Western Oregon University

History

Establishment

Western Oregon University was founded in 1856 as Monmouth University. In 1865, it merged with another private institution, Bethel College, in Bethel and became Christian College. In 1882, the Oregon State Legislature approved the college's bid to become a state-supported teacher training (or "normal") school, Oregon State Normal School.

In November 1910, an initiative petition (Measure 10) to establish a normal school at Monmouth, passed by 55.6%. The name was changed, for the fourth time, to Oregon Normal School. On the same ballot were two other measures to additionally establish normal schools in Ashland and Weston: both failed.{{cite web | access-date = 2017-03-27

Growth

A period of growth was experienced in the 1920s during which the school's enrollment more than tripled from 316 in 1920 to peak at the 990 mark in 1927. With the coming of the Great Depression attendance tailed off slightly, with an average attendance in 1930 of 705 students, hitting a nadir in the 1933–34 academic year. Attendance rebounded later in the decade, topping the 1,000 mark for the first time during the 1938–39 academic year, with a total enrollment including summer session of 1,017.

In 1939, the Oregon Legislature changed the name for the fifth time, to Oregon College of Education. The school entered an extended period of growth, except for a period during World War II when college enrollments dropped nationwide. New programs were added in the areas of liberal arts and sciences.

Name changes

In 1981, the institution was renamed Western Oregon State College to reflect the school's growing academic programs in the liberal arts fields. In 1997 the name was updated to Western Oregon University, reflecting the university's broader academic mission and profile.

Academics

Western Oregon University offers bachelor's degrees (BA, BS, BM, BFA), and AB through its two colleges: the College of Education and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Master's degrees are available in Education (MAT and MSEd), Rehabilitation Counseling (MS), Criminal Justice (MA), Music (MM), and Management and Information Systems (MS). In 2015, U.S. News & World Report ranked Western as the 77th best amongst the regional universities in the west.

In January 2024, the university announced it would eliminate its D− and F grades and instead replace these with a grade of "no credit". This was done in attempt to improve retention and graduation rates and focus on student learning outcomes.

College of Education

WOU's College of Education is divided into: Division of Education and Leadership, Division of Deaf Studies and Professional Studies, and Division of Health and Exercise Science.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers 30 bachelor's degrees in seven academic divisions: Behavioral Science, Business and Economics, Computer Science, Creative Arts, Humanities, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and Social Science.

Athletics

Main article: Western Oregon Wolves

The Western Oregon athletic teams are called the Wolves. The university is a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) since the 2001–02 academic year. Western Oregon has competed in the Lone Star Conference (LSC) for football as an affiliate member since the 2022 season. The Wolves previously competed in the D-II Pacific West Conference (PacWest) from 1998–99 to 2000–01; and in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1993–94 to 1997–98 (although they remained in the CCC as an affiliate member for some sports from 1998–99 to 1999–2000).

Western Oregon competes in 12 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, soccer and track & field, while women's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, track & field and volleyball.

Notable alumni

• Kevin Boss – American football player for the New York Giants, Oakland Raiders, and Kansas City Chiefs
• Tony Burris – American football player, Arena Football League's Detroit Drive and Washington Commandos
• Jeff Charleston – American football player, New Orleans Saints
• Brian Greene – American football player
• Marco Hernandez – First Latino to serve as U.S. district court judge in Oregon.
• Robert Oberst – Professional strongman who competes yearly in The World's Strongest Man competition
• Bryce Peila – American football player, Arena Football League's Portland Thunder/Steel
• Jason Slowey – American football player for the Oakland Raiders
• Lane Shetterly - Oregon state legislator
• Nathan Soltz - Chair of the Democratic Party of Oregon
• Dan Straily (born 1988), starting pitcher in the Philadelphia Phillies organization
• Mark Thorson – American football played
• Russell Johnston – Timber management specialist
• Tyrell Williams – American football player for the Las Vegas Raiders

Greek life

On May 18, 2012, the school was introduced to its first traditional Greek life with the organization and initiation of Kappa Sigma fraternity, Sigma Tau chapter . The schools Greek system now consists of one traditional fraternity, one traditional sorority, one non-traditional fraternity and one non-traditional sorority. The school welcomed Alpha Chi Omega, its first traditional sorority in the fall of 2015 with the organization founding its chapter in 2016. On November 29, 2012, the Beta Kappa chapter of Omega Delta Phi fraternity was founded. Kappa Delta Chi is the other non-traditional sorority on campus.

Notes

References

References

1. "History of WOU".
2. "WOU Foundation".
3. "College Navigator - Western Oregon University".
4. "IPEDS-Western Oregon University".
5. (1920). "Study". University of California Press.
6. (November 10, 2020). "Covered Wagon Women, Volume 4: Diaries and Letters from the Western Trails, 1852: The California Trail". U of Nebraska Press.
7. (July 15, 2008). "Oregon 1859: A Snapshot in Time". Timber Press.
8. Ellis A. Stebbins and Gary Huxford, ''Since 1856...Historical Views of the College at Monmouth'' Western Oregon State College, Monmouth, Ore., 1995. {{ISBN. 0-9650625-0-3
9. "Western Oregon University".
10. Sam A. Kozer (ed.), "Oregon Educational Institutions," in ''The Oregon Blue Book, 1927-1928.'' Salem: State Printing Department, 1927; pg. 62.
11. Hal E. Hoss (ed.), "State Institutions of Higher Learning," in ''The Oregon Blue Book, 1931-1932.'' Salem: State Printing Departement, 1931; pg. 33.
12. Frederick M. Hunter, "Oregon State System of Higher Education," in Earl Snell (ed.), ''The Oregon Blue Book, 1939-1940.'' Salem: State Printing Department, 1939; pp. 48-49.
13. "Western Oregon University". [[United States Department of Education]].
14. [http://www.wou.edu/user_groups/academics.php WOU: academic programs]. Wou.edu. Retrieved on February 13, 2011.
15. "WOU: Graduate Programs-western Oregon university- online masters". Wou.edu.
16. Siemers, Erik. (September 14, 2011). "UofO 101st, OSU 138th in U.S. News rankings". Portland Business Journal.
17. Kima, Brittany. (2024-01-05). "Western Oregon University implements a strength-based grading approach to enhance student success".
18. [http://www.wou.edu/education/teacher_ed/index.php WOU: Teacher Education]. Wou.edu. Retrieved on February 13, 2011.
19. (November 18, 2021). "Three football teams to join LSC as affiliate members".
20. Aaron Fentress, [http://blog.oregonlive.com/nfl/2009/12/new_orleans_saints_defensive_e.html "New Orleans Saints defensive end Jeff Charleston enjoying undefeated season after long trek to the NFL"], ''[[The Oregonian]]'', December 10, 2009.
21. Pope, Charles. (February 7, 2011). "Senate Unanimously approves Marco Hernandez to be federal judge". The Oregonian.
22. "Fraternity and Sorority Life".