It is my pleasure to introduce this latest issue of The Mountaineer. Just like so many aspects of our university, this publication has transformed since I joined 91传媒鈥檚 newly established Board of Trustees in 2015. As an 91传媒 Foundation Board Member, through scholarships I witnessed the opportunity of a college degree dramatically change the lives of our students. Today, as Chair of the 91传媒 Board of Trustees, I continue to experience the myriad ways our community grows, thrives and serves the region on a daily basis.

My own career began at an 91传媒 campus noticeboard, where a job posting connected me with a network of entrepreneurial opportunity that has continued to flourish today. The confidence instilled in me by the faculty and staff at 91传媒 has had a dramatic affect on my life. My own children and neighbors have also discovered their potential at 91传媒. Giving back to the institution that has given me so much is truly an honor and a privilege.

As we work to grow the number of lives impacted, I am constantly reminded of the transformational education 91传媒 provides. Low-income, first-generation, rural and traditionally marginalized students thrive in the supportive, tight-knit culture fostered here. These stories exemplify 91传媒鈥檚 role as an educational, cultural and economic engine for rural places.

Expanding access, opportunity and completion promises a growing workforce, thriving communities, and renewed commitment to service and philanthropy. This issue of The Mountaineer showcases 91传媒 students, alumni and faculty contributing to the wellbeing of our region. 91传媒 is able to grow, thrive, and serve because of the individuals who do just that both personally and in the public square.

I am interminably grateful to work alongside you all.

Sincerely,

Richard Chaves, 鈥�73

Chair, 91传媒 Board of Trustees

The post Message From The 91传媒 Board Chair appeared first on 91传媒 .

The Grande Ronde Valley is Cayuse country, frequented by Umatilla and Walla Walla tribes. 91传媒 Trustee Bobbie Conner called it, 鈥渁n abundant and much beloved landscape.鈥�

The Cayuse have burial and gathering sites throughout the valley where 91传媒 has had its main campus for just 91 years. Groups travelling west from the Wallowas came through this trading hub, so the Cayuse gathered here seasonally with their relatives the Walla Walla, Umatilla and the Nez Perce. Conner said these traditions and the connection to the land remain central in these cultures.

鈥淧eople still hunt, fish and gather,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e still visit many of the places that were beloved by previous generations.鈥�

Her grandmother鈥檚 favorite place was near Catherine Creek, and the Blackhawk Trail along the base of the foothills was important to her family and people. But the treaty signed in 1855 excluded the Grande Ronde Valley from the .

鈥淚t was one of the areas discussed at the treaty in Walla Walla,鈥� Conner said. 鈥淭he Grande Ronde Valley was very much sought. The reservation that was identified went as far as Five Points Creek. Had the reservation been what we agreed to at the council, that was set aside in June 1855, it would have come very close to what we now call La Grande.鈥�

91传媒 has its share of connections to local tribes. Alikut Hall is named for one of Conner鈥檚 ancestors, a younger brother of . Dorion Hall commemorated , who travelled from Iowa as the only Indigenous woman in her fur trade expedition as a translator.

Conner pointed out that the resources of northeast Oregon supported communities here long before the arrival of white Americans.

鈥淭imber, fisheries, fire, travel corridors, interpretive stories, water rights, any of those topics begins with our indigenous history,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nyone who loves the Grande Ronde Valley must acknowledge that it鈥檚 been loved a very long time. It was cared for and stewarded long before the Euro-American trek from the east.鈥�

Today, education plays a significant role in framing the history Conner鈥檚 people lived through. Her mother is an 91传媒 alumna, who went on to become the only American Indian educator in every school district she worked in.

鈥淲hen 91传媒 is educating our people and our neighbors, we want them to know that we still love that land and we want people to take good care of it,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f 91传媒 is growing the leadership of tomorrow, regardless of their place of origin, we want them to understand what鈥檚 important to us.鈥�

Conner highlighted the connectedness of rural Oregon, and said better understanding promises mutual benefit for 91传媒, reservations and local communities. She said that ignorance and fear of the unknown often keep people apart.

鈥淧eople tend to think that racism, bias and prejudice are what divide us. That is not true,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 rare that anyone thinks less of our culture and thinks less of us the more they know. Typically, the more they know about us, the better friends we become and the more we can achieve together.鈥�

In the 19th Century, white settlers perceived Cayuse people as murderers and terrorists. The growing throng of immigrants had brought a measles epidemic that wiped out entire villages, and a few members of the tribe sought to stop the wagon train bringing more people through the mountains.

鈥淲e have suffered much inequity and oppression since the arrival of Euro-Americans,鈥� Conner said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 have to be that way, but that鈥檚 part of our history. We have been subject under local jurisdiction before we had tribal police, and we understand what bias can do in the execution of job duties. I鈥檝e seen it with my own eyes as a child in my hometown.鈥�

As a member of 91传媒鈥檚 governing board and Director of the , Conner continues to build relationships as she shares the stories of her people and their land.

鈥淗istorically, our people lived our lives in abundance,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his homeland has food at every elevation if you know how to take care of it. We come from a position of wellbeing that we hope to see again. When we are not in poverty, fighting for survival or under irrational threat, much, much good is possible.鈥�

Named for Native Americans

Alikut Hall

Alikut, also spelled Ollokot, was a younger brother of Young Chief Joseph, the son of Old Chief Joseph and grandson of Wallowa Man (Wilenotkin). He was a Cayuse-Nez Perce man with a Cayuse wife, who was Bobby Conner鈥檚 maternal grandfather鈥檚 mother. Ollokot and Joseph were considered Joseph band Nez Perce, but Conner said the band is actually the Wallowa band.

Dorion Hall

In 1939, the third building established on campus was named after Marie Aioe Dorion, an indigenous woman who traveled to Oregon from Iowa as a translator. Originally a women鈥檚 dorm, it was renamed Hunt Hall after female students moved out. The hall was demolished in 2017 for safety reasons, but Dorion, the only Indigenous woman in her fur trade expedition, remains a significant part of regional history.

Further reading:

is an ethnogeographic place names atlas for the Grande Ronde Valley that includes the original American Indian names of rivers and geographical features. Copies are available in the 91传媒 library.

The post This land… appeared first on 91传媒 .

Note: Since this story was written, the Board of Trustees met on Nov. 12 and voted unanimously to remove Pierce from the Library’s name. Read the news story here: eou.edu/news-press/board-approves-budget-de-names-library.

Before spring term ended last June, over 100 91传媒 students joined several hundred community members in making their voices heard in a public forum. drew attention on a Tuesday afternoon, but student leaders had already been at work on a poignant racial equity issue for years.

91传媒 students tapped into a legacy of campus activism in 2018 when student body leaders passed a that questioned the appropriateness of an 91传媒 building named for former Oregon governor Walter Pierce. This resolution, combined with a , led President Tom Insko to form a committee of students, faculty and staff to review the naming issue.

This fall, after two years of academic research and community involvement, the 91传媒 Board of Trustees will vote on whether to alter the library鈥檚 name.

Now a senior studying public health and psychology, Andrea Camacho has been a strong voice in these conversations since the AS91传媒 resolution. Camacho was joined on the committee by fellow student Joel Chin, library faculty member Katie Townsend, ’06, and history professor Rebecca Hartman. The committee was chaired by Vice President for University Advancement Tim Seydel.

Learning by committee

Together, they were tasked with investigating Walter and Cornelia Pierce鈥檚 public stances on inclusion and recommending a course of action.

The processes of public institutions are often at odds with the passion of student leaders, but Camacho remained persistent. For over a year, committee members met to discuss recent findings, review Pierce documents and materials, delve into previous research and collect input from peers. When COVID-19 emerged in early 2020, the committee鈥檚 long-anticipated visit to the state archives had to be cancelled.

鈥淚 had to learn the process,鈥� Camacho said. 鈥淭his conversation has been happening since 1999鈥擨 was born in 1999.鈥�

Over 20 years ago, a committee of 91传媒 faculty investigated Pierce鈥檚 history and found no convincing evidence that he was affiliated with Ku Klux Klan. They concluded that, while he cultivated the Klan vote, he was not a member, and that there was not sufficient reason to rename the library. The also identified Cornelia Pierce’s role as Oregon’s state librarian. The university moved to rename the building “Pierce Library.”

The 1999 committee did not include student input, but for the last two years Camacho has solicited feedback from her classmates, continuing to elevate student voices.

鈥淚 had conversations with , Speel-Ya and Navigators Club,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hese students were dumbfounded that 91传媒 just hadn鈥檛 changed the name yet.鈥�

Community members, employees, students and alumni also shared their input through an online form.

Townsend, who has overheard students鈥� discomfort with the library鈥檚 name throughout her 12 years as an employee, said she hoped to collect evidence that could serve as a reference point for questions that surface regularly.

鈥淚 really appreciated having students on the committee, to hear from them and see them continue to push for this, and go through the process, which takes so much longer than any of us want it to usually,鈥� Townsend said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 move as fast as students expect or want, and they figured out how to persevere and stay passionate about it.鈥�

Hartman agreed that student participation strengthens 91传媒鈥檚 liberal arts approach to graduating well-rounded, engaged citizens. Hartman said she saw students become educators for faculty, staff and administrators, and they continued to agitate from outside the committee, posting an.

鈥淪tudents did have to tussle with that lesson of how to bend the system to your will, how to work the process and the system,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 easy for institutions not to listen to voices that want change, not because of ill-will but because it鈥檚 easier to not change. I was impressed not just by their passion, but their tenacity.鈥�

Busting misconceptions

Pierce governed Oregon from 1922 to 1926. He also spent 10 years in the U.S. Congress and two terms in the state senate.

Townsend said historical records list him as an honorary member of the KKK and show that he cultivated the group鈥檚 support in his gubernatorial campaign. No conclusive evidence of his KKK membership was found, but Townsend said this particular facet of the controversy can distract from other important questions.

“Some past discussions seemed to only consider his Klan membership, but there’s so much that is concerning,鈥� Townsend said. 鈥淗is speeches and actions show racist views toward so many groups that continued for his whole career. The Klan membership question is part of his history that should be examined, but the conversation needs to be expanded.鈥�

recounts a thorough investigation of Pierce鈥檚 legacy saying, 鈥淲e conclude that regardless of the question of his Klan membership, Pierce鈥檚 support of the [anti-Catholic] Compulsory School bill, his and Cornelia鈥檚 successful campaign for forced sterilization [of people with mental illnesses], his vote against a federal anti-lynching law, and his sustained assault upon the civil liberties of Japanese-Americans are clear evidence of the Pierces鈥� discriminatory actions and values.鈥�

They found that while Pierce supported agriculture and infrastructure, he did so exclusively for the benefit of white Oregonians.

The committee report reads, 鈥淔or Pierce, civil liberties, due process, and democratic processes were not universal rights and principles but rather, entitlements of white Protestant Americans. However one might attempt to historically 鈥榗ontextualize鈥� these values, even in the early 20th Century, and certainly by the mid-century, the Pierces鈥� commitment to exclusionary racial policies reflected a strain of racist ideology that was increasingly rejected by Americans. We see no way to reconcile such a legacy with the values and goals of our university.鈥�

In his 2020 Convocation address to staff and faculty, 91传媒 President Tom Insko shared insights from a friend of the university who responded to concerns about erasing history.

鈥淗is words were: 鈥楾his is not an exercise in rewriting history. History cannot be re-written, only our perceptions of what our collective histories mean to us can be revised. This decision is about whose lives and philosophies we in the 21st Century choose to celebrate and honor.

鈥淚t is one thing to accept that people lived in their times and must be judged in that context. It is quite another thing to continue to honor a century later people who we know in our hearts were wrong, and whose actions generated a divided society we are struggling to this day to correct.鈥欌��

A pillar for change

鈥淚 believe it鈥檚 time for us to drop the name Pierce from the library, but we need to approach this in such a way that it allows for inclusion and many points of view because there are many out there that disagree with that perspective,鈥� Insko said.

The committee鈥檚 report has been submitted to Insko and he鈥檒l make a to the Board of Trustees at its Nov. 12 meeting. As a public meeting, community members, students and employees are invited to provide testimony on the issue.

At the close of a long process and following 66 years of contentious debate, committee members see an opportunity for 91传媒 to fully embrace its mission, values and principles.

“We used the 91传媒 mission statement to frame our analysis of the Pierces鈥� legacy and we concluded that their legacy fundamentally conflicts with the university’s mission,鈥� Hartman said. 鈥淧art of what we do as an institution of higher learning is examine, reflect and think about ways our history can be an opportunity to learn about ourselves, and make choices about what we want to stand for. Denaming the library empowers us to move past our history and work toward a more equitable and inclusive future.鈥�

The professors who co-authored the 1999 report now favor de-naming the building, which Hartman attributes to increased awareness of how systemic racism is entrenched through cultural symbols like building names. Hartman added that student activism has aided a general seachange in public opinion regarding racial equity, oppression and how to remember historical figures.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a testament that 91传媒 is doing what it鈥檚 supposed to do: creating critical thinkers engaged in the world around them,鈥� Hartman said. 鈥淭he fact that students have spearheaded this should encourage us and give us hope. We are, in fact, doing our jobs because students are equipped to change the world.鈥�

Camacho, who anticipates earning her degree in spring, embodies that success. She acquired letters of support, not just from peers, but from the . Her efforts to educate the community resulted in wider awareness that spurred public action.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 have a Ph.D., I鈥檓 not a historian, but I do know what鈥檚 right and what鈥檚 wrong,鈥� Camacho said. 鈥淔or the past two years, this is all I鈥檝e wanted from 91传媒. We need something to show that 91传媒 is moving in the right direction.鈥�

In her final year on campus, she said this particular decision could stand as a pillar for change as higher education follows its students into the future.

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For two years, Cheryl Martin, 鈥�76, got to teach in the same school where her grandmother had first inspired her to become a teacher. She spent another 25 years in North Powder, where her experience ranged from kindergartners up to high school psychology classes.

Her “range” also includes the cattle range. Martin has lived and worked on a ranch in Eastern Oregon throughout her career and now in her retirement.

She has a surprising amount in common with chemist and professor Abel Mendoza, 鈥�72. Both serve on 91传媒鈥檚 Board of Trustees, and both are deeply committed to serving the region鈥檚 students.

Including Martin, over a dozen people in her family have attended 91传媒. Mendoza, meanwhile, was the first in his family to go to college. Since then, he鈥檚 gone on to earn a Ph.D., conduct research and teach at 91传媒’s chemistry department. He even saw his daughter graduate in the blue and gold.

Vice Chair of the Board this year, Mendoza sees his volunteer trusteeship as an act of giving back. He enrolled as an international student from Mexico, and found the surrounding mountains a cozy reminder of home.

鈥淔or most people, education is the key to joining the middle class, that鈥檚 why I鈥檓 committed to being involved in it,鈥� Mendoza said. 鈥淔or me, it was the door to a better way of life. I met professors from a variety of fields who made me feel welcome.鈥�

Mendoza and Martin both joined the inaugural 91传媒 Board of Trustees in 2015. Martin said the experience has strengthened her relationship with the campus community.

鈥淚 love 91传媒, my heart is there,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 love the world of education, and it has been rewarding for me to be part of 91传媒 at a different level.鈥�

One of the primary responsibilities of trustees is ensuring the university鈥檚 financial stability, a task that has shifted in the five years since the board was chartered.

鈥淚t鈥檚 no secret that the school has gone through difficult times as you look back at the last 15 years,鈥� Mendoza said. 鈥淭he most gratifying part of being a trustee is that we have made a huge difference.”

Being Oregon鈥檚 Rural University comes with a commitment to affordability. Martin grew up in rural Oregon and said the designation calls attention to the board鈥檚 focus on ensuring access to higher education.

鈥淲e want so badly to keep that tuition level where students can afford to come to 91传媒 without massive debt,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淪tudents need to have options and availability for their paths, whether that鈥檚 a two-year or four-year degree or beyond.鈥�

Mendoza鈥檚 initial college experience inspired him to eventually earn a doctorate in chemistry and pursue an extensive career with Dow Chemical, where he obtained 28 U.S. patents and over 100 international patents. His 14 siblings have also benefited, and many of his nieces and nephews have followed his lead and graduated college. After retiring from Dow, Mendoza moved to Haines, Oregon and taught at 91传媒 for a number of years before retiring again.

Martin said rural-ness and affordability go hand-in-hand with 91传媒鈥檚 hands-on learning and meaningful mentoring relationships.

鈥�91传媒 students get to experience a lifestyle of wide-open spaces, a friendly handshake at a local business, a smile from another as they walk down a sidewalk, a short trek to the mountains for recreation, and a university that puts that all together for a great lifetime experience,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t means that every student feels the compassion and caring of our faculty, board and administration while getting a second-to-none educational experience.鈥�

The post Get on board appeared first on 91传媒 .

LA GRANDE, Ore. 鈥� The Board of Trustees of 91传媒 will meet on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m and Thursday, Nov.14, 2024 from 9 a.m. to – Noon. The meeting will take place in the Integrated Services Building, 1607 Gekeler Lane, Room 147, on the campus of 91传媒 in La Grande, Oregon. The public is invited to attend in person. The meeting will also be broadcast via the internet, and a recording of the meeting will be available for viewing following the meeting. Livestream and recordings are available from the board鈥檚 webpage: /governance/livestream-meetings/

November 13-14, 2024 鈥�

Public Comments

Written comments must be received by 1 p.m. on Nov.8, 2024. They may be submitted electronically to board@eou.edu or mailed/delivered to the Office of the General Counsel and Board Secretary at One University Blvd, Library, room 209, La Grande, OR, 97850. Materials may be subject to disclosure under the Public Records Law.

For remote delivery of an oral comment via Zoom, the request must be submitted electronically to board@eou.edu and received by 1 p.m. on Nov. 8, 2024. Please provide a contact phone number and specify if you wish to comment during a particular agenda item or during the public comment section. A follow-up email with further instructions will be sent to you.

For in-person oral comment during an Agenda Item, requests must be submitted electronically to board@eou.edu and received by 1 p.m. on Nov. 8, 2024. In addition, please provide a contact phone number and specify if you wish to comment on a particular agenda topic or during the public comment section. A follow-up email with further instructions will be sent to you.

For in-person oral comment during the Public Comment section of the meeting, it is preferred that requests be submitted electronically to board@eou.edu and received by 1 p.m. on Nov. 8, 2024. The public may also sign up in person in the boardroom, before the public comment section starts. The sign-in sheet will be located at the Recorder’s desk.
For more information about public comment, see sections 8 and 9 of . The meeting is accessible to persons with disabilities. If special accommodations are required, please contact (541) 962-3511 or board@eou.edu at least 72 hours in advance.

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LA GRANDE, Ore. 鈥� The Finance and Administration Committee of the Board of Trustees of 91传媒 will meet on Wednesday, October 2 from 2:00 鈥� 4:30 p.m. The meeting will take place via Zoom. The meeting will also be broadcast via the internet, and a recording of the meeting will be available for viewing following the meeting.

Livestream and recordings are available from the board鈥檚 webpage: /governance/livestream-meetings/

Public Comments

Written comments must be received by 10:00 a.m. on September 30, 2024. They may be submitted electronically to board@eou.edu or mailed/delivered to the Office of the General Counsel and Board Secretary at One University Blvd, Library, room 209, La Grande, OR, 97850. Materials may be subject to disclosure under the Public Records Law.

For remote delivery of an oral comment via Zoom, the request must be submitted electronically to board@eou.edu and received by 10:00 a.m. on September 30, 2024. Please provide a contact phone number and specify if you wish to comment during a particular agenda item or during the public comment section. A follow-up email with further instructions will be sent to you.
For more information about public comment, see sections 8 and 9 of . The meeting is accessible to persons with disabilities. If special accommodations are required, please contact (541) 962-3511 or board@eou.edu at least 72 hours in advance.

The post Finance & Administration Committee Meeting appeared first on 91传媒 .

LA GRANDE, Ore. 鈥� The 91传媒 Board of Trustees will meet on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, from 9:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The meeting will take place in the Integrated Services Building, 1607 Gekeler Lane, Room 147, on the campus of 91传媒 in La Grande, Oregon. The public is invited to attend in person. The meeting will also be broadcast via the Internet, and a recording of the meeting will be available for viewing following the meeting. Livestream and recordings are available from the board鈥檚 webpage: /governance/livestream-meetings/

Written comments must be received by 1 p.m. on Feb. 12, 2024. They may be submitted electronically to board@eou.edu or mailed/delivered to the Office of the General Counsel and Board Secretary at One University Blvd, Library, room 209, La Grande, OR, 97850. Materials may be subject to disclosure under the Public Records Law.

For remote delivery of an oral comment via Zoom, the request must be submitted electronically to board@eou.edu and received by 1 p.m. on Feb. 12, 2024. Please provide a contact phone number and specify if you wish to comment on a particular agenda item or during the public comment section. A follow-up email with further instructions will be sent to you.

For in-person oral comment during an Agenda Item, requests must be submitted electronically to board@eou.edu and received by 1 p.m. on Feb. 12, 2024. In addition, please provide a contact phone number and specify if you wish to comment on a particular agenda topic or during the public comment section. A follow-up email with further instructions will be sent to you.

For in-person oral comment during the Public Comment section of the meeting, it is preferred that requests be submitted electronically to board@eou.edu and received by 1 p.m. on Feb. 12, 2024. The public may also sign up in person in the boardroom before the public comment section starts. The sign-in sheet will be located at the Recorder’s desk.
For more information about public comment, see sections 8 and 9 of Board Statement No. 1, Conduct of Public Meetings. The meeting is accessible to persons with disabilities. If special accommodations are required, please contact (541) 962-3511 or board@eou.edu at least 72 hours in advance.

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