General Information
Welcome new and returning students to Oregon Institute of Technology, or Oregon Tech! Below is information that will help you on your educational journey at our university. We’re here to help, so please contact us with any questions you may have so we can make your time at Oregon Tech successful and enjoyable.
Admissions Office
The Oregon Tech Admissions Office is located on the first floor of the College Union on the Klamath Falls campus; and in the Student Services area at the Portland-Metro Campus on the first floor. It is open weekdays from 8am to 5pm (9am to 5pm at Portland-Metro) to serve prospective students, applicants and their families, as well as high school guidance counselors, college-transfer advisors and teachers.
If you are interested in seeing the Klamath Falls campus, the Admissions Office’s visit coordinator can arrange for you to meet with a faculty member and an admissions counselor, tour the residence halls and the rest of the campus, sit in on a class and/ or talk with one of our coaches. To set up a campus visit, call (800) 422-2017 or (541) 885-1150. Hearing-impaired persons may call the TTY number: (541) 885-1072. You also can request a campus visit at www.oit.edu or by emailing oit@oit.edu. If you wish to visit one of Oregon Tech’s other campuses, such as the Portland-metro campus, the Admissions Office can provide you with a contact person who can make arrangements for you.
Non-Discrimination Policy
Oregon Tech does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, gender, disability, age, religion, marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity in its programs and activities. The following individuals are designated to handle inquiries and complaints regarding this non-discrimination policy: Civil Rights Officer, Title IX Coordinator (sex-based and gender-based discrimination) (541) 885-1108; email: oithr@oit.edu.
Students with Disabilities
Oregon Tech is committed to accommodating the academic and programmatic needs of qualified students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations should contact Disability Services, LRC 229C, as soon as possible in advance of enrollment, to ensure timely provision of services. Questions may be directed to: Disability Services, Oregon Tech, 3201 Campus Dr., Klamath Falls, OR 97601-8801. (541) 851-5227.
Alternate Format
This publication is available in an alternate format for persons with disabilities. Please contact Disability Services at (541) 851-5227.
Accreditation
Oregon Tech is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), 8060 165th Avenue, N.E., Suite 100, Redmond, WA 98052-3981. NWCCU is an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education and/or the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation, licensure or approval of individual programs are listed in departmental sections. Copies of accreditation documents are available in the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs/Provost, Oregon Tech, 3201 Campus Dr., Klamath Falls, OR 97601-8801.
General Catalog Production
The 2020-21 General Catalog was produced by the Registrar’s Office: Wendy Ivie, University Registrar, and Allison Baker, Administrative Program Specialist. Information in this catalog was accurate at the time of publication, but is subject to change without notice and does not constitute a contract between Oregon Tech and the student or applicant. The general catalog is published annually and available on the web at www.oit.edu.
History at a Glance
| 1947 – |
July 14, under the direction of first president, Winston Purvine, the first classes at Oregon Vocational School were held in a deactivated World War II Marine Corps hospital three miles northeast of Klamath Falls. |
| 1948 – |
In a vote by the State Board of Education, the University’s name was changed to Oregon Technical Institute – also known as OTI or Oregon Tech. |
| 1950 – |
KTEC radio went on the air, broadcasting from Oregon Tech’s campus. |
| 1953 – |
Associate degree programs in the Surveying and Structural Engineering Technologies were first accredited by the Engineers’ Council for Professional Development. |
| 1956 – |
KOTI television opened and went operational on campus. |
| 1957 – |
Oregon Tech was made a separate division of the State Board of Education and an engineering study was begun to determine whether to repair or rebuild the facilities. |
| 1960 – |
Oregon Tech was transferred to the jurisdiction of the State Board of Higher Education. |
| 1962 – |
Oregon Tech was accredited by the Northwest Association of Secondary and Higher Schools. |
| 1964 – |
Oregon Tech moved to its newly constructed campus on a geothermal site overlooking Upper Klamath Lake. |
| 1966 – |
Oregon Tech received authorization to grant bachelor’s degrees. |
| 1970 – |
Bachelor’s degree programs first accredited by ABET. |
| 1973 – |
OTI name changed to Oregon Institute of Technology or OIT; Oregon Tech continues in use as well. |
| 1975 – |
Geo-Heat Center established. |
| 1976 – |
Kenneth Light appointed 2nd President of Oregon Tech upon Purvine’s retirement. |
| 1983 – |
Larry Blake appointed 3rd President of Oregon Tech. Metro Center established in Portland to offer in-demand degrees. |
| 1984 – |
Small Business Development Center established. |
| 1988 – |
Portland Metro Center moved to its first permanent facilities on Southeast Harmony Road in Clackamas. |
| 1989 – |
State Board of Higher Education authorized Oregon Tech to grant master’s degrees. |
| 1991 – |
Lawrence J. Wolf appointed 4th President of Oregon Tech. |
| 1995 – |
First Master’s degree offered. |
| 1997 – |
First online degrees offered. |
| 1998 – |
Martha Anne Dow appointed 5th President of Oregon Tech. |
| 2001 – |
Oregon Renewable Energy Center (OREC) established in law by the Oregon legislature. |
| 2005 – |
Oregon Center for Health Professions established. |
| 2008 – |
Christopher G. Maples appointed 6th President of Oregon Tech. Martha Anne Dow Center for Health Professions opens. |
| 2012 – |
Oregon Tech’s Portland-Metro presence expands with the opening of the Portland-Metro Campus in Wilsonville, and broadens degree options. |
| 2015 – |
Oregon Institute of Technology became an independent public body governed by its own Board of Trustees. |
| 2017 – |
Nagi G. Naganathan appointed 7th President of Oregon Tech. |
| 2018 – |
Oregon Tech becomes the landlord and operations host of the Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center Research and Development (OMIC R&D) in Scappoose, Oregon, and becomes a member of the industry/higher education advanced manufacturing R&D partnership organization. |
Welcome
Welcome to Oregon Tech! You have chosen a university that will challenge you, excite you, and provide many opportunities for you to learn, innovate and grow in a unique polytechnic university environment. Oregon Tech graduates are known for their ability to excel immediately in their careers as well as in graduate and professional schools. This means that, on average, Oregon Tech graduates earn some of the highest starting salaries in the nation – an average of $60,000.
The small class size and hands-on, applied approach to education at Oregon Tech is perfectly tailored to an experiential learning environment that encourages communication, collaboration, and engaging in professional practice. Oregon Tech is focused on providing high value to students, and a high return on investment to our graduates who excel across many industries and in-demand fields. Our tag line, “Hands-on education for real-world achievement,” is more than a slogan – it truly is the way we do business. Faculty members bring their real-world problem-solving experiences into the classroom, and Oregon Tech students have myriad opportunities to gain professional experience outside the classroom through externships, internships, field work, cooperative programs, and capstone projects.
By attending Oregon Tech, you have chosen rigor, quality, and relevance. You are now part of our focus on excellence, innovation, and professional preparation that have served Oregon Tech’s graduates well and have continuously increased our reputation and rankings in Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, and nationally. Welcome to the Oregon Tech Family – we’re glad you’re here and we very much look forward to helping you achieve your own personal and professional success while you are here as students and after you graduate as alumni!
Mission Statement and Core Themes
Mission Statement
Oregon Institute of Technology (“Oregon Tech”), Oregon’s public polytechnic university, offers innovative, professionally-focused undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the areas of engineering, health, business, technology, and applied arts and sciences. To foster student and graduate success, the university provides a hands-on, project-based learning environment and emphasizes innovation, scholarship, and applied research. With a commitment to diversity and leadership development, Oregon Tech offers statewide educational opportunities and technical expertise to meet current and emerging needs of Oregonians as well as other national and international constituents.
Core Themes
Oregon Institute of Technology:
- Applied Degree Programs
- Student and Graduate Success
- Statewide Educational Opportunities
- Public Service
Essential Learning Outcomes for Students
Oregon Tech’s Essential Student Learning Outcomes (ESLOs) support Oregon Tech’s institutional mission and core themes. The outcomes and associated criteria reflect the rigorous applied nature of Oregon Tech’s degree programs.
The ESLOs reflect the common expectations about the knowledge, skills, and abilities that Oregon Tech students will acquire and are reflected in the General Education requirements that lay the foundation upon which the major curricula build. Engaging in these ESLOs will support Oregon Tech graduates in developing the habits of mind and behaviors of professionals and lifelong learners.
Oregon Tech students will:
- communicate effectively orally and in writing;
- engage in a process of inquiry and analysis;
- make and defend reasonable ethical judgments;
- collaborate effectively in teams or groups;
- demonstrate quantitative literacy;
- explore diverse perspectives.
About Oregon Tech
For more than 70 years, Oregon Institute of Technology (Oregon Tech) has focused on changing the lives of Oregonians by preparing them to meet the technology, innovation and management needs of business, industry and health care. Oregon Tech is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, and individual programs are also accredited by the appropriate professional organizations. Today, Oregon Tech offers more than 45 Bachelor of Science and Master’s degree programs in engineering, technology, health technologies, management, communication and the applied sciences. These include a growing number of bachelor degrees and degree-completion programs offered online, and bachelor’s and master’s degree programs that can be entirely completed at Oregon Tech’s Portland-Metro campus in Wilsonville.
With a mission to deliver technology education throughout the Pacific Northwest and to students from other parts of the country and world, we partner with business and industry leaders to ensure our programs adapt to new technologies and workforce demands. Oregon Tech’s focus on professional practice gives our students a competitive edge: nearly 97 percent are employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation. Year after year, our graduates garner the highest starting salaries in Oregon and among the highest in the nation.
Our applied approach to teaching, which blends theory and practice, is the main reason our graduates and alumni are so avidly recruited. Oregon Tech students have amazing opportunities to apply what they learn in lab-based classes, clinics, externships and workplaces; and in clubs and special activities like Catalyze Klamath Falls invention initiative. Oregon Tech’s faculty and staff, who come to Oregon Tech with relevant business, industrial, or clinical experience, reinforce this practical focus in the classroom. And in every program, a relevant interdisciplinary core underscores major studies, broadening students’ understanding of the world and teaching them to communicate effectively, solve problems, and think for themselves. This student-focused approach to teaching and learning engages students in professional practice throughout their time at Oregon Tech.
One Oregon Tech, Three Primary Campuses, and Program-Specific Sites
Oregon Tech is one institution with multiple locations. Established in 1947, Oregon Tech offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs at locations throughout Oregon and beyond to meet the needs of students seeking a top quality, professionally-focused education.
Oregon Tech’s main residential campus is located in Klamath Falls in beautiful Southern Oregon, and is nestled on the eastern slope of the Cascade Mountains. The 190-acre campus offers spectacular views of Upper Klamath Lake, pine-studded knolls and snow-capped peaks from nearly every building. Klamath Falls, a city of about 21,000 residents (67,000 in the urban growth area), is located in Klamath County in south-central Oregon, about 20 miles from the California border and in the same county that boasts Crater Lake National Park. Known as Oregon’s “City of Sunshine,” Klamath Falls enjoys about 300 days of blue skies each year.
Oregon Tech’s Portland-Metro campus in Wilsonville, located just south of Portland, offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in a state-of-the-art facility designed to provide an industry-focused, urban university experience in the heart of Oregon’s “Silicon Forest”. The campus offers high-demand degree programs, and is easily accessible to students of all ages and backgrounds, including business professionals, transfer students and new freshman just out of high school. Oregon Tech provides excellent opportunities for students seeking internships and employment while completing their degrees.
Oregon Tech also offers a growing number of Online programs for working professionals or returning students who are busy and ready to advance their education as quickly and conveniently as possible. Oregon Tech Online lets students finish certificate, associate’s, or bachelor’s degrees without leaving home or the office, and without the hassles of travel, childcare or giving up your current job. The primary mission of Oregon Tech Online is to offer convenient programs and courses to both students seeking a degree, and those wishing to skill-up by taking just a course or two.
Oregon Tech also offers a bachelor’s program in dental hygiene in Salem through a partnership with Chemeketa Community College. The classrooms and dental hygiene clinic are located in Chemeketa’s new, state-of-the-art Health & Sciences Building. The program requires one year of prerequisite (pre-dental hygiene) coursework prior to acceptance.
Oregon Tech Seattle at Boeing offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Manufacturing Engineering Technology, as well as a Bachelor of Science Degree in both Mechanical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering Technology to employees of Boeing at sites in the Puget Sound area. Also offered are review classes for the Society of Manufacturing Engineers’ CMfgT and CMfgE exams and three Certificates of Completion in Composites.
Oregon Tech is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Additional accreditations, licensure and approvals of individual programs are listed in the appropriate program sections of this catalog. Copies of accreditation documents are available in the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs/Provost, Oregon Institute of Technology, 3201 Campus Dr., Klamath Falls, OR 97601-8801.
As of January 2015, Oregon Tech Online is an approved institutional participant in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) initiative, which allows for increased access to online courses for many out of state students. Oregon Tech Online is authorized by the Washington Student Achievement Council and meets the requirements and minimum educational standards established for degree-granting institutions under the Degree-Granting Institutions Act. This authorization is subject to periodic review and authorizes Oregon Institute of Technology to offer field placement components for specific degree programs. The Council may be contacted for a list of currently authorized programs. Authorization by the Council does not carry with it an endorsement by the Council of the institution or its programs. Any person desiring information about the requirements of the act or the applicability of those requirements to the institution may contact the Council at P.O. Box 43430, Olympia, WA 98504-3430.
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