About the University of Oregon

The University of Oregon is a comprehensive research university that serves its students and the people of Oregon, the nation, and the world through the creation and transfer of knowledge in the liberal arts, the natural and social sciences, and the professions. It is the Association of American Universities flagship institution of the Oregon University System.

The university is a community of scholars dedicated to the highest standards of academic inquiry, learning, and service. Recognizing that knowledge is the fundamental wealth of civilization, the university strives to enrich the public that sustains it through

• a commitment to undergraduate education, with a goal of helping the individual learn to question critically, think logically, communicate clearly, act creatively, and live ethically
• a commitment to graduate education to develop creators and innovators who will generate new knowledge and shape experience for the benefit of humanity
• a recognition that research, both basic and applied, is essential to the intellectual health of the university, as well as to the enrichment of the lives of Oregonians, by energizing the state’s economic, cultural, and political structure
• the establishment of a framework for lifelong learning that leads to productive careers and to the enduring joy of inquiry
• the integration of teaching, research, and service as mutually enriching enterprises that together accomplish the university’s mission and support its spirit of community
• the acceptance of the challenge of an evolving social, political, and technological environment by welcoming and guiding change rather than reacting to it
• a dedication to the principles of equality of opportunity and freedom from unfair discrimination for all members of the university community and an acceptance of true diversity as an affirmation of individual identity within a welcoming community
• a commitment to international awareness and understanding, and to the development of a faculty and student body that are capable of participating effectively in a global society
• the conviction that freedom of thought and expression is the bedrock principle on which university activity is based
• the cultivation of an attitude toward citizenship that fosters a caring, supportive atmosphere on campus and the wise exercise of civic responsibilities and individual judgment throughout life
• a continuing commitment to affordable public higher education

Inspiration and Discovery

Generations of leaders and citizens have studied at the University of Oregon since it opened in 1876. Today’s students, like the 200,000 alumni before them, have access to the most current knowledge in lectures, laboratories, and seminars conducted by active researchers. By sharing their research through teaching, faculty members are better able to articulate their findings and to integrate their specialized studies with broader areas of knowledge.

University of Oregon students select courses from departments and programs in the College of Arts and Sciences and from six professional schools and colleges and the Robert Donald Clark Honors College. Some 1,364 full-time faculty members, 48 full-time librarians, and 1,502 graduate and research assistants serve as mentors, colleagues, and friends to the 24,181 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at the university.

Although most students are from Oregon, 35 percent are from other states and 13 percent are from other countries. The mix of backgrounds gives students a chance to know people they might not meet otherwise—a real asset in a world where national and international relations influence everyday life.

Teaching, research, and a spirit of sharing are characteristics of the campus community. Faculty members and students engage in research programs that bring to the university approximately $110.3 million in competitive research awards. The university’s science departments receive national attention for their work in such areas as computer science, genetics, materials, optics, and neuroscience. Fifteen faculty members belong to the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and seven (plus one foreign associate) have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Connection to Community

The sharing of knowledge and the love of learning do not stop at the campus borders. Public service is important to the university.

Members of the UO faculty share their experience and knowledge in community activities that include service in local and state governments. They also serve as consultants for businesses, industries, school districts, and government agencies. Students work as interns in a variety of educational programs in the community and volunteer for service activities.

University programs that serve the public include Academic Extension, which offers for-credit and noncredit activities throughout the state. Planning and technical assistance from the Community Service Center helps Oregon communities solve local problems and improve the quality of life in rural Oregon. For more than four decades, the Oregon Bach Festival has offered an annual program of concerts and master classes to music lovers in the Pacific Northwest. The UO’s classical music radio station, KWAX-FM, is an affiliate of the Public Radio International Classical 24. KWAX programs are rebroadcast on translators in several coastal and central Oregon communities and cybercasts entertain listeners around the world.

The university’s presence is evident at its off-campus facilities—Pine Mountain Observatory in central Oregon near Bend—and its academic programs in Portland and at the coastal Oregon Institute of Marine Biology in Charleston. Access is enabled through several online and hybrid programs.

The university is one of the largest and most stable employers in the state, directly employing 10,292 people. Overall, University of Oregon activity affects more than $790 million in household earnings and 24,500 jobs in the state.

The Campus Experience

The university’s 295-acre campus is an arboretum of more than 4,000 trees of approximately 500 species. Campus buildings date from 1876, when Deady Hall opened, to the present, with the new Cheryl Ramberg Ford and Allyn Ford Alumni Center, Matthew Knight Arena, John E. Jaqua Academic Center for Student Athletes, Global Scholars Hall, and Robert and Beverly Lewis Integrative Science Building.

The Museum of Natural and Cultural History is located at East 15th Avenue and Columbia Street. Across campus, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, a member of the American Association of Museums, is noted for its collections of Asian and Northwest art.

The UO Libraries, a member of the Association of Research Libraries, is an important research facility for scholars throughout the Northwest. The free Oregon Card Program allows Oregon residents who are sixteen or older to borrow from the libraries’ three-million-volume collection.

Campus athletic facilities include the 54,000-seat Autzen Stadium, the Len Casanova Athletic Center, Ed Moshofsky Sports Center, Papé Field, Howe Field, Hayward Field’s all-weather track, the Bowerman Family Building, the Student Recreation Center, the Matthew Knight Arena, and open-air and covered tennis courts.

Student-guided tours of the university are available Monday through Friday. Tours may be arranged by calling 541-346-3014. Campus maps and pamphlets describing university programs, answers to questions about services and office locations, and general information about the university are available at the campus visits desk in the lobby of Oregon Hall.

The university’s website has daily news updates and information about programs and events: www.uoregon.edu .

Equal Opportunity

Accreditation

The University of Oregon was elected to membership in the Association of American Universities in 1969. The university is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and is a member of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. Individual programs in the university’s professional schools and colleges are accredited by the following organizations:

• Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications
• American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business
• American Association of Museums
• American Bar Association
• American Chemical Society
• American Psychological Association, 750 First Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20002-4242, 202-336-5979
• American Society of Landscape Architects
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
• Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education
• Commission on English Language Program Accreditation
• Council for Exceptional Children
• Foundation for Interior Design Education Research
• National Architectural Accrediting Board
• National Association of School Psychologists
• National Association of Schools of Music
• National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration
• National Athletic Trainers Association
• Planning Accreditation Board
• Teacher Standards and Practices Commission