Portland State University

Portland, United States

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Description

Specialties

Higher Education

History

Established in 1946.

To meet the education needs of GIs home from World War II battlefields, Portland State University found its first home in Vanport, a city along the Columbia River built to house wartime shipyard workers.

The Vanport Extension Center opened its doors the summer of 1946 to 220 students, offering the first two years of college study.

The institution survived a devastating flood in 1948 and was moved three times, ultimately residing at its current location in downtown Portland, Oregon, on the iconic South Park Blocks in 1952.

In recognition of its quality and tenacity, the Oregon Legislature granted it a four-​year college status in 1955. For the new Portland State College, this was the first spark in an explosion of growth – in programs, faculty, and students – leading to full university status in 1969.

Portland State University is now an urban research university encompassing 50 city blocks, eight schools, 226 degree programs, and 29,000 students.

Meet the Manager

Wim W.

Manager

Portland State University’s president Wim Wiewel is charting a course for PSU to become one of the nations’ leading urban universities.

In an age when the local department store, bank, and grocery store are run by corporations in New York or international conglomerates, PSU provides an enduring presence and commitment to the betterment of our community.

Wim Wiewel is providing leadership, pursuing partnerships, preparing students, and promoting engagement with governments, businesses, and community organizations by focusing on the following areas:

Civic Leadership Through Partnerships, Student Success, Achieve Global Excellence, Enhance Educational Opportunity, and Expand Resources and Improve Effectiveness.

Wiewel believes that together we can continue building a community that preserves the highest quality of life, a city that is the envy of the nation, and an economy that not only competes on a global scale, but is also sustainable.