Program Home · Q&A · Program Review 2019-20 · Contact
Created in 2018 as the Presidential Student Legislative Advocates, the OSU Legislative Scholars (ULS) program seeks to enable students to learn about, and engage in, current public policy issues while also increasing student advocacy in the Oregon legislative process.
We are anticipating in-person classes that enable OSU-Cascades students to participate on line. We will continue to pursue our goal of fostering diversity and inclusion to create change in a political world that is currently marked by polarity, an on-going pandemic, historic racial injustice, resistance to science, and an uncertain future created by a changing climate. We are actively seeking the participation of historically marginalized, under-represented, and STEM students who are interested in engaging in the political process.
The program has four goals:
Program participants participate with university leaders, the Associated Students of OSU (ASOSU), the Associated Students of Cascades Campus (ASCC), and OSU faculty in weekly meetings on a wide range of topics with legislators, advocates, legislative staff, and other public policy practitioners who are engaged in the Oregon Legislative Assembly.
While learning about the basic operations of the legislature, participants construct an Individual Development Plan (IDP) that engages them with a particular state legislator, a bill or policy under consideration, and an advocate or analyst who is involved in the legislative process. Throughout the academic year, participants are responsible for implementing and, as necessary, revising the plan as they engage in the legislative process.
Program participants also have the opportunity play a significant role in OSU’s advocacy efforts, with an emphasis on increasing funding for student programs and facilities and reducing student debt and exposure to tuition increases. Activities include:
The Program also assists students in finding internships in Salem and Washington, DC.
A review of the 2020-21 program can be found here.
A review of the 2019-20 fall quarter can be found here.
Your questions answered here.
Please contact Program Director Jock Mills with any additional questions: jock.mills@oregonstate.edu