The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The university also operates the Ballmer Institute for Children's Behavioral Health in Portland, Oregon; the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology in Charleston, Oregon; and Pine Mountain Observatory in Central Oregon.
UO's 295-acre campus is situated along the Willamette River. The university is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and is a member of the Association of American Universities. Since July 2014, UO has been governed by its own board of trustees.
UO student-athletes compete as the Oregon Ducks and are part of the Big Ten Conference in the NCAA Division I. With eighteen varsity teams, the Oregon Ducks are best known for their football team and track and field program. These two teams are even incorporated into the design of the school's "O" logo.
The university has a long and complex relationship with Nike, Inc., and the firm's co-founder Phil Knight. As a consequence of state higher-education disinvestment starting in the 1990s, UO has embraced a "University of Nike" image. The school's "O" logo was designed by Nike in 1998 and sports facility projects on campus typically involve both Knight and Nike. The bill eventually was passed by the state legislature in 1872, establishing the institution as Oregon State University. The residents of Eugene raised $27,500 to buy eighteen acres of land at a cost of $2,500.
Early years
thumb|left|[[University Hall (University of Oregon)|University and Villard Halls, the first two buildings on campus]]
The university opened in 1876 under the name of "Oregon State University" and University Hall as its sole building. The first year of enrollment contained 155 students taught by five faculty members. The first graduating class was in 1878, graduating five students.
Maturity as a university
During Prince Lucien Campbell's tenure as president from 1902 to 1925, the university experienced tremendous growth. The budget, enrollment, facilities, and faculty members all grew several times its amount prior to his presidency. This academic calendar has remained ever since then. However, it is now referred to as the Quarter System.
The Zorn-MacPherson Bill in 1932 proposed the University of Oregon and Oregon State College (now "University") merge. The bill lost in a landslide vote of over 6 to 1. The University of Oregon Medical School was founded in 1887 in Portland and merged with Willamette University's program in 1913. However, in 1974 it became an independent institution known as Oregon Health Sciences University.
The Institute of Molecular Biology was established at the university in 1959.
UO served as the filming location for the 1978 cult classic National Lampoon's Animal House.
Golden age
The 60s and 70s were somewhat of a golden age for the university. In 1964, the university ranked 25th nationally in National Science Foundation basic research grants, ahead of the University of Rochester, Northwestern University, the University of Colorado and the University of Pittsburgh.
In 1969, the UO was admitted into the Association of American Universities, along with Case Western Reserve University, the University of Maryland, and the University of Southern California. From 1970 to 1979, 2,614 doctoral degrees were awarded at UO cumulatively.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!Decade
!Average total enrolment
!Average undergraduate enrolment
UO experienced state disinvestment in the 1980s during the tenure of president Paul Olum. This has occurred in tandem with state budget reductions, tuition increases, and increases in out-of-state enrollment.
In 2016, the university removed the name of Frederic Stanley Dunn, head of the Classics department in the 1920s and 30s, from the dormitory Dunn Hall, because of his leading role in the Ku Klux Klan.
Declining state support
Measure 5 established limits on property taxes in Oregon. This impacted the state budget, and led to budget and programmatic cuts at UO starting the 1990s. The College of Human Performance and Development was closed. Furthermore, many of the school's primary and secondary teacher training programs were eliminated. By 1997, more than 20 other programs were closed or significantly reduced in size.
UO has initiated three capital campaigns in the last 30 years. The first campaign of this era was launched with a goal of $150 million. It ended up raising a total of $255.3 million between 1992 and 1998.
With financial support from the state dwindling from 40% to 13% of the university budget, in January 2001, University President Dave Frohnmayer began Campaign Oregon with the goal of raising $600 million by December 2008, the most ambitious philanthropic fundraising campaign in the state's history at the time. With contributions exceeding $100 million from benefactors such as Phil Knight and Lorry I. Lokey, the campaign goal was exceeded by over $253 million.
In the fall of 2014, the institution announced that it would attempt to raise $2 billion from donors. In the fall of 2018, the campaign revised its goal to $3 billion. Substantial gifts were donated by Phil Knight and his wife. In October 2016, it was announced Phil Knight and his wife Penny will contribute $500 million to establish the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact. At the time it was the largest donation to a public research university. Knight gave an additional $500 million to the Knight Campus in 2021.
Despite the recent influx in private gifts given by mega-donors, as of 2020, UO's state subsidy per resident student is one of the lowest in both the Association of American Universities and Pac-12 Conference.
"University of Nike"
The school's "O" logo was officially adopted by the university as a whole in 2002. Designed by Nike, it was first adopted by the athletic program in late-1998. The inside of the logo is said to depict Hayward Field, the institution's track and field venue. The outside of the logo is said to represent Autzen Stadium, which is UO's football stadium.
Knight is an athletic booster. He has contributed to, and managed, the construction of various athletic department facilities. Knight's involvement in said projects usually does not involve any university oversight, making them controversial. Knight also financed the majority of the Hayward Field renovation project. A book titled The University of Nike, written by Joshua Hunt, describes Nike and Phil Knight's influence on the university.
Push for independence
In 2010, the newly installed UO president, Richard Lariviere, proposed establishing a new governance and funding model for UO. The New Partnership, as it became known, sought to establish an independent board and large endowment to fund the university into the future. Funding had become too low and unpredictable for UO officials, and the new model would provide the university with a consistent stream of funding and the legal freedom to borrow money for large capital projects. Lariviere's proposal called for $800 million in state bonds and "an equal amount" of private gifts. The new funds would provide a large boost to UO's then modest endowment.
In a 2010 interview, UO booster Phil Knight discussed the New Partnership. Knight explained that Lariviere's plan would allow UO greater control and possibly allow it to set its own tuition for in-state students.
Undergraduate admissions
The University of Oregon's undergraduate admissions process is "selective" according to U.S. News & World Report. For students entering Fall 2019, 22,329 freshmen were accepted out of 27,358 applicants, an 81.6% acceptance rate, and 4,525 enrolled for a yield of 20.3%.
|-
! !! 2024 !! 2023 !! 2022 !! 2021 !! 2020 !! 2019 !! 2018 !! 2017 !! 2016 !! 2015
|-
! Applicants
| 40,021 || 39,400 || 37,154 || 31,558 || 28,719 || 27,358 || 24,474 || 20,317 || 21,821 || 22,000
|-
! Admits
| 35,337 || 33,532 || 32,061 || 29,483 || 23,692 || 22,329 || 20,404 ||16,824 || 16,992 || 16,328
|-
! % Admitted
| || || || || || 81.6% || 83.4% || 82.8% || 77.9% || 74.2%
|-
! Enrolled
| 5,087 || 5,032 || 5,313 || 4,589 || 3,920 || 4,525 || 4,168 || 3,938 || 4,041 || 4,133
|-
! Avg GPA
| 3.73 || 3.75 || 3.76 || 3.73 || 3.68 || 3.65 || 3.59 || 3.55 || 3.58 || 3.61
|-
! SAT range
| 1130-1360 || 1150-1340 || 1140-1370 || 1120-1330 || 1080-1270 || 1100–1310 || 1080–1290 || 1080–1270 || 980–1220 || 1000–1230
|-
|}
Faculty
As of May 2022, at least 19 UO faculty (living or deceased) have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
As of the fall of 2023, the university has 2,097 faculty members. Among this group there are 782 tenure and tenure-track (ladder) faculty members. Among US doctoral universities UO is ranked 80th when it come to full professor salaries. However, when other compensation measures are factored in, UO ranks 58th.
|-
| $150,100 (Professor)
|-
| $110,500 (Associate)
|-
| $100,000 (Assistant)
|}
Research
The university is a member of the Association of American Universities. It is also classified as a "Very High Research Activity" university, according to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. According to the National Science Foundation, Oregon spent $111 million on research and development in 2018, ranking it 151st in the nation.
The university has 13 research centers and institutes. The university also maintains nine "research core facilities".
Libraries
thumb|[[Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art]]
The multi-branch University of Oregon Libraries serves the campus with library collections, instruction and reference, and a wide variety of educational technology and media services. The UO is Oregon's only member of the Association of Research Libraries. The main branch, the Knight Library, houses humanities and social sciences, Learning Commons, Music Services, Government Publications, Maps and Aerial Photos, Special Collections & University Archives, Media Services, the Center for Educational Technologies, and a Cinema Studies lab to be available in Winter 2010. Other branch locations are:
- The Design Library in Lawrence Hall
- The John E. Jaqua Law Library in the Knight Law Center
- The Loyd & Dorothy Rippey Library at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology in Charleston, Oregon.
- The Mathematics Library in Fenton Hall
- The Portland Library & Learning Commons in the White Stag Block in Portland, Oregon
- The Science Library in the Price Science Commons
The UO Libraries hosts Scholars' Bank, an open access (OA) digital repository created to capture, distribute and preserve the intellectual output of the University of Oregon. Scholars' Bank uses open-source DSpace software developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Hewlett-Packard.
The Special Collections & University Archives house a collection of Gardner Fox's literary manuscripts, comic books, and other materials, including over 200 letters from fans. It is also the home to a rare collection of thousands of Japanese senjafuda (votive slips), part of the Gertrude Bass Warner Collection.
Student life
{| class="wikitable floatright sortable collapsible"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;"
|+ style="font-size:90%" |Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2023
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! Race and ethnicity
! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total
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| White
|align=right|
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| Hispanic
|align=right|
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| Two or more races
|align=right|
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| Asian
|align=right|
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| Black
|align=right|
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| Unknown
|align=right|
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| Foreign national
|align=right|
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| American Indian/Alaska Native
|align=right|
|-
! colspan="4" data-sort-type=number |Economic diversity
|-
| Low-income
|align=right|
|-
| Affluent
|align=right|
|}
Special events
UO is home to various special events. One of the most popular and well-known events held on campus is the Oregon Bach Festival. The festival is a donor-sponsored program of the university and the only major music festival affiliated with an American university. Founded in 1970 by German conductor Helmuth Rilling and UO professor (and past president of the American Choral Directors Association) Royce Saltzman, the festival has grown into an international program that draws hundreds of musicians and over 40,000 attendees annually.
The festival has presented such artists as Frederica von Stade, Bobby McFerrin, Garrison Keillor, and Thomas Quasthoff, who made his American debut in Eugene in 1995. The festival actively commissions and premieres new choral-orchestra works, including pieces by Arvo Pärt, Osvaldo Golijov, and Tan Dun. A Bach Festival recording of the world-premiere performance of Krzyztof Penderecki's Credo won the 2001 Grammy Award for best choral performance.
Clubs and groups
There are more than 250 student groups at the University of Oregon, most of which are headquartered in the Erb Memorial Union.
The University of Oregon is home to three student-run a cappella groups: Divisi, a treble ensemble; On the Rocks, a TTBB ensemble; and Mind the Gap, a mixed ensemble.
Media
The University of Oregon has a diverse array of student-run and student-created media, including the Daily Emerald, the Oregon Commentator, and Ethos Magazine, among others.
The university is also home of two radio stations: KWAX (classical music) and KWVA (campus radio).
Government
thumb|right|ASUO office
There are two major governing bodies at the University of Oregon. The largest is the Associated Students of the University of Oregon. Its purpose is to provide for the social, cultural, educational and physical development of its members, and for the advancement of their individual and collective interests both within and without the university.
Student participation in governance of the university extends to membership in the University Senate, which has five student members with full voting rights plus the ASUO president as a nonvoting member. Students are also represented on the university's board of trustees by a voting member appointed by the Governor of Oregon.
The total FY2014-15 ASUO budget was $15.24 million.
The second-largest governing body is the Residence Hall Association (RHA), who advocate for all students living on-campus. Its purpose is to relay ideas and feedback as a way of communication with University Housing. RHA advocates for residence hall students; stimulates an environment of growth, learning, and development for all students in the residence halls through programming; submits recommendations and ideas regarding policy to University Housing.
Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation
The University of Oregon Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation (GTFF) was established in 1976 to represent graduate student workers and it is one of the oldest graduate student unions in the U.S. The UO administration objected to the establishment of the union, citing that graduate workers were "students, not employees". The Oregon Employment Relations Board (ERB) ruled in favor of the graduate students and supported their right to organize. The GTFF began organizing its first contract in April 1977 and reached a negotiation with the university administration after two strike votes. In 1993, the GTFF successfully bargained for employer-paid health insurance.
In 2014, the GTFF went on strike for the first time. In October, GTFF members voted to authorize a strike over two issues not yet included in the GTF contract: a pay raise to the minimum GTF salary and a form of paid sick leave. The strike lasted a week and overlapped with the university's administration of final examinations. Although the union members accused the university administration of strike breaking activities, intimidation of international students, and unlawful demands,
Facilities and housing
thumb|The [[Global Scholars Hall housing complex at the University of Oregon, opened in 2012]]The Erb Memorial Union (EMU) is the student union, which functions as a center for student life. It sits on the southeast corner of 13th and University St. The EMU underwent a major renovation and expansion project from 2013 to 2016. The wing, built in 1973 was demolished in 2014 to make way for a new wing. Opened in the fall of 2016, the new facility includes improved dining options, faculty and group offices, and meeting spaces.
South of the Erb Memorial Union across a small quad is the Student Recreational Center (SRC). The Lyllye Reynolds-Parker Black Cultural Center, named in honor of Lyllye-Reynolds Parker, opened in 2019.
There are several other residence halls. Kalapuya Ilihi opened next to Global Scholars Hall, and hosts 531 students, as well as includes an open-space for students and faculty on the ground floor. Unthank Hall completed construction in 2019 and opened to student use in 2021.
Athletics
thumb|right|[[Jaqua Center|John E. Jaqua Center for Student Athletes]]
The University of Oregon is a member of the Big Ten Conference and the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA. The athletic programs have garnered 28 NCAA team championships, as well as 60 NCAA individual champions in various track and field events. The strength of the track program, as well as its connection to Nike, has made Eugene known as "Track Town, USA". The two primary rivals of the Oregon Ducks football team are the Washington Huskies and the Oregon State Beavers, though they also have a strong rivalry with the Washington State Cougars. The football rivalry with Oregon State University is one of the nation's oldest. Every year, the two teams face off in the last game of the regular season. The two teams have faced each other nearly every year since 1894 except for five years. Games were not held in 1900, 1901, 1911, 1943, and 1944.
thumb|Exterior of [[Autzen Stadium]]
The university competes in 14 sports: football, men's and women's basketball, cross country, track and field, baseball, softball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's golf, women's soccer, women's lacrosse, women's volleyball, and acrobatics & tumbling. This does not include club sports which competes at the Division I level in Rugby, Soccer, Rowing, and Waterpolo. As well as women's Division I club athletics in Rowing, Rugby, and Waterpolo.
With 20 NCAA championships between them, cross country and track and field are the two programs at the university that have enjoyed the most success. The programs have produced many world-class athletes including Steve Prefontaine and Alberto Salazar, the latter of whom was also a coach until he was banned for life. Nike had been formed by the former track and field head coach Bill Bowerman and former University of Oregon track runner Phil Knight. The successes of the programs have given the name of Track Town, USA to Eugene.
Originally recognized as an official sport at the university in 1908, baseball was disbanded in 1981 due to concerns with Title IX. In 2007, the athletic director Patrick Kilkenny announced plans to reinstate baseball and to drop wrestling while adding women's acrobatics & tumbling.
Relationship with Nike
The Athletic Department (AD) and university (UO) have a long and complex relationship with Nike Inc., as the corporation was founded by two UO alumni. Nike founder Phil Knight is also one of the largest benefactors in the history of UO. In recent years he has invested heavily in developing and maintaining the athletic apparatus. The University emphasized that this would not mean an end to the annual Oregon–Oregon State football rivalry game.
Mascot
The mascot of the University of Oregon is the fighting duck. The popular Disney character Donald Duck has been the mascot for decades, thanks to an agreement between then-Athletic Director Leo Harris and Walt Disney in 1947. The mascot was challenged in 1966, when Disney died and the company realized there was no formal contract written for the use of Donald's image. A contract was written up in 1973. but both were unpopular and discontinued.
Song
The fight song is "Mighty Oregon", written by professor Albert Perfect and student John DeWitt Gilbert in 1916. It has undergone several changes since its original performance.
In fiction and popular culture
Onscreen
The film National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) was filmed on the university campus and the surrounding area. The building used as the exterior of the Delta House (which belonged to the University of Oregon Pi Kappa Alpha chapter) was demolished in 1986, but the interior scenes were shot in the Sigma Nu house, which still stands. The Omega house belongs to the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and still stands. The sorority house where Bluto climbs the ladder to peek in on the female students was actually the exterior of the Sigma Nu fraternity. Other buildings used during filming include Johnson Hall, Gerlinger Hall, Fenton Hall, Carson Hall, and the Erb Memorial Union (EMU). The EMU dining facility known as "The Fishbowl" was the site of the famous food-fight scene. The Knight Library and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art can also be seen in the movie.
Other films shot at the university include
- Ed's Co-Ed (1929)
- Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940)
- Five Easy Pieces (1970)
- Drive, He Said (1970)
- How to Beat the High Cost of Living (1980)
- Personal Best (1982)
- Stand By Me (1986) (shot primarily in nearby Brownsville)
- Without Limits (1998)
- Zerophilia (2005)
People
Alumni
<gallery class="center" mode="nolines" caption="Notable alumni of the University of Oregon include:">
File:Sam Adams Nov 2012 (cropped).jpg|Sam Adams, first openly gay Mayor of Portland
File:Lee Bollinger - Daniella Zalcman less noise.jpg|Lee Bollinger, President of Columbia University and former President of the University of Michigan
File:Suzanne Bonamici.jpg|Suzanne Bonamici, U.S. Representative from Oregon's 1st district
File:Bill Bowerman.jpg|Bill Bowerman, Track and Field coach and co-founder of Nike, Inc.
File:Brattain.jpg|Walter Houser Brattain, co-winner of 1956 Nobel Prize in Physics
File:Neil Goldschmidt.jpg|Neil Goldschmidt, 33rd Governor of Oregon and 6th United States Secretary of Transportation
File:Justin Herbert 2021.jpg|Justin Herbert, current NFL Quarterback of the Los Angeles Chargers
File:Sabrina Ionescu 2019 Pac 12 Tourney 2019-03-08 (cropped).jpg|Sabrina Ionescu, NCAA all-time leader in triple-doubles
File:James Ivory (1991.09).jpg|James Ivory, Oldest Oscar winner at age 89. Directorial credits include A Room with a View and The Remains of the Day
File:Philknightfootball.jpg|Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike, Inc.
File:추경호 부총리 예방 받아 001 (cropped).jpg|Choo Kyung-ho, South Korean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance
File:Kaitlin Olson by Gage Skidmore 3.jpg|Kaitlin Olson, actress
File:William P Murphy.jpg|William P. Murphy, co-winner of 1934 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
File:Chuck Palahniuk (21955) (cropped).jpg|Chuck Palahniuk, journalist and author of Fight Club
File:Senator William V Roth.jpg|William V. Roth, former U.S. senator from Delaware
File:Paul Simon (US Senator from Illinois).jpg|Paul Simon, former U.S. senator from Illinois
File:Mr. Nguyen Thien Nhan.jpg|Nguyen Thien Nhan, former Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam
File:Ron Wyden of Oregon.jpg|Ron Wyden, U.S. senator from Oregon
File:Ryan Zinke official portrait.jpg|Ryan Zinke, 52nd United States Secretary of the Interior
File:Hilda-C-Heine.jpg|Hilda Heine, President of the Marshall Islands
File:Marcus Mariota 2019 Profile.jpg|Marcus Mariota, current NFL Player
</gallery>
Alumni include at least two Nobel Laureates, five members of the National National Academy of Sciences, 16 Pulitzer Prize winners, who have won a combined 20 awards, 19 Rhodes Scholars and 5 Marshall Scholars.
There are more than 195,000 University of Oregon alumni around the world. The Ford Alumni Center, adjacent to Matthew Knight Arena, houses an interactive exhibit. The UO Alumni Association is also based out of this facility.
Prominent alumni include: academic leaders Lee Bollinger (president of Columbia University and former president of the University of Michigan), Gene Block (chancellor of UCLA), and Asher Cohen (president of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem), TV host Ann Curry, author and counter-culture figure Ken Kesey (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), businessman Phil Knight (founded Nike, Inc. in Eugene), NFL quarterbacks Marcus Mariota (2014 Heisman Trophy winner) and Justin Herbert (2019 William V. Campbell Trophy recipient and 2020 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year), screenwriter Stephen J. Cannell, author Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club), cognitive scientist and author Douglas Hofstadter (Gödel, Escher, Bach), biochemist Pamela Bjorkman, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, American sportscaster and former professional football player Ahmad Rashad, professional basketball players Luke Ridnour, Luke Jackson and Sabrina Ionescu, former American football quarterback and current sportscaster Dan Fouts, actress Kaitlin Olson, Circuit Court Judge Hollie Pihl, A cappella vocalist and YouTuber Peter Hollens, trumpeter and musician Tony Glausi, Hilda Heine (president of the Marshall Islands), and Coach Mark Few (coach of Men's Basketball Gonzaga Bulldogs.)
Faculty and staff
Current University of Oregon faculty and researchers include 1 Nobel Prize laureate, and 11 members of the National Academy of Sciences Furthermore, two Oregon based researchers have been awarded the President's National Medal of Science.
Notable current and former faculty and staff includes: renowned Canadian architect Arthur Erikson, biochemist and biophysicist Brian Matthews (also known for Matthews correlation coefficient), neuroscientist Michael Posner, behavioral psychologist and risk researcher Paul Slovic, molecular biologist and geneticist Franklin Stahl (noted for Meselson–Stahl experiment) which he performed at Caltech, molecular biologist George Streisinger (pioneered the use of Zebrafish in biological research), lichenologist Martha Allen Sherwood, and 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics winner Knight Research Professor David Wineland, formerly of NIST and the University of Colorado Boulder.
Notable former athletic department staff includes: track coach Bill Bowerman (known for co-founding Nike, Inc.) and football coach Chip Kelly (also known for coaching Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers).
Notes
References
Further reading
- Annual Catalogue of the State University of Oregon, 1886–1887. Portland, OR: George H. Himes, 1887. <small>—Includes several annual catalogs listing professors, alumni, students, and college rules.</small>
External links
- Oregon Athletics website