Our Mission: The L.A. Encounters program supports initiatives within Occidental’s academic program that expand the depth and breadth of opportunities for students to engage with the community, culture, and environment of the greater Los Angeles region.
The L.A. Encounters program supports this mission by providing funding for faculty members who wish to enhance their courses by taking advantage of resources within the greater Los Angeles area. Past trips have included visits to museums, libraries, film screenings, plays, operas, concerts, walking tours, lectures, botanical gardens and zoos, cultural festivals, local schools, government agencies and NGOs, community events, and more. In all cases, these trips are intended to connect with the academic experience and to allow students to more fully engage with the city and people of Los Angeles .
How to Apply for Funding
Proposals can be submitted using the online form linked below. The Fall 2026 application form will be available on August 3, 2026. If you have questions about the status of a request, please contact laencounters@oxy.edu.
Student Learning Outcomes & Assessment
There are many different ways in which an L.A. Encounters-sponsored trip might complement or add to a course's learning outcomes. When you propose a trip, we ask you to indicate whether any of the outcomes listed below are applicable. You also have the option of providing your own learning outcomes. Following your trip, we will provide you with an anonymous survey to distribute to trip participants containing questions linked to your indicated outcomes.
Common Student Learning Outcomes:
- Trip participants will gain a better understanding of topics/concepts covered in the course(s).
- Trip participants will feel more connected with Los Angeles and/or the surrounding region.
- Trip participants will develop a sense of community with others in the course.
- Trip participants will connect with a community organization or community partner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Funding is limited, so we may not be able to approve all requests. In some cases, we will be able to offer partial funding with the hope that the remaining costs might be covered from other sources (departmental budgets, etc.). While we try to support as many trips as possible, priority will be given to proposals that clearly articulate a connection between the proposed travel and a course's learning objectives.
The primary objective of the LA Encounters program is to support field trips and other travel that are directly linked to an academic course (or, in some cases, multiple courses). Requests for funding for course-related trips should be submitted by a faculty member. In rare cases we may be able to support proposals from other members of the college community, though typically only in cases where the proposed trip has a strong connection with the college curriculum or can be demonstrated as providing a significant benefit to the cultural and intellectual life of the campus.
We can provide some advice regarding the planning of a trip. However, the person requesting funding is ultimately responsible for organizing and overseeing the excursion, including completing the Transportation Request Form.
The most common requests are for funding for transportation and admission costs. For longer field trips, we may able to provide funding for a snack or meal. If there are other costs associated with your planned trip, please be sure to include them in your proposal.
The most common modes of transportation for L.A. Encounters trips are rideshare vehicles (Uber), College-owned vans, chartered buses, and public transit. All transportation methods must be requested using the new Transportation Request Form on Kuali. Here is some brief information about transportation options:
- Renting college-owned vans is convenient and economical, though the trip organizer MUST identify an authorized driver for each van before a van reservation can be made. Vans can only be driven by students, faculty, or staff who have completed the Authorized Driver training and verification process. The cost is $10 per van per day plus $0.46 per mile driven.
- Rideshare services are another option when authorized van drivers are not available. You can use the Uber app to estimate costs in advance of your trip, which can vary greatly depending on both travel time and demand. Starting in Fall 2026, LA Encounters-funded rideshares can ONLY be ordered using Uber vouchers. If your request for rideshare travel is approved, you will receive instructions for requesting vouchers via the Transportation Request Form.
- Chartered buses are available in sizes ranging from 38 to 58-passenger coaches. Please note the 25-passenger minibus is no longer available. The cost of chartering a bus is considerable (minimum $1200), but it can be the best option for larger groups (over 24), longer distances, or in cases where authorized van drivers are not available.
- Public transit can be a good option. Metro rides within LA County are FREE for Oxy students with an active UPASS (cost fully subsidized by ASOC). New UPASS cards and renewals (cards must be renewed each semester) must be requested from SAC by submitting the UPASS request form. The two closest bus routes to campus are the Metro 83 bus, which runs down York Boulevard, and the Metro 28 bus, which runs down Eagle Rock Boulevard. Both buses travel to Downtown LA in approximately 40 minutes. In addition, the LADOT Highland Park/Eagle Rock DASH bus stops at the intersection of Campus Road and Avenue 51. All three of these buses have connections with the Metro Gold Line light rail, providing convenient access to areas such as Pasadena, Chinatown, Union Station, El Pueblo de Los Angeles, Little Tokyo, and East LA. The Metro Trip Planner is a useful tool for planning journeys via public transit.
- Personal Vehicle mileage can be reimbursed at the current IRS-authorized rate, which is 72.5 cents per mile as of 01/01/26. Please note that individuals driving a personal vehicle on College business must complete the Authorized Driver training.
Once your proposal has been approved, you may submit the Transportation Request Form in Kuali. We can help with any questions you may have about the form.
No. The LA Encounters program exclusively supports off-campus activities.
Contact us at laencounters@oxy.edu and we will be happy to help!