Shrinking enrollment. A budget deficit. Certain dining hall foods being viewed as cultural appropriation.
In many cases, these issues at Oberlin College in Lorain County, while not unique to the institution, have made national headlines and helped color the narrative around liberal arts institutions and where they fit in today’s society. That reputation can be seen as a challenge but also as a benefit, said Carmen Twillie Ambar, who joined Oberlin as president in September after serving in the top role at Cedar Crest College in Pennsylvania. Because it gets put under a microscope, Ambar said Oberlin — which she described as a ‘bellwether institution’ — has the opportunity to lead in this challenging space." …