04/18/2021
Community Update on an Inappropriate Quiz Question at a Pomona Psychological Science Class
On April 11, a student enrolled in a Pomona College Psychological Science class found a quiz question inappropriate, specifically pertaining to derogatory stereotypes of Chinese culinary culture. After the concerned student reached out to the professor, the professor responded immediately to both the concerned student and the class, apologized about the inappropriate question, and immediately took the quiz down. It is found out that the professor, through their teaching assistants, obtained the quiz question from an online quiz bank and published it on Sakai without further scrutiny.
While it is a regrettable mistake, CSA (The Chinese Student Association at the 7Cs), AAMP (Asian American Mentorship Program at Pomona), and ISMP (International Student Mentorship Program at Pomona) would like to take a firm stance against any form of racial and cultural insensitivity in academic settings and beyond. We urge that faculty members to review class materials more carefully to prevent similar cases from happening. Furthermore, we would like to reiterate the need for more racial/cultural sensitivity training programs that would make the Claremont Colleges a more inclusive environment for all. We are also working with ASPC to make sure that students have a clear resource to consult with or a process to report similar incidents to the Dean of the College's Office, particularly if a student is uncomfortable approaching the professor.
CSA, AAMP, and ISMP
