OREGON OPEN CAMPUS:
Investing in Oregon’s Future Vitality
January 2008
INVESTING IN OREGON’S FUTURE
Current trends point to a shortage of qualified
labor. Thanks to an unprecedented
convergence of demographic and educational
trends, labor shortages are expected increase in
the immediate future. Industrial futurists
indicate labor shortages are becoming so severe
that retirement as it is presently known will
vanish.
students and labor need to be prepared for the
future. In doing so, businesses, educators, and
community leaders recognize the emerging shift
from the Information Age to a Learning Society –
one where the availability of easy access to
education resources by a broad range of people
using both telecommunications infrastructure
and face-to-face communications is needed.
In less than seven years, there will be nearly 168
million jobs in the U.S. economy, but only about
158 million people in the labor market to fill
them - a shortfall of 10 million workers.1 One of
the biggest factors behind the decline in
workforce readiness is the steady decline in
graduation rates among the nation's colleges
and universities.2
A survey of state governors in 1999 found that
97% believed it is important to encourage
students in postsecondary education to pursue
lifelong learning; 83% felt that students should
be allowed to receive education anytime
anyplace through technology, and 77% believed
that collaboration with business and industry
should be required for future workforces.
Social and intellectual capital is becoming the
primary economic value. The new "coin of the
INVESTING IN OREGON OPEN CAMPUS
realm" in the world economy is social and
intellectual capital: What you know and who you
know both count. Unleashing and connecting
the collective knowledge, ideas, and experiences
of people creates and heightens value and
fosters the emerging practice of continuous
improvement – a key factor with organizations
and businesses thriving in the twenty-first
century.3
Educators and their communities are a source
of intellectual strength. They need to stay in
touch with developments in society so they can
know what knowledge and skills
1
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Challenger, J.A., “The Coming Labor Shortage,” The Futurist,
October 2006, Washington D.C.
3 Marx, Gary, “Educating for Tomorrow’s World,” The Futurist,
April 2006.
2
Oregon communities, businesses and agencies
partnering with Oregon State University are well
positioned to meet the emerging demands for
continuous learning as an investment in
strengthening the state’s economy and social
capital. Private and public leadership coupled
with existing infrastructures including OSU
Extension and Extended Education, Community
Colleges, Schools, and businesses, Oregon can
realize “Oregon Open Campus” – communitybased access to advanced education based on
local needs.
What is the Investment? In order to optimize
Oregon’s investment in educational access,
Oregon Open Campus will coordinate credit,
certification, and applied education
opportunities to meet on-demand, flexible
learning through the use of telecommunication
technology and face-to-face learning. Local OSU
Extension Service sites and their partners will
become community learning sites supporting
individual and business learning.
Building on existing resources including locally
based residential faculty, training areas,
broadband internet connectivity, and video
conferencing capability, Oregon Open Campus
will expand opportunities to access affordable
education with capacity to merge electronic and
face-to-face student-teacher classrooms.
Who is Invested? Building on the demand for
increasing access to education from business
sectors and commitment from OSU leadership,
Governor Kulongoski has launched his legacy
agenda focused on strengthening higher
education and its infrastructure. Additionally,
Association of Oregon Counties has prioritized
higher education state-wide.
When and How is Oregon Open Campus
Being Launched? Conceptually initiated in
fall 2007 by Crook County Judge Scott Cooper,
Oregon Open Campus is framed around a vision
that learning is the necessary currency for
individuals, groups and businesses to deal with
complexity and change. Oregon Open Campus is
the local access point for Oregon University
System’s credit, certification and applied real time
and electronic education.
continuously adapt and grow as communities,
businesses and groups change. Operations will
include:

Assessment - Educational content is identified
through systematic assessment of local need,
opportunities and audiences.

Portfolio of
Capacity
Assessment
Development
Education and Sustainability
A portfolio of
Portfolio of
courses, workshops
Education
and educational
opportunities tailored to local/regional needs
will be implemented.

Capacity Development and Sustainability Community resources will continually be
identified to create, offer and evaluate the
extent to which needs are met. While financial
resources are necessary, so will be a regional
spirit of mutual commitment to educational
service.
A minimum of three incubator sites will be
established over the next two years to
implement Oregon Open Campus. To date,
Tillamook County and central Oregon have been
chosen and community leaders have held work
sessions. Counties exploring potential to serve
as incubation sites include Union, Klamath and
possibly Columbia counties.
What are the Next Steps?
During January through May 2008 incubator
counties will be identified. These sites will
define strategies and actions to successfully
launch Oregon Open Campus. Simultaneously,
OSU leadership will align efforts to support
incubation sites and prepare legislative and
state-wide partnership strategies to advance and
sustain growth.
Contact Information:
From a joint meeting of OSU and Association of
Oregon Counties leaders in November 2007, two
fundamental principles emerged:
Web site
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/admin/ingrant
s.php
1. Investment – Oregon Open Campus is
envisioned to be a private-public collaboration that
leverages resources to build sustainability and
capacity. This investment recognizes new relevant
roles and responsibilities for partnering
organizations, agencies and businesses.
Scott Reed, scott.reed@oregonstate.edu
2. Learning Community – As a learning
community, Oregon Open Campus will
Teresa Hogue teresa.hogue@oregonstate.edu