The Beaver Caucus

Reinvest in the OSU Statewide Public Service Programs

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During the 2019 legislative session we will be seeking a $30 million increase to reinvest and expand OSU’s statewide public service programs: the OSU Extension Service, Agricultural Experiment Station, and Forest Research Laboratory, which support agricultural, natural resource and community development programs across the state.

Beaver Caucus Advocacy Day

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Thank you so much for all of the support, energy and time you devoted to joining us for Beaver Caucus Advocacy Day. We walked the halls of the Capitol, met with legislators and staff and shared the message of prioritizing higher education and OSU projects. We helped legislators see the importance of music and the arts with the Arts and Education Complex; the continued expansion of the OSU-Cascades campus with the Student Success Center; the economic and community impact with the OSU Statewide Public Service Programs and the true benefit of an Oregon State education. Thank you for lending your time and sharing your stories to ensure that the future of Oregon State University remains healthy and strong. We look forward to working with you in the new year! Go Beavs!

Homecoming Brunch A Success

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We had a record turnout on Saturday for the Third Annual Beaver Caucus-ASOSU Homecoming Brunch! It was a great event that included students, alumni, faculty, past and present ASOSU officers and Beaver Caucus members. The audience heard remarks from President Ray, ASOSU President Justin Bennett and Vice President Aiden Tariku, Dean of Students Kevin Dougherty and OSUAA Executive Director and Beaver Caucus board member John Valva. It was a great way to kick off Homecoming weekend!

Thanks for spending your Homecoming Saturday with us. We look forward to working with you during the 2019 Oregon legislative session to advocate for issues that are critical to OSU.

Go Beavs!

Investment in Oregon Higher Education

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During the 2019 Oregon legislative session, the Beaver Caucus will work hard to continue and increase state investments in higher education. Together with Oregon’s other public universities, we will support a strong future for all students, staff, faculty and our state’s economy. All seven public universities will work collectively to make higher education a priority for the legislature.

The seven public universities have sought at least a $120 million increase in operating funds from $737 million, for a total investment of $857 million. This request would ensure that tuition increases would stay below 5% per year each for the next two years. Last August, the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) recommended a $186 million increase in operating funds for a total of $923 million. This request is a significant improvement and would enable meaningful investments in student success and access while keeping tuition affordable.

Oregon is better off when we invest in our students. In 2019, the Beaver Caucus is committed to building on the progress made in public support for higher education.

Expansion of OSU-Cascades – Development of Student Success Center

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During the 2018 Legislative Session, the Oregon State Legislature approved $39 million in bonding needed to construct a second academic building on the OSU-Cascades campus. During the 2017 session the Legislature approved $9.5 million in state bonding to support site preparation of undeveloped campus property where the new academic building will be constructed.

OSU-Cascades continues to face enrollment growth and will need to continue expand its facilities to ensure that it meets the academic, counseling and extracurricular needs of students in the Central Oregon region. This will require new investment in facilities and infrastructure.

In 2019, the Beaver Caucus will be asking the legislature to support $12 million in bonds, matched by $5 million in student fees, for the construction of the OSU-Cascades Student Success Center, which will improve learning outcomes while facilitating student engagement. We will work with the Central Oregon region to ensure that the legislature approves this funding request.

A vibrant university that delivers academic excellence and focuses on student retention and success can be one of the pillars of a strong economy. Investment in OSU-Cascades will make a difference for Central Oregon and our entire state.

Development of the OSU Arts and Education Complex

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In April 2017, Oregon State University announced plans for a new arts and education complex. The project will provide the university, the greater Corvallis community, and the entire state, a venue for music, theater, digital communications programs and the visual arts. The university is well into the process of securing $35 million in philanthropic funds and is seeking an additional $35 million in state bonds for a total investment of $70 million.

The Arts and Education Complex will be an important part of the university’s portfolio of both performance and outreach spaces. It will bring together programs in the arts, including music, theater, the visual arts, and digital communications arts, creating a thriving center of creativity infused with science and technology. This undertaking will help OSU to fulfill its strategic mission by bringing arts to the people of Oregon through teaching, research, performance and rehearsal spaces; a new visual arts museum; shop and maker space with electronic and computer studio for designing sound, lighting, animation, and video projections and for constructing props, sets, and other scenic items; and mentoring, reception, office and box office spaces.

The Arts and Education Complex will be a new academic facility for OSU educational arts and it will become an outreach portal for the arts, taking visual and performing arts to Oregon youth and residents.

During the 2020 legislative session the Beaver Caucus will be urging the legislature to support $35 million in bonding authority for the OSU Arts and Education Complex. This project will allow OSU to train tomorrow’s visual, technical and performing artists in a state-of-the art facility, leading to a highly skilled workforce that will support Oregon’s vibrant arts sector. Investment in the Arts and Education Complex will make a difference for OSU students and the entire state.

THE BEAVER CAUCUS LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES – 2019

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The Beaver Caucus is committed to supporting Oregon State University, our world-class research institution. We do this by providing a platform to communicate directly to Oregon state policymakers who are making critical decisions impacting OSU’s future. During the 2019 legislative session we will make sure that legislators and the Governor are aware of the positive benefits that have resulted from the state’s investment in higher education, and we will work to ensure that this investment continues in 2019.

Here are some of the issues we will be advocating for during the legislative session:

1) Maintaining Operating Funds

The seven public universities have sought at least a $130 million increase in operating funds from $737 million for a total investment of $867 million. This request would ensure that tuition increases would stay below 5% per year each of the next two years. In August, the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) recommended a $186 million increase in operating funds for a total of $923M. This request is obviously a significant improvement and would enable meaningful investments in student success and access while keeping tuition affordable.

2) Development of the OSU Arts and Education Complex

In April 2017, Oregon State University announced plans for a new arts and education complex. The proposal would renew, expand and enhance the existing LaSells Stewart Center in order to provide the university, the greater Corvallis community, and the entire state, a venue for music, theater, digital communications programs and the visual arts. The university is well into the process of securing $35 million in philanthropic funds and is seeking an additional $35 million in state bonds for a total investment of $70 million.

3) Continued Expansion of the OSU-Cascades Campus – Student Success Center

OSU Cascades continues to face enrollment growth and will need to continue expand its facilities to ensure that it meets the academic, counseling and extracurricular needs of students in the Central Oregon region. The university is seeking $12 million in bonds matched by $5 million in student fees – approved in a campus-wide vote – for the construction of the OSU-Cascades Student Success Center, which will improve learning outcomes while facilitating student engagement.