public institution in Corvallis, Ore., in the foothills of the Coast Range. The school was chartered in 1858 and founded in 1868. It occupies more than 530 acres (210 hectares). Buildings range from older structures covered with ivy to modern styles. The school also owns 13,000 acres (5,261 hectares) of forestland and numerous agricultural tracts. In Newport, Ore., the university owns the Hatfield Marine Science Center, a research facility and tourist attraction. Oregon State is a land-, sea-, and space-grant university. About three fourths of the students are state residents, many of whom commute. Total enrollment is about 15,000, about four-fifths of whom are undergraduates. Freshmen are required to live on campus. About 3,000 merit scholarships of various monetary amounts are awarded to undergraduates, as are some 200 athletic scholarships. The academic calendar is divided into quarters. The university is composed of the following core colleges: liberal arts, agricultural sciences, business, science, engineering, forestry, home economics and education, health and human performance, and pharmacy. Additional studies at the graduate level are also offered through colleges of veterinary medicine and oceanic and atmospheric sciences. More than four fifths of the full-time faculty hold doctorates. A Baccalaureate Core curriculum requires courses in areas such as writing, literature, math, natural and social sciences, and Western and non-Western culture. Juniors and seniors must take two interdisciplinary classes on global issues in the modern world. The campus offers numerous extracurricular activities, including the student-run newspaper, the campus radio station, performance groups, student government, professional and academic clubs, special interest groups, and a large number of fraternities and sororities. The university contains several museums and galleries. The Oregon State Beavers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (except in football, where they participate in Division I-A). School colors are orange and black. |