university of oregon essay requirements

Composition Program Composition Program

• UO Composition Program

Writing Requirement

• Course Descriptions
• Program Policies
• Writing Lab
• Teacher Resources

All University of Oregon undergraduate students are required to pass two writing courses ( WR 121z and WR 122z or WR 123 ) with the minimum grade of C- or P. Students are strongly advised to complete these courses by the end of their sophomore year.

Standardized test scores determine placement in the writing courses. Transfer students who have completed writing courses elsewhere should consult the Office of Admissions and Registrar for information about equivalency. In some cases, transfer courses are evaluated by the Director of Composition.

SAT and ACT scores can exempt a student from WR 121z or WR 122z. Advanced Placement Exams and International Baccalaureate exams can generate credit for composition courses. Students enrolled in the Honors College are exempt from the writing requirement. Students who drop the Honors College lose that exemption, but may satisfy the writing requirement with specific HC-prefixed courses with grades of mid-B or better in all courses. Honors College students should contact their advisor to find out more about which courses count toward the writing requirement.

Petitions are for students who have transfer credit or courses in composition that may count for part of the writing requirement. Publications in academic journals or professional texts may also be considered as the basis for adjustments to the writing requirement. Petitions are designed to assist with students’ long-term planning rather than to resolve last-minute difficulties. Petition results are available 4-6 weeks after the petition is received.

A no-credit waiver exam is offered during week one of fall, winter, and spring quarters at the UO Testing Center . Although open to any student, these exams are most appropriate for exceptionally proficient writers. The WR 122z waiver exam is available only to students who have completed or tested out of WR 121z. Students may not attempt both the WR 121z and the WR 122z exam during the same quarter. Students who do not pass their waiver exam may attempt the exam one additional time in a subsequent term. See the Testing Center website for further details and scheduling.

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Clark honors college menu, clark honors college, essay tips & prompt, the clark honors college essay requirements for admission .

Applying to the Clark Honors College requires two different essays:

• One using the Honors College prompt
• One from either the Oregon Application Personal Statement or the Common Application*

The UO general essay topic cannot be used to fulfill the Clark Honors College essay. You must complete both of them. 

(*Note: On the Common Application, the Honors College essay prompt will appear immediately below the honors question on your screen when you answer “yes” to apply.) 

Clark Honors College essay instructions: 

The Honors College strives to be a diverse, welcoming, and inclusive place. When faculty and staff review the applications, they are looking to see how you think and how your mind works. The best essays: 

• demonstrate effective storytelling 
• include thoughtful analysis 
• synthesize themes in a meaningful way 
• give a sense of your personality and unique perspective 

The CHC essay prompt:

Curiosity and breadth of interests are defining characteristics of Clark Honors College students. We value originality and want to learn more about your unique journey and the nature and breadth of your intellectual curiosity.

Please tell us about a specific enthusiasm that showcases your curiosity and intellectual engagement with the world. Your chosen enthusiasm or passion can be from any domain—academic, artistic, scientific, cultural, or any other area that has captivated your interest. Be thoughtful and provide concrete examples to support your response.

Please limit your response to a maximum of 500 words.

University of Oregon 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Early Action: Nov 1

Regular Decision Deadline: Feb 1

You Have: 

University of Oregon 2022-23 Application Essay Question Explanations 

The Requirements: 1 essay of 250-500 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Community

As you’ve looked into what it will be like to attend Oregon, you’ve hopefully learned about what makes Ducks unique. No two are alike, though, so tell us what makes you who you are, and how that connects to our campus community. We are interested in your thoughts and experiences recognizing difference and supporting equity and inclusion, and choosing one of the two following options will guide you in sharing those thoughts.

Describe an experience with discrimination, whether it was fighting against discrimination or recognizing your contribution to discriminating against a person or group. what did you learn from the experience in what ways will you bring those lessons to the university of oregon.

Discrimination can take many forms and be based on a number of things — race, socioeconomic background, disability, gender (to name a few) — and we have all witnessed it in some way, whether we were the targets or not. When approaching this essay, remember that admissions is looking for awareness, not perfection. Admissions doesn’t expect you to have solved a worldwide problem, but they do want to know that your eyes are open to who is being left out or treated unfairly, and whether or not you have taken it upon yourself to do something about it. Have you worked toward inclusion in a club or organization? Do you support girls who break into male-dominated sports? How? The second way to answer this is to recount a time when you were on the wrong side of discrimination. Be vulnerable here, but be sure to analyze why you acted, be it youthful ignorance, implicit bias, or wrong-headed cultural “norms” — this will show admissions that you are self-aware and reflective. It’s important to show that you have learned from your mistakes and are evolving. Lastly, how will you bring those lessons to U-O? Will your actions speak louder than words? Do you want to volunteer in local Special Olympics events? Will you get involved in an LGBTQ+ rights group? Let admissions know that you care and are working for a more inclusive future in your way, however that may be.

The University of Oregon values difference, and we take pride in our diverse community. Please explain how you will share your experiences, values and interests with our community. In what ways can you imagine offering your support to others ?

Diversity applies to many facets of who we are, including but not limited to: cultural heritage, ethnic background, gender, socioeconomic upbringing, or an inter-sectional combination of all of the above. No matter who you are, you bring something to the table. How will your differences help to enrich your future community at U-O? Maybe reflect on how you influence those around you now, and then mentally place yourself on campus as a college student doing the same. Maybe you’ll share your love of Korean BBQ or your knowledge of Flamenco dancing. Maybe you’ll get on stage with the college improv team and make your peers laugh with your satirical social commentary. No matter what you have to offer, admissions wants to know how you’ll share it and how you’ll contribute positively to U-O’s diverse community.

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University of Oregon Requirements for Admission

Choose your test.

What are University of Oregon's admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:

• GPA requirements
• Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements
• Application requirements

In this guide we'll cover what you need to get into University of Oregon and build a strong application.

School location: Eugene, OR

This school is also known as: UO

Admissions Rate: 86.3%

If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.

The acceptance rate at University of Oregon is 86.3% . For every 100 applicants, 86 are admitted.

This means the school is lightly selective . The school will have their expected requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT scores. If you meet their requirements, you're almost certain to get an offer of admission. But if you don't meet University of Oregon's requirements, you'll be one of the unlucky few people who gets rejected.

We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies . We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools , from state colleges to the Ivy League.

We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools.

Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.

University of Oregon GPA Requirements

Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.

The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school's average GPA for its current students.

Average GPA: 3.76

The average GPA at University of Oregon is 3.76 .

(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.

With a GPA of 3.76, University of Oregon requires you to be above average in your high school class. You'll need at least a mix of A's and B's, with more A's than B's. You can compensate for a lower GPA with harder classes, like AP or IB classes. This will show that you're able to handle more difficult academics than the average high school student.

SAT and ACT Requirements

Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Only a few schools require the SAT or ACT, but many consider your scores if you choose to submit them.

University of Oregon hasn't explicitly named a policy on SAT/ACT requirements, but because it's published average SAT or ACT scores (we'll cover this next), it's likely test flexible. Typically, these schools say, "if you feel your SAT or ACT score represents you well as a student, submit them. Otherwise, don't."

Despite this policy, the truth is that most students still take the SAT or ACT, and most applicants to University of Oregon will submit their scores. If you don't submit scores, you'll have one fewer dimension to show that you're worthy of being admitted, compared to other students. We therefore recommend that you consider taking the SAT or ACT, and doing well.

University of Oregon SAT Requirements

Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school's average score.

Average SAT: 1253

The average SAT score composite at University of Oregon is a 1253 on the 1600 SAT scale.

This score makes University of Oregon Competitive for SAT test scores.

University of Oregon SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)

The 25th percentile SAT score is 1140, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1370. In other words, a 1140 on the SAT places you below average, while a 1370 will move you up to above average .

Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:

SAT Score Choice Policy

The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.

University of Oregon has the Score Choice policy of "Highest Section."

This is also known as "superscoring." This means that you can choose which SAT tests you want to send to the school. Of all the scores they receive, your application readers will consider your highest section scores across all SAT test dates you submit .

Click below to learn more about how superscoring critically affects your test strategy.

For example, say you submit the following 3 test scores:

Even though the highest total you scored on any one test date was 1000, University of Oregon will take your highest section score from all your test dates, then combine them to form your Superscore. You can raise your composite score from 1000 to 1400 in this example.

This is important for your testing strategy. Because you can choose which tests to send in, and University of Oregon forms your Superscore, you can take the SAT as many times as you want, then submit only the tests that give you the highest Superscore. Your application readers will only see that one score.

Therefore, if your SAT superscore is currently below a 1140, we strongly recommend that you consider prepping for the SAT and retaking it . You have a very good chance of raising your score, which will significantly boost your chances of getting in.

Even better, because of the Superscore, you can focus all your energy on a single section at a time. If your Reading score is lower than your other sections, prep only for the Reading section, then take the SAT. Then focus on Math for the next test, and so on. This will give you the highest Superscore possible.

Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.

University of Oregon ACT Requirements

Just like for the SAT, University of Oregon likely doesn't have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.

Average ACT: 27

The average ACT score at University of Oregon is 27. This score makes University of Oregon Moderately Competitive for ACT scores.

The 25th percentile ACT score is 24, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 30.

ACT Score Sending Policy

If you're taking the ACT as opposed to the SAT, you have a huge advantage in how you send scores, and this dramatically affects your testing strategy.

Here it is: when you send ACT scores to colleges, you have absolute control over which tests you send. You could take 10 tests, and only send your highest one. This is unlike the SAT, where many schools require you to send all your tests ever taken.

This means that you have more chances than you think to improve your ACT score. To try to aim for the school's ACT requirement of 24 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can. When you have the final score that you're happy with, you can then send only that score to all your schools.

ACT Superscore Policy

By and large, most colleges do not superscore the ACT. (Superscore means that the school takes your best section scores from all the test dates you submit, and then combines them into the best possible composite score). Thus, most schools will just take your highest ACT score from a single sitting.

We weren't able to find the school's exact ACT policy, which most likely means that it does not Superscore. Regardless, you can choose your single best ACT score to send in to University of Oregon, so you should prep until you reach our recommended target ACT score of 24.

Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and ACT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.

SAT/ACT Writing Section Requirements

Currently, only the ACT has an optional essay section that all students can take. The SAT used to also have an optional Essay section, but since June 2021, this has been discontinued unless you are taking the test as part of school-day testing in a few states. Because of this, no school requires the SAT Essay or ACT Writing section, but some schools do recommend certain students submit their results if they have them.

University of Oregon considers the SAT Essay/ACT Writing section optional and may not include it as part of their admissions consideration. You don't need to worry too much about Writing for this school, but other schools you're applying to may require it.

Final Admissions Verdict

Because this school is lightly selective, you have a great shot at getting in, as long as you don't fall well below average . Aim for a 1140 SAT or a 24 ACT or higher, and you'll almost certainly get an offer of admission. As long as you meet the rest of the application requirements below, you'll be a shoo-in.

But if you score below our recommended target score, you may be one of the very few unlucky people to get rejected.

Admissions Calculator

Here's our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are. Pick your test: SAT ACT

• 80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
• 50-80%: More likely than not getting in
• 20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
• 5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
• 0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in

How would your chances improve with a better score?

Take your current SAT score and add 160 points (or take your ACT score and add 4 points) to the calculator above. See how much your chances improve?

At PrepScholar, we've created the leading online SAT/ACT prep program . We guarantee an improvement of 160 SAT points or 4 ACT points on your score, or your money back.

Here's a summary of why we're so much more effective than other prep programs:

• PrepScholar customizes your prep to your strengths and weaknesses . You don't waste time working on areas you already know, so you get more results in less time.
• We guide you through your program step-by-step so that you're never confused about what you should be studying. Focus all your time learning, not worrying about what to learn.
• Our team is made of national SAT/ACT experts . PrepScholar's founders are Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers . You'll be studying using the strategies that actually worked for them.
• We've gotten tremendous results with thousands of students across the country. Read about our score results and reviews from our happy customers .

There's a lot more to PrepScholar that makes it the best SAT/ACT prep program. Click to learn more about our program , or sign up for our 5-day free trial to check out PrepScholar for yourself:

Application Requirements

Every school requires an application with the bare essentials - high school transcript and GPA, application form, and other core information. Many schools, as explained above, also require SAT and ACT scores, as well as letters of recommendation, application essays, and interviews. We'll cover the exact requirements of University of Oregon here.

Application Requirements Overview

• Common Application Not accepted
• Electronic Application Available
• Essay or Personal Statement Required for all freshmen
• Letters of Recommendation 2
• Interview Not required
• Application Fee $65
• Fee Waiver Available? Available
• Other Notes C+ or better in 15 college preparatory units required for freshmen

Testing Requirements

• SAT or ACT Considered if submitted
• SAT Essay or ACT Writing Optional
• SAT Subject Tests Optional
• Scores Due in Office February 15

Coursework Requirements

• Subject Required Years
• Foreign Language 2
• Social Studies 3

Deadlines and Early Admissions

• Offered? Deadline Notification
• Yes January 15 April 1
• Yes November 1 December 15

Admissions Office Information

• Address: 1585 Eugene, OR 97403
• Phone: (541) 346-1000 x1000
• Fax: (541) 346-5815
• Email: [email protected]

Our Expert's Notes

We did more detailed research into this school's admissions process and found the following information:

If you're interested in the Honors College, there is a different application which covers both your regular UO admission and Honors College admission. The deadline is November 1st for early decision and January 15th for regular decision. More info available here. There are merit scholarships available as well, many with early deadlines and separate applications. View a full list here.

Other Schools For You

If you're interested in University of Oregon, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to University of Oregon.

Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than University of Oregon. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you're competitive for University of Oregon, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for University of Oregon, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If University of Oregon is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

Data on this page is sourced from Peterson's Databases © 2023 (Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.) as well as additional publicly available sources.

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Bachelor's Degree Requirements

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To earn a University of Oregon bachelor’s degree, students must satisfy the following requirements.

University Requirements

The bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, bachelor of education, bachelor of fine arts, bachelor of landscape architecture, bachelor of music, and bachelor of music in music education degrees require a total of 180 credits with passing grades. The bachelor of interior architecture requires a total of 225 credits, and the bachelor of architecture requires a total of 231 credits.

Concurrent Degrees

Concurrent degrees are awarded under the following conditions:

• The second degree may be offered by the same school or college
• The student completes the departmental requirements for each major
• The student completes the core education requirements (formerly the general-education requirements) for each degree
• The student completes a minimum of 36 credits at the UO beyond those required for the degree that has the highest credit requirement
• The student applies for the first degree on DuckWeb and submits a request to the Office of the Registrar for the second degree  

Students are able to receive concurrent degrees from the same college or school when one of the majors is restricted to one degree.

Academic Major

All bachelor’s degrees must be awarded with a major. Minimum requirements are 36 credits in the major, including 24 in upper-division work. Specific requirements are listed under individual departments.

A student may be awarded a bachelor’s degree with more than one major by completing the general university degree requirements for the designated majors and degree and all requirements in each major as specified by the major departments, schools, or colleges.

Declaring a Major (First-Time, Full-Time Freshman Students)

• Undergraduates who matriculated into the UO as first-time, full-time freshmen, should declare a major by the end of the fourth week of their sixth term of enrollment (typically spring term of the second year at Oregon)
• Students who have not declared a major by the end of the fourth week of the sixth term of enrollment will need to see an advisor and receive a personal identification number (PIN) before they can register for the next term’s classes. Advisors can either assist students in choosing a major or grant an exception and help students develop a plan to declare a major

Declaring a Major (Transfer Students)

• Transfer students should declare a major by the end of the fourth week of the third term of enrollment at Oregon
• Transfer students who have not declared a major by the end of the fourth week of the third term of enrollment at the UO will need to see an advisor and receive a PIN before they can register for the next term’s classes. Advisors can either assist students in choosing a major or grant an exception and help students develop a plan to declare a major

Academic Minor

Unless specified by a particular department, a minor is not required for a bachelor’s degree. Students choosing to complete a minor must earn a minimum of 24 credits, including 12 in upper-division work. Minor requirements, including residency, are listed under department headings. A minor may be awarded only at the time a bachelor’s degree is conferred.

Upper-Division Work

A minimum of 62 credits in upper-division courses (300 level or higher) are required.

After completing 120 of the 180 required credits, 165 of the 225 required credits, or 171 of the 231 required credits, each student must complete at least 45 credits of UO courses in residence at the university.

Total Credits of A, B, C, D, P*

Students must earn 168 transfer or University of Oregon credits with grades of A, B, C, D, or P*. Credits earned in courses offered only pass/no pass use the P* designation.

UO Credits of A, B, C, D

A minimum of 45 credits graded A, B, C, or D must be earned at the University of Oregon. Courses required in the major and designated in the class schedule as pass/no pass (P/N) only may be counted toward the 45-credit requirement only if the 168-credit requirement has been satisfied.

Satisfactory Work

Graduation from the university requires a minimum UO cumulative grade point average of 2.00.

Written English

Two courses ( Composition I ( WR 121Z ) and either Composition II ( WR 122Z ) or College Composition III ( WR 123 ) or equivalents) passed with grades of C– or better or P are required for all undergraduate degrees. For placement, prerequisites, or exemption, see policies in the English section of this catalog.

Requirements for Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science

Students must choose to graduate with a specific degree and major (for example, bachelor of arts with a major in chemistry or bachelor of science with a major in chemistry). See degrees listed in the U ndergraduate Programs section of this catalog.

Bachelor of Arts Requirements

The bachelor of arts (BA) degree requires proficiency in a second language. The second-language requirement may be met in one of the following ways:

• Completion of at least the third term, second year of a second-language course taught in the language, with a grade of C– or better or P
• Satisfactory completion of an examination administered by the appropriate language department, showing language proficiency equivalent to that attained at the end of two years of college study
• For students whose native language is not English: provide a final official high school transcript to the Office of the Registrar as evidence of formal training in the native language and completion of Composition I ( WR 121Z ) and either Composition II ( WR 122Z ) or College Composition III ( WR 123 ) with grades of C– or better or P.  Students who graduate from a US high school are not eligible to receive the BA Language waiver.
• Students may fulfill the UO second-language requirement by taking the all three courses in the year-long sequence in Old English (ENG 428, ENG 429, ENG 430) and by achieving a B- or higher in ENG 430. The sequence must be taken in order, since ENG 428 is a prerequisite for ENG 429, which is a prerequisite for ENG 430.

Bachelor of Science Requirements

The bachelor of science (BS) degree requires proficiency in mathematics or computer science or a combination of the two. The requirement may be satisfied in one of the following ways, depending on the student’s experience in mathematics. Courses must be completed with grades of C– or better or P.

Areas of Inquiry Requirements

To promote educational breadth, bachelor’s degree candidates are required to complete work in each of three areas representing comprehensive fields of knowledge: arts and letters, social science, and science. Approved area-satisfying courses must be at least 3 credits each.

The current list of area-satisfying courses are listed in the Core Education Courses section of this catalog.

"Double-Dipping" Restriction

Students may not use courses that fulfill the second-language requirement for the bachelor of arts degree to fulfill the arts and letters area requirement. Courses used to demonstrate proficiency in mathematics or in computer science or in a combination of the two for the bachelor of science degree may not also be used to fulfill the science area requirement.

Areas of Inquiry Requirements for Specific Degrees

• Bachelor of Arts or Science. Students must complete a minimum of 45 credits—15 of those credits in approved area-satisfying courses in each of three general-education areas: arts and letters, social science, and science. Each area must include coursework in two different subject codes. No more than three courses with the same subject code may be used to fulfill the 45-credit requirement. MUS and MUJ are considered as one subject code; MATH and STAT are considered as one subject code .
• Bachelor of Architecture, Education, Fine Arts, Interior Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Music, or Music in Music Education. Students must complete a minimum of 36 credits—12 of those credits in approved area-satisfying courses in each of three general-education area: arts and letters, social science, and science. Each area must include coursework in two different subject codes. No more than three courses with the same subject code may be used to fulfill the total 36-credit requirement. MUS and MUJ are considered as one subject code; MATH and STAT are considered as one subject code.

Substituting a Minor or Second Major

Some minors or second majors may be used to satisfy part of one area requirement. Students should consult their advisors or the Office of the Registrar for more information.

Cultural Literacy Requirements

United states: difference, inequality and agency.

These courses develop students’ analytical and reflective capacities to help them understand and ethically engage with the ongoing (cultural, economic, political, social, etc.) power imbalances that have shaped and continue to shape the United States. In addition to considering the scholarship, cultural production, perspectives, and voices from members of historically marginalized communities, students in DIA courses: 

• Inquire into intersecting aspects of identity such as race, gender, gender identity, sexuality, socioeconomic status, indigeneity, national origin, religion, or ability;
• Analyze uses of power to marginalize on the basis of identity, as well as the assertions of agency, resistance, and resilience by marginalized groups; and
• Examine historical and contemporary structures, forms of knowledge, cultural practices, or ideologies that perpetuate or change the distribution of power in society. 

and undertake one or more of the following: 

• Reflect on one's own multiple social identifications and on how they are formed and located in relation to power.
• Practice respectful listening and ethical dialogue around deeply felt or controversial issues. 

Global Perspectives

These courses foster a student's encounter with and critical reflection upon cultures, identities, and ways of being in global contexts beyond the United States. Students will consider substantial scholarship, cultural production, perspectives, and voices from members of communities under study, as sources permit. Global Perspectives courses, students will do one or more of the following: 

• Engage texts, literature, art, testimonies, practices, or other cultural products that reflect systems of meaning or beliefs beyond the U.S. context;
• Analyze power relations involving different nations, peoples, and identity groups or world regions;
• Examine hierarchy, marginality, or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, religion, sexuality, nationality, or ability (or some combination of these).
• Discuss possibly unfamiliar topics using critical vocabulary and concepts.
• Practice respectful listening and civil dialogue around controversial issues.

Study-abroad programs that are ten weeks or longer automatically satisfy this requirement. Programs between five and nine weeks in duration may qualify if specific criteria are met. Contact Global Education Oregon for further information.

Bachelor’s degree candidates must complete one course in each of the two categories listed above; a minimum of 6 credits in approved courses must be earned.

The current list of courses that satisfy these requirements are listed in the Core Education Courses section of this catalog.

General Limitations

• A total maximum of 124 credits may be transferred from domestic, regionally accredited junior or community colleges and from international junior or technical colleges. Of the total maximum of 124 credits, only 90 credits may be transferred from an international junior or technical college.
• A maximum of 48 credits in law, medicine, pharmacy, chiropractic medicine, dentistry, technology, or any combination may be used toward fulfilling total credit hours for the BA or BS degree.
• Lower-division professional-technical courses;
• Physical education activity, military science activity (e.g., MIL 131 and 331), and dance activity (DANC) courses, except for dance activity courses for majors in dance;
• Music lessons (in subject MUP), except for majors in music;

Applied and/or experiential courses, academic support skills courses, nonacademic field experience courses, or career and professional development courses.

• For music majors, a maximum of 24 credits in music lessons (in subject code MUP), may count toward requirements for the BA or BS degree.
• For dance majors, a maximum of 36 credits of DANC may count toward requirements for the BA or BS degree.
• University of Oregon academic records are sealed thirty days after the official conferral date of a degree. After this date, changes to majors and minors, addition of departmental honors, removal of incompletes, grade changes, or other changes to an academic record cannot be made.
• When the University awards credits for Advanced Placement Program (AP), International Baccalaureate Program (IB), Cambridge Examination Program, the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), and credit by examination (course challenge), these credits are counted toward the satisfaction of bachelor’s degree requirements--except residency and the 45 UO credits graded A,B,C,D. When the university grants credit for AP, IB, Cambridge, and CLEP examinations, pass (P*) credit is granted. 
• For limitations related to repeated courses please refer to UO Policy on Repeatable and Non-repeatable Undergraduate Courses . 
• Students may not receive credit for any course assessed as having substantially similar content as a course for which they have already received credit. 
• Students may not receive credit for courses beneath their assessed competency level. Competency level can be assessed by various means such as placement scores, faculty/departmental assessment, etc. 
• Student may not receive credit for courses that are designated by the department as regressive prerequisites for courses in which they are currently enrolled or have already received credit. 
• Students must have degree-seeking status in order to earn an undergraduate major, minor or certificate; undergraduate majors, minors and certificates must be completed at the time the degree is awarded.

Second Bachelor’s Degree

A student who has been awarded a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution may earn an additional bachelor’s degree at the University of Oregon. The student must satisfactorily complete all departmental, school, or college requirements for the second degree. Of these requirements, the following must be completed after the prior degree has been awarded:

• The student must complete an additional 36 credits at the university as a formally admitted student if the prior bachelor’s degree was awarded by the University of Oregon, or an additional 45 credits at the university if the prior bachelor’s degree was awarded by another institution
• A minimum cumulative UO GPA of 2.00 in courses taken for the second bachelor’s degree is required for the second bachelor’s degree
• A minimum of 18 credits must be graded A, B, C, D if the prior bachelor’s degree was earned at the University of Oregon, or 23 credits if at another institution
• At least 27 credits from coursework within the major must be completed after the conferral of the most recent bachelor’s degree
• The bachelor of Arts degree requires proficiency in a second language. Students whose native language is not English may satisfy this requirement by providing a final official high school transcript to the Office of the Registrar as evidence of formal training in the native language and satisfactorily completing Composition I ( WR 121Z ) and either Composition II ( WR 122Z ) or College Composition III ( WR 123 ) . The bachelor of science degree requires proficiency in mathematics and/or computer science

Bachelor’s Degree with Honors

Information about Latin honors and academic honors is listed in the Academic Honors section of this catalog. Fellowship and scholarship information is in the Student Financial Aid and Scholarships and departmental sections of this catalog.

Oregon Transfer Module

The Oregon Transfer Module (OTM) provides a one-year curriculum for students who plan to transfer to a state of Oregon community college or another Oregon public university. The module allows students to complete one year of general-education foundation coursework that is academically sound and readily transferable within Oregon. Although the OTM is not a certificate or degree, it documents that students have met a subset of common general-education requirements at all Oregon two- and four-year public institutions of higher education.

Any student holding an Oregon Transfer Module that conforms to the guidelines will have met the requirements for the Transfer Module at any Oregon community college or Oregon public university.  Upon transfer, the receiving institution may specify additional coursework that is required for a major, degree requirement, or to make up the difference between the Transfer Module and the institution’s total general-education requirements.

Transferring to the University of Oregon with an OTM

Students transferring to the University of Oregon with an OTM from another institution will have completed 45 credits of the university’s core-education requirements.

Earning an OTM at the University of Oregon

To receive an OTM at the University of Oregon, students must complete a minimum of 45 credits—12 in residence at the UO—in foundational skills (writing, oral communication, and mathematics) and introduction to the disciplines (arts and letters, social sciences, and sciences). All courses must be completed with a grade of C– or better and students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 at the time the OTM is posted on the transcript.

Application for an Undergraduate Degree

Undergraduates who plan to receive a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon must submit an application through DuckWeb, the university's online information system, by the fourth Sunday of the anticipated term of graduation.

The Office of the Registrar encourages students to apply to graduate the term preceding their graduation term. This allows students to plan or change their final term’s course schedule to ensure completion of all requirements.

Students who have been academically disqualified must petition for reinstatement to the Scholastic Review Committee to graduate. Students who are out of status due to suspension or expulsion cannot be awarded a degree until they are officially back in status with the university.

All grade changes, removals of incompletes, UO study abroad course work, and transfer work necessary for completion of degree requirements must be on file in the Office of the Registrar by the Friday following the end of the term of graduation. Academic records are sealed thirty days after the conferral of a degree; no changes to the record will be made following that date.

Students who do not apply to graduate will not receive retroactive degrees even if degree requirements were completed at an earlier date.

Applications for graduate degrees are available from the Division of Graduate Studies.

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2 University of Oregon Essay Examples by Accepted Students

While the University of Oregon is not overly competitive, it’s still important to write strong essays that will help your application stand out. In this post, we’ll share essays real students have submitted to the University of Oregon. (Names and identifying information have been changed, but all other details are preserved).

Read our University of Oregon essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Prompt: The University of Oregon values difference, and we take pride in our diverse community. Please explain how you will share your experiences, values and interests with our community. In what ways can you imagine offering your support to others?

It was that time of the year again. Not Christmas, rather it was our temple festival. The pious bells were ringing in the background, and elephants stood near the temple gate. Soon, the priest will climb the elephant with the deity in his hands, and go around the temple thrice, a common form of prayer in our culture. Finally, the deity will be placed back in the sanctum, and that’s when the celebrations begin. 

As an Indian, who was born and brought up in the UK until 7 and then relocated to India, I have been deeply exposed to the traditions of both countries. Being a Gaud Saraswat Brahmin, a minority caste among Hindus, I have the privilege of having a very distinctive cultural background. I converse in three different languages on a daily basis: Konkani, my mother tongue, with my family;  I speak Malayalam with my friends at school, and I speak English with my friends online. 

Every year, in the month of March, our local temple transforms into a gala of lights, music, and celebration. It is the time when people from all over the town get together for a 7-day festival; to commemorate the century long tradition of taking the deity out of the sanctum and around the city. The belief stood that even Gods should have some relaxation.  For those 7 days, the locals would spend morning, afternoon, and evening in the premise of the temple. The energetic atmosphere would keep everyone up as music and dance goes on into the wee hours of the night. 

Perhaps the most awaited event of the day would be lunch! Food, blessed with holy water, would be served to all devotees for free. People would sit on the sandy ground, cross-legged waiting for lunch to arrive. My task was to initiate the meal, by placing a whole banana leaf in front of each person. This would serve as the plate the food is served on. And then comes the various dishes and side dishes. 

Events like these mean a lot to me. I believe that it’s the events like these that add meaning to life. I look forward to sharing my local culture with the extremely diverse community at the University of Oregon. I believe it would be a tremendous opportunity to share our cultures with people from different corners of the world. In times when we are as disconnected as ever, it is the people that we should bring together. I look forward to introducing my South Indian culture to the university and hosting festivals that will showcase the best of our respective countries. 

What the Essay Did Well

This essay paints a vivid picture of this student’s culture. Through their use of imagery and storytelling, the reader can really see what is so special about this festival. The detailed descriptions of the religious ceremony and the celebratory lunch create an image in the reader’s mind of what this vibrant celebration looks like. This student’s excitement and love for this festival is evident in their writing through the heavy detail they go into, which shows that their cultural background is something very important to them.

Going along with the student’s use of detail, they also do a good job of explaining the traditions and importance of the festival. Especially since the people reading this essay might not be familiar with the festival, the student might have lost the attention of their readers if they didn’t effectively describe the festival. However, this essay is very clear when describing the traditions people engage in during the festival, which makes it much easier for the reader to follow along and stay engaged in the story. 

What Could Be Improved

One thing this essay could use is more elaboration on how the student plans to share their experiences with the community at the University of Oregon. The prompt is mainly focused on how students will share their diverse experiences and support others from different backgrounds, but the essay doesn’t answer any of this until the last paragraph. It’s important to establish what your unique background or interests are before you explain how you will contribute to diversity on campus, but you shouldn’t let establishing your background overshadow your answer to the prompt.

This student discusses how they want to host festivals to introduce their South Indian culture to the University of Oregon community, but doesn’t go into further detail. The essay would be greatly improved—and fully answer the prompt—if there was more detail on how they plan to host these festivals and why they think the campus community would benefit from the festival. The student doesn’t need a flushed out event proposal, but they should have a sentence that says something like, “I plan to work with __ club to organize and host a week-long festival every March to bring the spirit of my local temple festival to campus.”

Explaining why they think their fellow students would benefit from attending this festival would answer the second part of the prompt that asked how they will offer support to others. There are many reasons why this student might think others would benefit from experiencing the festival. Maybe the festival highlights important values they believe everyone should hold, like gratitude, humility, and a sense of community. Whatever the reason, including an explanation as to why they want to host a festival on campus would emphasize why the festival is so important and show this student is thinking about how to benefit others using their experiences.

I come from many different worlds. As a woman, I’ve learned to be fierce and independent, regardless of how others may try to belittle me. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I’ve learned to love who I love and be who I am unapologetically and with no constraints. As a person who’s overcome mental illness, I’ve learned that I am strong and I can persevere even when it seems that there is only darkness. As the youngest in my family, I’ve learned to look up to others and ask for help when I need it. As the oldest of my friends, I’ve learned to take responsibility and be a shoulder to lean on. As someone who’s grown up in the South, I’ve learned the way a home-cooked meal and good company can sometimes be all it takes to make everything better. But perhaps most importantly, as a person born with some privilege in an unjust society, I’ve learned to use my voice for those who aren’t heard. I know what discrimination feels like—I may not have ever been discriminated against because of my skin color, but my gender, my sexuality, and my mental health have all caused some people to look down on me, to disrespect me, to question the validity of my existence. I am not an archetype; I don’t fit into a mold. I haven’t always felt safe and comfortable being open about who I am and what I’ve experienced. At the University of Oregon, I know that this will be different. I’ll be able to comfortably share who I am and meet people both alike and different from myself. I’ll share my story and listen to others as they share theirs. At UOregon, I’ll find a second home.

This is a great essay because of its vulnerability and use of writing techniques. The reader walks away from this essay feeling like they really know who this student is because she wasn’t afraid to share personal details. She tells her readers she is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, she has struggled with her mental health, she’s the youngest in her family, and she uses her voice to speak out for social justice.

Not only does this essay reveal a lot of details about this student, but most importantly, it explains how each aspect of her personality taught her something about herself, which reveals a host of deeper characteristics she possesses. Each trait is accompanied by personal reflection, which all comes together to explain her motivations behind fighting for what she believes in. This essay goes above and beyond the average college essay in terms of the sheer amount of details we learn about a student, but still manages to not overpower the reader with extraneous details.

The way this essay is able to deliver all these details about the student and remain engaging is through its use of repetition. The repetitive structure (anaphora) of “As a __” at the beginning of every sentence makes it easy for the reader to follow all the new information being presented. This student also isn’t afraid to let her voice shine through her writing. She uses “I” a lot to show the reader she is actively engaged in telling her story. Also, the injection of some humor, like when she says she knows the importance of a home-cooked meal as a Southerner, makes the essay and the student feel more relatable. 

Overall, this essay is an excellent example of conveying a lot of information about a student in an easy-to-follow and engaging way.

The one thing that could improve this essay would be to discuss how this student plans to engage with the community at the University of Oregon more. Currently, the student really only says she wants to “share [her] story and listen to others.” Compared to the rest of the essay, this is lacking detail and a connection to the student. Since the student shared so much about her personality in the beginning of the essay, a really strong ending would have tied an aspect of her personality she mentioned above to something at Oregon.

For example, she could have continued talking about how her experiences have inspired her to fight for social justice and describe how she will encourage her friends from other backgrounds to join a social justice club on campus or host rallies for social justice. Providing a concrete example of what she intends to do at Oregon that directly relates to her personality would have made for a great conclusion to an otherwise great essay.  

Where to Get Your University of Oregon  Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your University of Oregon essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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This essay is essential and the single most important component of your application. It will evaluated by multiple reviewers, including library specialists in your discipline, a dedicated team of undergraduate research professionals, and our independent reviewer. The essay must be written specifically for this award application and address your research information discovery process and your intellectual growth.

In an essay of 750 – 2000 words (not including the Bibliography or abstract), reflect on your research process and sources. Ensure you have this essay ready to submit with your final paper/project and the recommendation letter from your faculty member or advisor.

Consider the following questions as you construct your essay:

What strategies did you use to find scholarly research for your paper/project?

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How does your research project show evidence of independent inquiry or creativity in your use of information?

What images, multimedia, and/or data sources did you use and how did those support your research project?

How did this paper/project contribute to your scholarly growth? To your subject area?

How did you grow as a scholar as a result of your involvement this project? 

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Due to the delay in FAFSA data being supplied to the University of Oregon, the UO is extending the confirmation deadline to June 1, 2024, for first-year students admitted for fall 2024. Find the latest information about our FAFSA timeline and financial aid offers .

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Admission Requirements

Oregon State University has a holistic admissions process that considers the various skills, abilities and achievements of each applicant with the goal of identifying and admitting students who have what it takes to succeed at OSU.  As part of our review, we'll be looking at:

• Your high school grades, courses taken and rigor of coursework (considered in the context of options at your school)
• Grades in any college or dual-credit courses
• Information provided in your personal statement on the application
• Your responses to one of our available application essay prompts
• Experiences and diverse perspectives that you may share with our campus
• Special talents and achievements

OSU is test-optional . Test scores, if you elect to submit them, are never the sole or primary reason for an admissions decision; they are always considered in context and as supplemental information.

OSU does not require letters of recommendation except when a student is appealing a denial.  Letters of recommendation provided may be reviewed in our holistic review process.

Applicants to OSU in Corvallis or OSU-Cascades in Bend who are wishing to be admitted directly into an Engineering degree should note our requirements in Math outlined below.

High School Courses and Additional Considerations

High school students must graduate from standard (private) or regionally accredited (public) high schools. If you are not graduating from an accredited high school see Home School Requirements and nontraditional student requirements for additional information.

Preferred Subject Area Courses

Language arts.

• Minimum Units: 4 years
• Students must successfully complete (with a C- or better) the equivalent of 4 years of language arts courses, which focus principally on reading comprehension, writing and composition, and/or literary study in any language, including English.
• OSU allows and encourages students with strong proficiency in multiple languages to take language arts courses in a secondary language.  These courses will count toward our language arts course requirement so long as they focus on the criteria above.  Note that most coursework at OSU is taught in English, therefore your application materials will be evaluated to ensure you are able to succeed in coursework taught in English.

MATHEMATICS

• Minimum Units: 3 years, with 4 years encouraged
• Oregon State requires that students successfully complete (with a C- or better) at least three years of math, with four years encouraged, to be competitive as an applicant and to be prepared for success here as a student.
• Cumulatively these courses should cover strong fundamentals in algebra, geometry and data sciences with higher level math taken in courses that focus on advanced algebra, statistics, data science,  pre-calculus or calculus.  Coursework taken in 8th grade will count toward this requirement.
• New freshmen wishing to enroll in Engineering  at the OSU (Corvallis) or OSU-Cascades (Bend) campuses must have taken pre-calculus or calculus in order to be admitted directly into Engineering.  Students who are not prepared to take Calculus at OSU in their first term may still be admitted to OSU, but will need to get themselves ready to take Calculus before being admitted into their desired Engineering major.   Learn more about this requirement to be admitted directly into an Engineering major.
• Students intending to study in other STEM majors  where calculus is required as part of the degree should strongly consider taking pre-calculus and/or calculus in high school if possible, but it is not currently a requirement of admission.
• Please feel free to reach out to discuss recommended high school math coursework as you plan for your studies at OSU.

SOCIAL STUDIES

• Minimum Units: 3 years
• Grades received must be C- or above in each class
• Grades received must be C- or above in each class with at least one year each of two different sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, etc.)

SECONDARY LANGUAGE (not required if high school graduation or GED date prior to 1997)

• Minimum Units: 2 years
• Earning a C- or better in two years of the same high school-level foreign language
• Earning grade of C- or better in the third year of high school-level foreign language
• Earning a C- or better in two consecutive quarters or semesters of the same college-level foreign language
• Earning a satisfactory score on an approved assessment of foreign language knowledge
• Demonstrating proficiency in American Sign Language (ASL)
• Completion of grades 1-7 at a school in which all courses are taught in a language other than English. (Documentation is required.)
• Students applying without meeting this requirement may still qualify for admission.  If admitted with this exception, you will be required to take two terms of the same foreign language at OSU as part of your graduation requirement (regardless of major).

Additional Considerations

Considering that something extra in our applicants.

Oregon State is also looking for students who bring unique views and experiences to our campus.  We are looking for students who go above and beyond the minimum whether in talent, academic ability or potential.  Combined with academic strengths, evidence of these characteristics may be considered in our review of applicants for admission.

Students ineligible to enroll at a previously attended college

Applicants who are ineligible to re-enroll at any college or university that they attended within the last seven years for student conduct reasons will be automatically declined admission at OSU.  Applicants who are unable to re-enroll at a previous college or university for academic reasons will be considered for admission only if they meet OSU’s minimum academic requirements.

U.S. Citizens with coursework taken outside of the United States

Students who completed a significant amount of their education in a country outside the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, English-speaking Canada, or New Zealand may be asked to submit English proficiency test scores . The tests must have been taken within the last two years from the term you are applying for.

High School Graduates or GED holders with less than 24 (quarter) transfer credits

Applicants who have already graduated high school or received a GED and have earned fewer than 24 transferable quarter college credits (16 semester credits) will be reviewed for admissibility based on BOTH high school work or GED scores, and any transferable coursework. Applicants who have already graduated high school are not required to submit SAT/ACT scores to be reviewed for admission.  Learn more about  GED student requirements or  nontraditional student requirements .

Notification of Application Status

• Applicants may review their application status via Beaver Basecamp.   
• Each application is given full holistic review and some applications take longer to review than others. OSU Early Action and Regular Application/Priority Round applicants are reviewed according to the same holistic review process, and there is no advantage given to applicants in either pool by nature of the deadline selected.
• Applications may be held for consideration depending on the size and competitiveness of the applicant pool and additional information may be requested before a decision can be rendered. For example, some Early Action applications may be considered as part of the Priority Round pool to allow time for students to strengthen their applications with additional academic work (7th semester or mid-year transcripts).
• The application for admission is the application for admission-based scholarships. Additional scholarships can be pursued via OSU ScholarDollars .

Email and Beaver Basecamp are our two primary modes of communication regarding the admissions and enrollment process. It is important that applicants take the following steps to ensure you are receiving our communications: 

• Keep a valid e-mail address on file with the Office of Admissions at all times.
• Check their e-mail at least once a week during the admission process.
• Ensure they can receive e-mail from [email protected] and [email protected] by adding that address to their address book and/or safe senders list.
• Applicants should check their Beaver Basecamp portal for updates and requests frequently!

Non-US Citizen Applicants

Navigating which application to choose can be tricky, as it depends on your citizenship, visa type, etc.  Please be prepared to provide the following information as requested as soon as you apply so that we can ensure your application gets reviewed appropriately.

If you are a permanent resident of the united states, please submit a copy of the front and back of your Permanent Resident Card. If your card is expired, please submit a copy of your expired card and your extension approval document.

If you are an asylee or refugee, please submit a copy of the letter from USCIS confirming your status approval. If your asylee or refugee application is still pending, please submit a copy of the letter from USCIS confirming your application was received, and contact your admissions advisor or our customer service team so we can assist you. We will ask you what your current immigration status is and advise you accordingly.

If you have Temporary Protected Status and are currently on a valid visa, please apply through our Office of International Admissions. If you have Temporary Protected Status and are  not  on a valid visa, please submit a copy of the letter from USCIS confirming your status approval with your application to Domestic Admissions.

If you are an undocumented student, please reach out to your admissions advisor for further assistance.

If you are a Citizen of American Samoa, Palau, the Republic of Marshall Islands, or the Federated States of Micronesia, please submit a copy of your passport or I-94 document.

If you will need a visa to attend OSU, or are currently in the United States on any kind of visa, please apply through our Office of International Admissions

Academic Documents Needed for Your Application

Oregon State University requires all applicants to submit official transcripts from any regionally accredited institution they have attended. While it may be possible to conduct an admission evaluation based on unofficial documents, we strongly recommend applicants educated abroad submit their official transcripts as early as possible to avoid delays. Applicants who are admitted on unofficial transcripts will receive a hold on their student record which cannot be moved until official documents are received. It is in your best interest to submit your official transcripts earlier rather than later so your course registration is not impacted.

Once all documents are received, our specialized international admissions team will review your application. Please note this process may take an additional 2 weeks beyond OSU’s standard admissions  review time . We encourage applicants who are educated abroad to apply early whenever possible.

As a general rule, you will be asked to submit whichever documents are standard for your country in the college/university application process. Oregon State University strongly recommends you submit your official documents at the time of your application. Although we may be able to conduct a review based on unofficial documents, you will receive a hold preventing course registration on your student record which cannot be moved until all official documents are received. Generally, these documents might include, but are not limited to:

• A Level/O Level Results
• GCSE Results
• Secondary School Certificate
• Higher School Certificate
• Official Transcripts
• Official Degree Statements

If your documents are not issued by your institution in English, we will request an official copy of your documents in the Native Language, as well as a certified English translation.

Oregon State University does not accept WES evaluations.

Sending Transcripts and Other Documents

Visit this page for details on sending transcripts and other documents.

Admission Deadlines

In addition to application requirements, please review our admission deadlines page, which contains details about when application materials need to be submitted.

Admission Deadlines for All Terms

Fall Early Action and Priority Application Deadlines for New First-Time Students

Oregon State's  Early Action  option provides some applicants with an earlier admission decision and scholarship notification (if eligible) and allows applicants more time to make campus visits and to consider their options.

• Our Early Action deadline is November 1st.
• Early Action is non-binding; it does not obligate applicants to select Oregon State if admitted.
• Early Action and Priority Round applicants are reviewed according to the same admission criteria and procedures in the holistic review process.
• Early Action applications not completed by November 1 are considered as part of the Priority Round pool if completed by Feb. 1.

New freshmen wishing to be considered for admission as part of the  Priority Application round must apply by February 1 . Documents required to make a student’s file complete must be received by the Office of Admissions by February 15.

Applicants who do not meet these deadlines will be considered for admission on a space-available basis and will likely wait to get a decision on their admission to OSU (Corvallis) until mid-March.

Applications must be submitted before 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time to meet the deadline.

A complete application consists of the application, fee, and all required supporting documents (i.e. transcripts, test scores if you opted to include them, citizenship documents, etc.). It can take days or weeks for your transcripts and test scores to arrive, so we recommend requesting these items be sent to our office well in advance of the deadline date.

You are responsible for submitting all materials well in advance of the deadline in order to avoid complications/delays in delivery and because additional information may be required before your application can be fully processed and reviewed.

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Free speech and safety at uo menu, free speech and safety at uo, uo response to encampment demands.

The UO Negotiating team provided the following letter to students in the encampment during their negotiations on the afternoon of May 9 at 2:00 p.m.

Dear students: 

Since our meeting on Tuesday, members of university leadership have had the opportunity to engage with faculty, academic leaders, and more students on the subject of the encampment and the interests and concerns you have shared. We also recognize your interest in hearing more from our negotiation team about all seven of the demands and, specifically, those focused on divestment.

With this in mind, please find below a response to each of the demands outlined in your May 2nd letter to the president. These responses are being shared with the hope of establishing greater understanding on the university’s position on several items in the demands, as well as our emphasizing our willingness to continue productive engagement on the issues and concerns raised. In exchange, we ask that students participating in the encampment take the following immediate actions:

• Agree to a specific date and time, that is within the next two days, by which you will remove the encampment, cease overnight camping and dismantle the encampment 
• Agree to no further overnight camping and to reserving a designated space for gathering during daytime hours (8am- 7pm) through an officially recognized student group, and to do so through appropriate channels and following standard rules on the use of amplification and other guidelines for assembly. 

In working through your demands, the following principles guide our responses.

The UO is an educational institution devoted to the creation and transmission of knowledge.  We do so with an unwavering commitment to academic freedom, creative expression, and intellectual discourse, along with the commitment to foster equity and inclusion in a welcoming, safe, and respectful community. While our community members are free to hold and to express their individual political views, as an institution, our leaders will not take positions on political issues that do not tie directly to the university’s operations. This is essential to fostering the climate of free speech that is central to the university’s purpose.

Educational Resources 

Consistent with these principles and in response to your demand related to enhancing educational resources, we agree that expanded education on the Middle East and on the Israel-Palestine conflict benefits all students and enhances dialogue and mutual understanding.  We thus commit to several activities rooted in this shared value: 

• The UO will create a visiting scholar program to bring to campus prominent academic figures working on the contemporary realities and historical, economic, social, and cultural contexts of the Israel-Palestine conflict. These visiting professorships, modeled on those funded by the  Global Justice Program, will augment our  current curriculum and offer students direct access to academic advice, research guidance and mentorship from experts on the current conflict.  Visiting scholars will be recruited and selected by a committee comprised of faculty and students in a way that builds on the  shared principles already developed by faculty and staff for educational events on the conflict. 
• The UO will increase resources for public educational events that use these  shared principles to teach the value of multiple perspectives, mutual respect, civil discourse, and empathy for “other sides.”  These began with the November 2023  Theater for Empathy in Understanding the Israel-Palestine Conflict and will continue with the upcoming  May 22 educational forum on Antisemitism and Islamophobia .

Academic Exchange

We reaffirm the value of academic exchange, deep understanding and experiential learning related to the Middle East, with particular attention to local histories, cultures, languages, and realities.This includes, but is not limited to, understanding the Israel-Palestine conflict. However, your request for us to cut off ties with specific Israeli universities is antithetical to our educational mission and the importance of global engagement in that mission. It also reduces our capacity to study and understand the contemporary Middle East at a time when greater knowledge is vital. We instead commit to work to expand exchange opportunities in the parts of the region where we have no such ties and programs.  We will also maintain existing links with partners in the region that share our commitment to evidence-based research and to teaching and learning across multiple perspectives. 

Retirement Options 

You asked that we distribute education and resources to faculty during hiring and onboarding about their retirement investment options. The public universities of Oregon offer eligible new faculty and officers of administration (OAs)  options for the management of their retirement savings ; and those who choose the  Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) have control over the investment allocation of their retirement savings. With regard to distributing education and resources to faculty during their hiring and onboarding about the ORP plan, the UO will review its new employee onboarding materials to ensure clarity on options for personal direction of retirement savings investment. If materials aren’t already explicit about this, language will be added to ensure that it is clear that the ORP option allows the employee to have control over their investments and to direct investments in a way that aligns with their personal preferences. 

You asked that the university release a specific statement in support of a ceasefire in Gaza. Doing so would be counter to our view that the institution not take positions on political issues, as it chills free speech and open dialogue. That said, we too are heartbroken over the devastating loss of human life in the Middle East and particularly in Gaza and we support an end to violence and the pursuit of peace. To this end, we are prepared to issue a statement, as part of the release of any agreement reached between the coalition and the university, as follows: "As a community of globally engaged faculty, students, and staff, we are anguished by the current humanitarian and hostage crisis in Gaza. We join with many around the world in mourning the tragic loss of innocent life starting on October 7th and throughout the long Israel-Palestine conflict. We also recognize the complex geopolitical issues that are at the root of this crisis. We hope for a rapid cessation of hostilities and the resumption of efforts to achieve peace in this troubled region.” 

Divestment 

The UO Foundation, the entity charged with meeting the needs of the university through the stewardship of university investments, is appropriately focused on long-term investment decisions that ensure the university remains on strong financial footing. That is done through rigorous management of our investments, evaluating opportunities through an environmental, social, and governance framework. The University of Oregon (UO) Foundation will therefore not divest from Jasper Ridge. Divestment is counter to the UO’s obligations to its students and the state. The Foundation’s work helps finance scholarships and student aid, student housing, teaching facilities, research labs, and the faculty who instruct and support students’ pursuit of their degrees. 

However, in the spirit of education and to further understanding, we are willing to arrange a meeting, after the encampment has been taken down, for up to five students selected by the coalition to meet with the president and CEO of UO Foundation, the UO’s senior vice president for finance and administration, and President Scholz. The purpose of the meeting would be to share the UO Foundation’s approach to investment and endowment management with students and to hear student perspectives on investment and divestment. 

Boycott (BDS) 

The university has adopted a  Procurement and Contracting Code of Ethics that is based in our fiduciary obligation to be stewards of public money when purchasing goods and services. Key to this obligation is our commitment to obtain the best value for our expenditures . In service of that commitment, and our duty to ensure fair access to university business, our procurement practices generally require competitive procurements, with specific outreach to locally owned, and women and minority business owned firms who can offer the best value to the campus.  In that context, we are not in a position to boycott companies simply because they are listed on a website that expresses concerns over who else that company may contract with. In addition, our ability to obtain the best value in our contracts would be substantially impaired if vendors come to believe that the terms and conditions of our contracts are subject to change in response to political campaigns. That said, none of the vendors you listed are currently preferred vendors providing best value to the campus through Duck Depot, the university’s procurement platform.

Student Conduct Code Violations 

During our negotiations, we offered to forego pursuit of student conduct code charges against those in the encampment if there was no further overnight camping and if  recognized student groups reserve space for further gathering during daytime hours (8am to 7pm) through appropriate channels, following standard rules on use of amplification and other guidelines for assembly. Those include charges related to violating space reservation and overnight camping rules, which are in place to help everyone on campus maintain respectful operations and physical safety.  Given the disruptive impact of the encampment on academic operations and the continued adverse experience reported by a significant number of students, this offer expired at 12pm (noon) on Tuesday, May 7, 2024.

At this point, students who have been involved in the encampment remain subject to the Student Conduct Code. However, the commitment to end the encampment and move to a permissible daytime event through this agreement will be considered a favorable mitigating factor in the adjudication of violations specific to overnight camping on UO property and facilities scheduling; and the UO commits to any administrative sanctions that result from the adjudication of violations specific to overnight camping on UO property will not result in suspension, expulsion, revocation of degree, eviction, or restitution as part of participation in the encampment. This approach does not pertain to any other policy or conduct code violations not known at the time of an agreement.

Protection of Speech

With respect to the provision of formal protection for faculty, students, and staff when speaking, writing, or having views that express solidarity with Palestinians, UO  academic freedom and  free speech guidelines protect “faculty, students and staff when speaking, writing, or having views that express solidarity with” any group or community, including Palestinians. We will ensure that our regular communications and training with regard to academic freedom and free speech clearly articulate freedom to express solidarity with any group.

We look forward to hearing from you with respect to the information outlined above. We are interested in preserving the university’s academic mission and concerns remain about the ongoing physical safety of our community. Finally, please know that we will be sharing the contents of this letter with the UO community.

The UO Negotiating Team