Office of the Dean of Students

Cultivate Compassion Initiative

We believe that a community grows through practicing empathy and mutual respect, actively promoting and supporting community guidelines, and creating opportunities for meaningful, organic connections.

Cultivate Compassion (rainbow arch in warm colors)
Anti-Racism, Empathy, & Mutual Respect

Launching This Spring

Cultivate Compassion will launch in Spring 2022. Oberlin community members can read the initiative’s mission and find information about programs, opportunities for involvement, and free swag below!

Our Mission

Cultivate Compassion is a collaboration between the Student Senate Racial Equity Committee, the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and the Office of the Dean of Students.

Cultivate Compassion centers anti-racism while advocating for an Oberlin College and Conservatory community that is collectively invested in ensuring that all community members feel supported, safe, and seen. This initiative was founded on the belief that through practicing empathy and mutual respect, actively engaging with community guidelines and standards, and creating opportunities for meaningful, organic connections, we can develop a transformational framework for ongoing dialogue and programming.

Beginning this spring, Oberlin community members will be able to rock original Cultivate Compassion swag on your laptops, water bottles, email signatures, and (eventually) … wardrobes!

Stickers & More!

Stickers are currently available for pick-up at the following locations (please limit one per person for now):

  • Most campus dining locations, including Stevenson
  • Terrell Library circulation desk
  • Science Library
  • Philips Gym
  • The 'Sco (when open for events)
  • Tabling events hosted by Student Senate (details shared via email!)

Keep your eye out for additional swag, which will be released later this spring!

Downloadable Materials

Cultivate some Compassion in your email signature and social media channels through our Cultivate Compassion Digital Toolkit. Download everything here and use #ObieCompassion in all your posts to be featured on our channels.

To celebrate the launch of Cultivate Compassion, we’ve identified a small act of compassion for each of the campaign’s first 30 days and are challenging ALL Obies — students, faculty, and staff — to join us! Check out the full schedule, including a downloadable guide to track your progress. And, if you’d like to share your act of compassion (or someone else’s, with permission) you can use #ObieCompassion and tag @oberlinsenate on Twitter and Instagram.

Stay tuned for upcoming events in the Campus Digest, Senate Weekly, and on social media.

Please contact Oberlin College's Student Senate at senate@oberlin.edu if you have questions or would like to collaborate!