Welcome to WOU’s Graduate Studies and Research Office!
“WOU’s graduate programs offer fantastic opportunities to further your education and advance your career through an array of graduate programs. Graduate students in our programs benefit from a personalized experience with small class sizes and faculty and staff that truly care about their success. Whether you are a new or continuing graduate student, the graduate programs office is here to support you throughout your graduate studies.
WOU’s sponsored project office supports faculty and staff across campus as they pursue and realize research and sponsored projects goals. We are here to support faculty and staff every step of the way. If you are interested in applying for a grant or funded project, please reach out to us at sponsoredprojects@wou.edu or visit https://wou.edu/spo/ for details on how to apply for grants and how we support you throughout the process.”
–Dr. Hillary Fouts, Dean of Graduate Studies and Research
Office of Dean of Graduate Studies and Research
• Graduate Programs
Graduate Programs offers a wide variety of programs that meet the needs of students across multiple disciplines. The knowledge and abilities cultivated in our graduate programs meet compelling needs for work, service and leadership beyond our campus. Western Oregon University empowers its students, employees and alumni to lead meaningful, responsible lives.
• Graduate Dean's Council
The Graduate Student Council will be made up of a maximum of 12 student representatives, representing our diverse student population, programs, and course delivery modalities. During the 2021-2022 academic year the council created student success initiatives, initiated goals for graduate student involvement, and provided recommendations for the graduate student tuition advisory board. Apply to be part of our council for 2022-2023.
• Graduate Faculty
The Graduate Faculty consists of the president and vice president of academic affairs of WOU, the academic deans, the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, and the colleges’ graduate faculty coordinators and members of the faculty who have been named by their divisions and approved by the director of graduate studies.
• IRB
The WOU IRB is a group of WOU faculty, staff, and community members charged with providing oversight for all human subjects research conducted in association with WOU. The purpose of IRB oversight of research is to assure the protection of the research participants, the researcher, and the university. The research community has a responsibility to ensure that the treatment of human participants in research meets the highest ethical standard.
• Program for Undergraduate Research Experiences (PURE)
PURE’s mission is to support and promote undergraduate research experiences for WOU students in an open, inclusive, and ethical manner. Its goal is to celebrate student achievement through a variety of engaging events, activities, and digital media, highlighted by the annual Academic Excellence Showcase and the journal Pure Insights.
• Research and Resource Center for Deaf* Communities
For over 50 years RRCD have been writing grants to support students in fields such as interpreter training and rehabilitation counseling. Grant awards from the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) and the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) allow us to provide over $620,000 each year in stipends and tuition remissions for students in our graduate-level ASL/English Interpreting Program and our graduate-level Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling Program.
• Sponsored Projects Office
The Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) supports the scholarship, research, teaching, and programmatic missions of the University by providing a full range of services to faculty and staff at every stage of the grant process. From initial inquiry, through proposal development, review and submission, to grant and award management, and final closeout, the SPO is here to serve WOU.
• The Research Institute (TRI)
The Research Institute (TRI) at Western Oregon University improves the quality of life for individuals by facilitating positive change in education, health, and human services systems.
• Western Community Policing Institute
Western Community Policing Institute (WCPI) was established in 1996 as one of the national networks of Regional Community Policing Institutes (RCPI). WCPI provides innovative nationwide training and technical support on issues vital to community safety.
