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The Western Oregon University Board of Trustees approved an increase of 2.33%, or $4 per credit, for Oregon resident undergraduate students in the 2019-20 academic year at its quarterly meeting Wednesday.
WOU is one of the first state public universities to finalize its new tuition rate in advance of the Oregon Legislature’s budget decision for the 2019-21 biennium.
“WOU students cannot wait until lawmakers set the budget for higher education, so we decided to move forward,” said WOU President Rex Fuller. “We know that tuition rates are a primary consideration for Oregon students as they make their college decisions, so we wanted to give them the information they needed to make the best choice for their families without delay.”
WOU students took part in the tuition rate recommendation process as part of the long-standing Tuition and Fee Advisory Committee. The university was able to keep its rate increase low by redesigning its tuition framework, continuing its budget-conscience operations and being prepared to tap reserves. WOU strives to be the most affordable Oregon public university while still offering a high-quality, career-focused education that can be completed in four years with minimal student debt.
“High on our list of priorities is keeping a degree within reach of Oregon families,” Fuller said. “Our lower tuition rate supports our mission of accessibility to higher education, equity and inclusion for all families seeking upward mobility.”
WOU also has joined with the other six public universities in seeking a $120 million increase in the Public University Support Fund in order to match the current service level for those universities.
In other action Wednesday, the board:
- Heard a report from the April 4-5 visit from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, WOU’s accrediting body.
- Learned that the NWCCU had approved WOU’s new Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership program, which will launch in fall 2019.
- Got an update on WOU’s status change to a doctoral-granting institution and the inaugural program, Doctorate of Physical Therapy.
- Heard a progress report for capital projects happening on campus. The Natural Sciences building renovations are in the final phase, and the Oregon Military Academy building’s transition to the new Welcome Center is under way. The seismic upgrades and renovations to the Instructional Technology Center have not begun.
- Approved the additions of a new undergraduate certificate in Bilingual/English as a Second Language; a new undergraduate certificate in Early Childhood Education; a new minor in Early Childhood; a new minor program in English Studies; and a new minor program English for Speakers of Other Languages and Bilingual Education.
For more information about the board meeting, visit wou.edu/board
About Western Oregon University
Western Oregon University, founded in 1856 and located in Monmouth, is the state’s oldest public university. Serving approximately 5,100 students, WOU is a mid-sized, NCAA Division II institution with nearly 75 percent of the student population being from Oregon. A significant portion of attendees are members of under-represented groups, veterans or non-traditional students. WOU is Oregon’s campus of choice for those seeking a transformative education in a supportive, student-centered learning community where classes are taught by faculty. Together we succeed.
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