In a meeting with the Catholic Students Association (CSA) on March 10, The Claremont Colleges Services (TCCS) Vice President for Student Affairs Stephanie Blaisdell provided an update on the future of the Catholic chaplain position. The Claremont Colleges Presidents Council decided to move forward by hiring an interim Catholic chaplain for the 2025-26 academic year while an independent review occurs.
In an email sent the following day to CSA leadership, Blaisdell also shared the Presidents’ response to her report, which stated that Blaisdell would lead the search committee, which will be composed “of students, faculty and staff and engage stakeholder groups in the search process.”
The Claremont Colleges chaplaincy has been embroiled in controversy after the unexplained departure of the previous Catholic chaplain, Fr. Joe Fenton, and members of the 7C Committee on Religious Affairs (CORA) feeling excluded from the process to replace him.
The Presidents’ response also stated that “CORA will be consulted, along with other stakeholder groups, through the search and review process, but will not have oversight over the searches nor the review.”
The message noted that “There has been an assertation by the Committee on Religious Activities (CORA) that it has purview over any structural or personnel changes in the Chaplaincy.” It went on to quote from CORA’s constitution:
“The Committee on Religious Activities (CORA) was established by the faculty in 1976 to promote the religious and spiritual life of students, faculty and staff at the Claremont Colleges. CORA pursues its mission by serving as a resource to and advocacy group in support of students, faculty and staff at the Claremont Colleges, including the Colleges’ Chaplaincy, student religious organizations, and the Religious Affiliates of the 7C consortium. As a faculty-created institution, CORA is a freestanding independent committee and reserves the right to pursue its mission on its own initiative.”
In a statement to the Independent, CMC professor and CORA co-chair Lenny Fukshansky stated that, “Indeed, CORA is an advisory body and does not make decisions, only recommendations. This being said, two years ago it has been designated by [former TCCS Vice President for Student Affairs] Janet Smith Dickerson with the approval of the Presidents Council as the official advisory body on religious affairs at the 7C, representing the individual colleges with members being nominated to CORA by the colleges. Our understanding is that this means that CORA is at least consulted on religious matters.”
Additionally, Rabbi Danny Lutz, the current Jewish chaplain, will also be replaced by another rabbi as an interim Jewish chaplain.
Updated at 3:11 P.M.
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