<p>Does anyone know the effect of the stepping down of the President will have on Occidental? Also, what led up to this? My son and I are going down to visit this spring, and we are naturally curious</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>I'm an admission officer from Oxy, so I thought you might like to hear our response.</p>
<p>A transition like this always presents challenges, and everyone at Occidental is treating this with the seriousness it deserves. As President Susan Prager told the campus, she decided to step down because she and the board of trustees, senior administrators, and faculty leadership hadn't developed the kind of compatibility and strong working relationship she and the board believe is essential. Still, the kind of momentum Occidental has built up over the past 120 years is not easily interrupted. As former President Ted Mitchell said last week, "There have been 13 presidents of the College and each of us, including Susan Prager, has made the institution stronger in our own way, whether our tenure was 20 years or 20 months. The next president will inherit an extraordinary institution." Unchanged are the fundamentals that students tell us they are looking for -- outstanding faculty, small classes, remarkable diversity, access to the resources of Los Angeles, the chance to be an athlete without sacrificing academic quality, and even our beautiful campus.</p>