Oregon State University

Oregon State University (OSU) is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are over 200 academic degree programs offered through the university. OSU's programs in nuclear engineering, ecology, forestry, public health, biochemistry, zoology, oceanography, food science and pharmacy are recognized nationally as top tier programs. In recent years, OSU's liberal arts programs have also grown significantly. The College of Liberal Arts is now one of the largest programs on campus. Over 200,000 people have attended OSU since its founding.

Oregon State is one of 73 land-grant universities currently operating throughout the world. The school is also recognized as a sea-grant, space-grant and sun-grant institution, making it one of only two institutions worldwide to retain all four designations and the only public university to do so (Cornell is the only other with similar designations.). In addition to Oregon State's many federally designated areas of research, the university receives more funding for research, annually, than all the state's other public higher educational institutions combined.

Rankings and recognition
OSU has more majors, minors and special programs than any other university or college in Oregon. An August 2007 study ranking the world's top 500 universities by academic merit ranks OSU higher than any other university or college in Oregon. In the study, Oregon State placed among the top 70 universities in the United States and was recognized as one of the top 150 universities in the world. A December 2007 release by STACK magazine ranking the nation's top 50 universities by "academics, athletic opportunity and overall performance" placed OSU at 29th overall, and first in the state of Oregon.



Revered as a top tier forestry school, OSU is widely considered the nation's leader in the subject. Of the 53 forestry programs at North American universities; Oregon State University College of Forestry was ranked first by a 2006 survey, "…in the total number of professional publications, first in the number of 'citations' to those publications, and is perceived by academic colleagues as the leading forestry program in North America."

Research
Research has played an important role in the university's overall operations for much of its history. Most research is performed at the Corvallis campus, but an increasing number of endeavors are underway at various locations throughout the state and abroad. Current research facilities, beyond the campus, include the Seafood Laboratory in Astoria and the Food Innovation Laboratory in Portland. The university's college of oceanic and atmospheric sciences operates several state-of-the-art laboratories, including the Mark O. Hatfield Marine Science Center and two oceanographic research vessels out of Newport. OSU also manages nearly of forest land, which includes the McDonald-Dunn Research Forest.

The 2005 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education categorizes Oregon State as a, "Comprehensive Doctoral with Medical/Veterinary" university. This is one of only three such universities in the Pacific Northwest to be given this categorization. In 2006, Carnegie also categorized the university as having "Very High Research Activity," which makes OSU the only university in Oregon to attain these combined recognitions.

The National Sea Grant College Program was founded in the 1960s. OSU was selected as one of the original three universities to participate in the program when it became fully operational in 1968.

In 1967 the Radiation Center was constructed at the edge of campus, housing a 1.1 MW TRIGA Mark II Research Reactor. The reactor is equipped to utilize Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) for fuel. Rankings published by U.S. News & World Report in 2005 placed Oregon State ninth in the nation in graduate nuclear engineering.

OSU was one of the early members of the federal Space Grant program. Designated in 1991, the additional grant program made Oregon State one of only 13 schools in the United States to serve as a combined Land Grant, Sea Grant, and Space Grant university. Most recently, OSU was designated as a federal Sun Grant institution. The designation, made in 2003, now makes Oregon State one of only two such universities (the other being Cornell University), and the only public institution with all four designations.

In 1999 OSU finished a $40 million remodel to the campus library. Known as the 'Valley Library', the totally remodeled building was selected by The Library Journal as their 1999 Library of the Year, the first academic library so named.

In 2001, the university's Wave Research Laboratory was designated by the National Science Foundation as a site for tsunami research under the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation. The O. H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory is located on the edge of the campus and is one of the largest and most sophisticated laboratories for education, research, and testing in coastal, ocean and related areas in the world.

Early years
The university's roots go back to 1856 when Corvallis Academy, the area's first community school for primary and preparatory education, was founded. In 1858, the school's name was changed to Corvallis College and it was formally incorporated by members of the Freemasons. The school offered its first college-level curriculum in 1865, under the administration of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

On August 22, 1868, official Articles of Incorporation were filed for Corvallis College. October 27, 1868, is known as OSU Charter Day, the day that the Oregon Legislative Assembly designated Corvallis College as the Agricultural College of the state of Oregon and the recipient of Land Grant fund income. As part of this designation, the college was required to comply with the requirements set forth in the First Morrill Act. The name was changed to Corvallis State Agricultural College and was then authorized to grant the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Master of Arts degrees. The first graduating class was in 1870, granting Bachelor of Arts degrees.

Oregon Agricultural College
In 1890 the college became known as Oregon Agricultural College (OAC). Orange was adopted as the school color, with black as the background. The Olmsted Brothers developed the first Campus Master Plan in 1909, emphasizing trees and an architectural harmony showcasing basic classical forms in brick. The current campus stays mostly integrated to this original plan, laid on a grid of wide, tree-lined streets with the well-spaced buildings highlighted by open lawns and tall, clustered trees.

The Division of College Extension was organized in 1911 with Ralph Dorn Hetzel as director and, in 1912, the first off-campus faculty were placed in Marion and Wallowa counties. The Army ROTC became active in 1917, replacing the original Cadet Corps formed by students studying Military Science. In 1919, OAC began a horticultural products processing program, the first of its kind in the United States. Accreditation was granted in 1924 by the Northwest Association of Secondary and Higher Schools.



Oregon State
1927 marked yet another name change, this time to Oregon State Agricultural College. The Oregon Unification Bill passed by the Legislative Assembly in 1929 placed the school under the oversight of the newly formed Oregon State Board of Higher Education. Doctoral education was first provided in 1935 with the conferral of four Doctor of Philosophy degrees. This year also saw the creation of the first summer session. The growing diversity in degree programs offered led to another name change in 1937, when the college became Oregon State College.

The university's current title, Oregon State University, was adopted on March 6, 1961 by a legislative act signed into law by Governor Mark Hatfield.

In 2007, Scott Reed was named the Vice Provost for Outreach and Engagement as the Extension Service and Extended Campus were aligned under this new division.

Main campus (Corvallis)
The 577 acre (2.34 km²) main campus is located in a moderately sized Oregon city and rests in the center of the fertile Willamette Valley. Although its surroundings are rural, the city is rapidly becoming more metropolitan and has seen recent periods of rapid growth. This recent growth has helped give Corvallis one of the highest standards of living in the state. Corvallis, a city of 53,000 permanent residents, was recognized in 1996 as one of the most livable cities in America. In 1994 OSU was rated the safest campus in the Pac-10 in a study of universities.

An aerial view of the campus can be found on Google Maps.

Branch campus (Bend)
OSU recently completed the construction of a new branch campus located in Bend. This new branch campus is called OSU-Cascades Campus and offers students living in the more central regions of the state an opportunity to attend classes off campus and closer to their homes.

Colleges and Schools
The academic programs are divided among twelve colleges and two schools, each with a dean responsible for all faculty, staff, students, and academic programs. Colleges are divided into departments administered by a department head or chair. Each department is responsible for academic programs leading to degrees, certificates, options, or minors.


 * College of Agricultural Sciences
 * College of Education
 * College of Health and Human Sciences
 * University Honors College
 * College of Engineering
 * College of Veterinary Medicine
 * College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
 * Defense Education College (ROTC)
 * College of Liberal Arts
 * Graduate School
 * College of Science
 * College of Pharmacy
 * College of Forestry
 * College of Business

Notable alumni & faculty
Some of Oregon State University's notable alumni include: two-time Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling; scientist Milton Harris; two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Chris Anderson; Pulitzer Prize winner George Oppen; NASA astronauts William Oefelein and Donald Pettit; computer mouse inventor Doug Engelbart; U-Haul founder Leonard Shoen; NVIDIA co-founder and CEO Jen-Hsun Huang; actor Michael Lowry; Manhattan Project staff member Paul H. Emmett; Hollywood Screenwriter Mike Rich; Northwest plywood manufacturing pioneer Thomas J. Autzen; Dollar billionaire and currently the richest person in Turkey, Hüsnü Özyeğin; One of the most prominent historians of American diplomacy William Appleman Williams; NFL stars Steven Jackson, 4-time pro bowler Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Derek Anderson; Heisman Trophy winner Terry Baker; NBA World Champion and 9-time NBA All-Star Gary Payton, NBA World Champion A.C. Green; NBA World Champion and 1996 Slam Dunk Champion Brent Barry; World Series Champion Jacoby Ellsbury; Olympic high jump gold medalist and Fosbury Flop inventor Dick Fosbury; 2000 Playmate of The Year Jodi Ann Paterson; 2007 Playmate of The Year Playmate Sara Jean Underwood.

Entrepreneurship
Oregon State University is putting forth a major effort to develop entrepreneurship amongst its students. It's now the first public university to dedicate an entire building, Weatherford Hall, towards the subject.

Located in the middle of campus, Weatherford Hall is one of the school's original dormitory buildings. The building is now home to the Austin Entrepreneurship Program (AEP TICK). The program is designed to incubate a multitude of student businesses participating as members of the OSU Society of Entrepreneurs.

Student life
The city that Oregon State University calls home is the seventh largest city in the state. Still, Corvallis is a relatively small community and many of the local events have a strong connection to the university. Oregon State has over 300 active student organizations and groups, the most of any university in the Oregon University System. The campus is located only a few hours driving distance from any number of outdoor recreation opportunities. Several federal and state natural forests and parks make up popular student destinations. These include the Cascade Range, a rugged coastline, several large forests, a desert, and many rivers. Portland, Oregon's largest city, is 85 mi north of the campus.

The majority of older students at Oregon State University live off-campus, but on-campus housing is available and typically home to incoming freshmen. There are 12 residence halls (dormitories) on campus, which are organized into individual Residence Hall Associations (RHA). Residents make-up the membership and each association holds their own elections to select management over the hall government.

The LaSells Stewart Center is the conference and performing arts center for the campus. Many famous speakers have graced the stage of the campus' main auditorium, Austin Auditorium, while the Corvallis/OSU Symphony plays their frequently. The OSU Office of Conferences and Special Events is located within the auditorium.

The University is host to a radio station, KBVR 88.7 FM, and a television station, KBVR TV 26, as well as an award-winning student newspaper, The Daily Barometer.

For more information on student life in Corvallis, Oregon check out the BeavRWiki. It is a wiki designed to provide information to OSU students and the campus community.

Athletics
In 1893, "Jimmie the Coyote" was chosen as the college's mascot. This was replaced by the beaver in 1910 (the beaver remains the school's mascot today). In 1915, the college became one of the four charter members of the Pacific Coast (Athletic) Conference.

Football is played in Reser Stadium. The current costumed mascot Benny the Beaver made his first appearance in 1952. The next year, 1953, saw the opening of the football facility, Parker Stadium (now named Reser Stadium). The Raising Reser campaign expanded the stadium from 35,000 seats to 46,200 throughout 2006-2007. You can watch a time lapse webcam of the expansion.

1962 saw OSU's (and the west coast's) first Heisman Trophy winner, quarterback Terry Baker. The University of Oregon is often seen as the school's key athletic rival, with the annual Civil War football game between the two teams being one of the nation's longest-lived rivalries.

Trysting Tree is the name of Oregon State's golf course, dedicated in 1988, and has been recognized by Golfweek magazine as one of the top five collegiate golf courses on the West Coast. Its name is traced to a tree near Benton Hall where student couples would meet and make dates.

Basketball is held in Gill Coliseum, named after former Beavers coach Slats Gill. The Civil War is one of the most contested rivalries in the nation.

Baseball is held in Goss Stadium at Coleman Field. The OSU baseball team, managed by Pat Casey, won back-to-back NCAA Division I Baseball Championships in 2006 and 2007.

Oregon State has a total of three NCAA championships. In addition to the two baseball titles, the Beavers won the 1961 NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship. In 1975, the men's rowing Varsity-4 with coxswain team won the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Collegiate Rowing Championships in Syracuse, New York, establishing a course record which stood for 15 years. In 2006, the Oregon State racquetball team won the USA Racquetball intercollegiate championship.

Oregon State University is also home to the oldest Marching Band in the PAC-10. The Oregon State University Marching Band was started in 1890 and has become a staple at Beaver Football games. OSU football coach Mike Riley credits the marching band with 10 points at each home game and 6 at each away game.

Diversity
As of 2007, the total student enrollment (undergraduate and graduate) at OSU was more than 19,700. Students at Oregon State are relatively diverse compared to those found at most other major universities. In-state students continue to be the largest group, and contribute to 81 percent of the total campus population. Out-of-state students make up 14 percent, while international students account for the remaining five percent.

In accordance with the University’s mission for diversity, many organizations, clubs, and departments have been formed, including the Office Of Community and Diversity and several cultural and resource centers.

Oregon State University has several cultural centers aimed at promoting diversity, including the Native American, African American, and Hispanic Cultural Centers.

Points of interest

 * Peavy Arboretum
 * O. H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory