by President Ann Cudd
February 21, 2025
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PSU exists to close equity gaps by making the transformative power of higher education available to anyone who wants to pursue a college degree. We advance social mobility and meet the current and future workforce needs of our state. We welcome students from a variety of backgrounds and recognize that their unique and diverse lived experiences drive discourse, creativity and innovation.
We believe this is at the core of what a university should be and that these values don’t belong to any political party.
Recent guidance from the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights has called into question the funding for universities that take race into account when making scholarship or hiring decisions, or in “all other aspects of student, academic and campus life.”
While the language emanating from Washington can seem ominous to some, I want to reassure you that PSU will not waver from its foundational commitments to serve all of our students, create a welcoming campus environment for all, and provide equitable access to an amazing education. We will do that as we always have — legally and inclusively, without resorting to race-based decisions or exclusionary practices.
Similarly, PSU will continue to stand up for free speech and academic freedom. We will continue to reject racism of all kinds including antisemitism and anti-Palestinian hate and rhetoric. Again: We serve all learners and strive to create a welcoming campus environment for all.
Our core values remain unchanged, but I recognize that parsing the headlines about changes in the federal administration is difficult and, frankly, exhausting. We’re introducing a new page on the pdx.edu site designed to track announcements that have the potential to affect the PSU community. The site, pdx.edu/federal-actions, includes pertinent information and university statements along with links to resources for our community and will be updated as new guidance becomes available.
I know that I find inspiration every day on our campus and that there is immense strength in our community. I urge you to continue to look after one another. Thank you for everything you do to contribute to PSU.