Written by: Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief
Western, in light of the new year, has made multiple additions to the face of the school.
Nov. 8, Western reported that it had made history by becoming the first public university to join the Tri-Alpha honor society, which is specifically for first-generation students in college. Nearly half of Western’s student body identifies as first-generation, meanwhile Oregon State University recognizes one quarter or less of its student body as first-generation.
Dana Nunez-Silva, first-generation coordinator at Western, will assist with and advise for Tri-Alpha and provide resources for first-generation students, spreading encouragement and support in a tight-knit community. Tri-Alpha hopes to become part of the Western experience and provide countless benefits and opportunities for deserving students.
Western launched a new initiative titled “Provost Faculty Fellows,” announced Dec. 16 to the Western website, to recognize faculty’s commitment to academic leadership and their contributions. The 2024 faculty fellows included Patricia Gimenez-Eguíbar, Ph.D., David Szpakowski, Ph.D., Feier Hou, Ph.D., Kristen Pratt, Ph.D. and Melanie Landon-Hays, Ph.D.
Each fellow is expected to help highlight Western’s commitment to faculty and student success alike through projects such as faculty mentorship, utilizing artificial intelligence in academic and work settings, developing external partnerships related to research for the National Science Foundation and re-envisioning the college’s student course evaluation instrument. Fellows will work with Academic Affairs leadership for two terms before delivering a report with recommendations based on their work and research.
Dec. 2, Western announced a $650,000 Latinx Student Success Grant, awarded from the Oregon Department of Education. The grant will help expand and provide resources and programs in the Monmouth and Independence area for bilingual education, with partnerships mentioned with Central School District.
The range of initiatives within Central School District were announced as follows: equity-centered professional development, an advisory board establishment, a peer mentoring program, community events, coaching in ESOL and bilingual education, policy evaluation, MECHA programming expansion, after-school literacy support, post-secondary connections and bilingual educator programs.
“This grant represents a significant investment in the future of Latiné students in the region and reflects Western’s commitment to fostering an inclusive educational environment,” shared professors Jessica Dougherty, Marie Lejeune and Mandy Olsen, all co-PI’s who will manage the grant. One named goal has been to empower Latiné students through impactful strategies.
Western was also awarded a $2 million Workforce Ready Grant to assist with training more counselors and behavioral and mental health professionals through June 2026.
According to Western, “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. The program will recruit bilingual undergraduate students, provide them with tuition assistance and offer opportunities to work with Polk or Marion county in an earn-to-learn setting. Students placed with the counties will work part-time, gaining valuable experience and supervised clinical hours while addressing the acute shortage of counselors in the community.”
The program is launching in early 2025 and is inviting interested individuals to a dinner event to learn more about careers in behavioral health and scholarships, which will take place Feb. 12 at 5:30 p.m. in the Werner University Center Pacific Room.
In December, Western announced the launch of its first comprehensive fundraising campaign, “Wolves Rising: The Campaign for Western Oregon University.” The campaign aims to continue Western’s legacy of ensuring a personalized learning community. Funds raised through the campaign will support scholarships, a new turf field for men’s and women’s soccer, student success through the newly-built Student Success Center and resources for basic needs.
Western looks forward to new additions to the educational opportunities offered, such as potential new graduate programs.
As of Dec. 14, the Wolves Rising campaign boasted $17 million toward their goal of $20 million, all in efforts to further foster Western’s welcoming culture and empower students.
Contact the author at howleditorinchief@wou.edu
