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Western Oregon University (WOU) is a public liberal arts college located in Monmouth, Oregon, United States. It was originally established in 1856 by Oregon pioneers as Monmouth University. Subsequent names include Oregon Normal School, Oregon College of Education, and Western Oregon State College. Western Oregon University incorporates both the College of Education and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Enrollment is approximately 6,200 students.

History
In the early 1850s, a group of pioneers crossed the Oregon Trail. Upon arrival in the Willamette Valley, they founded both a church and a school. Monmouth University opened in 1856 with a small number of students. Elijah Barton Davidson, Jr. donated the land for the school.

Through the years, WOU has undergone seven name changes. In 1865, it merged with another private institution, Bethel College, in Bethel and became Christian College. In 1882, the Oregon State Legislature approved the college's bid to become a state-supported teacher training (or "normal") school, Oregon State Normal School. Later the name was changed to Oregon Normal School.

A period of growth in the 1920s more than tripled the school's enrollment to nearly 1,000 students. In 1939, the Oregon Legislature again changed the name to Oregon College of Education. The school entered an extended period of growth, except for a period during World War II when college enrollments dropped nationwide. New programs were added in the areas of liberal arts and sciences.

In 1979, the institution was renamed Western Oregon State College to reflect the school's growing academic programs in the liberal arts fields. In 1997 the school's name was changed to Western Oregon University.

Writing Center
The Western Oregon University Writing Center is a writing-focused support unit on Western Oregon University's campus that is designed to help promote students’ writing skills, development, and success as writers in a college setting. The director is a professor of English at the university, and the tutoring team currently consists of a mixture of undergraduate and graduate students from a variety of disciplines. To accommodate an emerging population of international and Spanish-speaking students at the university, the Writing Center also employs writing specialists to accommodate these specific student populations.

History
Western’s Writing Center was informally established in 1998 by professors in the Humanities Department. The Professors offered after-class assistance to students with writing projects. In 2003, Dr. Katherine Schmidt, professor of English, was hired as the Director. In 2012, the Writing Center was nominated for “Best Article " by the International Writing Centers Association.

Writing Consultants
The consultant team assists students in-person and online with their writing projects. Examples of what Writing Consultants help students with are understanding assignment directions, brainstorming ideas, creating "maps" or outlines, checking to see that students' projects meet the directions specified by their instructor, and adhering to format and style guides (e.g., AAA, APA, APSA, CBE, Chicago, and MLA).Multimodal compositions or new media projects such as digital narratives, blogs, websites, slideware presentations, and YouTube videos are other forms of writing that are considered writing projects.

Philosophy
Western’s Writing Center attributes part of their philosophy to Stephen North’s article, “The Idea of a Writing Center,” wherein he says that Writing Centers “have always been open to anybody in the university community, worked with writers at any time during the composing of a given piece of writing, and dealt with whole pieces of discourse, and not exercises on what might be construed as "subskills" (spelling punctuation, etc.) outside of the context of the writer's work.”  Western’s Writing Center philosophy is also, in-part, based on Muriel Harris’s article, “Concept of a Writing Center,” wherein she states that “In the writing center, the uniqueness of each writer is acknowledged as well as the writer’s individual needs and the benefits the writer can gain from personal attention.”

Tuition Promise
Beginning with the 2007–2008 academic year, WOU guarantees that undergraduate students will have the same tuition rate for four academic years as the year they entered. WOU is the only public university in the western U.S. to offer this guarantee.

Tuition Choice
Beginning with the 2011–2012 academic year, WOU allows students to choose between their Tuition Promise, or the new tuition choice. Students who choose the tuition choice will have a 2012 tuition that will be no more than 1% above the 2011 tuition, but with annual increases that could be between 5% and 10% per year. Students and their families will likely pay less their first year or two, but will pay more in years three and four.

Textbook Rental Program
Using a 2010–11 federal grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), WOU has developed a textbook rental program that will result in significant savings to students. Students rent textbooks at a cost of 38% of the purchase price for new textbooks.

The Office of International Students and Scholars Affairs (ISSA)
Western Oregon University hosts over 300 students from 22 different countries. Located in the Maaske Hall building on campus, ISSA offers support and other services for international students attending Western Oregon University. ISSA is responsible for students’ recruitment, application, and transcript evaluations, admissions, I-20 visa form issuing, orientation, and immigration advising. Clubs and programs organized by the ISSA offer opportunities for international students to take part in campus activities and events.

International Club
The International Club welcomes both international and domestic students. Activities and events usually feature a cultural theme or encourages members to take part in other campus events. The major event put on by the club is International Night, which occurs annually during the Spring term.

Conversation Partners
Previously a program ran by the Communication Studies department and as an entity of the Communication Club, in the Fall of 2013, the Conversation Partners Club was taken over by the ISSA and is now organized by Linguistics Professor, Dr. Robert Troyer. Conversation Partners originally began in 2006 as a project for an Intercultural Communication course taught by Communications Studies Professor, Dr. Emily Plec. The program assigns pairs of international students with domestic students. The partners are expected to meet weekly to converse about culture or partake in an activity together. The anticipated end result is a friendship formed between the partners and even among the program group. The Conversation Partners Club aims to encourage communication and social interaction between domestic and international students at Western.

Non-traditional Students
At Western, students who are over the age of 25, returned to school after an extended break, or have children, are considered non-traditional students. Western has an office created to support any and all Non-Traditional students, which is located on the second floor of the Werner University Center.

Non-traditional Student Services
Non-Traditional Student services include networking opportunities through social media and scheduled events. There are also services available to Non-Traditional Students who need assistance with childcare or with help finding balance between their current life outside of school and their new academic career.

Non-Traditional Student Lounge
The lounge, which is located in the Werner University Center, was set-up as a place for Non-Traditional Students to network and communicate. The lounge offers basic amenities such as a phone, sink, coffee maker, microwave oven, and day-use lockers. There is a second, family-oriented lounge found in Todd Hall for students to study while their children are cared for by certified child care providers.

Rental Services
Non-Traditional students have laptop rental and locker rental services available to them on request. Students can check out laptops for at-home in the Werner University Center Information desk. Non-Traditional students also have the option to rent a locker by term, where they can pay $5 per term for a small locker and $10 for a large locker. These lockers are also rented at the Werner University Center Information desk.

Emergency Locator Service
This service provides a system for family members to get in touch with a student during the school day in emergency situations. Students provide a copy of their schedule to the Vice President of Student Affairs Office in the Werner University Center so that in case of emergency, children, child care providers or family members can call and have a message delivered to the student in the classroom. These forms have to be updated each term with the students’ current information and scheduled classes.

Counseling Services and Advisement
Western has counseling and advisement services for both Domestic and Non-Traditional Students that provide them with advice and support. Advising is done through the Central Advising Office, located in the second floor of the Werner University Center, and counseling is done through the Student Health and Counseling Center.

Child Care Center
The Teaching Research and Child Development Center offers childcare for students who need someone to watch their children. WOU uses part of the incidental student fee to supplement the program and the care of children of WOU students.

Transitions Newsletter
The Transitions Newsletter is sent to Non-traditional Students once a week for the first two weeks of a term after a mailing list is sent by the resident student advisor. It contains a compilation of relevant items of interest for any Non-Traditional Student, including campus events and peer-written articles.

Academics
Western Oregon University offers bachelor's degrees (BA, BS, BM, and BFA) through its two colleges: the College of Education and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Master's degrees are available in Education (MAT and MSEd), Rehabilitation Counseling (MS), Criminal Justice (MA), Music (MM), Management and Information Systems (MS), and History (MA). In 2011, U.S. News & World Report ranked Western as the 83rd best amongst the regional universities in the west.

College of Education Division
WOU’s College of Education is divided into: Division of Teacher Education, Division of Special Education, Division of Health and Physical Education,

Health and Physical Education Division
The Division of Health and Physical Education (HPE) delivers programs and courses that meet the needs of multiple audiences. Undergraduate degree programs prepare professionals in the fields of school health education, physical education teacher education, community health education, and exercise science. Also offered are minor areas of study in Health Education, Physical Education, and Sport Leadership.

Special Education Division
The Division of Special Education offers undergraduate and graduate degrees that are designed to prepare students to begin or advance their careers to provide unique communication, rehabilitation, and educational services to individuals with disabilities or special needs. Undergraduate degrees offered include American Sign Language Interpreting, and American Sign Language Communications. Graduate degrees are offered in Interpreting Studies (delivered by distance with one summer in-person session), Rehabilitation Counseling, and Special Education. The ASL Interpreting Studies program received the Sorenson VRS Award of Excellence in 2008.

Teacher Education
The Teacher Education program is the first teacher education program in Oregon accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and offers over 30 teaching endorsements including Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle and High School. The College also offers a bachelors degree in bilingual education. Graduate degrees are offered Teaching and Information Technology. The Teacher Education Program was recognized in 2010 by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities as the recipient of the Christa McAuliffe Award for Excellence in Teacher Education.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers 30 bachelor degrees in seven academic divisions (Business and Economics, Computer Science, Creative Arts, Humanities, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and Psychology and Social Science). The Communications Studies Program received the 2008 Rex Mix Award for Excellence from the National Communication Association.

Business and Economics Division
The Business and Economics Division offers courses and training in accounting, finance, management, marketing, and production/operations management. The Economics Division prepares students for careers in the private and public sectors.

Creative Arts Division
The Creative Arts Division comprises departments in Art, Music and Theatre/Dance. The Music Department offers four degrees. The BA and BS in Music are liberal arts degrees with a third of all coursework in music. The Bachelor of Music in Contemporary Music is a professional degree with two thirds of all coursework in music. The Master of Music in Contemporary Music is perhaps the only degree of its kind in the US. Music programs at WOU are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music.

Computer Science Division
The Computer Science Division covers the Computer Science and Information Systems majors, and offers both Majors and Minors in Computer Science and Information Systems, falling into BS and BA degrees. A Masters in Management Information Systems is offered jointly with the Business Division.

Humanities Division
The Humanities Division is divided into four academic departments: Communications Studies, English Writing and Literature, Modern Languages, and Philosophy and Religion. It offers undergraduate degrees in all the above fields and the MA in History at the graduate level.

Natural Science and Mathematics Science Division
The Division of Natural Science and Mathematics consists of four departments; Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Physical Science,and the Mathematics Department. The Division offers BA/BS degrees in Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, and Mathematics. The Division also offers minors in the above areas including a Physics option.

Behavioral Sciences Division
The Gerontology and Psychology degrees are designed to provide the student a broadly based program in behavioral science. The both majors may be pursued as a component of a general liberal arts background, as preparation for a variety of service oriented occupations, or as a basis for graduate study in psychology and related fields. The emphasis of these degree programs differs from the usual undergraduate psychology major offered in many other institutions. A primary concern at Western Oregon University is the understanding of human behavior and experience with a focus on applications of this knowledge.

Social Science Division
The Social Science Division is a cluster of disciplines concerned with the characteristics and interactions of humans in their social and physical settings. These include anthropology, criminal justice, geography, history, political science, and sociology. The Social Science Division also includes programs in public policy and administration and international studies. The BA and BS degrees are offered. Masters degrees are offered in Criminal Justice and History.

Division Extended Programs
The Division of Extended Programs serves as the continuing education and professional development office on campus. We work with the two academic colleges as well as community members to create lifelong learning & personal enrichment opportunities, online classes and workforce training programs. Some of our more popular programs include: Traffic Safety Education/Instructor Certification; Health Care Interpreter training; and online Master’s degrees programs in Criminal Justice, Interpreting Studies, Education, Curriculum and Instruction, and Information Technology.

Teaching Research Institute
The Teaching Research Institute (TRI) houses eight Centers focused on informing and facilitating change in educational and human service systems to improve the quality of life for all individuals. The Centers conduct programs of research, develop evidence-based interventions that are provided through technical assistance and professional development, and increase system capacity to effect change. TRI Centers include the Center on Brain Injury Research & Training (CBIRT), the Center for Educator Preparation & Effectiveness (CEPE), the Center on Inclusion, Early Childhood Care & Education (COI), the Center on Sensory Disabilities (CSD), the Child Development Center (CDC), the Education Evaluation Center (EEC), the Evaluation and Research Group (ERGO), and the Technology and Information Management Services Center (TIMS).

Athletics
Western Oregon University's sports teams are called the Wolves and compete in the NCAA's Great Northwest Athletic Conference at the Division II level. WOU sponsors 13 intercollegiate sports. Within their history under the NAIA prior to their transition to the NCAA, Western Oregon won multiple NAIA national titles in women’s basketball. The Baseball team on campus has experienced much success in the GNAC, winning ten consecutive conference titles since 2001. The Track and Field teams have also performed well within the conference, with the men's team winning four consecutive GNAC Indoor Track titles since 2008. In the fall of 2010, the men's and women's cross country teams earned their first berths in school history to the NCAA National Championships where they placed 20th and 21st, respectively.

Pertaining to club sports on campus, not regulated by the NCAA or NAIA, the Western Oregon Men's Lacrosse Club has won the Division II PNCLL championship trophy in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. The Western Oregon Men's Rugby Club won the Division II Pacific Northwest Rugby Football Union (PNRFU) championship in 2005, 2009, and 2010.

On April 26, 2008, Sara Tucholsky, a reserve outfielder on the Wolves softball team (2005–08), hit the first home run of her college career in a victory over Central Washington University, but injured her knee rounding first base; Central Washington's Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace carried Tucholsky around the rest of the bases to home plate. This act of sportsmanship was heavily covered by national media outlets, and resulted in Tucholsky, Holtman, and Wallace's winning the Best Moment award at the 2008 ESPY Awards.

Club Sports
{| class="wikitable" ! Club !! Advisor |- |- |-
 * Judo Club || Robert Swan
 * Martial Arts || Warner Allen
 * Men's Lacrosse || Ben Prahl
 * Martial Arts || Warner Allen
 * Men's Lacrosse || Ben Prahl
 * Men's Lacrosse || Ben Prahl
 * Men's Rugby || N/A
 * Men's Soccer || Maximo Bedolla
 * Rock Climbing || Robert Troyer
 * Rock Climbing || Robert Troyer
 * Rock Climbing || Robert Troyer
 * Ultimate Frisbee || Myk Rose
 * United Bowlers Alliance || Trenton Nettles
 * Women's Rugby || Kristine Dalton
 * Women's Rugby || Kristine Dalton
 * Women's Rugby || Kristine Dalton
 * Women's Water Polo || Elke Aselson

The Journal
The Journal is Western Oregon University’s weekly student newspaper since 1923. It has gone through seven name changes since it has begun publications: 1923-1924 Breeze/Breezette; student newspaper; 1924-1989 LAMRON – student newspaper; 1974-1985; Ocean, alumni newspaper; 1986-1999 Alumni, summer edition of the Western Star; 1989-1999 Western Star,student newspaper; 1999-2012 Western Oregon Journal, student newspaper; 2012–Present The Journal- student newspaper.

Currently, The Journal is in connection with KWOU (Western Oregon University’s radio station), and the Northwest Passage (a literary journal that is edited by a group of selected students, featuring poems, short-stories, and photography also created by students). The Journal, KWOU, and the Northwest Passage are known as the student media board and are located on the bottom floor of the Werner University Center.

The Western Oregon Journal features information and opinion articles for and about students, faculty, and administration activities. The Journal prints expression of student opinion as well as locally researched issues of broader student interests. Western Oregon does not feature a journalism program, so The Journal aims to foster the development of professional journalism at Western Oregon University.

KWOU
KWOU, Western’s college radio station, has been active since October 12, 2010. It is the newest entity of Student Media. The station, still in its formative years, is currently Internet-based and streams directly from the school website. KWOU broadcasts 24 hours a day and features segments hosted by volunteer student DJs. Some airplay may include ads for campus or local events, programs, or businesses. KWOU volunteers also serve as a campus DJs. The KWOU station is located in Student Media, which can be found downstairs in the Werner University Center.

Notable alumni

 * Kevin Boss – football player, Kansas City Chiefs,
 * Jeff Charleston – football player, New Orleans Saints
 * Marco Hernandez – First Latino to serve as U.S. district court judge in Oregon.
 * Sara Tucholsky – NCAA Softball, Best Moment award at the 2008 ESPY Awards
 * Ariana Richards – Actress
 * Jason Slowey -NFL Player for the Oakland Raiders
 * Dan Straily, starting pitcher for the Oakland Athletics

Awards
WOU was an inaugural winner of the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award recognized by Insight Into Higher Education on November 15, 2012. This award recognizes universities and colleges that have demonstrated the highest level of commitment and action towards fostering a campus community that celebrates all the many facets of diversity.

Ackerman Residence Hall, opened fall 2010, has received multiple awards for its environmentall friendly design and operations. Green Home Authority named Ackerman as one of the ten eco-friendliest dorms in the country in 2011 Mother Nature Network also listed Ackerman as one ten greenest dorms on the planet in 2010.

The National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) has recognized thirteen Western Oregon University faculty and staff for academic advising (three in 2008, one in 2009, two in 2010,two in 2011,one in 2012, and four in 2013).

On January 2010, The Education Trust named WOU in the top 10 of the nation for improved graduation rates among underrepresented minorities. WOU also ranked ninth in closing the gap between minority and nonminority graduation rates. WOU is one of the most diverse universities in Oregon and has the highest percentage of Latino students in the Oregon University System. Between 2000 and 2009, enrollment of Latino students increased 75%, Asian-American students by 53%, African-American students by 115% and Native American students by 63%, for an overall increase of these student populations of 73%. The successful growth in Latino students has resulted in WOU being the only public college or university accepted as a member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.

Parade Magazine listed WOU as one of the top twenty small state schools for 2010. WOU was noted for its small classes and exceptional services for first generation to college students.

Jensen Arctic Museum
The Jensen Arctic Museum at WOU is the only museum on the west coast of the contiguous states dedicated to the Arctic culture, and one of two in the entire United States outside of Alaska, the other being in the state of Maine. The museum's collections include art, animals, tools, apparel and information about indigenous Arctic people.