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From: Vice President of University Relations and Marketing

Dear OSU Community Members:

For more than 150 years, Oregon State has advanced its land grant mission by expanding pathways to higher education, pursuing innovative research, and engaging communities throughout the state, nation and world. The university’s mission is broadly inclusive and acknowledges the importance of valuing and integrating diverse lived experiences, perspectives and viewpoints in all we do. Further, it recognizes that the university’s pursuit of excellence depends on continually working to remove barriers and create opportunities for access and success for all.

This decades-long commitment has served generations of Oregonians, including first generation college students, people from rural communities, veterans, students of color and others overcoming barriers to education. We are very proud of this tradition and look forward to delivering Oregon State’s mission for many generations to come. 

After careful review of recent guidance from the U.S. Department of Education, executive orders on DEI programs and other federal actions, university experts from the Office of General Counsel, the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access and the Office of Institutional Diversity have determined with confidence that OSU-sponsored programs and curricula are fully compliant with all state and federal laws, including Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

OSU does not make admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, housing, discipline, or financial aid decisions based on race, color, or national origin. No one is excluded from OSU-sponsored affinity groups or opportunities based on any protected characteristic. The same goes for scholarships, prizes, cultural centers and graduation celebrations. All OSU programs are open to all community members regardless of background; educational opportunities offered by OSU programs are intended to benefit the entire university community.

Quite simply, all are welcome at Oregon State University. Part of that welcome means meeting communities and students where they are, honoring their unique perspectives, their challenges and their lived experiences. This is who we are as a university, reflecting values that are widely shared throughout the state and across the political spectrum.

With this in mind, we encourage all members of the OSU community to stay true to the university’s mission and values as we continue to monitor and respond to new guidance and federal actions.

On behalf of the university,

Rob Odom, Vice President of University Relations and Marketing

Send Date: 
Monday, February 17, 2025