Ed Ray advocated for lessening regulations and boosting state coffers Friday.
BY JACOB PALMER | OB DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR
Ed Ray advocated for lessing regulations and boosting state coffers Friday when he delivered his State of the University speech.
The Oregon State University president took aim at politicians during his speech, according to the Portland Tribune.
“Yes — we can say it endlessly — the state of Oregon needs to provide more funding for higher education and help reduce the growing financial burden felt by students and their families,” Ray said to a burst of applause. “But in the future, greater success will be determined not only by money, but by the state’s providing Oregon’s universities more flexibility and appropriate regulatory relief.”
Ray added sarcastically: “I’m sure no one else in this room needs regulatory relief.” The more than 700 attendees included business leaders, alumni, students and even high school students. Though the promotional video starting off the event claimed: “We are as diverse as the landscape around us,” there were few nonwhite faces in the crowd.
At the event, Ray also announced the findings of a ECONorthwest report that said that the university had a $2.37 billion impact on the global economy.
The Portland Business Journal‘s Matthew Kish has more:
“Statewide, Oregon State’s activities were responsible for creating 31,660 jobs in 2014 and the university’s payroll, capital construction, purchase of goods and services, and student spending directly contributed just under $1.3 billion to Oregon’s economy,” Ray said. …
Other highlights of Ray’s address:
- The university’s capital campaign, which concluded in December, raised $1.14 billion. It launched in 2007 with a $625 million goal.
- The capital campaign has helped build or renovate 28 buildings, endow 79 new faculty positions and create more than 600 new scholarships.
- Forty-four percent of this fall’s entering class had a high school GPA of 3.75 or higher.
- The university received $285 million in grants and research funding last year, including a record $37 million from industry.
