Spring 2026 15 BY THE NUMBERS Advocates make an impact State funding for capital construction projects After the collapse of the original Pac-12, OSU advocates sent more than 10,000 emails to legislators and the governor, resulting in $10 million in funding to support student-athletes. More than 2,500 current advocates in all 90 Oregon legislative districts. CORVALLIS CAMPUS BEND CAMPUS for the Jen-Hsun Huang and Lori Mills Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex for the Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts $39M for Edward J. Ray Hall $75M $38M $13.8M for the Student Success Center A D V O C A C Y N EWS launch a campaign for state funding. OSU students, employees and leaders spoke with decision-makers about the benefits an arts center would bring to the region. Legislators also heard from K-12 teachers in their districts about what the center would mean for arts education. In the end, the state provided $38 million to complete the project. “We’re effective because we’re all in the same boat, rowing together,” said Tony Williams, ’87, a professional advocate and Beaver Caucus board member. He said that once OSU’s leadership identifies priorities, the Caucus creates a unified approach for talking with legislators and activates its grassroots network of advocates. In other sessions, Caucus advocates helped guarantee funds for capital projects including the JenHsun Huang and Lori Mills Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex and the OSU-Cascades Student has grown increasingly uncertain. In response to these pressures, the Caucus has diversified its focus, advocating for OSU interests at both local and federal levels. For current board member and former state representative Greg Macpherson, one moment illustrates the Beaver Caucus’ power. After all but two member universities abandoned the Pac-12, OSU’s media rights revenue was expected to drop 44%, putting student- athletes’ scholarships at risk. The organization urged supporters to attend a pivotal legislative session sporting Beaver gear. Participants were already invested. They just needed to know what to do. “We had that room nearly filled with people wearing orange,” said Macpherson. Lawmakers ultimately approved $10 million in state funding to fill the gap. Learn more about the Beaver Caucus at beavercaucus.org. Success Center. The group has also continued to advocate for increased public university funding and expanded tuition assistance for Oregon students. Such victories are never guaranteed. Oregon trails many other states in public university funding — ranking 37th nationally in 2024 according to the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association — and federal funding for research “WE’RE EFFECTIVE BECAUSE WE’RE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT, ROWING TOGETHER.”
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