THE OBERLIN WAY FORWARD Voices from all quarters came together to form One Oberlin, an ambitious plan for a stronger college and conservatory.
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the spring of 2018, at the direction of President Carmen Twillie Ambar and the Board of Trustees, the college began a process of selfexamination as it approached its third century. During a time of shifting views on the value of higher education—and liberal arts colleges in particular—Oberlin launched the Academic and Administrative Program Review (AAPR) to chart a course that would respond to the needs of both present and future—not just for students today, but for generations to come. Designed to coincide with the college’s historic mission, commitment to academic rigor, and abiding ethic of social engagement, the AAPR sought to address head-on the challenges facing Oberlin, many of them affecting top-tier institutions across the nation. The review provided a venue and opportunity to build on the strengths of the college and conservatory, refocusing the entire community on what Oberlin distinctively offers to students and to the world. This ambitious, comprehensive examination of Oberlin’s programs and activities began with formation of a 31-member steering committee. These faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, and students gathered and analyzed a wealth of quantitative and qualitative data, from which it drew significant observations and developed
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recommendations. Working groups were organized around topics such as mission centeredness, quality, financial viability, and potential student interest. The groups met independently, gathered and discussed data, and reported back to the larger steering committee. From the start, the steering committee embraced a model of data collection that sought information broadly and emphasized transparency, providing frequent work-to-date summaries and updates to the college’s many constituencies, including Student Senate, the General Faculty, the Board of Trustees, the Governance Committee, administrative offices, and the broader Oberlin community. The committee hosted meetings, webinars, Q&A sessions, and conference calls with alumni and established an email portal for questions and comments. In early 2019, the working groups presented their findings to the steering committee. Themes emerged, which helped identify topics and ideas needing further investigation. Following dozens of in-person and online presentations, plus the solicitation of alumni input that yielded hundreds of comments and suggestions, the committee submitted 10 overarching recommendations. These ranged from developing new academic concentrations and a more robust winter term to addressing the
relationship between the college and conservatory. The recommendations address current and future financial needs as well as areas for investment that align with Oberlin’s mission and are key to its future. On May 15, 2019, the General Faculty met to consider the committee’s recommendations, and then resoundingly endorsed them for Ambar’s consideration. “We believe these recommendations fulfill both the initial charge to the AAPR Steering Committee and the additional guidance provided by the Board of Trustees, as specified in the report,” wrote Acting Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and AAPR Chair David Kamitsuka in the report shared with the Oberlin community. “The recommendations are focused on enhancing student learning outcomes and supporting academic and artistic excellence. We also believe that this report and the process it represents fulfill the commitments we made to the Oberlin community last fall to conduct a process that is authentic to Oberlin, inclusive, transparent, and respectful of faculty oversight of the curriculum. It offers a pathway for Oberlin to thrive, now and in the future. “Countless hours of conversation with faculty, students, staff, alumni, and other interested parties helped shape these recommendations