OSU WElcome Center
About Us
About Us
Visit programs at Oregon State University have existed for decades. As of fall 2024, the Welcome Center staff is working with historical documents from the Special Archives at OSU to construct a more thorough history of campus visits, so please continue checking back on this website for an updated history, which will ideally be published in early 2025.
Current OSU staff members have worked in campus visit programs as far back as the mid-1990s. At the time, campus visits were coordinated alongside new student orientation programs in the same department. The physical office was located in Kerr Administration Building. In 2003, the Office of Admissions took over the leadership and organization of the daily campus tours, while the new student orientation programs split off into a separate office and led the large campus visit programs. By 2007, the Office of Admissions had also taken over leadership of large campus visit programs in addition to daily tours. All visit programs, operating under the name of "Campus Visitor Center," maintained a physical office space in Kerr.
The Campus Visitor Center moved into the first floor of the Beth Ray Center for Academic Support building in fall 2017, and simultaneously, the new name of "the Welcome Center" was created. The Beth Ray Center was a relatively new building, constructed in 2012, but the Welcome Center only occupied about 1,000 square feet of space to serve visitors. With campus visit numbers growing each year as OSU's enrollment continued to grow, it was clear the Welcome Center needed more space to operate.
In 2021, plans were made to include space for a brand new Welcome Center as part of a significant $153 million renovation to the west side of Reser Stadium, Oregon State's football stadium. These plans included a footprint of more than 15,000 square feet for the new Welcome Center. Staff from the Welcome Center served on the executive construction planning team alongside Athletics staff to design a space that could welcome everyone to Oregon State: prospective students, campus visitors, alumni, donors, gameday attendees and more. The Welcome Center finally moved out of the Beth Ray Center and into their new home in Reser Stadium in September 2023.
Welcome Center Mission Statement
The Welcome Center supports the enrollment goals of Oregon State University by promoting the campus and student experience to visitors from around the country and the world. We create a warm, welcoming atmosphere for visitors that focuses on providing information and access to higher education for all prospective students, especially those from underserved backgrounds. The Welcome Center leads the campus visit experience with strong collaborations and partnerships with academic colleges and other departments across divisions. We care for and support students throughout their college experience, as we hire, train and develop a diverse group of outstanding Oregon State student employees to serve as the face of OSU and share their experiences with prospective students.
Our Goals
In alignment with Oregon State University’s Prosperity Widely Shared strategic plan, which guides the university’s work from 2024-2030, the Welcome Center recognizes that we are an active part of moving the university strategic plan forward. The Welcome Center is well-positioned to support the goals of the plan, and we have committed ourselves to the three goals listed below that will guide our work. Learn more about our strategic goals.
The Welcome Center:
Serves as the storytellers for Oregon State University.
Creates intentional visit experiences for future college students.
Develops outstanding student leaders who are prepared to work collaboratively and solve problems in the workforce upon graduation.