Western Oregon State College

Western Oregon University

Type	Public
Established	1856 (1856)
Parent institution	Oregon University System
President	Rex Fuller
Provost	Steve Scheck
Academic staff	452
Administrative staff	427
Students	6,058 (Fall 2014)
Undergraduates	4,992 (Fall 2014)
Postgraduates	1,066 (Fall 2014)
Location	Monmouth, Oregon, U.S. 44°51′10″N 123°14′22″W / 44.85278°N 123.23944°W / 44.85278; -123.23944Coordinates: 44°51′10″N 123°14′22″W / 44.85278°N 123.23944°W / 44.85278; -123.23944
Campus	Rural College Town 157 acres (64 ha)
Colors	Red
Nickname	Wolves
Mascot	Wolfy
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division II – GNAC
Website	www.wou.edu

Western Oregon University (WOU) is a public university 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 6,000 students.

Founded in 1856 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.

In November 1910, an initiative petition (Measure 10) to establish a normal school at Monmouth, passed by 55.6%. On the same ballot were two other measures to additionally establish normal schools in Ashland and Weston: both failed.

A period of growth was experienced in the 1920s during which the school's enrollment more than tripled from 316 in 1920 to peak at the 990 mark in 1927. With the coming of the Great Depression attendance tailed off slightly, with an average attendance in 1930 of 705 students, hitting a nadir in the 1933-34 academic year. Attendance rebounded later in the decade, topping the 1,000 mark for the first time during the 1938-39 academic year, with a total enrollment including summer session of 1,017.

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 name was updated to Western Oregon University, reflecting the university's broader academic mission and profile.

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