Read on for more information about this summer's program and to access the application, due Monday, June 5.
Dear incoming students,
Welcome to Occidental! We are delighted that you have chosen to come to Oxy and greatly look forward to meeting you in the fall.
We are writing to invite you to participate in Occidental College's Multicultural Summer Institute. Occidental’s signature Multicultural Summer Institute (MSI) is a four-week academic and residential program that centers first-generation and historically underrepresented students in liberal arts colleges. MSI is a rigorous academic course that is team-taught by Oxy faculty. This year’s course is titled (Im)migrant Communities of California. You can read the full course description here.
MSI is divided into two integrated components; an academic four-unit course and a co-curricular program. MSI is covered by the College which means students who complete the full program will earn four units towards their degree (the equivalent of one full course) at no cost and also meet one of Oxy's Core Program Requirements, U.S. Diversity (CPUD). The co-curricular component will focus on Los Angeles community experiences focused on intergroup dialogues and cultural humility linked to course content. Note: MSI is a full-time program, so other academics, work, or personal commitments will not be possible while in residence during the summer program.
In MSI, you will collaborate closely with your peers, faculty members teaching the class and staff and administrators at the College. You will be challenged to develop your critical thinking, close reading and analytical writing skills, while connecting across differences and integrating into the campus community through the co-curricular portion of the program. The relationships you will develop with fellow students, the MSI faculty and staff, as well as the Oxy community during the program, will serve you throughout your four years at the College. You can learn more about the program on the MSI website.
To show your interest in becoming part of MSI, we ask that you submit a short application explaining why you are interested in program participation. A few things to note:
- The application is due Monday, June 5 (priority will be given to early applicants)
- The summer session dates for the program are July 10–August 4. Move-in on July 8 and move-out on August 5 is required
- MSI is free. The College covers the costs of tuition as well as room and board
- Travel support to offset airfare or gasoline costs is available to qualifying students upon admission to the program
If you have any questions or would like to speak to someone about the program or any aspect of the application, please contact MSI Faculty Director, Professor Puerto at apuerto@oxy.edu, or the Intercultural Community Center Director, Vanessa Gonzalez-Wright at vgonzalez2@oxy.edu.
We encourage you to review the information on our website with your family and submit your application to this unique program. We hope to meet you in July.
Again, congratulations!
Best wishes,
Alexandra Puerto
Associate Professor of History, Advisory Committee Latino/a and Latin American Studies
Co-Director, MSI
Vanessa Gonzalez-Wright
Director, Intercultural Community Center
Co-Director, MSI