The School of Architecture & Environment, in the College of Design, is committed to the principles of civic responsibility, environmental sustainability, international understanding, and interdisciplinary education. Innovation thrives here in our cooperative and future-focused learning environment. We support diverse perspectives, beliefs, and cultures and are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive community.
We offer undergraduate and graduate accredited degrees in Eugene, nestled in the lush Willamette Valley, and at the scenic Northeast campus, University of Oregon’s hub of activity, discussion, and engagement in Portland. Students can also take advantage of many varied field school and study abroad opportunities to enrich their academic experiences with hands-on ones. We provide the skills and mentorship needed for our students to tackle complex global challenges and positively affect the people, communities, and environments around them.
Mission and Values
The College of Design is dedicated to advancing the understanding, value, and quality of visual culture and the built, natural, and social environments through excellent and distinctive teaching, research, and creative endeavors. Grounded in a unique multidisciplinary structure, the College of Design is a diverse learning community of students, faculty and staff members. We seek to enhance the lives of individuals and communities through endeavors that stem from intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and broad inquiry, rooted in the inter-relatedness of theory, history, and practice.
In support of this mission, the College of Design affirms the following values:
Excellence
Supporting and celebrating a culture that promotes rigor, encourages risk-taking, and challenges standards in creating, composing, and presenting ideas.
Open Discourse
Fostering the open exchange and critique of ideas in an environment that welcomes a diversity of views.
Inclusiveness
Actively encouraging the presence and participation in the school of individuals with differing backgrounds, experience, and points of view.
Cooperation
Working together in shared efforts to teach, learn, understand, and create.
Interdisciplinary Experience
Engaging multiple disciplines to expand our perspectives and enrich our teaching, research, and creative practice.
Responsibility
Recognizing our accountability for the impact of our actions on environmental, social, and cultural systems.
Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Community
The College of Design is committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive community, increasing access, and enhancing the student experience.
The College of Design Diversity Action Plan was developed in 2020, with input from community members across the College of Design. The Dean’s Fellow for Diversity chairs the Equity and Inclusion Committee and leads strategic initiatives, including implementing the Diversity Action Plan.