After
chalking up months of optimism and progress including opening of its new 4-year
Bend campus, OSU-Cascades ran into a big disappointment with news from the
state Capitol.
The
upbeat mood was more downbeat with word that the university could receive only
$9 million from the state, putting it far down the list of other projects in
Oregon’s $1.3 billion for state bond funding and a pittance of the $69 million
the school had requested.
Already
with more than 1,200 students at the new campus and its first freshman class
in 2016-2017, the school has expected strong support to meet forecast growth to
5,000 students by 2025.
OSU-Cascades
President Becky Johnson was quoted as saying the small number for the school
was a “shock.”
There
are rumblings that the bond recommendations reflected some discontent
along political lines as Bend Rep. Knute Buehler, who sponsored the request for
$69 million, is anticipated to run against Democratic Gov. Kate Brown who had
reduced the request in her recommendation to $20 million.
Another
interpretation, though, as reported by the Associated Press, was the
subcommittee that drafted the bonding recommendations is weighted heavily to
Democrats from Portland, Eugene and Salem area districts.
In
Eugene the University of Oregon fared much better. The home of the Ducks came
in with $50 million, about half the request for $100 million but $16 million
more than the Governor had asked for. Much of that is destined for a $1 billion
science center that will also receive an annual $50 million for 10 years from
Nike co-founder Phil Knight, who has a large ranch in the north of Bend.
With
the reduced funding, OSU-Cascades could be facing delays in expanding the
campus to additional adjacent land already purchased or optioned.
(A few previous posts-for all on this subject click OSU-Cascades 4-Year Campus on list at right)
