The plan can be found in detail online, and expect more coverage here as the next steps in this process take shape.

February 17, 2010

Dear Members of the CMC Community,

I am pleased to report that the Board of Trustees voted unanimously, at its most recent meeting, to approve a proposed campus Master Plan for the College.

As I described to the CMC Community last spring, the College initiated this planning process in order to thoughtfully map the evolution of our campus. The process originated in October 2005, when the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to base the College’s long-term campus planning on a potential enrollment of up to 1,400 students in Claremont, which is the College’s enrollment limit under The Claremont College’s Constitution. Since that time, there have been a number of other major improvements to our campus, including the completion in 2008 of Claremont Hall, the completion in 2009 of the Biszantz Family Tennis Center, the anticipated completion in 2011 of the Kravis Center, and the proposed East Campus land acquisition from the Claremont University Consortium.

Going forward, we know there are a number of other potential projects that the College needs to address in the context of a long-term campus Master Plan, including new or renovated academic facilities, a new fitness and athletic center, a new campus center, and the potential development of an “Alumni House.” In addition to these existing facilities needs, we also must plan the campus so as not to impede its potential growth some time in the future to its Constitutional limit.

Our starting point in this process was the development of a Statement of Master Plan Beliefs and Principles, which summarizes the distinguishing features and characteristics of our campus, including those historic or essential qualities of the campus that we should seek to preserve and enhance as the campus evolves over time. The Statement of Master Plan Beliefs sets forth the College’s key design principles and guidelines, which include:

• Reinforcement of the outdoor image of the campus through cohesive, interconnected, well-defined and human-scaled open spaces that promote personal interaction and are extensions of adjacent building interiors.
• Creation of distinguished architecture and other iconic elements providing a strong sense of campus identity and inspiring and energizing those who live, learn, work, and visit.
• Provision of an appropriate framework for the consideration and implementation of historic preservation of facilities and significant landscape elements.
• Utilization of “best practices” with respect to environmentally sustainable design and operation, including the pursuit of at least a LEED “Silver” level certification of all new buildings and significant renovations.

Using the Statement of Master Plan Beliefs, we worked with our Master Plan architect, Moore Ruble Yudell (MRY) and the CMC Community last summer and fall to develop a proposed campus plan for Claremont McKenna. Throughout this process, we worked to solicit feedback and input from members of the CMC Community, including through a faculty-student-staff workshop last spring and additional outreach to faculty, students, and alumni this fall. In addition, we held a community meeting at which our Master Planning process was introduced to community stakeholders. This reflective and informative process led to the creation of the proposed Master Plan concept that was approved by the Board of Trustees last week. Click here to view and learn more about the Master Plan concept.

I am very excited about the campus Master Plan concept developed by MRY, which I believe provides us with a comprehensive and flexible framework that will guide our development over the next 25-plus years, while also leaving open opportunities for future generations.

Looking ahead from here, we will continue to work with MRY, the CMC Community and neighborhood stakeholders to refine the proposed campus Master Plan based on the conceptual plan approved by the Board. This winter, we will solicit feedback, through design charrettes and outreach to members of the CMC Community and the larger Claremont community. We hope to finalize a proposed campus Master Plan this spring and then to submit that proposal to the City of Claremont for review and approval.

Thanks again for your continued support and input into this important project, and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or other feedback.

Sincerely,

Pamela B. Gann

President

According to Mr. Arnold, the decision to keep the stipend at $3,000 (it was $3,000 last year as well) came when the Career Services Center reported receiving a record number of applications. KLI found itself trying to raise enough money for every applicant and has been mostly successful, but is unable to raise the stipend amount this year.

“KLI elected to retain the $3,000 stipend amount in order to maximize the number of internships we could support,” said Arnold in an interview today. “The challenge is a positive one in that [Career Services and the Kravis Institute] collectively got more applications this year than have ever been received– over 180, as compared to about 130 last year.”

Although Mr. Arnold reports that the KLI will be able to support “the great majority” of applicants, he says they will not know the final numbers for at least a month because many students have applications that are not complete. This includes applicants who are waiting to hear back from their organization or are still searching for an internship. “We won’t know what the final picture will look like for another month,” says Mr. Arnold.

Since the KLI program’s pilot year five years ago, many students have come to depend on CMC’s sponsored internship program, which provides students who choose certain non-profit, unpaid internships with a stipend for living expenses such as housing and food. In the past, KLI internships have involved domestic organizations from the Heritage Foundation to Habitat for Humanity (KLI’s 2007 international internships are listed here). When asked what he would do if CMC cannot fund his internship with the Sierra Club in San Francisco, Joe Swartley ’11 says, “I don’t know what I would do… I would probably wash cars or work at a retail store to make money.”

Other sponsored internships are available through CMC, including the McKenna International Program. The McKenna International Program is in the 9^th of a 10 year gift from Donald McKenna.

Even though the program has an application process, in past years almost all students were awarded a stipend for their internships. According to Mr. Arnold, this is not subject to change, but it is obviously more difficult to raise money for over 180 students than it is for 130 students or fewer. It is a task to raise money because funds may not come from tuition or fees paid for by students themselves. “The students contribute zero to a program that last year provided over $300,000 in stipends,” says Mr. Arnold.

“Henry Kravis has provided the institute with a lot of funding, some of which has been directed toward growing the internship program,” says Mr. Arnold. “There have been major gifts in the past couple years from [CMC Trustee] Shaw B. Wagener ’81, and members of the KLI Advisory Board, such as Duane Kurisu [Parent '08], as well as others. President Gann has also been directly involved in securing funding.” Mr. Arnold emphasizes that a lot of people have been instrumental in supporting the programs, even though it is more of a collaborative effort than a centralized one.

Despite some disappointment from students who were anticipating more in funding, CMC’s sponsored internships have come a long way in the past five years when they were started. Three years ago, stipends were increased from $2,500 to $3,000. This year, more than $500,000 will be awarded in stipends.

“We want to be as supportive as possible, keeping in mind the increased demand,” says Mr. Arnold. “I understand the concern about funding… but it is a program that has grown because of the great support by the administration and through faculty involvement in the academic portion of the internships.”
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Example e-mail:

“Greetings, Your summer internship application has been received and reviewed for support by the Kravis Leadership Institute (KLI). Pending final confirmation from your organization of acceptance and responsibilities, I expect the KLI will be able to support your internship with a $3,000 stipend to cover expenses associated with your otherwise unpaid internship. Please continue to provide any additional relevant information to the Career Service Center. Additional information concerning academic requirements will be forthcoming. You will be required to attend an internship meeting in April to go over the requirements of the program. Details about this meeting will also be forthcoming.”