Oberlin College

Oberlin's "Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity" (May 2022) recommends "[i]mprov[ing] financial aid resources so that Oberlin can build an industry-leading diverse student body."

On June 29, 2023, Oberlin's President issued a response to the Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action which reads as follows: "The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end affirmative action in college admissions, announced this morning, has left me deeply saddened and concerned for the future of higher education. At the same time, it has steeled my resolve to defend Oberlin’s most cherished values: diversity, social engagement, and academic excellence."

Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity has been launched. Anti-racist education and professional development activities are being considered.

Oberlin's "Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity" (May 2022) recommends instituting "mandatory training for all students focusing on race, allyship, and anti-racism."

Oberlin College and the Five Colleges of Ohio presented a “Moving Bodies and Social Justice" series, which aims "to redesign curriculum that is intentionally anti-racist, anti-sexist, and anti-ablist across disciplines and departments within the Five Colleges of Ohio."

Oberlin's "Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity" (May 2022) states that its Conservatory's new revamped core curriculum "makes space to de-center the Western European art-music tradition while significantly broadening the scope of musical traditions, practices, and knowledge represented in these core requirements, all the while providing greater flexibility to students."

Oberlin's Course Catalog states that "[a]ll students—Arts and Sciences, Conservatory of Music, and Double-Degree—are responsible for compliance with the institutional graduation requirements" which include a "9-hour cultural diversity requirement."

Oberlin's "Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity" (May 2022) recommends that the college "adjust" its cultural diversity requirement by moving "toward diversity viewed through critical frameworks of differential power dynamics, structural inequalities, systemic bias and racism, anti-Blackness/white supremacy, privilege, and non-Western or Eurocentric frameworks."

Oberlin provides a "Bias, Discrimination, and/or Harassment Report" form which states, "Use this form to report incidents of racism, sexism, or discrimination/harassment on the basis of color, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ancestry, marital status, military or veteran status."

The university president announced the creation of "Oberlin’s new Center for Race, Equity, and Inclusion. This new Center will ensure that Oberlin is consistently contributing to the national conversation on race. The Center will bring together academic opportunities, co-curricular experiences, career programming, mentorship, community building, and civic engagement." The expectation is "that student fellows will be a part of the Center, engaging in funded research and internships that tackle the issues that contribute to racial inequity."

Oberlin's "Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity" (May 2022) recommends "[c]hang[ing] the focus of Teaching Grants to support the development of inclusive pedagogy and courses—or even modules of courses—that explore the history of anti-Black racism and white supremacy in a field."

The Oberlin Police Department is "committed to treating all individuals with dignity and courtesy, acknowledging and respecting their cultural diversity" with "an understanding and appreciation for the diverse community we proudly serve." The department partners with Lexipol, a company that offers "comprehensive instruction in critical areas such as Bias-Based Policing."

On November 3, 2023, Oberlin hosted a research presentation titled "Love isn’t colorblind: A critical race research talk on Asian Americans’ body image and racialized dating preferences," which is described in part as follows: "In this research presentation, Dr. Thomas Le, Ph.D., will present two to three studies centering on Asian Americans’ body image and dating preferences. Study implications pertain to dismantling internalized racism and fostering difficult yet necessary conversations about how race and racism manifest...."

Oberlin's "Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity" (May 2022) identified "23 recommendations that would benefit Black students and students of color" in regards to curriculum and pedagogy."

Lord-Saunders (Afrikan Heritage House) is a residence hall where students "can interact with Africana faculty outside of the classroom, learn about various identities within the black community, discuss issues important to the black community, as well as find support and camaraderie with fellow students and staff."

The University has a "Radical Self-Care" resource with tips on how to set boundaries and respect your feelings, because "antiracist work and race-induced trauma can be mentally, physically, and emotionally draining." Also stating that "radical self-care goes well beyond responding to extreme overwhelming experiences; it is an essential ingredient for health and sustenance in the lifelong battle against racism and white supremacy."