Learn more about the urban liberal arts experience at Occidental.
Urban Liberal Arts Experience (ULAE) Mission
An Occidental education is acquired through experiences both inside and outside the campus-based classroom. Many majors and courses have an experiential component, and often that takes the form of off-campus engagement.
By taking a holistic approach to student development, Oxy also offers co-curricular involvement opportunities and programs that center on identity construction, individual and communal holistic wellness, intercultural awareness and communication, and responsible community engagement.
With community-based partners, we challenge students to connect their academic studies with meaningful and reciprocal experiences outside of the classroom.
ULAE Institutional Learning Outcomes
Occidental students will be able to…
1. Contribute to the community in professional settings while gaining applicable workplace experience
2. Participate in activities that provide experiential knowledge of challenges, opportunities, and processes in Los Angeles or other urban locations
3. Articulate social justice issues using real-life examples supported by their hands-on experiences in Los Angeles
4. Value service and community engagement in their personal and professional lives after graduation
5. Engage with local communities to deepen intercultural awareness, develop leadership experience, and explore sense of self
6. Collaborate with community organizations to support social change
ULAE Institutional Objectives
Occidental College commits to…
1. Building relationships with the local community by providing resources, facilitating connections, and supporting growth
2. Fostering a meaningful connection between graduates and Los Angeles
3. Contributing as an active, involved, and purposeful neighbor to the surrounding community
4. Collaborate with community and organizational partners in pursuit of meeting mutual goals
5. Connecting students with community and organizational partners to promote mutual well-being
Urban Liberal Arts Experience (ULAE) Assessment Plan
The urban liberal arts experience is assessed institution-wide at Oxy. The ULAE institutional assessment plan draws from key processes and activities across departments, units, and programs, defined as functional areas, across the college that are aligned with the ULAE Learning Outcomes and Objectives.
The learning outcomes measure Oxy student achievement and the objectives define the institutional efforts and effectiveness of Occidental College to fulfill its mission of mutual engagement with Los Angeles and the surrounding communities. Each functional area has unique alignments with the ULAE outcomes and objectives based on their areas of specialization. The alignments are documented in the ULAE assessment maps.
Each functional area participated in thoughtfully designing measures to sustain ongoing and annual assessment that will inform evidence-based decision making and continuous improvement. We plan to continue to incorporate additional departments, units, programs and academic programs that align with ULAE as we continue to develop our departmental and academic assessment plans in pursuit of improving our overall institutional effectiveness.