Author: Ben Dalgetty
I have a complaint regarding the administration at Occidental. I believe they are undermining the spirit and image of this institution. I came to this school not only because of a financial aid package, but also because of the image of the school that I heard and believed.
College counselors advised that the school was a perfect small, private liberal arts college with a rigorous yet laid-back academic program, a diverse populace (this topic is far beyond the scope of the article) and a well-funded student life program. However, this is far from the reality. This administration seems unwilling to answer many of the student body’s needs.
The academic departments at this school are in shambles. The DWA Department is sitting on a $12 million grant that cannot be spent until they find a new chair of the department. The same dedicated professor chairing DWA is also serving as Administrative Chair of the Politics Department. This is criminal—Politics and DWA were some of Oxy’s strongest majors but now cannot even field a professor to chair the department. The administration has allowed the academic departments at this school to fall into shambles due to mismanagement and under-funding.
The same is true of the student organizations like Senate, RHA and PB, which are vastly under-funded and unable to meet the needs of the student body. This school used to be host to one of Playboy’s top-rated college parties, but thanks to administration, Sex on the Beach is now indistinguishable from any other dance. Our clubs go under-funded, with the school’s Yoga club unable to even offer classes for free. Our sports teams, with the exception of football, remain similarly hamstringed by the lack of funding. Our RAs are unable to fund the programs and activities they want to and instead are forced to do Health and Safety Inspections against their will.
The administration has used the excuse of budget problems to undermine the mission of this institution and the experience of the student body. The school entered a budget crunch at the end of the Slaughter presidency, but has yet to move beyond this mentality. Our school, which admittedly has a solid financial aid program, also has one of the highest tuitions of any comparable institution. Occidental has been around for 100 years, but still claims to have not secured a large enough endowment to provide students the services they need.
Additionally, rumor has it that the school is planning to expand to 5,000 students in the next few years. Now this is only rumor, but due to the lack of communication on the part of the administration, it seems a very real possibility. There has been no consultation of the student body on this long-term plan however, despite its direct relevance to us. Our futures are in many ways tied to the name and reputation of this institution, but the administration is planning to change this name without even notifying us.
If I may borrow from Thomas Jefferson, “[They have] erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.” The administration has systematically built up a bloated and unwieldy staff, which remains unanswerable to the student body. Ask any student on campus what they think of some of the departments on campus and be prepared for a long, well rehearsed rant on the many ills and troubles at this school.
Occidental is our school; it is our home. But despite the fact that those millions in alumni donations are supposed to be going towards providing us a better college experience, the student body has been marginalized by the administration. It is time to stop forming committees to help further dialogue. It is time for the student body to stand up and be heard.
Ben Dalgetty is a sophomore Politics major. He can be reached at bdalgetty@oxy.edu.
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