CLAREMONT : Protesters Call for More Racial Diversity in Faculty

A group of students accusing the Claremont Colleges of racism kept the Pomona College president and about 100 other administrative employees out of their offices Monday by blocking the entrances to Alexander Hall.

The students issued a series of demands, including a call for increased racial diversity among faculty at Pomona, Pitzer, Harvey Mudd, Scripps and Claremont McKenna colleges and the Claremont Graduate School.

One student, Karl Halfman, a junior at Pitzer College, said students were prepared to stay in the building “as long as it takes to get our demands met or until they drag us out.”

The demonstration, which involved about 100 students, was triggered when students learned last week that the Pomona College English Department had rejected three African-American finalists for a faculty position. Jerry Irish, dean of the college, said the English Department action was “out of order” and the finalists remain under consideration.

Pomona College President Peter Stanley said that most of the student demands would be “relatively easy to address” and that he hoped to reach some kind of agreement.