The new academic building on the OSU-Cascades campus in west Bend is slated to open Sept. 13, 2016.
Amanda Peacher / OPB
Oregon State University’s new four-year campus in Bend is gearing up for a September opening.
For several years, OSU-Cascades has been operating out of one building on Central Oregon Community College’s campus. But now, faculty are starting to move into the first soon-to-be-finished academic building.
"I have 189 boxes," said chemistry instructor Jeff Gautschi, standing among a tower of cardboard in his new campus lab. He said this space is a big improvement for students.
"This is spectacular. This is 100 percent better. We’ve got better lighting, better countertops, more drawer space," Gautschi said.
OSU-Cascades expects an incoming class of about 100 new students this fall. The west Bend academic building is slated to open in mid-September. Construction of other facilities like the dining and residence halls will carry on into the winter.