Campus News – The Oberlin Review

Title IX Policy Undergoes Significant Revisions

November 15, 2019

Editor’s Note: This article contains mention of sexual harassment and assault. After a two year review process by the Title IX Policy Committee, the updated version of Oberlin’s Sexual Misconduct Policy was approved via a vote by the General Faculty Council on Oct. 16. The edits include changes to how the College holds live hearings and additional options for mediation and restorative justice when parties do not want to go through a formal hearing, among other things. The committee also edited the policy to clarify language and remove repetitions — making the 70-page document more readable. The Sexual Misconduct Policy is reviewed every year but not necessarily edited every year. The edits that just went into effect la...

Reflecting On 50 Years of Africana Studies

November 15, 2019

Africana Studies Program Created Against Backdrop of National Activism Nathan Carpenter, Editor-in-Chief In the fall of 1969, Oberlin College launched an Afro-American Studies program, following significant student activism inspired in part by students at San Francisco State University; the University of California, Berkeley; and elsewhere. In creating the program, Oberlin joined a wave of more than 500 colleges and universities across the country that instituted similar academic departments or...

Proposal for Journalism Concentration Passes

Alana Blumenstein

November 8, 2019

The College Faculty committee passed an Educational Plans and Policies Committee proposal on Wednesday to establish a journalism concentration at Oberlin. The motion passed with 49 out of 51 committee members’ approval and is currently set to begin in fall 2020. Although Oberlin has a long history of producing successful journalists, this is the institution’s first formal academic program in journalism. Proposed by John C. Reid Associate Professor of Rhetoric and Composition and English Jan Cooper, Professor of Rhetoric and Composition Laurie McMillin, and Professor of Hispanic Studies Sebastiaan Faber, the integrative concentration will combine academic coursework with co-curricular experiences. “I am very happ...

Changing Landscape of Higher Ed Admissions Impacts Oberlin

November 8, 2019

Oberlin’s enrollment grew two percent this past year, from 2,785 students last year to 2,846 this year, making it one of three private colleges in the region to experience growth amid shrinking enrollments at colleges and universities throughout Northeast Ohio. This increase in enrollment was accompanied by a higher acceptance rate. “We are in a time of real change in admissions and enrollment in higher education,” Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Manuel Carballo wrote in an...

New Alcohol Education Program Launched, Emphasizes Safety, Responsible Drinking

Arman Luczkow, Staff Writer

November 8, 2019

Oberlin will implement an online alcohol education tool called AlcoholEdu in the coming weeks. The program is designed to educate students on alcohol consumption and reduce harmful behavior associated with alcohol. In the future, AlcoholEdu will be a pre-matriculation requirement. For the current academic year, first and second-year students will be required to complete the course by Jan. 15. AlcoholEdu takes one to three hours and can be completed in multiple sittings. It is an interactive program that covers information including key definitions, what constitutes a standard drink, and the consequences of mixing alcohol with other substances. Although AlcoholEdu is not being implemented in response to a singular i...

Updated OCOPE Contract to be Published Online

Katie Lucey, News Editor

November 1, 2019

Oberlin College Office and Professional Employees will soon publish an updated union contract following negotiations with the College. OCOPE leadership confirmed that language used in the updated contract was ratified on Oct. 2, although the contract in its entirety has not yet been finalized and approved. “We’re currently proofreading the contract, and hope to get it finalized very soon,” Diane Lee, president of OCOPE and interlibrary loan supervisor, wrote in an email to the Review. OCOPE first signed a contract with the College in 1971, ensuring benefits and establishing more transparent human resources policies for union members. Negotiations occur every three years, with the two most recent discussions...

College Adds On-Campus Winter Term Projects

November 1, 2019

The College plans to implement changes to Winter Term to both encourage students to stay on campus as well as make off-campus Winter Term projects more financially accessible. These revisions come after recommendations from a Student Senate survey, The Academic and Administrative Program Review, and Winter Term program review. The College has made three broad changes to Winter Term this year: increasing the number of projects on campus, creating a better sense of community, and increasing equit...

ExCo to Reduce Future Course Offerings

October 11, 2019

Editor’s note: Comments submitted by Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Elizabeth Hamilton after the initial publication date have been added to the online version of this article. The Experimental College plans to reduce the number of courses offered next semester from 74 to 50 after changes to its payroll process were made over the summer. The changes affect the way the five students that make up the ExCo committee are paid, meaning that the committee will need to work few...

Gibson’s Verdict Appeal Filed

Anisa Curry Vietze, News Editor

October 11, 2019

On Tuesday, Oberlin College announced it would appeal the June jury verdict that sided with Gibson’s Bakery and against the College and Vice President and Dean of Students Meredith Raimondo. The appeal comes after the College was denied a retrial at the county level last month. The College currently faces a $25 million judgment after a Lorain County jury found the College and Raimondo responsible for libel and intentional infliction of emotional distress following a student-led protest against the bakery in November 2016. To represent them at the appellate level, the College has hired a legal team that includes Washington, D.C. First Amendment attorneys Lee Levine and Seth Berlin, as well as Cleveland appellate a...

CDS Develops New Strategies to Meet Student Needs

October 11, 2019

In response to increased student demand for quick and convenient dining options, Campus Dining Services is undergoing a self-evaluation process to identify possible changes to dining facilities. These changes include revamping dining spaces, updating DeCafé offerings, and creating more avenues of communication between CDS and students. CDS has invited architect Warren Bulesco, principal at WTW Architects, to visit campus next week. According to the firm’s website, Bulesco specializes in designin...

Report Showcases Economic Impact of College on Local Community

Katie Lucey, News Editor

October 11, 2019

According to an economic impact report released by Oberlin College on Sept. 25, the College “has a significant economic influence” on the greater Oberlin and Lorain County community and will contribute an estimated $143 million in direct and indirect spending in the region throughout 2019. The release of the report, titled “Our Community: 2019 Oberlin College Community Impact Report,” preceded last week’s Board of Trustees meeting and Tuesday’s announcement of the board’s decision to appeal the $25 million judgment against the College in the lawsuit filed by Gibson’s Bakery Oberlin contracted IMPLAN, an economic impact analysis firm, to produce the report. IMPLAN used 2018 inflation-adjusted institutional...

Queers and Allies Club Hosts Bake Sale on Wilder Bowl

October 11, 2019