The head of the state university system has given Oregon State University a strong edge in its race with the University of Oregon to open a Bend branch campus.
But the University of Oregon administration is not throwing in the towel just yet.
Oregon University Chancellor Joe Cox announced Wednesday morning that OSU would best suit the needs of Central Oregon, and he recommended the State Board of Higher Education give the Corvallis school a green light to open a branch campus in Bend.
While he was unavailable for direct comment, Cox did release a statement on his decision.
“As we analyzed the region’s need for academic programs, for workforce development and for education services, the OSU proposal seemed to be a better fit,” he wrote.
He also acknowledged the University of Oregon’s efforts to obtain the branch campus and admitted he was torn between the two universities.
“This was an extremely difficult recommendation to make,” he said. “Both proposals embrace dynamic ideas and extraordinary vision for extending higher education throughout Central Oregon.”
Cox’s decision marks one of the last steps in the process to bring a four-year university to Central Oregon. The state board will make the final decision Feb. 16 during its regular meeting.
The branch campus will be located on the Central Oregon Community College campus and will provide a full bachelor’s degree from the university that is chosen.
University President Dave Frohnmayer said he was disappointed by Cox’s recommendation and said the analysis overlooked and “did not sufficiently value” several key elements that made the University’s plan for Bend much stronger.
“We absolutely stand by our proposal,” he said.
Frohnmayer said the University’s commitment to a high level of collaboration with COCC faculty and staff was overlooked, as was the University’s financial resources to ensure a quick opening of the Bend branch campus.
“We provided for the immediate availability for over $2 million in private funding for an immediate start,” he said.
In regard to the final decision by the state board, Frohnmayer said he couldn’t comment on how it would decide, because they’re still analyzing the proposals. He did say that the board is “very independent minded,” and while Cox’s support of OSU does have substantial weight in the process, it was still only a recommendation.
Tim White, OSU provost and executive vice president, said he was encouraged by the news, but wouldn’t be cracking open the champagne just yet.
“We’re not going to celebrate until the board’s final decision,” he said.
He said Cox’s recommendation did give OSU’s proposal momentum to be selected by the state board, and he added there was a renewed sense of optimism in Corvallis for OSU’s chances to open a Bend campus.
White said he was proud of the work that went into OSU’s proposal and humble at the prospect of bringing a four-year university to Central Oregon.
“This is an important step in the evolution of OSU,” he said.
During the decision process, White said OSU has been working on a plan for an implementation of their campus proposal, and he said the school would be more than ready to have a campus open in Bend if the state board decides in their favor.
OSU’s planned campus would provide nine undergraduate majors, two graduate majors, four minors and one graduate certificate program. It would build on OSU’s existing system of extension offices and a distance learning program that is currently in place on the COCC campus.
While he was happy with Cox’s recommendation, White also said he thought the strength of the University’s competing proposal helped to make OSU’s just as strong.
He said if OSU is chosen to open the branch campus, administrators would make sure it was a “cooperative venture” with the University of Oregon to ensure that the best of both proposals is put in place for Bend.
The University of Oregon already has some programs in place with COCC for distance learning, and White said that if chosen, OSU would work to ensure those programs are still viable options for students.
“That’s clearly something we’re going to honor and work with,” he said.