The Memorial Arch on Oberlin’s Tappan Square serves as a tribute to the missionaries of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions who lost their lives in the Boxer uprising in China in 1900. Oberlin was chosen as the site for this monument because all but four of those martyred were Oberlin students or members of the families of these students.
Photo credit: John Seyfried

History and Mission

Although Oberlin’s values have been expressed differently over time to address the most vital issues of the day, at the root of Oberlin’s mission throughout its history is the fervent pursuit of social justice.

Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music educates students for lives of intellectual, musical, and artistic rigor and breadth; sustained inquiry, creativity and innovation; and leadership. Oberlin aims to prepare graduates with the knowledge, skills, and perspectives essential to confront complex issues and to create change and value in the world.

Oberlin is committed to educational access and opportunity. It seeks to offer a diverse and inclusive residential learning environment that encourages a free and respectful exchange of ideas, and shares an enduring commitment to a sustainable and just society.

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Our values

Obie values infuse everything we do, and they all lead toward one goal: a more sustainable, respectful, and interconnected world for all.

Our Commitments

Sustainability

Sustainability is integral to the way we learn and live at Oberlin. To create an enduring ecological and human community, we shape our college to be responsive and responsible to the local, regional, and global environment. We conserve energy, eat foods grown locally, reuse and recycle materials, and pursue a carbon neutral future. We match our concern for the physical environment with our desire to build socially just and sustainable communities.

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Diversity & Inclusion

We actively support the distinctive cultural identities and histories of individuals and groups while encouraging them to transcend these boundaries through encounters with those whose experiences and perspectives are different from their own.

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Community Service

Obies learn early the deep satisfaction of enriching their education by giving back to the community. Students, faculty, and staff dedicate their time and academic pursuits to improve and support the local and global communities.

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Honor Code

Why do Obies support the Honor Code? Our Honor Code provides the foundation for the intellectual freedom that is encouraged and shared by all members of the academic community. We believe that true academic freedom and discourse can only exist within a framework of honesty, integrity, and responsibility.

Read our Honor Code

Our Traditions

Like most schools, Oberlin has its enduring traditions; unlike most schools, some of them get a little quirky. From renting a quality work art for $5 to spray-painted messages on the Rock, these help make Oberlin special.

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