OSU Today

NEW! Timely Teaching Tips: Looking for a supportive environment to develop and refine effective teaching strategies that address the educational challenges and potentials of generative AI? Apply by March 12 to join the Spring ’26 Teaching and AI Faculty Learning Community.

NEW! Floor Monitor Training: Training for floor monitors and building managers on roles and responsibilities when evacuating their building. Training is the second Wednesday every month at 1 p.m. via Zoom. Sign up for Zoom Floor Monitor Training here.

NEW! OSU Loyal Breakfast in Bend: Thank you to our Central Oregon colleagues who are OSU Loyal, making gifts to enhance the university. You rise and shine for OSU every day, and in appreciation, you’re invited to breakfast. For details about this gathering on Thursday, April 9, at OSU-Cascades, email Celina Anderson or call 541-231-4308. OSU Loyal now consists of over 2,750 colleagues; together, we gave nearly $4 million in 2024-25 for students and programs we love.

NEW! Win a gift card for sharing your experiences and views on ChatGPT and large language models: A study from the Oregon State School of Public Policy seeks participants for a study on students’ experiences with and views on large language model-based tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini. Participants will complete a brief survey and an in-depth interview on these topics, and may choose to be entered into a drawing to win one of six $50 prepaid gift cards. Participants must be currently enrolled at a U.S. university and be at least 18 years old. To participate, click here. For more information: [email protected].

NEW! 2026 Faculty Innovator Award: Nominations open today. This award honors an outstanding Oregon State University inventor who has made a contribution leading to commercialization that significantly impacts their field and society. For details on the process, criteria, and nomination form, please visit the OSU Advantage website. Nominate yourself or someone you know that’s making an impact. The awardee will receive a $5,000 prize and desktop award.

NEW! Registration for Spring Faculty Staff Fitness is now open: Classes start Monday, March 30. You can take classes on campus or online to meet your health and wellness needs. Check out our spring term class schedule so you can reserve time on your calendar to take care of you. FSF programming is open to all faculty, staff, GTAs/GRAs, spouses/partners of faculty and staff, OSU retirees and OSU affiliates. Have questions? Call the Physical Activity Office at (541) 737-3222.

NEW! Online preparedness training: From the comfort of your desk, increase your emergency preparedness knowledge through OSU’s Bridge training management system. We offer short training sessions on many topics: active shooter response, earthquake/tsunami, fire preparedness and more. Take a few minutes to view the videos and join the DAM Ready movement.

NEW! Join OSU in the EcoAthletes Collegiate Cup: Starting March 9, OSU is competing in the EcoAthletes Collegiate Cup, a six-week movement challenge leading up to Earth Day (April 22) against 46 schools across the U.S. and Canada. Every minute of activity counts (walking to class, biking, lifting, running and more). Sponsored by Protect Where We Play, the challenge removes half a pound of ocean plastic for every participant who signs up, plus an additional pound for every 10 hours logged. Anyone can join. Download the Climategames app, create a free account, select “Collegiate Cup 2026 with Protect Where We Play,” and join Oregon State University.

NEW! 2027-28 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program application cycle open: Submissions (and resubmissions) are encouraged. This program offers U.S. citizens opportunities to teach, conduct research and carry out professional projects in over 135 countries. Upcoming webinars include: South and Central Asia on March 10, Western Hemisphere on March 11, Europe and Eurasia on March 12. See website for full details.

NEW! Confluence Symposium: Confluence Research Symposium is a joint research showcase hosted by graduate students in Oregon State University’s College of Forestry and the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences in the College of Agricultural Sciences. This annual event brings together a diverse student and faculty community to showcase research, Extension and outreach activities conducted by undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of fisheries and wildlife, forestry, ecology, natural resources and human dimensions. Register here. April 10, George W. Peavy Forest Science Center.

Student Success Summit: Register now. We look forward to welcoming you to the next Student Success Summit, scheduled for Monday, March 16. The OSU community is deeply committed to the principle that every student we admit should achieve their goal to graduate and every member of this community has a part to play in this effort. Visit the registration portal to view the list of sessions and register for the summit no later than Tuesday, March 10. Questions regarding the summit should be sent to [email protected].

Special Olympics Winter Regional Games Corvallis Regional Basketball Competition: Join us at Oregon State University for the Special Olympics Oregon Corvallis Regional Basketball Competition, one of three regional basketball competitions around the state. Have fun supporting and celebrating athletes in your community. Volunteer opportunities include scorekeepers and timers, skills competition support, lunch support and awards support. Click this link to sign up for one of the 56 volunteer shifts. March 14, Dixon Recreation Center.

Monthly Emergency Preparedness Topic: Evacuation. In the event of an emergency, many people may need to immediately evacuate their location. It is important to be prepared and aware of the necessary steps to safely evacuate from an emergency. English and Spanish versions of this bulletin can be found here.

Register for the Ecampus Faculty Forum: Join OSU faculty, staff and administrators April 29-30 online and at the CH2M HILL Alumni Center for engaging discussions about online teaching excellence, research in online education, and faculty experiences in online course development. Following virtual sessions on April 29, the in-person conference April 30 will feature sessions and hands-on workshops related to AI integration in online courses, helping online students build community, making your content personalized and timely and much more. View the full agenda, a list of presenters and register today.

Timely Teaching Tips: Students pay attention to resources that instructors recommend. You can normalize resource use and encourage students to have positive experiences accessing OSU resources. Consider using Canvas announcements, discussion board posts, or 1:1 conversation to share resources like Academic Coaching or the Writing Center, which can provide timely support now in the final weeks of the term.

Career Champions: The Career Champions program is piloting a 1-day version of their seminar. Oregon State University's Career Champions is a professional development program designed for faculty and instructors to learn tangible ways to add career connection in the classroom and examine the barriers to access for first-generation students, students of color, and low-income students. All who teach at OSU are welcome. 10 a.m.-3 p.m., May 1, on the Corvallis campus. Applications will be accepted until March 13 at 11:59 p.m. For questions (or to request a seminar at another location) reach out to Director of Career Integration Brenna Gomez at [email protected].

FY26 Deadline for Purchase Requisitions and Contracts ≥ $250,000: Purchase requisitions and contracts with a total contract value over $250,000 must be submitted in BennyBuy by March 18 at 5 p.m. This deadline supports the Administrative Modernization Program (AMP) and the transition of requisition and contract processing to Workday in July 2026. Review additional P2P Cutover Deadlines from the Office of Procurement, Payment and Travel to ensure you meet the FY26 processing deadlines.

Register now for Open Education Week: Today marks the start of Open Education Week. OSU is committed to lowering the cost of learning for students, and Open Education Week is a great opportunity to learn how. Through a series of virtual events, you can join this annual celebration that raises awareness of open educational resources (OER) and highlights innovative ways to make higher education more accessible and affordable for all. View the schedule of webinars and register today.

Claim your Affordability Matters badge: If you make learning more affordable by using course materials that cost $40 or fewer, you’ve earned an Affordability Matters badge. Now available as a digital credential through Credly, the badge makes it easy to showcase your impact beyond the classroom — on LinkedIn, in your email signature or on your professional webpage. You can also display the badge in your syllabus, Canvas course site and other course communications to help students quickly identify affordable courses. Learn more and apply for the badge.

Host your next event at OSU’s most flexible venue: The Alumni Center at Oregon State offers stunning indoor and outdoor spaces for 1-1,000+ guests, plus AV tech for hybrid and virtual events. Located steps from Reser Stadium, it’s perfect for meetings, conferences, reunions and celebrations. Enjoy professional support and modern amenities. Book your space today.

“SPRING INTO STEAM” Spring Break Camp: Looking for a fun and educational way for your child (grades 3 to 5) to spend spring break? Join us at Hatfield Marine Science Center as we explore the process of science through estuary investigations, reveal the wonders of watersheds and weather, dive into the deep-sea, celebrate cephalopods and experience marine magic through art. 9-4 daily March 23-27. Cost is $200. Learn more and register your child today.

Marine Prototyping Microcredential Workshop, April 27-May 1: The Innovation Lab at Hatfield Marine Science Center is hosting a week-long workshop that introduces the basics of designing and manufacturing prototypes for marine applications. Participants will acquire skills in computer-aided design, electronics, machining, 3D printing, laser cutting, sealing and waterproofing systems. People who successfully complete the workshop will receive a foundational microcredential in marine prototyping through the Marine Technical Society. Apply to attend by March 15. Scholarships are available. Full details here.

Timely Teaching Tips: Are you interested in engaging students through social learning? Perusall is an OSU-supported platform that can enhance student interaction, collaboration and learning. Register and join us on Feb. 27 at 10 a.m. for an introduction to Perusall to learn about the platform, best practices and strategies to transform your teaching.

Executive Search Services: Oregon State University has launched a new Executive Search Services function designed to strengthen how we identify, recruit and support exceptional senior‑level talent across the university. This service expands OSU’s capacity to conduct high‑quality, inclusive and strategically aligned searches for key administrative roles. The Executive Search Services team will collaborate with colleges, divisions and search committees to provide comprehensive search planning and consultation, candidate sourcing and recruitment support, guidance on equitable and inclusive search practices and more. Contact [email protected] with any questions.

Submit videos to celebrate student employees: In preparation for National Student Employment Week April 13-17, we are collecting videos to celebrate our on-campus student employees. Selected clips will be compiled into a final video celebrating our student employees’ work and contributions to OSU. To participate, please submit a short video clip of students working in their roles. The video can be recorded by the student as a horizontal selfie-style clip or by a supervisor capturing the student in their work environment. See the full submission guidelines here; deadline is Feb. 27.

Mid-Month Emergency Preparedness Topic: Food Options in Emergencies. If disaster strikes, access to food and water may be very limited for days or weeks. Knowing the different food options available during an emergency will highly increase survival during an emergency. English and Spanish versions of this bulletin can be found here.

SAVE THE DATE: Join us Friday, June 5 at the 2026 Engineering Expo, featuring interactive design project displays created and hosted by more than 1,200 senior engineering students. Project topics cover the breadth of engineering challenges, including robotics, clean water, nuclear energy, virtual reality, construction innovation and much more. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m., June 5, CH2M Hill Alumni Center. The Expo is free and open to the public. The format of the event allows attendees to visit the projects anytime throughout the day. Register here.

Timely Teaching Tips: Learning during times of stress can be challenging. Share this quick-read about learning and stress and encourage your students to identify the support and resources they can access when stress rises. Planning ahead can make it easier when difficult situations occur and can help clarify where to turn for help.

Input on downtown Corvallis sought: The City of Corvallis is looking for community input on ways to improve downtown Corvallis. The Downtown Vitality Strategy Task Force has launched a survey to gather input regarding a list of potential actions, which they’ve drafted over the course of several months. The survey is available here. Additionally, there is a dedicated public input form to gather feedback about downtown — questions, ideas and things to keep in mind. Community members are also invited to attend an upcoming task force meeting. Times are available on the City website. The task force will use these responses to help inform recommendations to the City Council later this spring.

Hemp Fiber Wearable Art Exhibit Opportunity: The Oregon State University College of Business Apparel Design Program and the Louisiana State University Department of Textiles, Apparel Design, and Merchandising are proud to present the Global Hemp Innovation Center Wearable Art Showcase in the Spring of 2027 — an exploration of the creative potential of hemp fibers and natural textiles to create unique works of sustainable wearable art. The exhibition is generously supported by the Global Hemp Innovation Center at Oregon State University. Submissions for blind-juried review are due Aug. 1. Email Colleen Pokorny for guidelines.