Structure and Function of Academic Affairs

Academic Affairs

Responsible for all functions within the division as well as key supports within the Provost’s Office. The Senior Vice Provost serves as the institution’s Accreditation Liaison Officer, oversees the university’s promotion and tenure process and Academic Unit Assessment; serves as the Provost’s designee on the Faculty Senate Executive Committee; provides leadership for development and implementation of university strategic plans; and provides regular briefings to the OSU Board of Trustees. Over the last several years, Alix has served on the Transfer Council (a Higher Education Coordinating Commission committee).

Academic Operations

Ensures essential academic infrastructure and compliance, including curriculum management, the Office of the Registrar, and university accreditation. This unit supports the creation of academic programs and curriculum changes, manages the university accreditation process, including the approval of new programs by NWCCU, and provides university-wide support for course planning.

The Office of Academic Faculty Excellence (new!)

Promotes faculty development and instructional quality, and (in addition to the Senior Vice Provost) serves as a point of contact for faculty affairs. This office oversees the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Difference, Power, and Oppression program, the university assessment team, the Writing Intensive Curriculum, academic faculty development programming for career advancement, and collaborates with the OSU Libraries, the AI Literacy Center.

The Office of Graduate Education (OGE) & The Office of Postdoctoral Programs

Supports graduate students and their mentors throughout the academic lifecycle—from matriculation to degree completion. The transition of the OGE to Academic Affairs last spring has strengthened the alignment between graduate education and the university’s broader academic mission. By coordinating closely with leadership in Academic Affairs, the unit now plays a direct role in discussions about academic policy, accreditation, unit review, and faculty development. The Office of Postdoctoral Programs enriches the postdoctoral experience at OSU by supporting faculty and administrators in postdoctoral appointment process and by offering professional development opportunities to the postdoctoral population.

The Office of Undergraduate Education (new!)

Advances university-wide undergraduate curriculum and student success programs. This office’s work spans Core Education and other university-wide academic programs, experiential learning opportunities both on and off campus, academic advising, the university exploratory studies program, and student success initiatives. 

OSU Library and OSU Press

Connects all members of the OSU community - faculty, staff, and students here in Oregon and around the world - to the information they need to achieve their goals. The OSU Libraries include the Valley Library in Corvallis (routinely selected by students as OSU's Best Place to Study), the Guin Library at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, the Tykeson Library at OSU Cascades, and the Special Collections and Archives Research Center.

Library workers utilize data-driven and design-centered research to create engaging learning spaces in all these locations.  Librarians and archivists build systems and provide instruction that help OSU students, staff, and faculty access scholarly content at their point of need. They build, organize, curate, and preserve their data and their rights to their intellectual property. Housed within the OSU Libraries, the award-winning OSU Press has been publishing exceptional books about the Pacific Northwest since 1961. 

The Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts (PRAx)

Presents performances, lectures, films, readings, and exhibitions - but our mission is much deeper than these most-visible elements. PRAx is homed in Academic Affairs because our most significant efforts aim to weave the arts and humanities into every research discipline and every curricular pathway on campus. We do this by offering a broad spectrum of funded residency and fellowship programs; by bringing visiting artists and writers into classrooms and academic contexts; and by programming content that connects the arts and humanities with science, technology, health, and engineering