Social Responsibility
From a service-based graduation requirement to our Inside-Out-Pathway-to-BA for incarcerated individuals, see how we put social responsibility into action
“My favorite Core Value is social responsibility. This one resonates with me the most as it’s important to care about those around you and those you may not know! I love that everyone is striving for the betterment of society and being mindful of the future that’s ahead of us.”
Bree Reed '23
she/her
Molecular Biology major
Pitzer’s students, faculty, and staff are committed to social responsibility. That’s why we donate more than 28,000 hours of our time to community initiatives each year.
“Princeton Review” The Best 390 Colleges: 2025 Edition
Read the Story![AVa park-matt reads the story book she wrote to a group of children in a classroom](/sites/default/files/styles/770x514/public/2024-07/ava-park-matt-2000px.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=SlTZU_e7)
Ava Park-Matt '27 reads her children's book, “Riley the Rhino,” to students from a local elementary school. Park-Matt wrote her book to fulfill Pitzer's unique social responsibility praxis requirement, which requires every Pitzer student to take a class that includes at least 40 hours of community service before graduating.
![Kenneth Butler teaches in Uganda](/sites/default/files/styles/1160x667/public/2024-06/Kenneth-Butler-1-Uganda-fulbright.jpg?h=7deccf34&itok=I2pojX0C)
Organizational studies major Kenneth Butler ’22 teaches formerly incarcerated individuals in Uganda as part of his Fulbright research grant. Learn about our Inside-Out Pathway-to-BA program.
Social Responsibility in Action
Kenneth Butler ’22 – who started working on his bachelor’s degree while incarcerated, through Pitzer’s Inside-Out Pathway-to-BA program – received a 2022–23 Fulbright grant to study the ways that Uganda’s prison system has reduced recidivism rates.
Student Voices
“Pitzer’s Core Value of social responsibility is in the DNA of my films, and so much of who I am as a filmmaker can be traced back to my time at Pitzer.”
Steven Liang '10
he/him
Asian American Studies and Communications self-designed major
Social Responsibility in the News
View All Social Responsibility Stories![Lawyers and student volunteers take a group selfie after helping refugees in a legal clinic.](/sites/default/files/styles/768x576/public/2024-12/legal%20clinic%20group%20selfie%20fall%202024.jpg?h=431d7f23&itok=CgtzFpIC)
Featured
Legal Clinic Offers Expertise As Well As Inspiring Lessons for Refugees and Students
A Pitzer trio of lawyers, assisted by Claremont Colleges students, provided local refugees with critical help in filling out green card applications.