Oswald14, did you find the same for other students who do not wish to participate? Do they feel threatened? D is trying to decide whether to go there or not as a freshman. We saw tension between Black Liberation and the Administration staff during Admitted Student Day. Do you feel this will affect the students academically?
Oxyparent, do you mean the Experience Oxy which took place this weekend (and will take place again next weekend)? Interestingly enough, I think some of this tension is at most colleges and part of a current political climate. I was talking to someone about CSU, Chico and apparently the same stuff is going on there. We are flying down Thursday night and I pray to God we don’t experience that hostile political climate as it may be enough for D to chose UCLA instead.
@oxyparent I honestly did not find other students who did not wish to participate. They were probably holed up in their room avoiding conflict like myself during the protests. Lately I haven’t witnessed any tension on this matter, but it is significant to note that the two Deans of the college resigned within weeks of one another, and both have been replaced by Deans of color. Perhaps they were chosen based on merit, but Oxy admin seems to be interested in filling a quota of admin of color at the urging of students on campus. The new position of Chief Diversity Office was also just given the secondary title of VP of the College. I have been touring other schools that I applied to as a transfer, and the majority of them did not have a hostile campus environment; it is encouraging to know that Oxy’s environment has not become commonplace at all universities.
@oxyparent academically, several of my classes were cancelled during the week of the protests, and several students were verbally abused in class by protestors who thought everyone should be skipping class in order to attend the protests. I’m a DWA major here, and the DWA career fair was also cancelled and never rescheduled due to the protests. This was also a major factor in my decision to leave Oxy.
Oswald14, which two Deans are you talking about? The Dean of students left in October before the protests for another job. And Dean of the college, Gonzales, is leaving to become president of a college in Michigan that his family has academic ties with.
I am talking about the Dean of Students and the Dean of the College. Talks of the protests began in October. Any professional administrator has to give reasons for leaving. It would be inappropriate to cite the campus unrest. Whether coincidence or not, it is hard to not see the connection between the campus unrest and the flight of the Deans. It is only a matter of time before those who protested last Fall protest again when they realize President Veitch and the rest of the administration will be slow to meet all of their demands. In the meantime, demands that have been met were met with unqualified and honestly ridiculous place holders. I met with the new Dean of Students recently to have my transfer papers signed, and was taken aback by her ridiculous demeanor. It is clear Oxy now intends to fill a quota of administration of color, which completely offends one of the reasons for protesting in the first place.
I agree that faculty of color is severely lacking at Oxy, but the correct way to fix this is by hiring qualified professors and administrators. Granted Oxy is trying to get students involved in the hiring process of the new Deans, but unfortunately students don’t seem to care until complaints boil over into protests.
@Oswald14, thanks for the information.
@Michpadams, we didn’t have the chance to ask the students individually about how they feel about the protest. However, the current parents seem to be very pleased with the education and experience at Oxy. It would be best if you can ask the students about this and share with us later.
Read the official updates to the plan and actions taken (link below). I personally was pleased the Veitch and the board did not simply roll over and acquiesce to all student demands as happened at other schools. They take the appropriate position that:
Albeit this is a position that has to be lived out in the reality of day to day life, and as Oswald says may not be the reality - especially among the students with their passionate and youthful exuberance and naivete. But it’s good that they have the right goals in mind. Here’s the latest from their website:
We will be down there Friday and I am sure, given the opportunity, I will try to ask about it. I’m confident that, while not perfect, Oxy will be a place of great growth for my child
@Michpadams I believe this is what @oxyparent is referring to:
http://occidentalweekly.com/news/2016/04/13/oxy-united-holds-rally-at-admitted-students-day/
@Michpadams, how did the Experience Oxy go? Is your daughter still choosing Oxy over UCLA?
My daughter has committed to Oxy!! How did the experience go? I’d call it a mixed bag. It left me with mixed emotions. My daughter ended up choosing it because she is a hard science major and found others similar to her in those fields. She sat in on a molecular biology class and was amazed at how small the class was and knew she would gain so much knowledge there. She was amazed at the senior project presentation given by the student majoring in physics. I believe her exact words were something bout dying and going to heaven. He was brilliant and really embraced the sciences. That being said, she is, luckily, not a terribly political kid and isn’t irritated by those who are. She doesn’t really imagine herself getting caught up in the activism part of the campus and she found that many of the hard science students take a similar approach. She hopes to make friends with students from all walks of life and, ultimately that is what I would like for her as well
. As a mom there were a few things that left me scratching my head. When she spoke to the two more conservative groups (one religious, the other political) on campus and asked how they are treated by the college and other students as a whole she was told they are definitely the minority and not always treated respectfully but they are a tight group. I know she’ll do great but I DO wish the school fostered more of a sense of respect towards others who think differently. It feels that the college makes a wide berth for those who think in a certain way but may not do this for others; especially those who are Christian or more politically centrist
Just throwing in a few words here, a little late. No offense to the young woman who is transferring, but Oxy has a national reputation, although it is indeed the “step cousin” of the Claremont Schools. If Oxy was not a national LAC with a stellar reputation, it would not have one of the highest rates of Fulbrights in the nation. Just for the record, I am a parent from the East originally and not a CA resident. Clearly, she has been unhappy and it is probably a good thing to transfer. Oxy is definitely not considered a “feeder” school to UCLA. Yes, the students have a liberal leaning and they are known for protests. My daughter was on campus during the protests and was able to complete her classwork, although there was a great deal of disruption. She is moderate in her political views. These protests happened all over the country, not just at Oxy. Aside from all of this, our daughter has loved it and she is getting an outstanding education. She will graduate next spring with plans to attend graduate school. Oxy students do well in the graduate school process and attend schools all over the US.
swimsoc, my son is enrolled to begin his freshman year this Fall. A concern we have is in regards to “Grade Deflation” which I have heard occurs at Occidental. Did your daughter find it difficult to make very good grades? My son is a good student and wants to apply to medical school. I have heard it is all but impossible to make very high marks and they limit good grades to a very small percentile. Any thoughts on your daughter’s experience with this? Thanks.
Just thought I’d pop in here again to say I’ve learned that school is what you make of it. No matter what your political opinions are, a very valuable part of life is learning to deal with conflict and with others who don’t agree with you. As it gets closer each day I realize I’ve done a pretty good job with my kid. She knows who she is and going to Oxy will help her learn more about either standing up for what she believes in (even in the face of adversity) and/or it will open her eyes to a new way of looking at things. In light of the events at UCLA I, for one, am feeling confident that my daughter will learn from a collaborative rather than competitive learning environment. Warfclub, I wouldn’t worry about grade deflation. I’ve done a lot of research and it appears to be very fair. I do think Oxy has, in the past, admitted some kids who just don’t belong there academically and end up leaving. I, for one, have decided to embrace all things orange and Oxy!!! Go Tigers
To be fair, similar races will tend to hang out together, regardless of the institution, primarily because of similar life experiences and navigating being that race in the US. You can read more about this in “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria: And Other Conversations About Race” by Beverly Tatum. There isn’t a separate but equal mentality at all on campus and “races co-mingle”.
My daughter is getting really excited to go to Oxy. She just found out her roommate is from Bejing China and I think it will be an amazing experience. While they might not have as much in common I think it will be yet another opportunity to grow as a person and the gal she’s rooming with is a sweetheart. Sure, kids will probably tend to stick with those they relate to ethnically, racially, religiously but man, I’m super excited to see her “stretch” as a person. That has always been the appeal for me. While I might not agree with everything (the O-leader emailed her and behind her name put (she/her/hers) I’m assuming to let those know she identifies as female which I thought was super ridiculous) she is open to the experience; both absurd and mind blowing, and so are her dad and I. To the person who says Oxy is a feeder school to UCLA…nope. I don’t think so. My daughter was accepted to UCLA and chose Oxy over it. I honestly feel it will provide a better (and more intimate) education. Go TIGERS!!!
Just read this thread with interest as my daughter is accepted for Fall 2017 to Oxy and is considering it. She’s pretty liberal-leaning but also doesn’t want to go to school in an echo chamber, she’s mentioned this to me. She also has a preference for a larger school and is admitted to some, but likes a certain major Oxy offers that not all schools do. @Michpadams now that your daughter has been at Oxy for most of a year (I assume) I’m curious about your thoughts? Hope you are still around and see this!
Yep, still here. My daughter loves Oxy and loves her major. I DO think she is someone slow at acclimating. She definitely is in the minority politically. Most things offered at Oxy are tailored towards a certain crowd. They could do a much better job, IMO, being balanced. That being said she is quite happy.