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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

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National Inclusive Excellence Award a testament to the OSU Alumni Association’s DEIB values

The Oregon State University Alumni Association has received the 2024 Alumni Association Inclusive Excellence Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education.

OSUAA was selected for the honor because of its commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in alumni leadership, its unique alumni engagement programs, its promotion of diverse alumni achievements and its work to support underrepresented students and community members.  
Read about the honor

We're stronger together

Every Beaver has a different path, experience and story to share. Together with Oregon State University, the OSU Foundation and Alumni Association are committed to building a more equitable and diverse university: a place where all Beavers can be successful, have a strong sense of belonging and where your engagement makes a meaningful difference.

Today’s world faces social, economic and environmental challenges of unprecedented complexity and scale. To solve these urgent problems, we must draw fully on the power of human imagination, experience and creativity from our Beaver community. Explore and engage with us as we work together to advance diversity, equity and inclusion at Oregon State University and beyond.

Yes, I want to give.
OSU Student Audrey Lin Kadoya
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Alumni Engagement

Alumni-Led Affinity and Identity Networks and Groups

Our alumni networks and groups include several affinity and identity-based groups, networks for select colleges, as well as international and regional groups that are reflective of the diverse alumni of OSU. Visit a network webpage and learn about the opportunities to participate, volunteer or help lead their efforts:

Committed to the journey

It takes persistence and partnership to build an Oregon State University community where every voice is heard, every perspective is valued and every Beaver feels at home. Alumni expertise is key. In the 2024 State of Diversity Address, Keith Dempsey, ’93, M.S. ’96, Ph.D. ’10 — a respected mentor and founding member of the OSU Black Alumni and Friends Network — discussed the impact of alumni who return to make real the university’s inclusive excellence mission.

OSU’S STATE OF DIVERSITY

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I have learned to navigate university life as the first person in my family to attend college. I wouldn't be where I am today without the Educational Opportunities Program and donors who empower all students to be successful. Thanks to EOP I found a community of friends and mentors right away.

Cierra Dawson

I have taken my leadership skills to the next level and found an even more meaningful sense of purpose by helping students as a student leadership liaison with SOL: LGBTQ+ Multicultural Support Network, a program with a presence in all seven OSU Cultural Resource Centers. I am proud of how I've used my strengths to help my fellow students embrace their full selves.

Destiny Franklin, JuniorCollege of Liberal Arts

I graduated from Oregon State University last spring. Now, I am working as a quality control technician at Genentech, Inc., in Hillsboro, Ore., and I am not sure I would have made it here without the support of OSU's Educational Opportunities Program.

Trenton Joiner '20College of Engineering

I officially joined the Asian & Pacific Cultural Center in 2016 and eventually grew in to more senior roles that helped shape my leadership style. During my time there, the center served as a safe place - a home away from home. My colleagues and I treated each other like family, and I found that to be very special. It was the first time that I had truly felt seen as an intercountry API adoptee. Their love and support allowed me to come in to my own and for that, I am forever thankful.

Audrey Lin Kadoya '19College of Business

OSU Student Cierra Dawson

Give

You can make a difference by contributing to university programs that support all OSU students as well as faculty, staff and all members of the Beaver community. Gifts of all sizes help break down barriers to success in higher education so that every student can thrive; for examples of some of the programs that advance diversity, equity and inclusion at OSU, see the ‘University Programs’ section below. Thank you!

Support Oregon State students
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My husband David and I feel very strongly that our community is better when there are diverse voices at the table. We give to programs like the Educational Opportunity Program and the Cultural Resource Centers to let students know we see them, they have value, and we want them to be successful as they continue their life journey.

Candy Pierson-Charlton '73, Ed.M. '02

I hope that, by being a donor and volunteering at OSU, I am helping the next generation attain their goals as well, especially students of color and students with high financial need.

Yuki Igarashi '08

Often times, students of color and people from marginalized communities do not have a blueprint for success, especially if they are from the first generation in their families to attend college. So having a mentor who looks like them or has gone through similar experiences can be incredibly empowering and can prevent them from feeling isolated. I did not have a mentor like this early on in my college career, so I'm grateful to support OSU students in these ways now.

Faran SaeedGraduate Teaching Assistant for the Ettihad Cultural Center, Ph.D. student in the College of Education

Oregon State University is known for thinking big. Our students, faculty, and staff are working tirelessly on urgent issues related to wildfires, climate science, COVID-19 and more. Diverse voices and perspectives accelerate innovation. Oregon State has taken significant steps to help all students be successful, but there's more work for us to do to ensure that all students are prepared to be global problem solvers.

Charlene AlexanderOSU Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer

University Programs

 

The Office of Institutional Diversity's mission is to plan, lead and implement, in collaboration with university partners, institutional change actions and initiatives to advance diversity, equity and inclusion throughout all facets of Oregon State University. The work of the office advances more rapid progress towards Oregon State’s highest aspirations for inclusive excellence.

The Educational Opportunities Program (EOP) supports the academic, personal, and professional development of students who have traditionally been denied equal access to higher education by providing a welcoming environment which includes smaller classes, academic counseling, and innovative programs & services designed to enhance retention and persistence.

Diversity & Cultural Engagement (DCE) is committed to the overall development of under-served students. DCE creates and advocates for inclusive and educationally purposeful initiatives that enhance deep learning, academic success, cross-cultural fluency and self-efficacy by fostering a climate that supports social equality, community engagement and global membership, including through the Cultural Resource Centers. Learn more about each of the Cultural Resource Centers, which serve all Beavers including students, faculty, staff and alumni.


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News

¡Sí, Se Puede! Make your dreams of college a reality.

From his experience representing the Honors College at recruiting events, Lorenzo Curtis found Latinx students and their families are most receptive to college-related information when it’s presented through anecdotes. So, in a series of five videos, he created a personal testimonial covering different aspects of his experience as an Oregon State student in the STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and math. Read more.

Driven by her vision for a better world.

If you want change to happen, you have to show up — and put in the work. It’s an idea that motivates Elizabeth “Lizzy” Ragan, ’13, every day. In 2019, a climbing accident left her paralyzed from the chest down. But she didn’t let this life-altering event stop her. Instead, she's focusing on issues that matter most to her: creating a more equitable health care system and building awareness about accessibility for people with disabilities — in the workplace, in public spaces and in the outdoors. Read more.

Taking Action

The fall 2024 issue of Taking Action, a biannual news magazine from the Office of Institutional Diversity at OSU, includes stories about people, projects and programs advancing diversity, equity and inclusion at OSU. In this edition, read stories of OSU community members advancing inclusive excellence indoors, outdoors and in the heat of the kitchen. Read more.

State of Diversity at Oregon State

The State of Diversity at Oregon State address in 2023 is comprised of in-depth conversations with faculty, staff and student leaders within the OSU community discussing their vision, challenges and progress in building a more equitable and welcoming university. Through these conversations, we hope to amplify the incredible efforts and accomplishments of community members across the university who have steadfastly advanced equity under trying circumstances. Hear from our community.

Dr. Keith Dempsey receives Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Alumni Legacy Award

On Jan. 16, 2023, Dr. Keith Dempsey, ’93, M.S. ’96, Ph.D. ’10, was awarded the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Alumni Legacy Award at Oregon State University’s 41st annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Peace Breakfast. The award recognizes alumni role models who demonstrate a deep and abiding commitment to causes of social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion and who exemplify and enrich OSU’s values of community, diversity, respect and social responsibility.  Read more.

Oregon State honored with national diversity and inclusion award for fifth straight year

Oregon State University has received a national award for the fifth straight year that honors colleges and universities for having a campus culture committed to diversity and inclusion. Read more.

Ensuring equity for non-English speakers

As part of Oregon State University's land-grant mission to provide knowledge, activities and services to every county in Oregon, OSU Extension worked with multilingual communities across Oregon to develop a Language Access Plan that includes a Spanish-language Extension website and clear guidance and tools to make sure materials are linguistically correct and culturally relevant. Read more.

Leonardo Fund for Housing Insecure Students

Judy Faucett, '70, established the first scholarship in the College of Science specifically for students engaged with the LGBTQ+ community at Oregon State University experiencing homelessness or other extenuating circumstances after learning about the disproportionate impact of housing insecurity and homelessness on LGBTQ+ students. Read more.

Oregon State part of national consortium of universities that has outpaced its graduation goals

As part of a national consortium focused on increasing the number of low-income college graduates, Oregon State University graduated 45% more students in 2020 than in 2013, with low-income graduates increasing 17% during those years and the number of students of color graduating increasing 117%. That national consortium, the University Innovation Alliance (UIA), announced this week that it has outpaced goals it set eight years ago to increase the number of graduates, particularly low-income students and students of color, at its 10 member institutions. Read more.

Oregon State names new vice provost for extension and engagement, director of OSU Extension Service

Ivory W. Lyles, who prioritized the needs and challenges of the residents of Nevada as associate dean for engagement and director of extension for the University of Nevada, Reno, has been named Oregon State University’s new vice provost for extension and engagement and director of the OSU Extension Service. Read more.

Helping others is embedded in her DNA.

Kindness and generosity go back generations in Saba Moallem’s family. And because of their bravery and sacrifices, she sees the world through a humble lens — and wants to build on their example. Read more.

To celebrate Black history, first it must be told.

When you need some quick information about a topic, chances are you’ll look it up on Wikipedia. But this crowdsourced online encyclopedia has been criticized for racial bias, and people of color are underrepresented among its editors and contributors. Which means their stories aren’t told, and Wikipedia has large gaps in the history of African Americans and others who have been marginalized. So two librarians and an archivist at Oregon State University, Laurie Bridges, Diana Park and Tiah Edmunson-Morton, set out to fill those gaps. Read more.

How one grad’s personal story shaped her passion for educational equity

As a first-generation student in the U.S. from Mexico, Arlyn Moreno Luna, '13, MPP '15, knows firsthand how challenging college admissions can be for underrepresented learners. Moreno Luna upholds her passion for access and equity in higher education not only through her mentorship but also her scholarly work. Read more.

Greater Diversity for a Stronger OSU

Step by step, Oregon State University is becoming a more equitable, inclusive academic community – and donors like Steven Jackson, ’20, are helping this work move forward. Last summer, his gift creating the Jackson Family Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund helped OSU pilot a new program designed to help the university recruit underrepresented faculty and staff. Read more.

Oregon State names interim chief diversity officer

Scott Vignos, assistant vice president for strategic diversity initiatives in Oregon State University’s Office of Institutional Diversity, has been named the university’s interim vice president and chief diversity officer. Read more.

Taking Action

The Spring 2023 issue of Taking Action, a biannual news magazine from the Office of Institutional Diversity at OSU, includes stories about people, projects and programs advancing diversity, equity and inclusion at OSU. Read more.

Serving tribal communities through online education

Adult and online students have always been considered a diverse group of learners, primarily based on age, gender and life circumstances. However, new trends are emerging in online education that require both our attention and a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Read more.

OSU professor joins call for broader, more equitable recognition of scholarship in academia

The current metrics for success in science perpetuate inequity by disproportionately penalizing women and people of color, whose broader contributions to the field often go unrecognized, argues a new paper written by a team of scientists, including an Oregon State University professor. Read more.

Oregon State’s Pride Center offers safe spaces, skill development

Community. It’s a versatile word, simultaneously a thing and a feeling. It’s a group of people with common interests and also a sense of fellowship with others because of those shared interests. The Pride Center at Oregon State University is a community where that dual nature is on display. It provides programs and services to members of the LGBTQIA+ community while fostering safe environments where those same students — learning on campus and online through Oregon State Ecampus — feel a sense of belonging. Read more.

OSU student turns climate research into bilingual children's books, receives $100,000 scholarship

Christopher Cousins, a PhD candidate from Oregon State University, has received a $100,000 scholarship to further his work of researching habitat refugia and turning his findings into a bilingual children’s book for Latino youth. The Bullitt Environmental Prize recognizes young people who have overcome adversity to become powerful environmental leaders. Read more.