Our division provides opportunities for students to engage in service and reflect on issues of local and global concern. Students cultivate a commitment to the common good and contribute to a better world as engaged citizens and change agents. Through advocacy, activism, philanthropy and service, our students can make an impact in the ways that matter to them most — while also enhancing community well-being and their leadership skills.

 

Finding Connection

From Beavs Volunteer and Days of Service projects to dialogues exploring pressing social issues to the Nonprofit & Public Service Fair, Community Engagement & Leadership (CEL) helps organize programs that educate, connect and challenge students to lead with intention and care. Students can learn about and practice relational leadership, be a part of community building, and progress positive change with CEL. Often working with division partners, like the Basic Needs Center, CEL helps students engage with and contribute to our OSU and local communities. And, depending on a student’s passion, there are lots of ways to get involved, whether through an organized OSU event or perusing the online database of service opportunities maintained by CEL.     

Civic Engagement Spotlight: Alternative Breaks

Alternative Breaks encourage students to take a break — a break from the usual and from the routine, a break from the comfortable.

When students commit to participating, they commit to immersing themselves in a community, to learning deeply about others and to working alongside community members and new friends in pursuit of personal and social change. An Alternative Break consists of a weeklong community engagement trip to one of several West Coast locations, where students discover the interconnectedness of social issues, challenge their assumptions and strengthen their leadership skills.

The 2023 Alternative Break included 32 students, six who served as co-leaders and 26 as participants. Student teams engaged in service-learning programs in three locations — Ashland, Oregon; San Francisco, California; and Yakima, Washington. Students completed more than 800 service hours and 960 education hours focusing on environmental conservation, restoration and justice, housing and food security, Indigenous cultural engagement, immigrant justice, land use practices and collective resilience.

“I learned about how life circumstances impact people in negative ways, but that a strong community helps to alleviate the pain,” one of the students who participated in the program said. “The trip taught me to be more empathetic to people who have different lives from me.”

Past participants have called their Alternative Break experiences, “inspiring,” “life-changing,” “transformative” and “eye-opening.” 

“Here at Community Engagement & Leadership we continue to be inspired by the values and vision of OSU students to positively impact their communities and leave the world better for future generations,” Community Engagement & Leadership Director Emily Bowling says.

Division Resources for Students

click resource name below

Associated Students of Oregon State University

We believe a better campus, a better community, a better experience happens when we come together. You are a student. You have a voice. Make it known — apply to be on a committee or to volunteer, register for an ASOSU internship or attend one of our events. We also have resources to help students navigate their educational experience. 

asosu.oregonstate.edu
541-737-2101
250 Student Experience Center
Basic Needs Center

The Basic Needs Center is here to support you. We provide textbook access, laptop and calculator lending and food assistance. Contact the center for peer support to help you identify and apply to resources. 

studentlife.oregonstate.edu/bnc
541-737-3747
1030 SW Madison Ave.
Beavers Give a Dam

Beavers Give a Dam is an interactive bystander program to prevent sexual violence. This skill building workshop offered by the Prevention & Wellness team in Student Health Services is customizable for different communities and aims to increase participants' motivation and confidence to intervene.

studenthealth.oregonstate.edu/GiveADam
Clubs & Organizations

Most years, Student Experiences & Engagement oversees about 400 clubs and organizations. Find one that fits with your passion! There are lots of options to explore — from cultural organizations to clubs focusing on environmental, health or other social issues. Clubs enhance knowledge, help you develop transferable skills and complement classroom learning. Learn leadership, organizational development, team building and communication skills.

clubs.oregonstate.edu/findclubs
108 Student Experience Center
Community Engagement & Leadership

At Community Engagement & Leadership, we believe the world should be a more just, caring place for everyone and that OSU students have the power to shape the world. CEL inspires and nourishes relational leadership practices that enrich communities through collaborative learning, service, and action. Join us and get involved today! 

cel.oregonstate.edu
541-737-3041
250 Student Experience Center
Diversity & Cultural Engagement

Diversity & Cultural Engagement (DCE) brings students together for out-of-classroom experiences that build bridges to community and support your ability to change the world. Through our programming and cultural resource centers, DCE enriches your personal growth and development while fostering belonging. 

dce.oregonstate.edu
541-737-9030
228 Student Experience Center
Multicultural Greek Council

It is the mission of the Multicultural Greek Council to promote diversity, communication and cooperation among its member organizations and to advance the ideals of scholarship, service and unity throughout the greater Oregon State University and Corvallis community.

https://clubs.oregonstate.edu/mgc
541-737-5432
306 Student Experience Center
Sustainability at OSU

Learn about sustainability efforts at Oregon State and the institution's Path to Carbon Neutrality.  

https://fa.oregonstate.edu/sustainability/about/sustainability-office