Universities vie for Bend
■The state’s two largest
educational institutions want
a piece of Central Oregon
By Simone Ripke
Oregon Daily Emerald
If students don’t come to the Uni
versity of Oregon, the University
might soon come to them — assum
ing they live in Central Oregon.
The University is one of at least
two Oregon University System in
stitutions in the process of applying
to open a branch campus in Bend.
It is already one of 10 schools serv
ing Central Oregon Community
College through a University Ser
vice Center — an administrative of
fice that brokers programs from par
ticipating universities — and one of
seven institutions offering a degree.
That means students attending
Central Oregon Community College
have been able to earn a degree in
general science from the University
of Oregon for the past three years.
Starting this fall those students will
also be able to pursue a bachelor’s
degree in general social science.
University President Dave
Frohnmayer said a University
branch campus on the Central Ore
gon Community College campus
might draw more students, both re
gionally and internationally, to fur
ther their education in that area.
Frohnmayer said a University
branch campus in Bend would
help make'higher education more
accessible and fill a long-standing
void in Central Oregon.
“It’s [neglected] in terms of higher
education and upper-division cours
es and degree programs,” he said.
Shirley Clark, Oregon University
System Vice Chancellor for Acade
mic Affairs, said proposals for the
branch campus are due Dec. 1. She
said the question is not so much
I r
Bend branch campus
situation in focus
june 2000 The Oregon State Board
of Higher Education approved a
staff recommendation to request
funds and began implementing a
branch campus in Central Oregon.
December 2000 Campus applica
tions for managing the branch cam
pus were due. The review process
began.
January 2001 The chancellor made
recommendations to the board for
approval.
Summer/Fall 2001 Depending on
legislative approval of funds, branch
campus implementation will offi
cially begin and the transition from
the University Center to the branch
campus will be carried out.
whether there will be a branch
campus, but who will run the
branch campus.
So far, officials are only aware of
an interest from the University of
Oregon and Oregon State Universi
ty, but that doesn’t necessarily mean
there won’t be more applicants.
The State Board of Higher Educa
tion has already endorsed the
branch campus model for a mini
mum of five years, after which it will
determine whether to modify or
continue the program. The opening
of the Central Oregon branch cam
pus still depends on funding by the
State Legislature. The expected start
up costs for the first two years come
to an estimated $7.2 million.
The Board will make a final deci
sion once the Oregon University
System chancellor makes a recom
mendation in January and the new
branch campus — run by either the
University of Oregon or Oregon
State University — will be up and
running by next fall.
Jim Lussier, vice president of the
State Board of Higher Education,
said the idea is to use the process of
application to ensure that the Bend
area is served in a way that fills cur
rent voids in higher education.
“We’re looking at using that
process in a competitive way to get
those needs met,” he said.
Dick Markwood, dean and direc
tor of Central Oregon Community
College, said the new branch cam
pus will help improve higher edu
cation offerings in the Bend area,
draw more students and help make
the small community college look
like other institutions in the state.
Markwood said he is confident
that both Oregon State University
and the University of Oregon could
get the job done.
“It’s quite obvious to me that ei
ther one of them can provide what is
needed in Central Oregon,” he said.
Greg Nelson, assistant director of
general science at the University
and the programs it offers through
the University Service Center in
Bend, said the branch campus will
help students in Central Oregon
complete their higher education in
one place, with one institution.
“I think primarily, it will offer a
contiguous program with one uni
versity,” he said. “What it will do is
make it more central.”
Nelson said he thinks the Uni
versity has just as much of a shot at
getting.approval as any other insti
tution that might apply.
“I think our chances are as good
as anybody else’s,” he said.
Frohnmayer said if the Universi
ty gets the go-ahead, the Bend
branch will start serving students
next fall.
TRI NGLE
G R A P H I C S •
SCREEN PRINTING
EMBROIDERY
344-7268
t riangle<®pond net
Not all t-shirts are created equal.
You’re buying
" your books
Do those online-only
booksellers really have
the books you need at
super-low prices?
If you want the real deal
on textbooks, shop the
store you can trust:
Your University of
Oregon Bookstore.
3SIS UNIVERSITY OF OREGON BOOKSTORE
Open Daily M-F 7:45-6 / Sat 10-6 / Sun 12-6 on the corner of 13th & Kincaid.
The University of
Oregon Bookstore
is a not-for-profit
organization owned
by UO students,
faculty and staff.
All books are 10% off
EVERYDAY for current
UO students, faculty
and staff.
\VL CARE. A567UT W/ClAT YOU TUNl4!
\VLLIYLY R.EAPE.R. POLLS. 6?Nll_irt @
.JoilycmcfoiJ.fom
*
Discounted Books
Fast Delivery
100% Secure Site
SY . r
VarsityBooks.com
-Software isrfree^but a $4.95 shipping and
handling charge will.be applied for each soft
ware title ordered. This special offer expires
September 30, 2000 or while supplies last.
Specific software titles sub|ect to availability
Software must be shipped only within the
continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii.
Offer void where prohibited or otherwise
restricted by law. This offer is subject to
change at anytime without notice. Allow
6 to 8 weeks for delivery.