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Abbott named dean of oceanography Graduates face next hurdle: finding a job Armed with high hopes and fresh diplomas, OSU’s 3,397 new graduates are confronting a daunting challenge: launching new careers in a slowing economy. "While the job market is not as good as it had been in the last couple of years, I can’t say it’s terrible," said Tom Munnerlyn, director of OSU Career Services. "Most organizations say they can use fresh talent, which is students coming out of school." He said that companies are offering new graduates fewer perks, such as signing bonuses, stock options and moving expenses. Students also need to be flexible about where they will live. He did say that if the economy doesn’t pick up, the job outlook may be more difficult in the coming year. Even engineering graduates are facing hiring hurdles. "Not catastrophic, but weaker," is how Ray Rathja, assistant dean in OSU"s College of Engineering, categorizes the job prospects for new engineers. "We were used to every student getting a job every time he or she interviewed," he said. "That is not the way it was this year." He said that graduates need to interview with a number of companies to get a job close to what they want. Munnerlyn encourages recent graduates needing career help to contact Career Services at (541) 737-4085. "If alumni are laid off or caught in a corporate downsizing situation, we can work with them, too," he said. Accreditation team applauds OSU’s commitment to students OSU staff and faculty were commended by a team of outside evaluators for their willingness to engage and mentor students and the loyalty they have shown the university despite financial challenges. That was one of the general commendations the university received from the accreditation committee that visited OSU in April. The site visit was made by the Commission on Colleges of the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges. Every 10 years, OSU is reviewed for assurances that its programs and services are of the highest possible caliber. As part of this review, the evaluators visit the main campus and other OSU sites in the state. The committee of evaluators shared general commendations and recommendations. The commendations included: *Praising the expansion of The Valley Library to create a special place for the university community and to provide access to networked information. *Applauding the university’s major commitment to become a statewide campus. It recognized OSU for being the lead institution in forming the Bend campus to help meet the higher education needs of the state. It also cautioned that the expansion to Central Oregon shouldn’t detract from existing programs. *Recognizing the University Honors College as a quality program that attracts high-quality students. *Acknowledging the College of Forestry, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, and International Programs for providing models of excellence for the entire university. Evaluators recommended that, given the shortfall of resources, OSU review the programs it offers and determine what the university should offer. The committee also recommended that the Oregon University System and the legislature examine the funding it provides OSU for maintenance of existing buildings. OSU also needs to take steps to regularly assess its programs and upgrade its library collections. The university should monitor and evaluate the quality of its academic advising and evaluate combined 400/500 classes to make sure they are providing graduate students with a graduate level experience. Family business honored Neilson Manufacturing, Inc. in Salem was named one of the top three National Family Businesses of the Year. It was honored as an Oregon Family Business of the Year in 2000 by OSU’s Austin Family Business Program.
Veterinary college to expand programs OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine will fulfill a 25-year-old dream with $8 million in funding recently provided by the Oregon legislature, as it creates for the first time on the Corvallis campus a full four-year vet program. Since its inception in the late 1970s, the college has had to send its students to Washington State University for small animal medical training, as part of an unusual collaborative arrangement that helped reduce initial expenses when the program was begun decades ago. Now, the college is anticipating construction of a new 30,000-square-foot hospital, laboratory, and instructional facility, a major expansion of faculty and staff, and a range of new services for students and the people of Oregon. The new program is expected to be operational within two years. "This expansion of our educational program will be a huge benefit to the animal-owning public," said Dr. Howard Gelberg, dean of the college. "Oregon’s veterinary practitioners will now have board certified specialists in all animal species to assist with their most difficult cases. Our students will be able to get their complete education in Oregon, and they more likely will stay in Oregon to develop their careers and meet the demand we have here for veterinary care."
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