A member of the Claremont Colleges, Claremont McKenna College is a small,
highly selective, private coeducational,
liberal arts college enrolling about 1100 students with a
curricular emphasis on government, economics, and public policy. CMC is located in Claremont, California, 35 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles.
History and reputation
Bauer Center, with the San Gabriel mountains in the background
Claremont McKenna College was founded in 1946 soon after World War II ended as Claremont Men's College. CMC was founded
with the mission to foster leadership in its students in the fields of government, business, and international affairs. The
school became coeducational in 1976 and was renamed after Donald McKenna, a founding
trustee, in 1981. Its mission has stayed the same, as reflected in the College's motto, "Crescit cum commercio civitas,"
or "civilization prospers with commerce."
Despite its youth, the College is often ranked among the top colleges in the country under numerous categories:
- In 2003, The Atlantic Monthly ranked Claremont McKenna as the 22nd best
undergraduate college in the nation based on admission rate, SAT scores and rank in high-school class.
- In 2007, 16% of applicants were admitted to Claremont McKenna - the lowest acceptance rate in the college's history, and one
of the lowest college acceptance rates in the country. Claremont McKenna is one of 46 undergraduate institutions that practices
need-blind admissions.
- In August 2007, Newsweek ranked CMC as one of the "25 Hottest Colleges" in the
nation, naming it "Hottest for Election Year." [2]
- According to quality-adjusted publications, CMC has the top-ranked economics department among liberal arts colleges.[3]
- The Wall Street Journal has listed it as the eighth best liberal arts
feeder school into elite graduate universities for law, business and medicine.[4]
- The Princeton Review lists Claremont McKenna among the nation's top
twenty schools for the "Best Quality of Life," "Happiest Students," and "Most Politically Active Students." In addition, the
Princeton Review ranks Claremont McKenna in the top twenty for having a "School that runs like butter," "Professors who make
themselves accessible," "Best Campus Food," "Dorms like Palaces" and "Students Happy with Financial Aid."
- CMC is a nominator (one of 67 US colleges and universities) for the Luce Scholars Program.[5]
Campus life
Dorms
Claremont's dorms are divided into 3 regions: North Quad, Mid Quad, and South Quad. In addition, the student apartments sit on
the East edge of campus, and are occupied primarily by seniors. All dorm rooms are attended to by housekeeping staff every other
week.
North Quad is comprised of Appleby, Boswell, Green, and Wohlford dormitories, which were the campus's first dorms. In north
quad, every room opens to the outdoors instead of opening to an interior hallway. North quad rooms are all doubles grouped into
suites of four rooms that share a bathroom. North Quad is the center of the social scene at CMC and at the greater 5C
community.
CMC's Mid Quad is home to Beckett, Benson, Berger, Marks, and Phillips Halls, which feature long interior corridors, double
and single rooms, large shared-bathroom facilities, and all-dorm lounge areas. Adjacent to Mid Quad is Badgley Gardens a green
space just south of Beckett Hall, where commencement was previously held. Due to the construction of a new dorm on Badgley
Gardens, commencement has been moved to Pritzlaff field, behind Bauer Center, on the east end of campus. Construction on the new
dorm in Badgley Gardens has begun, and is scheduled to be completed in fall 2008.
The tallest buildings in Claremont are "The Towers," Auen, Fawcett, and Stark Halls, which make up South Quad. Each tower has
seven floors with approximately twelve students per floor. Each floor has a common area and a large shared bathroom, and there is
an all-dorm lounge area on the ground floor. Stark Hall, the newest of the South Quad dorms, is substance-free.
Senior Apartments
The Senior Apartments lie to the east of the college's athletic facilities and to the west of Claremont Boulevard, and are
divided into four buildings numbered 651, 661, 671 and 681. Each apartment is divided into four bedrooms and two bathrooms, and
an apartment application must have four names on it. Until recently, half the apartments were reserved for men and half for
women, and apartments were allotted based on credits. However, in 2005 the college abolished the 50/50 male/female ratio and
began to assign apartments strictly on credits, which has had the effect of skewing the ratio slightly toward the female side. In
any given year, most of CMC's 260 - 300 seniors can live in the apartments, though due to limited space some must live in the
dorms.
Living in the apartments is considered highly desirable amongst CMC's senior class. Seniors get the chance to live with three
friends of their choice, and do not have to worry about potentially obnoxious underclassmen. They also have the option to stay on
a meal plan and eat at one of the 5-C dining halls, or cook for themselves. Apartment dwellers do not get the maid service of the
dorms, but they do get a cable hookup, which the dorms don't have. Noise levels are more
manageable, and tend to be quiet during much of the week and in the days leading up to thesis,
and loud from Thursday to Saturday. Most parties and social events at the apartments take place between buildings 661 and 671 or
on the "dunk hoops" (a small basketball court with 7 foot hoops).
Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum
The Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum hosts more than one hundred dinner and
lecture events with distinguished speakers each year, serving as the College's central intellectual and social hub. Students
enjoy getting to know their professors at wine and cheese receptions and formal dinners preceding lectures by such eminent
visitors as former President Bill
Clinton, Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, former Speaker of the House Newt
Gingrich, authors Gore Vidal and Salman
Rushdie, former Attorney General Janet Reno, filmmaker Spike Lee, environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., former
Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Barak, New York
Times columnist Thomas Friedman, and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. This fall the Athenaeum is prominently hosting Bono and
Anderson Cooper. The Athenaeum hosts speakers four nights a week, and also serves daily
afternoon tea in its library, featuring chocolate-covered strawberries and pastries. Afternoon tea, like all Athenaeum meals and
events, is free to students, faculty, and staff.
The Claremont Colleges
Claremont McKenna is a member of the Claremont Colleges, and much of
student life revolves around the five colleges, or "The 5C's." Claremont McKenna College, Pomona
College, Scripps College, Pitzer College
and Harvey Mudd College all interact socially, but also share dining halls,
libraries, and other facilities spread throughout the bordering campuses. All five colleges are part of the Claremont University Consortium.
Students attending Claremont McKenna can enroll in up to 2/3 of their classes at the other four colleges, and can also major
at any of the other colleges if the major is not offered at CMC. This is the general academic policy at all five schools, and is
meant to give students the resources of a larger university while still maintaining the qualities of a small, liberal-arts
college.
Traditions
- Many incoming freshmen participate in W.O.A.!, or "Wilderness Orientation Adventure." W.O.A.! is a student-run preorientation
program. Options include backpacking, camping, and rock-climbing at Yosemite, canoeing down the Colorado River, and beach camping
at Catalina Island. Each trip is led by current students and a member of the faculty or alumni. W.O.A.! allows incoming students
to develop friendships and get a sense for the college community before the formal beginning of their college careers.
- The "Madrigal Feast" is an annual dinner held in the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum. Both current students as well as alumni
typically attend. Guests are treated to a medieval-themed feast, complete with wassail, and a spirited musical performance put on
by other students in medieval dress.
Several of Claremont McKenna College's traditions are water-related:
- Unlucky students get ponded (thrown in to one of the two fountains located on campus) by their peers on their
birthday.
- At noon on the due dates of senior theses, the students turn in their theses to the registrar, who in return hands them a
bottle of Champagne. The students spend the remainder of the afternoon in the fountains at the school, drinking, singing,
celebrating and enjoying the warm California sun.
Academic programs
General education requirements
Although its specialty is public policy and economics, Claremont McKenna College does hold to the idea of a liberal education
by requiring students to add breadth to their knowledge through the completion of course in natural and social sciences,
humanities, and foreign language. Generally, most CMC students take introductory government and economics courses, calculus or
discrete math, a course in both physical and biological science, physical education or participation on a team sport, a third or
fourth semester equivalent of a foreign language, and at least several other humanities couses including literature, philosophy
and religious studies, as well as other social science classes in psychology and history.
First year requirements
Literature 10 - Composition and Literary Analysis
Unless waived for a transfer student, every student must take in their first year at the college. This introductory literature
class covers all the major literary genres and is designed to improve each students critical thinking and writing skills. The
specific works studied and course format varies depending on professor. There are plans in the Literature department to
eventually phase out this class as a requirement and for the first year in 2006, students with an appropriate AP score in English
may substitute any literature course for their Literature 10 requirement.
Civilization 10 - Questions of Civilization
Question of Civilization was designed to provide a unifying experience of Claremont McKenna students while fostering the
exploration of universal thoughts and ideas. Directed by Prof. Robert J. Valenza, each year a core set of text is chosen for all
section of Civilization 10, with each professor free and challenged to add his/her own insights or works to the course. Although
not common in all sections, Prof. Valenza encourages the Civ faculty to provide interaction through discussion. Many students,
though far from most, find this one of their most cherished CMC experiences.
Majors
Claremont McKenna's curricular emphasis is on its social sciences, particularly economics, government, international
relations, and organizational psychology. Two in every five CMC students majors in either government or international relations.
Also well known is its version of the Oxford-style Philosophy, Politics,
and Economics major. Other multi-disciplinary majors include management engineering, philosophy and public affairs,
science and management, econ-accounting, biology-chemistry, and environment, economics, and politics (EEP). CMC also offers the
Robert A. Day 4+1
BA/MBA, in which students receive both their BA from Claremont McKenna and their MBA from the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University in 5 years. Claremont McKenna announced in September 2007
the biggest gift ever to a liberal arts college: $200 million donated personally by alum Robert A. Day, to found a program on
campus known as the Robert Day scholars. The program would consist of undergraduate courses as well as a fifth year MA in
finance, though the undergraduate program would consist of economics, finance, accounting and psychology courses.
CMC's science program is offered through the Joint Science Department of Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges. The
Joint Science Department has been offering a new double year-long introductory science class [1] to allow more flexibility than the former
3 year-long introductory biology, chemistry, and physics courses that most science majors must complete.
For a complete list of CMC's majors, visit the CMC catalog at the Office of Registrar's Website.
Sequences
Claremont McKenna College does not offer traditional minors. Instead, CMC offers a group of sequences, which are minor-like
groups of courses on a particular interdisciplinary theme.
CMC's sequences include:
Research institutes
CMC sponsors 11 different on-campus research institutes and centers. They seek to produce new research and publications while
involving undergraduate students in rigorous academic work. Many are named in honor of the college's donors.
- The Berger Institute for Work, Family and Children
- The Financial Economics Institute
- The Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights
- The Family of Benjamin Z. Gould Center for Humanistic Studies
- The Keck Center for International and Strategic Studies
- The Kravis Leadership Institute
- The Lowe Institute of Political Economy
- The Reed Institute for Applied Statistics
- The Roberts Environmental Center
- The Rose Institute of State and Local Government
- The Salvatori Center for the Study of Individual Freedom in the Modern World
Athletics
IM Soccer on Parents Field
Athletes from CMC, Harvey Mudd College, and Scripps College compete under one program - CMS Athletics. The men are the Stags, and the women are the
Athenas. The teams participate in the NCAA's Division III and
in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference.
Over the years, a rivalry has formed between the opposing sports teams CMS (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps) and PP (Pomona-Pitzer).
These teams, however, mostly consist of students enrolled at Claremont McKenna and Pomona, which has intensified the rivalry
between these particular neighbors. Recently, the rivalry has spread off the field and into classrooms and parties, making the
rivalry not just athletic, but social and academic as well.
Controversies
Like all colleges, CMC is not without controversy. For example:
- On the evening of March 9, 2004, after attending and speaking at a campus forum concerning a recent spate of racist and
racially-insensitive incidents, Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology Kerri F. Dunn
reported that her car had been vandalized and painted with racist, sexist and anti-semitic slurs. In response the
Claremont Colleges cancelled classes the next day (after 9/11, classes were not
cancelled, critics point out), and a series of demonstrations, candle-light vigils and community meetings were called to address
the threat posed by an alleged and previously unknown group of violently intolerant students. Subsequent investigaton by the City
of Claremont's police department and the FBI revealed that Dunn had, in
fact, slashed her own tires and applied the insulting phrases to her own vehicle. She was subsequently found guilty of filing a
false police report and attempted insurance fraud. She was sentenced to one year in prison and ordered to pay a fine of
approximately $19,000 in restitution.
- A new issue is the planned expansion of the student body. Current president Pamela Gann, a controversial figure among more
conservative alumni, is increasing the student body by 60 students. Critics of the plan say it will change the student dynamic by
making the community less intimate and requiring the building of a new dorm.
- On September 27, 2007, the college announced a $200 million gift from alumnus and trustee Robert A. Day '65 to create a
masters program in finance, although Claremont McKenna's mission statement defines the school as
an "undergraduate" institution.[6][7][8]
The trustees and administration did not consult all faculty or students before accepting the gift.
Presidents
Notable faculty
- Andrew E. Busch [2] - professor of government and author of books on American politics and Ronald Reagan
- Jay Conger [3] - leadership scholar, renowned business consultant, and named by BusinessWeek as the best professor to teach leadership to executives
- Robert Faggen [4] - professor of literature and noted Robert Frost scholar
- Diane Halpern [5] - former president of American Psychological Association
- Charles Kesler[6] - editor of
the Claremont Review of Books and noted conservative scholar
- Marc Massoud [7] - former president of the American Accounting Association
- Jonathan Petropoulos [8] - European historian and expert consultant in World War II art reclamation
- John J. Pitney [9]- professor of government, often quoted in the media
- Ronald Riggio [10] - current president of the Western Psychological Association
- Ralph Rossum [11] - biographer of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
- Mort Sahl [12][13] - political satirist, Gould Center lecturer (2007-2008)
- Michael Uhlmann [14] - former
Assistant Attorney General to President Gerald Ford and special assistant to President
Ronald Reagan
Notable alumni
Politics
- Ken Cheuvront '83 - Member, Arizona State
Senate
- Chuck DeVore '85 - Member, California State
Assembly
- David Dreier '75 - California Congressman, U.S. House of Representatives and former Chairman of the House Rules Committee
- George Dunn III '72 - Chief of Staff to California Governor Pete Wilson, 1997-1998
- Johnny Ellis '82 - Member, Alaska State Senate
- Sean Elsbernd '97 - Member, San Francisco Board of Supervisors
- Hugh L. Hallman '84 - Mayor of Tempe, Arizona
- Rob Hurtt '66 - California State Senate
Republican Leader, 1995-1996
- Tom Leppert '77 - Mayor of Dallas, Texas
- David M. Mason '79 - Member, Federal Election Commission
- Steve May '93 - Member, Arizona House of Representatives.
- Gary Mendoza '77 - Former Deputy Mayor, City of Los Angeles, 2002 Republican
nominee for California Insurance Commissioner
- Steve Merksamer '69 - Chief of Staff to California Governor George Deukmejian,
1982-1987
- Raymond Remy '59 - Former Deputy Mayor, City of Los Angeles
- Simon Salinas '78 - Former member, California State Assembly
- Steve Tully '88 - Member, Arizona House of Representatives
- Jake Zimmerman '96 - Member, Missouri House of
Representatives
Business
- John Anderson '84 - Co-founder of Woodhouse
Chocolate in Napa Valley
- Joel Appel '87 - President & CEO of Orange Glo International, makers of cleaning products Oxiclean, Orange Clean, Orange Glo, and Kaboom
- Gordon "Grubby" Clark '59 - Founder of Clark Foam, formerly the largest and most well
known supplier of surf board blanks.
- Jonathan Appelbaum '83 - President, Penguin Frozen Foods
- Michael Arrington '92 - Internet entrepreneur and founder of Techcrunch, the 4th most popular internet blog
- Robert A. Day '65 - Chairman, Trust Company of West; Chairman, W.H.Keck Foundation; a billionaire heir of William Myron Keck of Superior Oil.
- Michael Grindon '76 - President of Sony Pictures Television
International
- Michael S. Jeffries '66 - Chairman & CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
- Jon Kirchner '89 - President and CEO of Digital Theater Systems
- Henry Kravis '67 - Founding Partner, Kohelberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR), ranked
as the 107th richest person in the world
- Robert Nakasone '69 - Former CEO of Toys 'R' Us
- Ashwin Navin '99 - President and Co-Founder of BitTorrent, Inc.
- Thomas B. Neff '76 - Founder and CEO, FibroGen
- Augie Nieto '80 - Founder, Life Fitness, Inc.
- William Pace '80 - CEO, Kurt Salmon Associates
- George R. Roberts '66 - Founding Partner, Kohelberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
(KKR)
- Karen Rosenfelt '80 - Film Producer and Former President of Paramount
Pictures
- Peter Thum '90 - Founder, Ethos water (Sold to Starbucks)
Academia
- Orley Ashenfelter '64 - Joseph Douglas Green 1895 Professor of Economics at
Princeton University and former editor of the American Economic Review
- Jill P. Gordon '84 - author and professor of philosophy at Colby College
- Francisco Vazquez '72 - Professor and director of the Hutchins School of Liberal
Studies at Sonoma State University.
- Fritz Weis '65 - current president of Scripps College
- Jack L. Stark '57 - Former CMC president
Other
Dropouts and transfers
External links
References
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