Contact:
Endi Hartigan – Office: 503-725-5702
Source: Christina Mackey – Admissions, Portland State University and OUS Fall Tour Coordinator
503-725-5508

OUS Fall Tour brings admissions officers from Oregon’s 7 public universities to high schools statewide

Portland, OR, October 21, 2008 – George Pernsteiner, Chancellor of the Oregon University System is pleased to announce that the OUS institutions are reaching across the state this month to recruit and inspire Oregon’s high school students to pursue their college dreams at a state university. The seven OUS campuses and the OSUCascades branch campus collaborate in the OUS Fall Visitation Program, also called the “Fall Tour,” a statewide high school visitation program that brings admissions professionals to high school students. The six-week tour is actively underway, running from September 29 through November 6, and leaders expect it will provide college outreach to a total of 228 high schools and approximately 13,000 students.

At each high school event of the OUS Fall Visitation Program, students can connect with at least seven Oregon public universities as well as learn about financial aid and core college requirements that can help and inspire them while planning for the future. Rob Findter, admissions director for Western Oregon University and current chair of the Inter-institutional Committee for Admissions and Recruitment (ICAR) coordinating the program, says, “The OUS Fall Visitation Program is truly a successful collaborative effort among the university admissions representatives, who present on their own and sister universities statewide to help Oregon students choose the best fit for their college careers.”

Alicia Ortega, associate director of admissions at Oregon State University adds, “The OUS Fall Visitation Program, in comparison to a high school visit by an individual campus or single school event, provides the best access for students to learn about the wide variety of quality and affordable opportunities available to them in the state. For Oregon State, the OUS Fall tour is the number one priority in terms of outreach and recruitment efforts."

The responsibility for coordinating the Fall Tour rotates among OUS campuses every two years, with Portland State University coordinating the effort for 2008-2010. The Oregon University System Chancellor’s office also partners with the universities to develop materials and a Viewbook publication for the events. The OUS Viewbook, freshman and transfer admissions brochure 2009-10 provides an introductory overview of Oregon's seven public universities and branch campus, including profiles of each institution, a listing of academic programs at all campuses, and application guidelines.

Joe Holliday, assistant vice chancellor for student success initiatives for the Oregon University System, commended the admissions directors for their important work: “It is so important for Oregon students to understand the impressive variety of excellent options they have right here in Oregon to realize their college and career goals. The admissions officers do a wonderful job of showing college-bound students what is possible and motivating Oregon students who are considering whether to pursue college.”

OUS visits 96 events with 135 participating high schools in Southern Oregon, Central Oregon, Eastern Oregon, the Oregon coast, and the Portland Metropolitan area. The tour also hosts 7 campus plans at which 93 high schools visit an OUS campus to hear the Fall Tour presentations. OUS, community college, and private partners collaboratively also coordinate a similar tour in the Winter of 2009 specifically for prospective community college transfer students, Oregon Transfer Days. More information on Oregon Transfer Days can be found at: http://www.oracrao.org/OTD/index.html

Oregon high schools that are not currently on the schedule of visitations are encouraged to have their students attend one of the campus plans hosted at each institution. Schools that wish to partner, particularly for night programs, or who have questions on the OUS Fall Tour are encouraged to contact the current coordinator for more information, Christina Mackey, at mackeyc@pdx.edu. Oregon University System

Oregon University System comprises seven distinguished public universities, reaching more than one million people each year through on-campus classes, statewide public services and lifelong learning. For additional information, go to www.ous.edu

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