My.EOU Portal Current Students Faculty/Staff
Apply Visit Request Info Give Now
Our winter term has been chock-full of activities. I had the opportunity last week to attend the induction of Psi Chi’s (opens in a new tab) newest members, and the celebration included our on-campus and online students. Most of the students had friends and family there to help them celebrate, and I was touched by the care of our professors and the pride students took in the occasion. Professors DeAnna Timmermann and Felicia Kademian-Siani led the ceremony and made sure our online students were not an afterthought – they were in the pictures, had candles to light, and shared their affirmation of the pledge. And, we all enjoyed a sparkling apple cider toast!
Moments like that one are the very best of EOU. Of course, those moments are made possible by the labors of faculty teaching and mentoring and the students who work to excel.
We had our EOU Board committee meetings this week, and there was a lot of great sharing of information and recommendations for the Board to approve new processes and programs to benefit EOU. Our auditors pointed out that 61% of the University’s rising costs come from our spending on employee compensation and benefits, something we all agreed represents our best interests at EOU. They also noted that our employee tuition benefit program has grown again. Congratulations to each of you for taking advantage of this opportunity! To learn more, I encourage you to review the EOU 2025 Annual Financial Report (opens in a new tab).
Last week, Provost Geissinger and I attended the NWCCU Board meeting to discuss our Year Seven review. We will get the results back within 30 days, and then we will be able to share more with you. They were really impressed to hear about our 7% increase in the four-year graduation rate (!), and our increase in SSCM funding made possible by the successful enrollment of Oregonians.
Immediately following my travel to NWCCU, I attended ASEOU’s Sundae Social. I was so excited to see the number of students we have engaging in activities this year. Eastern Student Entertainment has also been having success in reaching out to students—the Winter Ball had over 115 guests!
One of the strategies recommended to support University Life and Welfare is a focus on employee recognition. I am so proud of the many ways that’s already happening— University Council highlighting department recognitions at every meeting, APEC featuring an administrative professional each month, and the annual recognition events my office hosts.
It is my pleasure to share . . . (drum roll please) . . . that Inlow Hall now proudly includes a space honoring the faculty, classified staff, and administrative professionals who have been recognized by their peers as “Distinguished.” I encourage you to stop by the second floor and see it for yourself. Recovering these names required a whole team! Special thanks to Doug Strand, Helen Moore, HR, APEC, Sarah Rowland, the library team, LeeAnn Case, and Kimberly Newman for your contributions to this work.
While I love sharing all the wonderful updates about activities on campus, it is so great when I get to share the impact one of our own makes in our broader community. I am proud to share that Steve Sheehy has received the 2024-25 National Coach of the Year recognition from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) for his coaching of the boys’ cross country team at Union High School. In addition to the incredible impact he has had on these athletes, he has also been a long-term officer of the Bobcat Foundation, which has raised and distributed more than $500,000 for Union High School graduates in the past 30 years. I encourage you to read more in the NFHS announcement (opens in a new window).
Wishing all of you a winter wonderland (if it ever snows). It is weirdly warm for this time of year!
Sincerely,
Kelly A. Ryan, Ph.D.President
December 10
Uncertainty seems to be the word of the year. It’s hard to strategize and serve when you can’t always see around the corner.
Yet, we must plan to make sure we take care of our community. While the tone of this message is different from my usual communications, the purpose remains unchanged: to inform, to strengthen our community, and to focus on what we can control by preparing together.
November 25
From the President – November 25, 2025 Thankful to EOU Dear EOU Community, I really enjoyed being in community with you at our “Fall into an Attitude of Gratitude” all-campus event. Thank you for spending time with us and for sharing your gratitude for one another. Many folks used a post-it note to share what […]
Learn more about what EOU did in 2024 by reading our Annual Report.
Office of the PresidentEastern Oregon UniversityOne University BoulevardInlow Hall 243La Grande, OR 97850
Phone: 541-962-3512Fax: 541-962-3113