In 2020, Oberlin College outsourced 108 long-time custodial and dining positions. Much of the Oberlin community saw this as unnecessary, out of line with Oberlin values, and, in the middle of a deadly pandemic, downright dangerous. One outsourced worker, Marsha Rae Douglas, asked, “There’s a global pandemic, how am I going to provide for my children?” Staff, students, faculty, and alumni came together to oppose the decision, but the administration went through with it anyway.
Since then, as alumni, scores of us have tried to be part of other “conversations,” expressing our views, signing petitions, and reaching out to administrators, the Board of Trustees, and staff. In return, our concerns have been brushed off or ignored altogether. It’s become increasingly clear that the only contribution this administration wants from alumni is in the form of a check.
Our organization, Alumni for Oberlin Values, originated from the frustration many alumni feel about watching Oberlin betray the very values that made it unique. From turning Student Health Services over to an anti-trans, anti-birth control provider (thankfully later reversed), to undermining the Oberlin Student Cooperative Association, to investing the endowment in secretive funds that don’t allow for accountability, the Board and administration show little respect for Oberlin’s values.
We have lost faith in the current administration’s ability to confront higher education’s contemporary challenges while, at the same time, maintaining Oberlin’s values. In trying to keep Oberlin accountable, we have found that the system of governance lacks transparency and channels for meaningful participation by the wider community. More than that, the present leadership seems unwilling to engage in a substantive dialogue about these issues.
We aren’t the only ones questioning the Board’s responsiveness. In an editorial on the Board’s recent rejection of the student-led divestment proposal, the Review editorial board said that the statement “showcases the lack of prioritization of student voices by the Board of Trustees” (“Board of Trustees Divestment Rejection Dismisses Students, Lacks Empathic Language,” The Oberlin Review, Sept. 13, 2024). They continued, “One must then ask who the Board of Trustees has engaged with, if not the community they are meant to serve.” How do we get the trustees to engage with us? How do we get the trustees to serve this community?
As always when we seek change, the first step is to organize. We have spoken with hundreds of members of the Oberlin community who want productive engagement from the Board on a range of issues.
We are currently asking all concerned Oberlin community members to sign a call to action, which asks the Board to commit to institutional change in what we see as three key areas: economic diversity, democratic reforms, and financial transparency.
We are also inviting all who are concerned about Oberlin’s endowment to join us on Zoom Oct. 6 at 6 p.m. Eastern Time for a presentation by financial expert Kelly Grotke, OC ’89. Grotke’s presentation will explore the College’s heavy reliance on so-called “alternative investments” — which are expensive, risky, and secretive — and the overall lack of transparency in the College’s finances.
While we will not be debating the merits of specific divestment proposals, Grotke will explain the impediments the trustees have erected to any kind of ethical approach to investing. If you are interested, register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUldumrqTkvE9UL6qGsBHVAfBNyA9ABbcFp#/registration.
We recognize these are only first steps and cannot be the only ones. What’s our next step? What do you think needs to happen to make Oberlin act more in line with its values? We want to hear from you. Send us an email: [email protected]
If we work together, we can create the pressure necessary to reform the current system of governance and make it easier for our voices to be heard on the issues we care about.
Alumni for Oberlin Values
Steering Committee
Jesse Baer, OC ’10
Charles Dial, OC ’61
Becky Givan, OC ’97
Kelly Grotke, OC ’89
Tim Kaufman-Osborn, OC ’76
Les Leopold, OC ’69
Susan Phillips, OC ’76
Kris Raab, OC ’89
Allen Shabino, OC ’78
Josh Spielberg, OC ’77
