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THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON IN CENTRAL OREGON
Community Involvement
VI. COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS AND INVOLVEMENT
The University of Oregon has deep and longstanding relationships and involvement with the Central Oregon community. Many of these have been discussed in some detail in earlier parts of this proposal, and will not be repeated here. Some of the most important of these relationships include:
Development of UO/Central Oregon will allow us to expand greatly on many of these activities, and to make others more accessible to residents of Central Oregon. In this section we will discuss in detail those community relationships and involvement that have not already been covered in detail.
A. Relationships with Oregon Community Colleges
The University of Oregon has a longstanding history of excellent ongoing working relationships with community colleges across the state. UO representatives make regular visits to all Oregon community college campuses to provide up-to-date information about UO programs and services to prospective students and community college advisors. The UO has program-to-program articulation agreements with most Oregon community colleges that are updated annually. These agreements insure that community college counselors and students have accurate information about specific course requirements for each undergraduate major.
For many years the UO Admissions Office has conducted an on-campus workshop style conference specifically designed for college counselors to learn first hand about UO programs and services and to meet with their former students enrolled at UO. This program has now been made part of the annual OUS sponsored Community College conference. UO staff and faculty play key roles in these system-wide programs. UO cooperates with community colleges that are doing student performance research by providing information (to the extent permitted by law) on former students now enrolled at UO.
UO staff members were actively involved in the development of the Associate Arts Oregon Transfer Degree and played a key role in obtaining state system recognition of the degree. UO staff has also been active participants in the Joint Board’s Articulation Committee (JBAC) and the JBAC Student Transfer Committee. These statewide working groups monitor transfer issues and recommend policies governing transfer articulation. Participation in these committees provides the UO with informed staff who have the expertise needed to insure that good, collaborative working relationships are established and maintained.
Because of our proximity, the University of Oregon works particularly closely and effectively with Lane Community College (LCC) on an on-going basis. UO has an articulation agreement with LCC and LCC counseling staff is trained in helping students make the transition. Moreover, the UO and Lane Community College for the past five years have jointly offered a course, "Transitions to University Studies", that focuses on transition from two-to four-year institutions. The UO is also currently developing co-admission/dual enrollment agreements with Lane Community College and COCC and will extend this to other community colleges
Each year LCC Counseling Center staff cooperate with UO faculty in updating major-specific degree requirement sheets which insure that community college students planning to transfer to UO have up-to-date information for course schedule planning. Faculty and staff from the two institutions cooperate in other meaningful ways. For example, staff responsible for providing support for students with disabilities regularly consult with each other, sharing expertise and experiences. Testing Office staff coordinate schedules for examinations such as GED and share information on programs. Financial aid staff from the UO and LCC campuses have also assisted each other in processing applications when workload has exceeded campus staffing capabilities.
Most importantly, the University of Oregon has had an effective long-term working partnership with Central Oregon Community College. Over the past four years, UO faculty both in Eugene and Central Oregon have worked very closely and productively with COCC faculty in designing and implementing UO’s General Science and General Social Science degrees offered through the Central Oregon University Center.
UO and COCC faculty have also worked together to develop the plan for UO’s General Humanities degree which will be offered beginning in the fall of 2001. UO has hired COCC faculty where appropriate to teach UO courses in Central Oregon. UO has also enlisted COCC faculty to serve as advisors for students taking UO courses in Central Oregon.
Two COCC faculty members have agreed to serve as the initial directors of UO/Central Oregon’s proposed Divisions of Social Sciences and Humanities if UO is selected by the State Board of Higher Education. UO also continues to enjoy an excellent working relationship with the Central Oregon University Center. In fact, the COUC Director has agreed to head the proposed Division of Extended Studies for the UO/Central Oregon campus.
In addition to faculty, UO and COCC staff and administrators have enjoyed an on-going productive partnership. For example, the UO and COCC library staff work together on a regular basis through ORBIS. As mentioned above, UO and COCC are collaborating on a co-admission/dual enrollment agreement.
Moreover, UO and COCC faculty, staff and administrators have engaged over the past several months in exhaustive and very productive discussions about effective and creative ways for us to work together in the future. Our educational missions and goals as well as teaching philosophies are very similar, even complementary. Our personnel enjoy collegial and respectful rapport with one another. Consequently, the University of Oregon is confident that, through our continuing creative, synergistic and mutually beneficial collaboration, UO and COCC can provide an outstanding and seamless, four-year education for students in Central Oregon.
B. UO’s Relationships with the Central Oregon Community
The University of Oregon has had extensive involvement in Central Oregon over the past 10 years. During the last decade, we have had on-going UO educational activities as well as community outreach and cultural events in Central Oregon. UO has also always enjoyed productive relationships with many different Central Oregon constituencies, including local citizens, businesses, government entities, and other organizations throughout Central Oregon.
The UO has a long and distinguished history of education programs and public service in Central Oregon. As discussed in great detail in the Academic Affairs/Field Studies section above, UO’s field studies and research in Central Oregon began more than a century ago. Other long-term, on-going UO educational activities in Central Oregon include, to single out just a few, UO’s Pine Mountain Astronomical Observatory, our work with Warm Springs to preserve northwest native languages, as well as community planning assistance through UO’s Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) program.
The University of Oregon Department of Physics operates Pine Mountain Observatory for research and advanced instruction in astronomy. The Observatory is located thirty miles southeast of Bend, off Highway 20 near Millican, at an altitude of 6,300 feet. The Observatory was established in 1968 and has three telescopes. Professional astronomical research is in progress and the site is staffed year round. Pine Mountain Observatory has been recognized for the discovery of a highly magnetic dwarf star, for black hole research, and for extra-solar planet research. A primary mission of Pine Mountain is to give visitors on-site or on-line an opportunity to experience authentic space science.
The UO’s Department of Linguistics’ Northwest Indigenous Language Institute (NILI) has a long-term relationship with the Native language program at Warm Springs. Indeed, NILI was established in 1997 in response to a request by the head of the Warm Springs language program. The purpose of NILI is to provide training and tools to help Native people of North America maintain their culture through learning and teaching their languages. The program provides education, on-site training and consultation in the preservation of these languages. At the last NILI program held on the UO campus in June-July 2000, more than a third of the participating students were from Warm Springs. Warm Springs representatives have expressed considerable interest in having NILI programs and services delivered by UO in Central Oregon.
The University of Oregon has provided community planning, resource assistance for rural environments and student originated studies in Central Oregon over the past 25 years through our Community Service Center. Community planning projects have included a Bend resident survey analysis about tourism, a survey assessing Oregonians’ preferences for winter recreation, and a study of economic trends for the ski industry. Rural assistance projects have included drafting a comprehensive economic development plan for the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council and helping to implement an action plan for the community of La Pine that addressed economic development and telecommunications. Student researchers helped in creating the Crooked River Watershed Council and evaluating riparian and channel conditions in the watershed.
Numerous other innovative UO educational opportunities for Central Oregon residents have been initiated in recent years. In the early 1990s, the University of Oregon offered a baccalaureate program in human services and a master’s degree in educational administration in Central Oregon as part of the Central Oregon Consortium for Higher Education (COCHE). The UO offers each summer a one-week Oregon School Law course in Bend to provide school administrators with a comprehensive update on Oregon school law. Numerous Central Oregon school administrators attend a one-week executive development seminar each summer on the UO campus in Eugene.
In the summer of 2001, the UO’s College of Education will conduct its innovative five-day ContinUO: The Art of Leading executive leadership institute in Sunriver. Facilitated by a Fortune 500 business consultant, ContinUO uses the arts as a vehicle in the exploration in leadership. Through problem-solving exercises, sessions led by local and internationally acclaimed artists, and small-group discussions with other leaders, ContinUO renews participants’ commitment to achieving breakthrough results for youth. The institute also provides participants the tools, skills, and support to realize their commitment.
UO staff members have participated in college information fairs sponsored by Bend area parent and business groups. UO student recruitment representatives visit Central Oregon high schools and COCC regularly to meet with prospective students and school/college staff.
The University of Oregon has also demonstrated its on-going commitment to supporting cultural events in Central Oregon. Since 1994, the UO’s Center for Asian and Pacific Studies and COCC have co-sponsored UO’s Freeman Lectures in Bend. This annual four-part free public lecture series is designed to allow Oregonians to gain insights on multi-culturalism and ethnic issues in Asia.
Each December, the University of Oregon sponsors the Bend Holiday Music Festival. UO has supported, in cooperation with other educational institutions, the Nancy Chandler Visiting Scholar Program at COCC. The UO College of Education also holds an alumni awards event each year in Central Oregon.
The University of Oregon recently donated to the Bend Boys and Girls Club tickets for UO’s play, "She Stoops to Conquer," in November and arranged a tour for students when they visit the Eugene campus. Part of the Boys and Girls Club’s goal for the trip is to expose middle-and high-school students to a university campus in hope of encouraging them to attend college. The UO’s Department of Theater Arts has recently presented our original theatre production, "Ever the Dragon," in some Central Oregon schools.
The University of Oregon also has developed a successful track record of working successfully with many different Central Oregon constituencies. UO staff and faculty interact effectively on a regular basis with local citizens, including public officials, college and other educators, UO alumni, philanthropists, business executives, and other community leaders in Central Oregon.
For example, the UO faculty has met regularly with local business and industry representatives to assess employer needs in Central Oregon as well as discuss research and internship opportunities for students. As a result, UO students have participated in internships and/or research at Bend Research, Raytech, Consep, and Planned Parenthood.
C. Structure of the Relationship with the Community and Advisory Board
As described above in the Leadership and Management section, the Vice Provost for Central Oregon will be responsible for all activities undertaken on the campus. (This position will be held initially by the UO’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.) The Vice Provost will also oversee the relationship between UO/Central Oregon and COCC as well as UO/Central Oregon activities for the broader Central Oregon community. In addition, an Assistant Vice Provost for External Affairs will assist the Vice Provost in community relations and fundraising.
In the start-up phase of the UO/Central Oregon campus, UO President Dave Frohnmayer, Provost John Moseley, and Associate Vice President for Governmental Affairs Michael Redding, and other key staff from the Eugene campus expect to be in Central Oregon on a regular basis. They will work closely with the COCC Board and administrators, CORAB members, a newly-formed UO/Central Oregon Advisory Board, OUS staff, and administrators from partner institutions to develop and implement a successful transition plan for establishing the UO/Central Oregon campus. As outlined in the Advocacy section above, UO executives will also be leading advocacy efforts in Central Oregon and statewide to raise public and private support for expanded educational services in Central Oregon.
The University of Oregon will appoint a UO/Central Oregon Advisory Board of approximately 10 members from a broad cross section of Central Oregon. Members will be selected based on recommendations from the Chancellor, COCC President, CORAB members, UO alumni in Central Oregon, and other community leaders. The Advisory Board will include business executives, educators, professionals, public officials, and other community leaders and represent communities throughout the region. This Advisory Board will provide on-going advice, professional expertise and community input to the Vice Provost for Central Oregon in enhancing higher education services in Central Oregon.
The University of Oregon is committed to having the UO/Central Oregon campus play an integral role in the Central Oregon community. As an important part of their jobs, the Provost for Central Oregon and the Assistant Vice Provost for External Affairs will be active leaders in the community. As a few examples, they hope to be involved in the Bend Downtowners, local Chambers of Commerce, economic development boards, and other civic groups as well as cultural activities throughout the region. They will also be available to serve on the boards of local school boards and community organizations.
We expect that other UO/Central Oregon administrators and faculty will also be actively involved in community service in Central Oregon. They will provide leadership in regional educational initiatives and other community forums. They will also participate in community education programs and cultural activities.
As a good community citizen, the University of Oregon fully expects to support existing cultural institutions and activities in Central Oregon. UO staff have, for example, discussed possible opportunities for collaboration with representatives from the High Desert Museum and the Warm Springs tribe. We have also met with staff from the Bend Downtowners, High Desert Forum, and other organizations to express our desire to support current community events and determine the need for other cultural activities in the region.
D. Cultural Activities
The University of Oregon will also make available a wealth of new cultural and educational activities in Central Oregon on a regular basis. Our cultural events program will draw from an extensive calendar of lectures by prominent speakers and events offered by the UO School of Music and Department of Theater Arts.
The UO School of Music produces more than 150 events every year, including faculty, student and guest recitals, a Chamber Music series featuring some of the top chamber music groups in the world, cabaret-style Jazz Café gigs, performances by the Opera Workshop, the University Chamber Orchestra, the University Singers and Chamber Choir, and ensembles ranging from orchestra and wind to gospel and percussion. A particular UO favorite since 1969 has been the summer Oregon Bach Festival.
Presented by the UO School of Music annually during a two-week period in late June and early July, the Festival, under the direction of internationally-renowned maestro Helmut Rilling, combines an education program in choral music for academic credit with the offering of some fifty public concerts and events. Although the focus is Bach, major choral and instrumental works by other composers are programmed regularly. Distinguished soloists and groups from around the world frequently debut at the Bach Festival, prior to gaining international recognition. A most recent example is Thomas Quasthoff. Every other year the School of Music offers a Composers Symposium in conjunction with the Oregon Bach Festival.
We would expect to be able to bring performances both from University groups and from activities such as the Chamber Music Series and the Oregon Bach Festival to Central Oregon on a regular basis.
UO’s Department of Theater Arts also looks forward to bringing an array of live stage performances into the Central Oregon community. The original work "Ever the Dragon" recently toured Oregon public schools, including some Central Oregon schools, and a UO/Central Oregon campus will provide more opportunities to present UO theater productions in the region.
The University of Oregon has two annual theater series. The mainstage Robinson Theatre season offers major productions such as "Streetcar Named Desire," "Guys and Dolls" and the current production of "She Stoops to Conquer." The Arena Theatre offers plays that are typically chosen to suit the intimate setting and production style of the smaller venue, often focusing on modern, small-cast plays or experimental pieces. This season’s productions include "New Voices," "Triumph of Love, a Musical" and "Aunt Dan and Lemon."
In addition to these musical and theatrical productions, UO/Central Oregon hopes to host a diverse assortment of international events through our proposed Central Oregon International Center. As discussed in the description of the International Center, these events might include international art exhibits, speaker series, music and film festivals, culinary fairs, business conferences, and foreign policy debates or symposiums. For example, the UO every year hosts international Nobel Peace Prize laureates who speak on the Eugene campus as part of our UO Peace Studies program. We expect to bring these speakers and others every year to the Central Oregon campus very year as well.
The University of Oregon also intends to offer numerous other community education programs in Central Oregon that will complement and augment those provided by Central Oregon Community College. For example, the UO will assist in establishing a chapter of our popular Learning in Retirement Program (LIR) in Central Oregon. This program is open to retirees aged 55 or older who have an interest in lifelong learning. The Eugene LIR program operates with the assistance of the Continuing Education Center and is a self-supporting cooperative, member-led organization.
LIR courses are offered in a lecture and discussion format and most are taught or facilitated by UO faculty. Courses are offered in subjects including history, literature, archaeology, volcanology, law and psychology. The LIR program also provides a numerous other exciting learning opportunities such as book groups, armchair traveler presentations, creative writing sessions, field trips, foreign language conversation groups, and current affairs discussion groups.
The UO expects to work with local school districts and COCC to provide greater educational opportunities for high school students, such as advanced placement programs, international baccalaureate programs, and talented and gifted programs. The UO will explore implementing the DUCKLINK program that will allow high school students in Central Oregon access to UO college-level course work. The UO would also like to help local school districts develop a community mentor program intended to encourage more high school students in Central Oregon to consider a college education as a viable and desirable option for their future.
As part of its Central Oregon campus, the University of Oregon can also bring other valuable university resources and programs to support the Central Oregon region. For example, UO’s Community Service Center offers a rural grant writing assistance program, Resource Assistance for Rural Environments program, Oregon Natural Hazards Workshop and other valuable community services.
As another example, the UO Center for Applied Studies can work with the Central Oregon community to identify, frame, and suggest solutions for a range of policy issues emerging over the next ten years. The Center’s existing national and international networks can assist a number of organizational and policy needs of Central Oregon. The UO could extend other nationally known research centers, especially in the areas of education, to identify, validate, and initiate new research projects aimed at specific needs of Central Oregon.
E. Building a Broad Base of Support for Central Oregon Higher Education
Throughout this proposal we have discussed ways in which we would be building a broad base of support for higher education in Central Oregon. We will not repeat these here in detail, but will list some of the most important.