EOU president visits Ontario
Bob Davies talks to Ontario chamber
By Larry Meyer
Argus Observer
LarryM@argusobserver.com
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 10:55 AM PDT
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| Dr. Bob Davies, president of Eastern Oregon University, visits with Ontario City Councilman Ron Verini, following Davies’s remarks to the Ontario Chamber of Commerce Monday at the Sizzler. |
ONTARIO — Eastern Oregon University and the Eastern Oregon region are important to each other, and next February, when the Oregon Legislature meets, area residents and officials need to present a united front to key leaders on the western side of the state, EOU President Bob Davies told the Ontario Chamber of Commerce Monday.
Davies indicated it is important residents east of the Cascades deliver a clear message regarding the importance of Eastern Oregon to the rest of the state, especially its political center in the Willamette Valley.
Davies, who took over the helm at EOU on July 1, is not a stranger to the chamber. He addressed the chamber in the spring, just before he took over as EOU president.
He said the keys to EOU’s survival and success are access, affordability and engagement.
“EOU has 16 centers, including one on the main campus,” Davies said.
EOU’s Malheur Center in Ontario serves 53 students on site and another 100 students online, for a total of 153 students in Malheur County.
“We do it better,” Davies said.
A year at EOU costs about $18,000, he said.
“It’s one of the lowest in the area,” he said.
If students choose to put the work in, EOU guarantees they can get a bachelor’s degree in four years, he said.
“Most universities can- not make that guarantee,” Davies said.
“Eastern Oregon University is Eastern Oregon,” he said, commenting the two are joined. “We are in this together,” he said.
Local communities and Eastern Oregon need to be talking together, he said.
“We are here to assist.” Davies said, adding the university can’t solve problems.
“What can Eastern Oregon University do to help?” he asked. “We can be part of the equation.”
Campus enrollment is up 11 percent at EOU, Davies said. Enrollment at the centers around the region is up 12 percent, and the freshman class is at 443 students at the beginning of the year, compared with 320 last year.
“Less than 16 percent of the people in Eastern Oregon have bachelor’s degrees,” Davies said, compared to wotj about 40 percent in the western metro areas of the state.
“High education has its benefits. We have tremendous opportunities,” he said. When communities meet to discuss issues and problems, Davies said EOU should be part of the discussion, as well as Treasure Valley Community College.
“We must come together on all the issues,” he said. But the college also needs help from Eastern Oregon residents, he said.
“We’re going to need your support,” he said. When the Legislature meets in February, lawmakers need to hear what EOU means to the region.
“It needs to see a signal that EOU is an important place.
Noting that TVCC is launching a capital campaign to raise money to help pay for a new science center, Davies announced EOU is beginning its own campaign, primarily to raise money for scholarships to help retain students beyond their freshman year. Later, in an interview, Davies said some of the challenges of the university include controlling enrollment and marketing.
“The biggest challenge is having control over our own destiny,” he said. Controlling enrollment involves retention as well as recruitment.
“It costs a lot to recruit, a lot less to retain,” Davies said.
Another key goal for the college revolves around students, Davies said.
“We need to build up student life, he said.
All freshman students take classes on what it means to be college students and are monitored for early warning signs for grades or finances and sought out by staff who offer assistance.
“Staff works closely with each student,” Davies said.
“The biggest challenge is time We service the entire the state.”
Davies has ties to the Treasure Valley, having served as director of the Boise State University Alumni Association in the past.
