Yesterday, I joined 500 people in Portland to hear President Ed Ray deliver his State of the University address. In it, he called out several dimensions of our collective work in outreach and engagement. He affirmed that the state is our campus with OSU faculty engaged across the state and working from facilities in all 36 counties. He emphasized the work of Extension’s 4-H Youth Development Program that “…bridges the gap between K-12 education and life skills.”

Beyond celebrating the university’s 145-year history, we spent some time looking forward. In spite of unrelenting budget challenges, Oregon State, including the Division of University Outreach and Engagement, is all about adding value. As Ed said, Oregon State is not about how many or how big—but is about providing benefits to people and impacts to communities of place and interest. I’m proud of the role our division plays in this amazing place.

You can read the text of the President’s remarks online and share any comments or observations below.