Students walk around the Covington square.

Office of Community Relations

The Office of Community Relations represents Oxford College of Emory University within the community and encourages partnerships between the college and businesses, nonprofit agencies, educational entities, and community leaders throughout Newton County and the region.

Oxford College of Emory University has been a part of the Newton County community since Emory College was established here in 1836.

Today, Oxford College enrolls just over 1,000 first- and second-year students, about a quarter of Emory University's undergraduate student body. Oxford College's liberal arts–intensive education, guided by exceptional faculty and marked by an innovative curriculum, is enriched by opportunities for leadership and experiential learning in a diverse and close-knit community. Through exploration and discovery, our students begin their journey toward lives of significance and impact locally and globally.

Featured Community Projects

Oxford students, faculty, and staff donate 13,000 hours to community service each year. Students partner with community agencies through Community Engaged Learning (CEL) courses, Emory Reads, Volunteer Oxford, Alternative Spring and Fall Break trips, and Oxford Service Leaders. Oxford seeks to stay engaged with our local community through our memberships in the Covington/Newton County Chamber of Commerce, the Arts Association in Newton County, the Kiwanis Club, and many other local organizations. Faculty and staff serve on a number of boards and we frequently host events with our community partners to positively impact our campus and surrounding community.

Ignite Oxford students joined in community service work that benefited eight Newton County organizations.

Service Days

Service and volunteerism are core components of the student experience at Oxford, and students participate in several service days each year, including Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, Emory Cares Day, and Impact Service Day

Service with the community
Chemistry class, College Summer Experience Program

Summer Experience Program

The Oxford College Summer Experience gives local high school students an exciting glimpse of campus life and academic offerings on a college campus.

Oxford College Summer Experience
Several hundred members of the Emory community volunteered their time to help others during Emory Cares Day of Service.

Emory Cares

In 2024, Oxford College celebrated the 20th anniversary of Emory Cares Day by preparing care packages for children in foster care in Newton County and by partnering with the City of Oxford to remove invasive plant species along the Oxford Trail.

Worldwide Emory Cares Day

Partner with Us

Through our community partnerships, Oxford students get an extended view of this region's wonderful and unique community and learn about the many career opportunities available to them as they continue to advance in their fields of study. As we look to the future, we have a lot of great work to do together, and we hope you'll join us in supporting our students and deepening your partnership with Oxford College.

Partnership opportunities could include:

  • offering internships and volunteer opportunities to current students
  • providing industry-specific problems for our students to solve in class projects
  • serving as a guest lecturer in one of our classes
  • joining our mentor program
  • hosting trainings and conferences on campus
  • participating in special events like Oxford at Work Day and Career Discovery Days

Contact

If you have questions about potential partnerships, please reach out to Laura Gafnea, Director of Community Relations.