Portland State University

Portland State University Summary

Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon. Portland State is part of the Oregon University System. Portland State University’s growth for the next couple of decades was constricted under the ruling that no public university or college in Oregon could duplicate the programs offered by another, with grandfathered exclusions for the University of Oregon and Oregon State University. This program has been controversial both on and off campus, but it is one of the programs at Portland State that has garnered national attention. The racial make-up of Portland State students is over 90% white even as Portland State promotes a more racially diverse student body. In early 2005, State Representative Mitch Greenlick along with co-sponsors introduced legislation in the Oregon House of Representatives that would have merged Portland State and OHSU. In May 2006, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer helped Portland State University celebrate the grand opening of a new engineering building, the “Northwest Center for Engineering, Science and Technology”. In March 2007, Representative Greenlick introduced HB 3034 , a proposal which would remove Portland State from the Oregon University System and merge its governance with OHSU into a Portland Metropolitan Universities Board. Portland State is currently the largest school in the Oregon University System and is its fastest growing. Portland State has progressively added more PhD programs as it evolves from its historic roots as a liberal arts undergraduate college towards a more broad based national research university. World Report currently ranks Portland State University in the fourth tier in 2007 as a national research university as it progresses from a regional to national entity. Portland State differs from the other universities in Oregon partially because as an urban institution it attracts a student body older than other rural universities. These establishments preserve downtown shops and businesses while transforming Portland State University from a “commuter campus” to a mix between a commuter and a traditional campus. Further steps toward increasing housing capacity — and university control over its own housing — are being taken with plans for further construction, and with Portland State U taking over management of the residence halls it currently owns. In March of 2007, Portland State University took over the managing of the on-campus housing at Portland State University. The student government at PSU is the Associated Students of Portland State University. The student newspaper at Portland State is the Daily Vanguard, a fully student-run newspaper established in 1946. Portland State University is served on Third, Fourth, and Broadway Avenues by TriMet bus lines, by the Portland Streetcar at three stops throughout campus, and by Oregon Health & Science University and Portland Community College Shuttles on SW Harrison Street at SW Broadway. On February 28, 2007 Portland State University hired former NFL coach Jerry Glanville as the Head Coach of the Vikings football team. In 2006, Portland State was declared to be the nation’s first Salmon Safe University by the nonprofit organization Salmon Safe.

Summary content courtesy of Wikipedia.

Portland State University History

Portland State University is located in Portland, Oregon. Now a member of the Oregon University System, it officially adopted the name in 1969. It was founded as an extension center in 1946 and now awards bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

Portland State University defines its mission as “to enhance the intellectual, social, cultural and economic qualities of urban life by providing access throughout the life span to quality Liberal Education for undergraduates and an appropriate array of professional and graduate programs especially relevant to metropolitan areas.”

Portland State University Academics

Its primary academic programs are delivered through Portland State’s seven colleges and schools. Along with the more traditional arts and science programs, PSU is home to a school of Engineering & Computer Science and a school of Urban & Public Affairs.

The University is composed of a number of different schools and colleges: the School of Business Administration, the Graduate School of Education, the College of Engineering & Computer science, the College of Fine & Performing Arts, the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the Graduate School of Social Work, and the College of Urban & Public Affairs.

Bachelor’s degrees are awarded in a number of different disciplines, including accounting, African studies, art, child and family studies, computer engineering, European studies, health studies, information systems, Japanese, mechanical engineering, political science, sculpture, speech and hearing science, and theatre arts. Minors are offered in many of these fields and also available in several others, such as Arabic, classical studies, computer applications, environmental engineering, international economics, Native American studies, and professional writing.

Additionally, there is an undergraduate Honors College intended for students who plan to attend graduate or professional school. Students in the honors program do not need to meet the general university requirements and instead work within the Honors College and their departmental majors.

Master’s degrees are awarded in the liberal arts and sciences, education, business administration (MBA), studio arts, engineering, social work, and the programs in the College of Urban & Public Affairs, among others.

The school awards twelve doctoral degrees, several with particular concentrations, in fields such as mathematics, engineering, environmental sciences, urban studies, and education, including counselor education. There are no doctoral degrees in the arts and humanities.

Portland State University Unique Programs

Perhaps the most innovated program at PSU is “Chiron,” named for a mythical educator. Students actually teach the courses offered through Chiron, and students may enroll in these peer-taught classes. Students also manage the program, serving as Coordinator or Assistant Coordinator, positions which are rotated every year through an application process facilitated by the Chiron Committee, also staffed by students. Obviously, Chiron instructors gain valuable experience as instructors. Students also benefit a great deal from the open exchange of ideas with their peers.

Portland State University Financial Aid

Portland State encourages all students, regardless of major or previous academic performance, to comple