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Former Employee Defrauded Claremont Colleges Out of $1 Million
A Santa Clarita man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to embezzling over $1 million from the Claremont Colleges, where he was employed as an electrical shop supervisor.
Sarah McPeek
Jan 9


Pomona College Officially in “Exclusive Partnership Negotiations” with Claremont Graduate University
Pomona College and Claremont Graduate University announced in parallel statements Thursday afternoon that they have entered exclusive negotiations on a “potential partnership,” described as a parent-subsidiary structure. Sources familiar with the matter told the Independent that the institutions’ respective boards signed only a non-binding letter of intent, meaning negotiations could be broken off at any point.
Emilio Bankier
Dec 21, 2025


William C. Dudley Selected as Claremont McKenna College’s Sixth President
William C. Dudley announced as Claremont McKenna's sixth president. Photo credit: The Columns . Washington and Lee University President William C. Dudley will succeed Hiram Chodosh as Claremont McKenna College’s sixth president, according to a statement from Board of Trustees Chairman Ken Valach on Thursday afternoon. The announcement comes after six months of deliberation by the Presidential Search Committee – a group of trustees, faculty, alumni, and the sitting ASCMC Presi
Scott Sloop
Dec 4, 2025


What If We Have It All Wrong?
The majors listed on our diplomas and qualifications inventoried on our resumes say far less about us than the intangible things that actually give our lives meaning, though we seem to forget that. The university was not always seen as a stepping stone into the corporate world or the endless frontier of networking. In the American university system’s original conception, colleges were meant to help students in their pursuit of the good, true, and beautiful. The university was
Greta Long
Dec 4, 2025


I’m a Questbridge Student. Legacy Admissions Shouldn’t Be Caricatured.
A liberal arts college with hardly over a thousand students and a billion dollar endowment, one-fifth of Claremont McKenna’s student body was drawn from the top 1% in 2017. This was not my reality. Neither of my parents completed high school, so how could I have ended up in Claremont? After a low-income upbringing, I owe my presence here to the Questbridge scholarship program for underprivileged students. Programs like this are made possible in part by the boons of legacy adm
Shiv Parihar
Nov 18, 2025


Two of Four Hillel Event Disruptors Identified, Banned from Pomona’s Campus
Nearly three weeks after masked individuals disrupted a Claremont Hillel event marking the two-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, Pomona President Gabrielle Starr confirmed in an email last week that two of the four individuals have been identified and neither are affiliated with Pomona.
Jacob Pippel
Nov 14, 2025


CMS Men’s Swim and Dive Team Investigated for Misconduct, Temporarily Suspended
The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) men's swim and dive team was temporarily suspended last week as they underwent an investigation by the Claremont McKenna College (CMC) Office of Civil Rights into “some concerns” about the team’s culture, according to an email from Coach Charlie Griffiths obtained by the Independent.
Sarah McPeek
Nov 13, 2025


After a Long Journey, Claremont Hillel to Open House for Jewish Life
"The original plan was that it would be me by myself for at least a year, maybe two years... after October 7, everything changed," said Slater.
Julien Friedland
Oct 30, 2025


Pro-Palestine Groups Host Speakers and Organize Vigils to Mark Oct. 7
On Tuesday, Oct. 7, students and faculty across the Claremont Colleges participated in pro-Palestine events, including vigils and speaker events, to mark two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas. A point of contention is the decision to host these events on Oct. 7, the day when Israel experienced Hamas’s ambush and had not yet begun its offensive into Gaza.
Dhriti Jagadish
Oct 9, 2025


Pomona Drops in US News Rankings, Tying Claremont McKenna
The U.S. News & World Report released their 2026 rankings for liberal arts colleges on Tuesday. Pomona College slipped down to seventh place, now tied with Claremont McKenna College and Wellesley.
Arjun Vohra and Greta Long
Sep 23, 2025


It’s Time to End the Hypocrisy
Crime and Punishment. Photo Credit: Elizabeth Thompsen . Last spring, Josh Morganstein CMC ‘25 and I took “Dostoevsky’s Russia” with...
Dhriti Jagadish
Sep 22, 2025


Students Hold Vigil for Charlie Kirk Despite Disruption and Online Harassment
Approximately two dozen students gathered last week at Claremont McKenna College in memoriam of Charlie Kirk, founder of the MAGA-aligned organization Turning Point USA and leading conservative figure for college students across America. Vigil attendees were met with intermittent heckling, small-scale disruption, and digital harassment.
Kendall White
Sep 19, 2025


Political Violence Is Not A Punchline
Charlie Kirk, right-wing commentator and father of two, was shot and killed Wednesday while speaking to a crowd of college students. Only two days earlier, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression released its 2026 report about free speech on America’s college campuses.
Editorial Board
Sep 12, 2025


FIRE's 2026 Free Speech Rankings: Claremont McKenna Secures Top Spot, Pomona Falls Among Nation’s Worst
Claremont McKenna College claimed first place in the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s 2026 Free Speech Rankings on Tuesday, while Pomona College clocked in at 247th of 257 colleges. The other Claremont Colleges’ placements spanned between the two, with all but CMC earning an “F” grade.
Dhriti Jagadish
Sep 10, 2025


No Injuries Reported after Small Fire in Marks Hall
A small fire broke out in Claremont McKenna’s Marks Hall just before 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 2, damaging five rooms and triggering a response by the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Lia Gabai
Sep 4, 2025


Pomona Comms Chief Leaves Just Two Months in after Yearlong Search
When, after a one year search, Pomona College’s then acting president Bob Gaines announced Katharine Laidlaw as the College’s next Chief...
Emilio Bankier
Sep 3, 2025


Pomona Faculty Frustrated after Dean Steps Down and College Launches “Alarming” Replacement Process
Alexander Hall (Pomona's administrative building), and former Dean Melanie Wu. Photo credit: Pomona College Media Team A week after...
Emilio Bankier
Jul 5, 2025


Trigger Warning: I Disagree With You
Photo Credit: wiredforlego On paper, the Claremont Colleges present a unified commitment to inclusion, openness, and intellectual...
Naya Dermenjian
May 17, 2025


Disintegrated Sciences
Construction work on the Robert Day Integrated Sciences Center. As the final panels are placed on the Robert Day Integrated Sciences...
Henry Long and Charlie Hatcher
May 16, 2025


Salman Rushdie Withdraws from Speaking at CMC Commencement
Photo Credit: ActuaLitté. On May 13, President Hiram Chodosh announced that Sir Salman Rushdie will no longer speak at Claremont McKenna...
Dhriti Jagadish
May 13, 2025
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