Type Public Endowment $11,000,000 Acceptance rate 64.2% (2014) Number of students 3,741 Colors Blue, Gold | Established 1929 President Tom Insko Mascot Monty the Mountaineer Founded 1929 | |
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Former names Eastern Oregon Normal SchoolEastern Oregon College of EducationEastern Oregon CollegeEastern Oregon State College Provost Sarah Witte, Assoc. Prof. Notable alumni Similar Southern Oregon University, Western Oregon University, Oregon Institute of Technology, Corban University, College of Idaho Profiles | ||
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Eastern Oregon University (EOU) is one of seven state-funded, four-year universities of higher education in the State of Oregon. Located in La Grande, Oregon, the school offers bachelor's and master's degrees. Most students obtain a B.S. degree, which requires one quarter of science, whereas a B.A. degree requires two years of a foreign language. In 2016, the University also began work to introduce a Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.S.) degree with a vocational bent.
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History
EOU opened its doors in 1929 as Eastern Oregon Normal School, a teacher training school. In 1939, the Oregon Legislature changed the name to Eastern Oregon College of Education. The words "of Education" were dropped from the college's name in 1956. The 1973 Legislature changed EOC's name to Eastern Oregon State College. In 1997, Eastern Oregon State College became Eastern Oregon University. In 2013 the Oregon University System began the process of creating independent boards for certain schools, including Oregon State and the University of Oregon. On June 30, 2015, the Oregon University System was dissolved and on July 1, 2015, the Eastern Oregon University Board of Trustees took on governance of the institution.
Campus setting
EOU's location in La Grande is in the heart of the Blue Mountain range between Portland, Oregon and Boise, Idaho just off Interstate 84. Driving to La Grande takes approximately four hours from Portland, two and half from Boise, five from Seattle, and four from Spokane. The school has about 1,700 students on the La Grande campus, and has 15,281 students in their online education programs.
The campus contains 26 buildings, including three living facilities – Alikut Hall, North Hall, and Daugherty Hall – all of which are co-ed. Inlow Hall, Eastern's administration building, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Academic organization
EOU offers bachelor's degrees and the degrees of MFA, MBA, Master of Education and Master of Arts in Teaching. Most degrees conferred, however, are undergraduate B.S. degrees (Bachelor of Science). The university offers business and elementary education programs at a satellite campus in Gresham, Oregon.
The school is composed of the following colleges in order of size:
EOU is known for its mountainous location and its academic programs related to the outdoors. An innovative outdoor leadership program begins in Fall 2016.
In addition, EOU has dental hygiene, military science, agricultural science, and nursing. Many degrees are available fully online.
Eastern Oregon's Psychology department is one of the last university programs that still has its students use live animals in behavioral studies.
Faculty
EOU employs just over one hundred full-time faculty. They are organized under the Associated Academic Professionals (AAP) Local 6200, and are currently in negotiations for a new contract.
Accreditation
EOU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, The International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education IACBE and National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.
Athletics
Eastern Oregon's mascot is the Mountaineer. The Mountaineers are a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Cascade Collegiate Conference on the following sports: men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball, women's softball, and men's and women's track & field. Their basketball and volleyball teams play at Quinn Coliseum. men's and women's Wrestling was reinstated in 2016.
In 2005, Eastern Oregon's football program joined the NAIA's Division I Frontier Conference, previously having competed as an Independent of the NCAA's Division III level.
Eastern Oregon's football team plays at Community Stadium located on campus. The La Grande High School football team also plays their home games there.
Athletic Director: Anji Weissenfluh
Sports Information Director: Seth Dahle
Defunct Sports: Women's Golf, Skiing, and Baseball. Some sports have been relegated to club sports such as rodeo and polo.
Notable alumni
The oldest graduate
99-year-old Leo Plass has received his diploma in June 2011, a world record. He dropped out less than one semester away from graduation in 1932 when the Great Depression occurred and started a career as a logger. He died in August 2015, shortly after his 104th birthday.