Portland State has received some much-deserved international recognition in recent months.
We were featured in the revered (though somewhat glorified) Princeton Review book The Best 377 Colleges, 2013 Edition. US News & World Report not only placed us on its list of growing schools but also ranked our institution among the top 10 “up-and-coming” universities nationwide.
THE EMPHATIC OBSERVERPortland State has received some much-deserved international recognition in recent months.
We were featured in the revered (though somewhat glorified) Princeton Review book The Best 377 Colleges, 2013 Edition. US News & World Report not only placed us on its list of growing schools but also ranked our institution among the top 10 “up-and-coming” universities nationwide.
To top it off, Ashoka, an organization dedicated to identifying and funding social entrepreneurship, recently designated PSU as a Changemaker Campus because of its focus on education as a means of social change. We’re one of only 19 universities on the list and the sole member from the Pacific Northwest.
I’m quite aware that, in reality, these fancy titles mean little to nothing. They may draw some transient attention to the university, but it won’t be lasting or even meaningful.
Still, I can’t help but be a little bit happy for good ol’ PSU.
After all, she deserves some praise, especially given the tendency in the local scene—and even on campus—to undervalue this school as an institution of learning. Don’t forget, we’re mainly a commuter college.
PSU is the largest Oregon university (and a public one at that), and is frequently compared to neighboring Reed College and the University of Oregon, both of which have managed to garner much greater public respect.
As a high-achieving student, I’m frequently questioned for my decision to attend PSU. I could’ve gone pretty much anywhere, yet I chose a large, underfunded state school—a choice some can’t seem to wrap their heads around.
I’ve never regretted my decision, but I have grown tired of justifying it.
I hope this recent attention helps underscore what I’ve always known to be true: It would be a mistake to overlook PSU.
We have an award-winning general education program, University Studies, which has been imitated by other academic institutions nationwide, including Harvard. There’s Ooligan Press, an asset that makes PSU’s publishing program a formidable opponent in the small-press game. Plus, keeping in tune with the curriculum’s sustainable focus, PSU offers many innovative programs, like its Graduate Certificate in Sustainability.
PSU shouldn’t stop striving to better itself as an institution, but let’s take a look at what it’s doing right—because, from where I’m standing, PSU has a lot to be proud of.
Let’s remember that prestigious institutions hire teachers who can publish, but can’t always teach. Let’s appreciate that PSU’s diverse student body broadens our learning experience and makes it more meaningful. And let’s be grateful that we can receive such a rarified education without necessarily burying ourselves (and our families) in a mountain of debt.
PSU was my perfect choice. It gave me the Russian Flagship Program—one of only four such government-funded programs nationwide—and the University Studies Peer Mentor Program, both of which have made my experience here truly remarkable.
For the past three or so years, I’ve been able to enjoy the best in academics from a wide range of teachers I trust and respect. And I get to enjoy working with students and faculty to help implement PSU’s model of interdisciplinary education, which has made me a better student and allowed me to find my place in academia—and perhaps a future career in education.
I found my place at PSU. And for those of you who haven’t yet, I encourage you to look for it. Get involved. Learn about your school. Find your niche—because, I swear, it’s out there.
I simply ask everyone to take these recent accolades seriously, because we haven’t gotten them for nothing.
