Keck Science Announcement

October 18, 2018

Dear CMC, Pitzer College, and Scripps College Community Members,

During the last year, the presidents and deans of Keck Science, as well as the Boards of the three colleges, have explored a range of solutions to dramatically increase tenure-track faculty positions, reduce class sizes, and upgrade classrooms, labs, and equipment.

After much consideration, the colleges have decided to move forward in anticipation of the following:

1. Scripps and Pitzer are preparing to jointly assume ownership of CMC’s financial stake in the Keck Science department and invest in renovating and expanding the W. M. Keck Science Center and program.
    
2. CMC plans to create an independent science department and construct a new science facility to house 22-28 full-time science faculty.
    
3. The two science departments will collaborate closely and be highly coordinated, with the shared goal of offering an excellent interdisciplinary science education that is greater than the sum of the parts, to the benefit of all our students and faculty.

Our goal is to expand science education at the three colleges. Keck will become a Pitzer/Scripps joint sciences department. Over the coming years, this department will expand through faculty hiring and building renovation and expansion. CMC is moving forward in planning for (i) an independent science department that will both coordinate and cooperate with the Pitzer/Scripps department and (ii) withdrawal from the current structure. We believe that this will benefit the students of the three colleges by relieving enrollment pressures currently facing Keck Science, providing complementary courses and colleagues, and increasing the overall breadth of science across the three colleges and The Claremont Colleges.

Sincerely,