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THE VALUE OF OXY
Determining what educational opportunity is best for your student is one of the most important, yet daunting tasks you will face as a parent. The great system of American higher education offers myriad choices and countless directions. Yet at every turn, today’s marketplace questions the value of a college education and the rising cost of tuition. Even more so, it devalues a liberal arts education as it emphasizes educational pathways that are more vocational than transformational. And so, we often ask ourselves, is a private liberal arts education worth it? The answer, unequivocally, is yes.
AN INVESTMENT IN OCCIDENTAL
Yes, a private school education is expensive, but good investments are often made with long-term success in mind. The traditional model of a liberal arts education exists because it has prepared countless high-achieving graduates both for their career and for their lives. In fact, data show the liberal arts have had a disproportional impact on educating leaders across many fields.
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A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT
THE VALUE OF OXY
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etermining what educational opportunity is best for your student is one of the most important, yet daunting, tasks you will face as a parent. The great system of American higher education offers myriad choices and countless directions. Yet, at every turn, today’s marketplace questions the rising cost of tuition and the value of a college education. Even more so, it devalues a liberal arts education as it emphasizes educational pathways that are more vocational than transformational. And so, we often ask ourselves, is a private liberal arts education worth it? The answer, unequivocally, is yes. Yes, a private school education is expensive, but good investments are often made with long-term success in mind. The traditional model of a liberal arts education exists because it has prepared countless highachieving graduates both for their careers and for their lives. In fact, data show the liberal arts have had a disproportional impact on educating leaders across many fields.
At Occidental, we are good stewards of that investment—both of money and of time. We recognize that the current generation of students will face an increasingly complex, constantly evolving world. There are challenges in the workforce—and in the world—that will require more than financial stability, more than a narrow understanding of a field. It’s why we prepare citizens, not just graduates. We also want our graduates to begin their professional careers without the burdens of significant financial strain. That’s why we meet the demonstrated need of every student through generous financial aid. Whether or not you are familiar with Oxy or the liberal arts, I invite you to dig deeper. Our faculty, students and alumni can attest to the value of an Oxy experience. All the best,
Jonathan Veitch President
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WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM AN OXY EDUCATION? We focus on the undergraduate student first and foremost. We build the skills necessary to thrive in an increasingly global, highly complex, and less predictable world: cognitive flexibility and agility, critical thinking, strong communications skills and social and ethical intelligence.
We provide access to education for a gifted and diverse group of students and promote a community of mutual respect and support.
We are highly engaged with Los Angeles, one of the world’s most global cities, through curricular, co-curricular and professional activities.
e recognize that individual aspirations are often born from a commitment to the W common good.
We give our students a truly global perspective through experiential learning, extensive international experiences and exposure to diverse populations.
We provide year-round undergraduate research opportunities for students across disciplines on par with graduate school research programs.
We ensure that students are ready to enter the marketplace upon graduation, regardless of the economic climate, through our Career Development Center. Students are also encouraged to discover what will bring meaning to their life’s work.
We graduate students to the most highly competitive, prestigious, national and international academic opportunities including internships, fellowships, post-graduate study and research.
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W H AT T O E X P E C T
T H E VA L U E O F O X Y
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REINTERPRETING THE LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCES “The liberal arts and sciences are not a static entity. Every generation needs to go back to that well, and engage in a debate about what belongs there. What books, which ideas matter, and why? As President Remsen Bird said shortly after he arrived at Oxy more than 90 years ago, we need to make that case in every generation.” - PRESIDENT JONATHAN VEITCH
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We can’t predict the future. In a world characterized by globalization, growing diversity, bewildering technological advances and political polarization, the only constant is change. The questions students ask today have no easy answers. So how do we, as educators, best prepare students for the challenges— and opportunities—that lie ahead? At Oxy, we fully embrace the transformative nature of a liberal arts education. We believe firmly in the capacity of a liberal arts education to help our students navigate that complexity through active citizenship, meaningful careers and rich, introspective lives. The College has continuously adapted its curriculum to the demands of a changing world. Today Oxy is reinterpreting the liberal arts tradition. Our educational experience builds upon those traditional strengths, yet incorporates innovations in teaching, learning and research practices. It embraces new areas of emphasis critical for student success, in particular the juxtaposition of urban affairs and global affairs in one of the world’s most compelling cities. As an institution, we recognize the tension between the traditional liberal arts and technology, but we understand how the power of presence on campus complemented by technology can create one of the best educational experiences. The liberal arts philosophy we employ provides students with the ability to learn how to learn, and
teaches them to be agile and adaptive, communicate ideas effectively, and develop critical thinking skills that will serve them well regardless of their chosen profession.
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FACULTY & CURRICULUM We believe that great research informs great teaching. Students can work with a faculty member on a research project in their very first year.
The cornerstone of our liberal arts approach is the Core Program. The Core Program begins with intensive first-year Cultural Studies Program seminars, writing exercises and evaluations geared to bring student work up to the highest standards.
121 STUDENTS from
23 MAJORS participated in the 10-week Summer Research Program
MENTORED BY
63 FACULTY
MEMBERS
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Kevin Kuwata ’15 works on his project, “Commissioning of Drift II-e Detector,” as part of the Summer Research Program.
REINTERPRETING THE LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCES
OUR STUDENT/FACULTY RATIO Students get to know professors well during their time here, in many cases working alongside Oxy professors on research and creative performance.
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URBAN & GLOBAL The world’s challenges and opportunities are being played out on a daily basis in the city of Los Angeles. Understanding the city is an important part of the curriculum, and that understanding can, in turn, relate to an understanding of urban issues across the globe.
The President’s Honor Roll, Project Pericles and the Carnegie Foundation recognize Oxy for its efforts in the advancement of teaching and community engagement in the city of Los Angeles and beyond through projects on urban transportation, farm-to-school initiatives and community service.
Urban & Environmental Policy Institute California Farm-to-School Program Manager Yelena Zeltser talks to local residents and hands out bags of avocados and taste samples in Mother’s Nutritional Center in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. The program is intended to promote locally grown fruits and vegetables.
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REINTERPRETING THE LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCES
The William and Elizabeth Kahane United Nations Program allows students of all disciplines to spend a semester in New York City taking classes and working as an intern at a U.N.-related organization, internships that are usually reserved for graduate students.
In the fall of 2014, Oxy welcomed the largest class of international students in history, making up 10 percent of the entering class, including an additional 17 percent who are dual citizens. Entering Oxy students also speak 28 languages. Students or their parents hailed from 59 countries other than the United States, making up 39 percent of the class.
Last year, 250 students participated in study-abroad semesters, and over 100 in collegesponsored courses and programs such as the faculty-led biology course to Costa Rica, the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Kuala Lumpur and the Glee Club Europe concert series.
STUDENTS PARTICIPATED
in
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
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DIVERSE & INCLUSIVE Students are challenged to understand perspectives other than their own, both by faculty and classmates, giving them a framework and set of experiences that help provide context in their lives and decisionmaking.
Since the adoption of its current mission statement in 1990, Occidental has been one of the few liberal arts colleges with a longstanding commitment to ensuring an environment where ethnic, socioeconomic and cultural diversity thrives.
Oxy has consistently been a national leader among liberal arts colleges in the number of Pell Grant recipients on campus. Oxy ranks No. 21 among the 99 schools on the New York Times College Access Index, with 20 percent of its first-year class receiving Pell Grants, a net price lower than most state universities, and an endowment-per-student figure of $190,000.
Students of color make up 29 percent of study abroad participants and 42 percent of College-sponsored travelers.
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REINTERPRETING THE LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCES
We offer incoming first-year students representing a variety of ethnic, regional and cultural backgrounds the opportunity to participate in the Multicultural Summer Institute, a four-week academic/residential program where they are introduced to the social, cultural and intellectual resources of Southern California and the College. T H E VA L U E O F O X Y
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INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY
Oxypreneurship is a faculty-led organization that engages students in entrepreneurial initiatives and encourages students to be innovative thinkers and challenge the status quo. The program offers Januaryterm and E-Summer programs to introduce students to entrepreneurship and potential career paths.
The Global Crossroads project is a large-scale environmental installation driven by content created within an accompanying web application. The project is an exciting example of how Oxy is using digital media and technological innovation to promote and supplement the work in the classroom and make visible the work of students and faculty. 14 12
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Fowler Hall piece by Marin Weiskopf ’17, Zoe Vandervelden ’18 and Raouf Mostafa. Sometimes called spatial augmented reality, projection mapping is a technique for turning objects and buildings into display surfaces for video projection. The artwork was created for a new course developed through the Center for Digital Liberal Arts’ faculty fellowship program, with assistance from Mellon postdoctoral fellow Patty Ahn.
REINTERPRETING THE LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCES
The Center for the Digital Liberal Arts enhances teaching, learning, research and scholarly work at Occidental by helping faculty and students integrate technology and design with emergent technologies and services.
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DISTINCTIVE EXPERIENCES
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Occidental offers 30 majors across 40 departments and programs, including a designyour-own major. But what truly sets Oxy apart are some of the distinctive opportunities on campus, around the country and abroad that only Oxy students can access. Here’s what you won’t find anywhere else.
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The William and Elizabeth Kahane United Nations Program Oxy offers the country’s only residential undergraduate United Nations program. Students of all disciplines spend a semester in New York City taking classes and working as interns at U.N.-related organizations.
Campaign Semester Every two years, students spend a semester working on key Senate, House, gubernatorial or presidential elections across the country.
California Environment Semester First-year students explore the California landscape as they investigate the geology, biology and economics of our environment through data collection, laboratory and computer analysis, critical thinking and writing and classroom learning.
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Sophomore Success Program Sophomore students take the Gallup StrengthsQuest assessment, followed by individual meetings with career counselors to begin a discernment process that helps inform academic choices, internship opportunities and career goals.
Blyth Fund Students serving on a 14-member board get hands-on experience managing a six-figure investment portfolio that is part of the College endowment.
Richter International Fellowship Oxy underwrites the funding for students to spend eight to 10 weeks working on independent or faculty-mentored research abroad over the summer. Students can opt for one of three tracks: community-based research, college-facilitated research or independent research. 18 16
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Politics major Alida Beck ’15, interns at Cogan Owens Greene, where she help with the organization’s marketing.
INTERNSHIPS The Career Development Center offers sophomores and juniors the opportunity to participate in more than 40 fully paid summer internships in Los Angeles and Portland, with plans for expansion across the country. One of the defining features of the summer internship program is the weekly Impact program for all interns that allows students to understand work dynamics, leadership in a work setting and other skills important in career development. Occidental is part of the Nationwide Internship Consortium that shares over 6,000 internships.
Stefan Johnson ’15, an urban & environmental policy major, interns at the Council for Watershed Health, where Nancy Steele ’80, left, serves as the executive director.
Adriel Henriksen ’14, right, who majored in psychology, interns at the GRAMMY Museum, where she helped out in event planning, online fundraising and education management.
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THE LIBERAL ARTS AT THE CROSSROADS OF THE WORLD “The campus itself is a secluded garden tucked into the middle of a bustling city, providing a safe and comfortable environment for learning and play while making the incredible cultural, educational and entertainment offerings of Los Angeles accessible with ease.” - CHARLIE LEVENSON ’80
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Occidental is one of the few liberal arts colleges located in a major metropolitan area, and the only liberal arts college in the city of Los Angeles. As the second-largest city in the United States and one of the most diverse cities in the world, L.A. is the ideal environment for students to apply a liberal arts experience. The city offers students the opportunity to not only observe, but also partake in an economically, environmentally, politically, culturally and socially diverse environment. We leverage our location to provide a truly global experience for all students. We partner with dozens of organizations throughout L.A.—in sectors ranging from education to health and medicine, community development to applied science—to make sure students can apply their knowledge through experiential learning opportunities and professional experiences. The College is able to do so through innovative programs that provide direct connections between students and community organizations.
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OXY-L.A. PARTNERSHIPS Southern California Marine Institute Oxy is one of 12 colleges and universities that make up the Southern California Marine Institute, giving marine biology students easy access to labs, scientific equipment and a research vessel in the Pacific Ocean. Associate professor of biology Dan Pondella ’87 is also a founding advisory member of AltaSea, an innovative partnership at the port of Los Angeles that brings together science, business and education to address issues of sustainability related to the ocean.
The Autry National Center of the American West Through its partnership with the Autry—home to the best collection of Native American artifacts outside the Smithsonian—the College shares the joint appointment of Nancy Marie Mithlo, a leading scholar, and makes the collection available to students along with several other faculty members.
The Huntington Library Through the Billington Professorship, Occidental and the Huntington bring a distinguished American historian as a visiting professor to campus each year. Students take courses from the professor and use the collections at the Huntington in research and scholarship.
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T H E L I B E R A L A R T S AT T H E C R O S S R O A D S O F T H E W O R L D
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA) This internationally known laboratory is home to the Mars rover missions as well as NASA’s deep space networks. Occidental students participate in the Student Independent Research Intern (SIRI) program. Over the last few years, Oxy has sent over 20 students to study at JPL in a variety of fields.
The Urban & Environmental Policy Institute (UEPI) UEPI is a research, policy and advocacy organization at Occidental committed to bringing about social change and a more just, livable and green society. UEPI engages students, faculty and staff at its home on Oxy’s campus and connects Oxy with its community partners in Los Angeles and beyond.
Center for Community Based Learning The Center approaches civic engagement based on community-organizing practices and aims to enrich student learning and commitment to social responsibility by engaging students, faculty and off-campus leaders as co-thinkers and collaborators to address social justice issues.
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OXY-L.A. PARTNERSHIPS Alternative Spring Break Each spring, students take a trip focused on the theme of democracy and citizenship, exploring such issues as the immigrant experience, the Civil Rights Movement and the internment of Japanese American citizens during World War II.
Mathematics, Education and Access to Power Designed to expose students to the complicated ways that mathematics affects the community, the course involves tutoring and mathematics assistance at Franklin High School in nearby Highland Park.
L.A. as an Urban Laboratory Our region of the world serves as a laboratory of learning for every field of study and pushes students to turn their classroom theory into real-world practice. The curriculum is participatory in nature and promotes experiential learning, which helps prepare students for the realities of the workforce and society they will join upon graduation.
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The Biology of Marine Fishes Advanced methods of studying marine fishes are covered, with an emphasis on field research, in which the class visits various marine habitats off the Southern California coast.
Los Angeles Power: Politics, Policy and Justice in the City By exploring the role of colleges and universities, museums, and non-profit organizations, this class attempts to develop a broader understanding of how power is exercised and by whom.
China and the Environment Program Supported by the Henry Luce Foundation, the program gives Oxy students opportunities to conduct comparative research on such issues as land use, bicycle transportation and air quality in Los Angeles and various Chinese cities.
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POST-GRADUATE SUCCESS “It’s a wonderful, small liberal arts college. The professors were diverse and inspiring. I ended up making some lifelong friendships there, and those first two years really helped me grow up.” - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ’83
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In a challenging job market, Occidental is doing everything possible to prepare its graduates for the world ahead. Every student who graduates from Oxy will be prepared to take on their responsibilities as citizens of the world, skilled at negotiating its complexities, and eclectic in their interests and tastes. The professionalization of our students begins at day one, so that they are ready for the marketplace upon graduation, regardless of the economic climate. Our four-year discernment and exploration model prepares each student throughout their time at Oxy and beyond graduation.
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OUR PROCESS Oxy’s comprehensive center for career discernment, fellowships and national awards propels students into the world, equipped and empowered to identify their strengths and discern where best to apply them. Career Development Center: Oxy uses a four-year model and works with students from the first year to help them explore meaningful work. We create and identify internship and job-shadowing opportunities through our network and teach students how to use those experiences effectively. National Awards Advising: Students and alumni are recruited, counseled and prepared for highly competitive national and international academic opportunities including internships, fellowships, post-graduate study and research at top institutions. Pre-Health Advising: Students and alumni interested in matriculating to professional graduate programs in the health sciences participate in counseling, workshops and volunteer placement to help them clarify their goals and prepare and apply for graduate-level programs.
OCCIDENTAL U N D E R G R A D U AT E S CAREER SERVICES STAFFER
AVERAGE PER PRIVATE COLLEGES: 876 Source: MONEY research
Pre-Law Advising: Career discernment experts, along with law faculty in the politics department, deliver robust pre-law services and advising. Students receive academic and career exposure to the law through programs, initiatives, coursework and internships.
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P O S T- G R A D U AT E S U C C E S S
OF RECENT OXY GRADUATES
BANK OF AMERICA
PEER HEALTH EXCHANGE
TEACH FOR AMERICA
APPLE
RESOLUTION ECONOMICS
KAISER PERMANENTE
AMAZON
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY (NASA)
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES INCLUDING STANFORD, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, CALTECH, USC AND OXY
CITY OF LOS ANGELES
EMPLOYED WHERE OXY GRADS ARE PURSUING ADVANCED DEGREES
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY CORNELL LAW SCHOOL DARTMOUTH COLLEGE DAVID GEFFEN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT UCLA GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY HARVARD UNIVERSITY Class of 2013 Outcomes
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
KECK SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT USC NEW YORK UNIVERSITY STANFORD UNIVERSITY UCLA UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SCHOOL OF LAW UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII USC
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NATIONAL AWARDS Occidental has a strong history of winners of national fellowships and scholarships. The awards are national merit-based fellowships and scholarships that are highly sought after and extremely competitive. These achievements are a reflection of the rigorous undergraduate research preparation every Oxy student receives.
2013-2014 National Awards Fulbright Scholarship (13)* Coro Fellowship (4) National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship (2) Barry Goldwater Scholarship Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship (3) Capital Fellows Judicial Fellow Davis Project for Peace Humanity in Action Princeton in Africa * The 13 Fulbright recipients are among 73 Occidental students and alumni who have won Fulbrights since 2003 — a record that makes Occidental one of the country’s top producers of Fulbright Scholars.
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OUR GRADUATES Graduates of the Last Decade Recent alumni leveraged classroom theory and real-world practice to secure employment in top international companies, organizations and post-graduate programs. Others chose to map out their own path. Madeleine Zioeak ’14 is a user operations agent at Dropbox. She met the company at Oxy’s first annual Tech Night.
Noah Applebome ’10 and Richard Highsmith ’10 are founders of BirkSun solar backpacks.
Ashlee Sheppard ’11 works in asset management at Stifel Financial and represents the United States as a Paralympian archer.
Raffy Cortina ’13 won a Student Academy Award in 2013 and runs his own production company, Flavor Films.
Chris Suzdak ’12 is launching the first program in Malawi for the nonprofit One Acre Fund.
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NOTABLE ALUMNI Groundbreakers, trailblazers and pioneers—these Oxy alumni are leaders in their fields, work for the public good and demonstrate the value of their liberal arts education.
Politics Prof. Roger Boesche was reunited with one of his former students in a 2009 visit to the White House Oval Office.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ’83 The two years President Barack Obama spent at Oxy from 1979 to 1981 played a major role in determining his future. Oxy was also the place where the future president made his first political speech as part of a movement to persuade the Occidental Board of Trustees to divest the College of its investments in South Africa. 32 30
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JANETTE SADIK-KHAN ’82
JACK KEMP ’57
As New York City’s transportation commissioner from 2007 to 2013, SadikKhan is credited with transforming the car-clogged streets of Manhattan. A political science major at Oxy, she oversaw hundreds of miles of new bike lanes, strategic street closures and fewer traffic fatalities. The surreal sight of lawn chairs in Times Square is also one of the products of her leadership.
After leading the Buffalo Bills to four division titles and two AFL championships, Kemp went on to serve nine terms in Congress, ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 1988, served as secretary of Housing and Urban Development and was Bob Dole’s vice presidential running mate in the 1996 presidential race.
TOR MYHREN ’94
TERRY GILLIAM ’62
As president and chief creative officer of Grey New York, the North American flagship of the world’s fifth-largest ad agency, this English major and kinesiology minor has transformed the old-school, conservative firm with such creations as the E*Trade talking baby.
Head yell leader, fraternity member, political science major: It’s not the background you’d expect for an acclaimed animator, screenwriter, film director and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe.
LORIE BARTLETT ’81
STEVE COLL ’80
Bartlett was the first black agent—male or female—to head the talent department of a talent and literary agency. As senior talent agent at Hollywood megaagency International Creative Management, the diplomacy and world affairs major represents A-list actors such as Zoe Saldana (Avatar, Colombiana) and Josh Duhamel (Transformers).
After graduating from Oxy with a double major in history and English, Coll went on to become a newspaper reporter, foreign correspondent, Washington Post managing editor, New Yorker staff writer and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner.
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GLORIA DUFFY ’75
ART PECK ’77
After serving as a consultant at the Rand Corp. and as a Fellow at Stanford, she served as the deputy assistant secretary of Defense, responsible for nuclear disarmament negotiations. She now serves as the head of the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, the nation’s largest and oldest public affairs forum.
As president of Gap, Inc., he’s been named one of the 100 most creative people in business by Fast Company, and has been instrumental not only in Gap’s business success but also in pushing Gap to increase the minimum wage of its employees and in promoting the partnership with Product (RED) for HIV/ AIDS awareness.
DANIEL IVASCYN ’91
KATHRYN SHAW ’76
This economics major now serves as chief investment officer of Pacific Investment Management Co. (PIMCO), one of the world’s largest and most influential investment firms.
Studying mathematics helped prepare Shaw for her front-row seat on the confluence of economics and politics as a member of President Bill Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisors.
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“ I continue to draw on the knowledge and habits developed at Oxy in my professional and personal pursuits. Occidental College is a place that puts students’ intellectual, social and personal development at the core of its efforts. Faculty members are outstanding teachers who bring their scholarship into the small seminars and lectures in a lively and personal way.” - Charles McClintock ’68 Director, Institute for Social Innovation at Fielding Graduate University
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