promotions
Please join me in congratulating Assistant Professor of English Thomas Koenigs for his promotion to associate professor with tenure, effective July 1, 2020.
Interdisciplinary Computational Programming
The College continues to explore programs and opportunities that provide our students with the computer science and applied technology knowledge needed to be leaders in all fields, with a focus on inclusive and interdisciplinary approaches. Next year (2020-21), students can participate in a coding program offered through Study Abroad and Global Education (SAGE) in partnership with education consultancy firm Entangled Solutions, Davidson College, and other institutions. CP&R will host a panel discussion event featuring Scripps alumnae employed in computer science fields, and a data science minor will be considered by the Faculty Executive Committee.
Mellon Interdisciplinary Humanities Initiative (MIHI)
MIHI continues to support community-engaged pedagogies and research initiatives, which include multi-cultural/language education, social impact, and the arts, among others. Professor Marino Forlino delivered the first MIHI clinic this fall, while Professors Martha González and Martha Bárcenas-Mooradian will be teaching MIHI clinics this semester in collaboration with local organizations.
Strategic Plan
Interdisciplinary computational programs and public humanities clinics are among the strategic priorities identified in the Scripps Centennial Plan. Please visit the website for updates on strategic plan initiatives such as the presidential scholarship fund, alumnae travel programs, maximizing the campus environment, and positive institutional culture.
Faculty-Student Dialogue Fund
This spring, we encourage members of the community to apply for activity funding from the new Faculty-Student Dialogue Fund. The purpose of the fund is to facilitate student-professor interaction outside of the classroom, with the goal of strengthening academic and personal relationships. Application information will be made available this semester.
Campus Updates
Laspa Center for Leadership
The Laspa Center is planning some exciting programming and events, including a February Elect Her training session with alumna Poppy MacDonald ’97, the annual Leadership Summit in conjunction with Women’s History Month in March, and the Read to Lead community-wide book club. Laspa will be partnering with the Public Leadership Education Network and Running Start for some of its programs. For more information, visit Laspa.
Keck Science Center Update
I’m excited to announce that we hope to begin construction of the new science facility, in partnership with Pitzer College, this semester. The new building’s design continues the College’s tradition of integrating its rich architectural history with rising standards for sustainable construction.
Sustainability at Scripps
The Scripps College Olive Oil harvest returned this fall after a three-year hiatus. More than 100 students, faculty, staff, and members of the Claremont community volunteered during the collaborative event. Proceeds from this year’s olive oil sales will support campus sustainability initiatives.
A variety of initiatives to further the College’s sustainability efforts have been recently implemented, including solar panel installation on the Lang Arts building roof, the addition of smart meters on every building, LED retrofits in all residence halls’ browsing rooms, and upgrading life-cycled boilers with low-emission replacements. Ongoing student initiatives include Scripps Scrapps, now in its second year, the Food Recovery Network, and the revitalization of the Browning Hall Garden.
This fall, the College also hired a new Director of Facilities Operations and Sustainability, Lesley Swick, whose background includes 18 years of experience in facilities, architecture, and sustainability. Please join me in welcoming Lesley to the Scripps community!
Dining Services Vendor Selection
The Dining Services Advisory Committee—composed of students, faculty, and staff—and members of Business Affairs have been tasked with making recommendations to the treasurer for the selection of a dining services provider that will then be submitted to me for approval.
Up to four semi-finalist vendors will be asked to deliver presentations to the Scripps community. Scripps College students, faculty, and staff are welcome to attend the information sessions, which will be held on January 27 and 29 and February 3 and 4. All presentations will be held in Balch Auditorium from 12–1:15 p.m.
There will be an opportunity for questions and answers following each presentation. I encourage you to attend the sessions.
Community Engagement Opportunities
Scripps offers a range of campus and community programs designed to create an environment for dialogue and community building. I encourage members of our community to take advantage of the many opportunities such programs offer to explore the complex questions and challenges facing our world today and to engage in critical analysis of the perspectives shaping public conversations.
Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Initiative
The IDEA initiative continues to sponsor events designed to facilitate community dialogue and deepen understanding of critical issues and their relevance on and off campus. Programming will include continued ConverActions, with community workshops and consultancies designed to foster individual and collective wholeness and resilience. Additionally, working groups from the Committee on Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity will explore the possibilities of new and additional programming in the following areas established by the committee: student wellness, decolonizing Scripps, and institutional equity and inclusion.
Spring Public Events
Scripps Presents has announced its spring season. This season’s events include the Beyoncé Mass, as well as conversations with Cecile Richards, twice named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the world by TIME Magazine, musicians Liz Phair, Ani DiFranco, and Gaby Moreno, Pulitzer Prize-winner Natasha Trethewey, and choreographer Alice Sheppard.
Under the direction of Interim Director of the Humanities Institute, Dr. Myriam J.A. Chancy, Hartley Burr Alexander Chair in the Humanities, the Humanities Institute continues its exploration of the theme World/Wounds: (De)Centering the World/(Re)Centering Wounds. This season’s events include the Haiti Earthquake 10th Anniversary Symposium, as well as conversations with artists, writers, and activists.
The Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery will launch the 76th Ceramic Annual on January 25, and the Clark Humanities Museum will present From Screen to Studio: Crafting Persona Through Portraits, which runs through February 28.
The Behind the Scenes series, in which members of the Scripps community are invited to intimate educational and social gatherings at premiere cultural institutions nationwide, resumes in March. Please visit Behind the Scenes for more information.
For more College news and events, please visit our website.
Thank you for your contributions and dedication to our community as we work together to build and sustain a stronger Scripps. Incipit vita nova!
President Lara Tiedens