UHDS News

[Corvallis Gazette-Times, Nov. 11, 2011] — Officials announced Thursday that nearly 25,000 students enrolled at Oregon State University this fall, a record total that includes a significant number of transfer and out-of-state students.

Overall, OSU’s student population is 24,977, up 5.1 percent from last fall. It’s the second-largest percentage increase of students within the seven-institution Oregon University System.

The numbers are based on an annual count of students during the fourth week of the term.

Among this year’s students, 1,804 are transfer students and 1,519 students hail from outside of Oregon.

A shaky economy explains the increase in both demographics. More people are likely to attend a community college and eventually a four-year university when unemployment is high, and budget woes in California and Washington have sent public university tuition in those states skyrocketing. That made Oregon’s public universities look appealing and provided OSU with its two biggest sources of out-of-state students.

Tags: enrollment, osu, out-of-state, students, tuition
Posted in Education | Comments Off on OSU breaks enrollment records again

[Corvallis Gazette-Times, Nov. 9, 2011] — Since returning from a trip to Europe in September, Oregon State University senior Jillian Grant has tried and failed to find food that tastes like the cuisine she sampled in Greece.

“The food was so good, but nothing else has compared,” she said.

Then Grant stopped by Taste of the Mediterranean, a University Housing and Dining-sponsored culinary event held Wednesday evening at Marketplace West Dining Center.

She filled plates with humus, baba ganoush – a baked eggplant dish – and grape leaf-wrapped dolmas, and changed her tune about American-prepared Greek fare: the food, she said, was “amazing.”

The event is one of two annual University Housing and Dining culinary events in the “Journey Through Culture and Cuisine” series. Organizers expected about 800 attendees – OSU students and employees, along with people not associated with the university.

Rich Turnbull, associate director for University Housing and Dining, said the university’s culinary team had prepared for Wednesday’s event for the last six months by researching the region’s traditional ingredients and techniques.

“It was almost like going through a history of the spice trade,” Turnbull said. “We’re really trying to be as close to authentic as possible.”

Posted in Dining | Comments Off on Mediterranean cuisine draws huge crowd

[Campus Living, Nov. 4, 2011] — All UHDS residence halls and cooperative houses remain open during the Thanksgiving break; however, during winter break and spring break only Bloss, Buxton, Cauthorn, Finley, Halsell, Hawley, International Living-Learning Center, Poling, Sackett, and West will be open.

Residents who are unable to leave campus during break periods are encouraged to live in one of these halls.

Residents assigned to open halls may remain in their rooms during break weeks, but will be assessed at a weekly rate of $124.25. If you are an INTO-OSU student, this charge is already included in your housing rate.

The deadline to sign up for winter break housing is at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7.

Residents of all other facilities, and those who do not sign up for break housing, should plan on departing for winter and spring breaks (Dec. 11-Jan 7) and (March 25-31).

The break rates start on the Saturday after classes end at 11:59 p.m. and continue until the Saturday before classes resume at 8 a.m. Students who do not want to pay for break housing must vacate before – and return after –  this time period to avoid fees. Residents that stay past 11:59 p.m. on the Saturday after finals end will be charged for one week of break housing.

Room checks coming soon: In addition, UHDS will be doing health and safety checks of every room at the end of Fall and Winter terms.  If you want to be present schedule some time with their Resident Director or Resident Advisor.

Otherwise, staff will briefly enter your room, over the break to make sure that there aren’t any safety issues – such as waste in the trash, windows left open, or appliances plugged in (curling irons, extension cords, etc).

Brian Stroup and Kathryn Magura, UHDS Operations and Facilities

Tags: break housing, co-op, hall, Housing, osu, residence, room check, winter break
Posted in Housing, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

[Campus Living, Nov. 4, 2011] — It’s that Time of Year:  RA Search!

Fall is not even over yet, but you may already be thinking about your plans for next year.  Does being a Resident Assistant (RA) fit into your plans?

If you are interested in getting to know others, helping support students in their transition and connection to college, and being a resource and mentor in the residence halls, then the answer may be “yes.”

Being an RA is a great way to get leadership experience, build your resume, and gain skills desirable to employers after college – including diversity, leadership, teamwork and more.  To learn more about the process and to get your questions answered, attend any of the following information sessions:

• 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, Marketplace West Conference Room
• 7 to 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21, Memorial Union Journey Room
• 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, International Living-Learning Center, Auditorium 155
• 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, Azalea House
• 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30 Callahan Hall Lounge

Applications are available starting Monday, Nov. 28 and close at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 16.  More information and the application can be found by visiting www.oregonstate.edu/uhds/whyira.

Jill Childress, Resident Director, Weatherford Residential College

Tags: college, employment, jobs, osu, RA, residence hall, resident assistant
Posted in Housing | Comments Off on Interested in becoming a resident assistant?

[Corvallis Gazette-Times, Oct. 29, 2011] — Performers Joaquin Zihuatanejo and Nancy Giles, who help create dialogue on society and social justice, plan to perform during Oregon State University’s Diversity Summit Nov. 2 and 3.

Zihuatanejo, a poet, spoken-word artist and award-winning teacher, will perform his spoken word routine Nov. 2. Giles, best known for her work as a comedian, actress and CBS “Sunday Morning” contributor, also speak at the event and answer questions from the audience.

The public event is free. Zihuatanejo’s performance is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., followed by Giles at 7 p.m. Both segments are in the Austin Auditorium of LaSells Stewart Center, 875 S.W. 26th St., Corvallis.

For more information on the public event or the OSU Diversity Summit, visit http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/care.

Tags: care, diversity summit, gazette-times, Joaquin Zihuatanejo, Nancy Giles, osu
Posted in Education | Comments Off on Performers scheduled for Diversity Summit

[Campus Living, Oct. 21, 2011] — On behalf of all the dining staff, “Welcome.” 

Chef David Lewis

Chef David Lewis has introduced South Asian cuisine at Boardwalk Café, Chef Jay Perry has introduced four new salads at lunch at Cooper’s Creek BBQ, and Chef Bruce Hoerauf has introduced new signature sandwiches at Cascadia Market.

Chef Bruce Hoerauf

And speaking of Cascadia Market, we’ve significantly expanded the variety of groceries and fresh produce, as well as slashed prices.  Also in the International Living-Learning Center we’ve partnered with Peet’s Coffee and Tea out of San Francisco to bring another high quality coffeehouse to the students and staff of OSU.

In addition, in response to the many requests to open Arnold Dining Center on the weekends, Arnold Dining is now open seven days a week.

On Nov. 9 at Marketplace West we will be celebrating the culture and cuisine of the Mediterranean region.  Dinner is $8.  Invite your friends for a fun evening while sampling the amazing flavors of the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.  See more information on this event below.

Chef Jay Perry

We have a very responsive culinary team and want to serve you as best we can.  We welcome your input and look forward to a great year ahead. Let us know how we are doing by sharing your feedback.

Best regards,

Rich Turnbull, UHDS Associate Director

Tags: Bruce Hoerauf, chef, David Lewis, Dining, dining halls, feedback, Jay Perry, menus, osu, Rich Turnbull
Posted in Dining | Comments Off on New in Dining Services

[Daily Barometer, Oct. 27, 2011] — To some, Oregon State University is recognized as a school that is up-to-date in many important ways, particularly in terms of science and technology. It may come as a surprise, then, to find when it comes to accommodating students with disabilities, OSU may be, in some critical ways, behind the times.

According to Jeffrey Evans, head of the OSU Able Student Alliance, lack of accessible student housing options is one of the primary concerns for students with disabilities.

“We [the ASA] have yet to be told how many rooms in the residence halls are accessible,” Evans said. He continued by stating the three components ASA considers most important when determining if a residence hall may be deemed “accessible”: the dorm rooms themselves, the shared spaces in the building and the paths of travel from the residence hall to classes and other buildings on campus.

When asked how many of the residence halls on campus are accessible, Associate Director of University Housing and Dining Services Dan Larson replied that the question could not be answered based on the provided criteria. … Read more of “Mobility impaired lack housing options” by Kristin Pugmire.

Tags: ASA, Dan Larson, Jeffrey Evans, Kristin Pugmire, lawsuit, osu
Posted in Housing | Comments Off on Mobilility impaired lack housing options

[Campus Living, Oct. 21, 2011] — For the first time in 10 years, the Division of Student Affairs is hosting the “c.a.r.e. harmonize our voices, transform our world” Diversity Summit Nov. 2 to 3 in the CH2M Hill Alumni Center.

Themes of the summit discussed in sessions and panels will include identity, culture, consciousness, justice and engagement. In addition, the summit will include three nationally renowned keynote speakers: Spoken word artist, poet, and an award-winning teacher Joaquín Zihuatanejo; Maura Cullen, who is widely considered one of the nation’s foremost authorities on diversity issues on college campuses today; and ward-winning journalist and scholar Helen Zia.

The registration deadline is Oct. 30.  Space is limited, so we invite OSU students, staff, and faculty to register early online: http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/care/registration/.

Tags: Campus Living, care, diversity summit, Joaquin Zihuatanejo, Maura Cullen, Nancy Giles, osu
Posted in Education | Comments Off on Register now to take part in diversity summit

[Campus Living, Oct. 21, 2011] — University Housing & Dining Services will host Taste of the Mediterranean, a celebration of Mediterranean regional culture, from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, at Marketplace West Dining Center.  Dinner will be served until 7:30 p.m., with music and conversation continuing until 8 p.m.

The celebration is one of many in the journey through culture and cuisine series and is being held in conjunction with OSU’s International Education Week. The Taste of the Mediterranean will honor the cultures and foods of the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

Tickets are $8 and will be available at the door, or in advance from any of the University Housing and Dining Services dining centers.

Menu items include dolmas, hummus with pita and Baba Ganouj from local Corvallis restaurant Bazaar.  Other menu items include mussels with chorizo, Chicken Tagine with preserved lemons and olives, Lebanese Spinach with carrots, Calamari Frito, Pizza Margherita and other regional culinary favorites.

Tags: baba ganouj, calamari frito, chicken tagine, chorizo, hummus, Marketplace West, osu, pita, pizza, Taste of the Mediterranean
Posted in Dining | Comments Off on Take a delicious dive into Mediterranean cultures

Able Student Alliance claims Accessible University Initiative Task Force not meeting needs

Jeffrey Evans, head of the Able Student Alliance Executive Committee has been authorized by the organization to take any necessary legal steps to force Oregon State University to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The ASA alleges that the Accessible University Initiative Task Force, created to help improve the accessibility of the campus for all students, has not sufficiently done its job. The ASA cites numerous ADA violations on campus as evidence that the university’s administration has not adequately addressed the issue of disabled accessibility.

The ASA plans to initiate legal action against the university to force OSU into making campus modifications that make attending class an equal experience for all students. The ASA requests the university to formulate a monetary plan and timeline to modify existing campus buildings to fully comply with the ADA. Failure to create the timeline and monetary plan would result in the ASA filing a lawsuit that would freeze federal assistance, grants, loans and work-study to the university.

Evans, explaining the ASA’s justification in seeking legal recourse on the matter stated, “The bureaucrats screwed up this campus.”

The ASA chose to remove itself from AUITF after the AUITF voting structure was modified to allow university administrators a vote. According to Evans, the change in the voting structure limited the number of people with disabilities serving on AUITF to a possible, but not guaranteed, five members out of an 18-member task force. Evans feels this action was akin to a coup, and that people without disabilities should not be making decision for those with disabilities.

“It’s a shame there is fallout-conflict portrayal,” said Dan Larson, associate services director of University Housing and Dining and Chair of the AUITF, about ASA’s problems with the university. “AUITF benefits from ASA’s contributions. Collaboration is far better than being combative.” …

Read more from The Daily Barometer. (Published Oct. 21, 2011)

Tags: ASA, AUTIF, Jefferey Evans, osu
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on ASA battles university to comply to ADA rules