Vision

Oregon State University-Cascades will be a high quality, comprehensive four-year university and major contributor to the vitality of the unique Central Oregon community and environment. It will be a destination of choice for students, faculty, and staff seeking teaching and research excellence within a dynamic, inclusive and student-centered campus community.

OSU-Cascades is a Destination of Choice.

Mission

As a campus of Oregon’s leading public research university, OSU-Cascades provides globally-relevant education, research and outreach. Our students develop the knowledge and critical thinking ability to lead informed lives, serve their communities and enhance their careers. OSU-Cascades is committed to the diversity and sustainability of the campus and  surrounding communities

Ethos

The guiding vision of OSU-Cascades is to contribute significantly to the intellectual, cultural, ecological, social and economic vitality of Central Oregon. To achieve that goal, the OSU-Cascades community will strive to model principles and practices of a thriving, equitable and sustainable society. A culture of learning and exploration provides significant rewards to its members; those rewards are best achieved when all community members (faculty, staff, administrators, students, and Advocacy and Advisory Board) strive to honor the following principles:

  1. Respect the dignity and uniqueness of individuals. This principle applies to a diversity of cultures, belief systems, academic ranks and academic/professional disciplines;
  2. Aspire to excellence and integrity in every endeavor;
  3. Consider current and future generations in every deliberation;
  4. Demonstrate leadership in service to community.

Goals and Strategies

OSU-Cascades’ goals are aligned with the goals of OSU Strategic Plan 3.0.  In addition, OSU-Cascades has a goal to build out the campus to serve the educational needs of Central Oregon.

Goal 1: Envision, design, and build a campus serving Central Oregon and beyond.

  • Launch new academic programs that support regional need, build on COCC offerings, are attractive to students, and prepare students to contribute wherever they choose to work.
  • Establish a residential campus that embraces sustainability and resilience, health and wellness, and innovation and creativity.
  • Leverage the built and natural environments as living laboratories.
  • Knit the campus into the fabric of the community.
  • Create a collaborative and inclusive culture that values diversity.

Goal 2: Provide a transformational educational experience for all learners.

  • Implement a progressive educational experience that is built upon a foundation of both knowledge and skills that are systematically applied to real life problems.
  • Ensure 100% of students engage in a high-impact learning experience, such as study abroad, internships, undergraduate research, service learning, or leadership.
  • Implement cutting edge pedagogy that addresses all learning styles.
  • Create an integrated student support environment that raises and equalizes retention and success of all learners.

Goal 3: Demonstrate leadership in research, scholarship, and creativity while enhancing preeminence in OSU-Cascades’ three signature areas of distinction: innovation and creativity, health and wellness, and sustainability and resilience.

  • Increase undergraduate engagement in scholarship that supports faculty research agendas.
  • Leverage the interdisciplinary culture to foster innovative research partnerships.
  • Strengthen and expand regional, national and international partnerships to advance research opportunities that address real-world issues.
  • Broaden internal support for faculty research and scholarship.

Goal 4: Strengthen impact and reach throughout Oregon and beyond.

  • Enhance partnerships with businesses, non-profits, school districts, higher education and government entities that support the region’s priorities.
  • Empower OSU alumni and OSU-Cascades students, faculty, staff, and alumni to be engaged citizens in Central Oregon to transform knowledge into action for the benefit of communities.
  • Enrich the intellectual and cultural vitality of the region through programming and events.
  • Provide public, multi-use spaces to enhance collaboration with community partners, with attention to cultural and intellectual value.

Click here for the 2018 Strategic Plan