Support Services
News Contact: Laura Hancock | University Advancement
Phone: (541) 962-3585 | E-mail: lhancock@eou.edu
LA GRANDE, Ore. (EOU) January 4, 2008 — A new, more efficient Eastern Oregon University is emerging from a difficult time in the school's history. Eastern's budget will see over $4 million in cuts in the next three years to ensure the financial sustainability of the institution.
While the reductions are unavoidable, there is renewed enthusiasm at the promise of a fresh start as EOU heads into the new year.
The Final Repositioning Plan released by EOU President Dixie Lund on Wednesday, Jan. 2, outlines the budget reductions and highlights strategies for EOU to improve efficiency and services to students. An additional section identifies opportunities for EOU to reinvest in partnerships and programs.
"We have been presented with the opportunity to re-examine who we are and what we do," Lund said. "I truly believe we will emerge from this time a leaner, but much stronger university, ready to embrace a bright future that we can all look forward to."
Opportunities for EOU students, faculty, staff and community members to provide feedback on the draft plan released on Oct. 31 were presented at forums, as well as formal and informal interviews with Lund.
Lund received more than 250 e-mails and in the weeks following the unveiling of the draft plan, Lund and the eight-member Budget and Repositioning Team, (BART), considered each comment carefully during the revision of the plan.
"The majority of the comments received were very thoughtful, well conceived and with Eastern's best interests, and particularly the interests of our students, at heart," Lund said.
In the restructuring process, EOU will streamline its services, keeping the needs of students at the forefront. The College of Business and the College of Education will consolidate into one unit and the Division of Distance Education will integrate into the infrastructure of both Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, including career and academic advising.
A Student Access Center will consolidate all recruiting, matriculation and financial aid services, and a new Student Success Center will accommodate student testing, disability services and learning support services like academic and career advising.
A Call Center with extended hours will be staffed to manage incoming phone calls to any of the units in either the Student Access or Student Success centers.
Eastern will optimize its flexible schedules and delivery of academic programs to increase student access to online and on site, (extended campus), learning opportunities - an area in which EOU is a nationally recognized leader. Current students already take a mix of on campus and online courses and EOU is assessing other academic programs for potential expansion into flexible delivery formats.
The budgeting process, along with program consolidation, integration and leveraging, reduces the total number of administrators and administrative assistants to a minimum model necessary to ensure the success of the university. In addition, staffing of academic programs was reduced by the equivalent of 10.1 full-time positions in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the equivalent of 8.02 full-time positions in the College of Education and the College of Business.
As a result of an analysis of all academic programs, the English Literature/Film concentration of the English/Writing major will only be offered in an online format. Though the physics minor and pre-engineering minor in physics will be continued, the physics major will not. And, though first-year German language instruction will continue to be offered, the German minor will not.
> Click to view a complete list of EOU's programs and delivery modes (pdf)
Other revisions to the final plan include reducing the required budget cuts. The initial reduction included $600,000 of funding for debt service for EOU's two new residence halls. Since the release of the draft plan, the Residence Life Office developed a strategy to reduce the need for funding by $400,000. The amount will be added back into the Education and General Fund, reducing the required budget reduction to $4.1 million.
Lund is optimistic that the changes being made will address EOU's financial picture and provide long-term sustainability. She encourages all those who care about the university to pull together.
"EOU is again emerging as an institution that is responsive to its region and to the students it serves," Lund said. "Innovations coming from these required changes reposition EOU to build a sustainable, independent university that serves the needs of rural Oregonians."
"With new ways of doing things, new energies for innovations, and most importantly, with positive attitudes, we can put the past behind us and face forward to a future in which EOU will shine," Lund said.
Office of the President
Inlow Hall, Suite 216
Eastern Oregon University
One University Boulevard
La Grande, OR 97850-2899
phone: 541-962-3512
fax: 541-962-3113
Eastern Oregon University is a member of the Oregon University System