The College of
LIBERAL ARTS

Student Focus

Putting it all together

Part IV: Technology has made designing choreography easier, but it’s the OSU Marching Band’s perfect execution that make their performances timeless

After the themes for each season’s halftime shows have been set, after the music the band plays as it takes the field has been written, after the musical arrangements have been worked out and the color guard starts practicing its routines, Olin Hannum, OSU’s associate director of bands and the university’s director of athletic bands, starts writing the drill -- essentially, the fine art and science of getting every band member in the right place at the right time.

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Alumni Focus

Grantmaking to reduce prison utilization and support community-based alternative sentencing

School of Public Policy graduate Ian Davidson, MPP ‘14, facilitates a shift in criminal justice resource use from prison beds to reinvestment programs

Ian Davidson manages the Justice Reinvestment Program (JRP) within the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission (CJC), which distributes funds to Oregon counties providing non-prison sentencing options for individuals who have committed a non-violent crime.

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CLA Leadership

The College of Liberal Arts 2023-2028 Strategic Plan

The College of Liberal Arts builds a richer, more creative tomorrow through the rigorous study of human history, human expression, and the human mind. In the next five years, we will pivot towards the knowledge economies of the future.

In the next five years, we will pivot towards the knowledge economies of the future. Today's students will chart their professional paths in a wider variety of fields than ever before, including many that don't yet exist. They seek an education that universities of the past could not have envisioned. We must meet their aspirations. CLA will be a bridge-builder, elevating collaborative opportunities and amplifying the visibility of innovative research and creative work.

We will integrate the arts in research disciplines across the University. We will create globally-relevant opportunities for all students, including those who cannot physically travel abroad. We will prioritize new technologies and pathways for student learning. The College of Liberal Arts will lead Oregon State University as a model of higher education for the public good.

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The right size for your education
The College of Liberal Arts is the proud academic home of 5,026 students. With 1 faculty member for every 15 undergraduate students, you'll receive a personalized education paired with a robust liberal arts college experience.

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World Class Instruction
Our dynamic, intellectual community of 336 expert faculty tackle the world’s biggest issues from social justice to food insecurity. They conduct symphonies and design in virtual reality. They study the past to forge solutions for the future.


4-Year Graduation Guarantee
CLA is the only college at Oregon State that guarantees you'll graduate in 4 years. Our graduates go on to successful careers in medicine, technology, the arts, media, law, policy, education, business and more. Your path is wide open.

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Featured Stories

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Faculty Focus

An MFA program for every writer

Elena Passarello, associate professor in the School of Writing, Literature, and Film, leads the storied MFA creative writing program

Oregon State University has over 100 graduate programs, including a Master’s in Fine Arts in the School of Writing, Literature, and Film (SWLF). Associate Professor Elena Passarello leads the distinguished, 24-student program consisting of emerging writers in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. read more >

 

With 290 faculty members, the College of Liberal Arts has the collective experience to guide our students to greatness.

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CLA Events

 

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donation innovation

Visionary Donations Funding our Future: PRAx

“The Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts will serve as a unique and dynamic education and performance center and will be a showcase destination for the visual, musical, theater and cultural arts for students, faculty, campus visitors and Oregonians,” said Larry Rodgers, dean of OSU’s College of Liberal Arts.

A lead gift of $25 million for the complex has been provided by Patricia Reser. Additional gifts include a $2 million commitment from the family of the late Lynne Detrick of West Linn to build a new 500-seat concert hall to offer a high-caliber venue for both listeners and performers, Rodgers said. The OSU Foundation continues to seek philanthropic support for the center, and OSU will also seek state bonding from the 2020 Oregon Legislature to help support the project. read more >

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Arts Entertainment Complex