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CORVALLIS, Ore. - Oregon State University will observe Veterans Day (Nov. 11) as an official holiday beginning this year.

No classes will be held that Wednesday and the university will be closed.

The decision to observe Veterans Day was announced last year by OSU President Edward J. Ray, after consultation with both the OSU Faculty Senate and the Associated Students of Oregon State University. OSU began fall term earlier this year to accommodate the change.

Oregon State has more than a thousand students who receive veteran educational benefits - the most of any university in Oregon. "It is important that we recognize and honor the many sacrifices that our nation's veterans have made," Ray said.

A range of programs have been initiated or expanded to help support the university's student veterans, according to Steve Clark, OSU vice president for University Relations and Marketing.

"We are proud to honor our veterans and their contributions to America," Clark said. "This is a meaningful decision by Oregon State - a university with some 3 percent of our overall enrollment made up of veterans. OSU has long been known as the 'West Point of the West' due to Oregon State's historic U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Program. OSU proudly also has ROTC programs with the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps."