President Stritikus discusses the impact of a significantly smaller incoming first-year class this fall, both in terms of budget and campus operations.
Dear Occidental Community:
Now that we have passed the admitted student commit date, I want to share that we are anticipating a significantly smaller first year class, down an estimated 15 percent from this year’s 509 first year students. As an institution that relies primarily on tuition, room, and board, this will have budget effects on this year and the coming years. We won’t know the final numbers until September, but we are taking steps to determine the impact this will have on the budget and campus operations.
Thanks to our healthy fiscal foundation, we are positioned to absorb most of the immediate budget pressure caused by this enrollment challenge—and to continue advancing an ambitious agenda for the College’s future. As always, our highest priority remains supporting academic excellence and the dedicated faculty and staff who make Oxy exceptional.
This shift reflects enrollment trends affecting private liberal arts colleges nationwide. We will spend the next few months analyzing the data, including trends amongst our peers, to understand and prepare for the future. Throughout the summer, the Office of Admission will work with partner offices to expand and refine outreach to our new incoming first-year and transfer students to build and maintain excitement about the Occidental experience.
To manage this moment responsibly, we are focusing on savings from vacant personnel lines, reducing non-essential business expenses such as travel, food, and entertainment, and making strategic use of the College's contingency funds. These steps reflect a disciplined, intentional approach that protects our core mission while addressing the estimated financial impact in the upcoming year. We will continue to prioritize people, focusing on raises as part of our commitment to investing in employees.
This is a moment to plan strategically and work together. We've already met with the Faculty Council and are planning to seek input from other campus leadership groups. Through shared governance, we'll determine the best way to navigate this moment. I’m confident we’ll meet this challenge the way we always do—collaboratively, thoughtfully, and with a focus on what’s best for our students.
Sincerely,
Tom