Western Oregon University’s Newsletter: December 2nd, 2024

November was a month of celebration and recognition at Western Oregon University. We kicked things off by honoring our first-generation college students during First-Generation Student Week – an important opportunity to highlight the perseverance and achievements of this vital part of our student body. We followed that by paying tribute to our veteran community during Veterans Week, culminating in the annual 5K Ruck-N-Run. Thank you to everyone who participated in these meaningful events!

As we look ahead this month, we’re thrilled to invite the community to join us for the 57th Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony and Parade on Friday, December 6th. This beloved tradition will feature cookie decorating, Santa, a festive Merry Market with over 30 local craft vendors, and of course, the lighting of our magnificent sequoia tree.

A Message from President Peters

Dear Community,

November has been a busy and exciting month and I’m happy to share some of the great news and changes happening.

First, I want to congratulate our men’s soccer team on being named the 2024 GNAC champions. This is an incredible accomplishment, considering the program has only been around for three short years. Our head men’s soccer coach, Michael Behonick, was also recognized as the GNAC Coach of the Year for the second year in a row. I’m proud of the hard work and dedication we continue to see from our student-athletes.

Our Salem location will be transitioning to become the Western Oregon University Graduate Education Center. This change will allow us to further focus our efforts on expanding our graduate-level programming and serving the needs of our graduate student population. The graduate office will be relocating to Salem to increase our visibility and access to the broader graduate workforce in the region.

Launching this month at the President’s Club Dinner is the Campaign for Western Oregon University, Wolves Rising. This comprehensive fundraising campaign has three key pillars: Scholarships, Wolves Athletics, and Student Success. Our goal is to raise $20 million by June 30, 2028, and I’m confident that with the support of our incredible community, we will reach this milestone.

Time and time again, I hear directly from our students about the profound impact that the WOU community has had on their educational and personal journeys. I want to thank all of our community members, partners, alumni, faculty, and staff for your commitment to our students and their success. You are the heart and soul of WOU, and I am grateful for your continued dedication.

As we look ahead to the new year, I am filled with optimism and excitement for what the future holds for Western Oregon University. Together, we will build on our momentum and continue to transform lives through the power of higher education.

We. Are. Wolves.

Jesse Peters, President

Western Oregon University

Pictured: President Peters with the 2024 GNAC champions, WOU men’s soccer team.

News

WOU administers driver education for the state

Western Oregon University supports The Oregon Department of Transportation’s Safety Office by administering the required training to become an ODOT-approved driving instructor through the state’s Traffic Safety Education Grant.

WOU receives $2M to address shortage of Spanish-English behavioral and mental health professionals

Western has been awarded a $2 million Workforce Ready Grant by the Oregon Legislature to recruit and train undergraduate bilingual students to become behavioral and mental health professionals. Similar to the shortages of teachers and medical providers, there is a severe lack of counselors and behavioral health professionals who can work with clients in both Spanish and English.

WOU opens new Family Portal website

The new Western Oregon Family Portal, created in partnership with CampusESP, was recently launched. It is designed to serve as an all-in-one hub for families eager to stay engaged with their student’s experience on campus. This free resource offers Western Oregon University families a chance to plugin to campus events.

WOU & Unitus Credit Union celebrate bilingual scholarship recipients

Western hosted a reception celebrating seven Unitus Bilingual Teachers scholars in partnership with Unitus Credit Union. In 2022, Unitus Community Credit Union made a $75,000, multi-year commitment to Western Oregon University’s Bilingual Teacher Scholars Program to expand its efforts and fund an additional eight-student cohort. This scholarship aims to foster diversity and inclusivity within the teaching profession.

Ford Family Foundation grant bolsters WOU’s early childhood education partnership with Clackamas Community College

Western and Clackamas Community College collaborated on a joint early childhood bilingual pathway partnership that actively supports and recruits Clackamas Community College graduates ready to complete their bachelor’s degree in early childhood education at Western. A Ford Family Foundation grant will support efforts in onboarding bilingual early childhood faculty, facilitate collaborative work, and help revise and plan future bilingual coursework. The first courses in this partnership launched at Western this fall.

Upcoming Events & Notable Dates

December 6: Holiday Tree Lighting & Making Spirits Bright.

December 6: A Night of Jazz: WOU Voices & Jazz Orchestra:After the tree lighting. Smith Recital Hall 121.

December 6: Cannon Art Gallery Presents: James Kirk: Process, Figure and Form, watercolors, and drawings by the late Professor Emeritus of Art James Kirk (1925-2021). Celebration and refreshments. 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

December 7: Smith Fine Arts Series: Grupo Bella. 7:30 p.m. Rice Auditorium

January 18: Smith Fine Arts Series: Emily Branch. 7:30 p.m. Rice Auditorium.
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March 4: SAVE THE DATE! WOU’s Annual Giving Day.

WOU Athletic Homegames

December 12: Women’s Basketball vs. Pacific University. 5:30 p.m.

December 17: Men’s Basketball vs. Linfield University. 7 p.m.

December 21: Women’s Basketball vs. Cal Poly Humboldt. 2 p.m.

Stay up-to-date in Atheltics. Check out the athletics schedule

Catch up on the action with scores, photos, videos, and more on our social media channels (@wou_wolves) and website. If you can’t make it to the game, catch it live or replay it on YouTube.

More News

Listen to the newest episode of the Monmouth Monthly podcast

Join the Emeritus Society

The Emeritus Society is a group of friends of WOU who enjoy learning new things and exploring the community. Benefits of membership include monthly meetings with interesting topics and engaging presenters, field trips, events, Emeritus Society newsletter, sports, performing arts schedules, and supporting WOU students through scholarships.

Become a member today!

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