Key Policies
Students of Occidental College strive for high standards of excellence, equity, community and service. This endeavor requires an environment in which each individual is able to flourish. Since the Occidental student body is diverse and passionate, maintaining this community is a process that is as constant and challenging as it is rewarding.
The Occidental community is a community of difference. Divergent opinions and beliefs are not simply necessary to the community — they constitute it. Oxy students confront the possibility of disagreement, opposition and conflict in each day’s activities. This can be a trying and difficult endeavor. Oxy students are united in their agreement that they are enriched by these engagements. They assert that the constructive and critical examination of their beliefs leads to intellectual, personal, and social fulfillment. Therefore, protecting the integrity of their discourse is a matter of collective concern.
This principle of honor stems from a common agreement to adhere to standards of engagement that preserve the graciousness of our exchange. This requires that students engage one another honestly, but also responsibly and respectfully. The students of Occidental College define community standards and agree to advance this principle. These standards are neither static nor imposed on them; rather, they are determined by students. It follows that they continuously defend, implement, and revise this principle themselves. They mutually recognize that their principle of honor serves to preserve the passion and difference that is the Occidental Community.