University of Portland

Abstract— This article presents some facts and general information about the University of Portland, a church-affiliated institution in Portland, Oregon, USA.

Introduction

Situated in four miles from downtown Portland, Oregon, USA, the University of Portland (also referred as UP) is a highly rated private Roman Catholic university and the only comprehensive Catholic university in the state.

History

The Methodist Episcopal Church established the Portland University in In 1891. The university operated until 1900. Later on, amid significant financial problems, the university was forced to close.

According to the University of Portland, Alexander Christie, archbishop, and leader of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon saw a sizeable unoccupied building called West Hall near the Willamette River. The building had been unused for many years since Portland University closed. With the financial support of Congregation of Holy Cross, Christie bought West Hall and the surrounding land and named the new establishment Columbia University – after the nearby Columbia River. Later it was renamed, University of Portland. The university opened to the public on September 5, 1901. In 1902 Congregation of Holy Cross possessed the university at the request of the archbishop Alexander Christie.

The College of Arts and Sciences was established in 1929. In the 1930s, University of Portland integrated with the St. Vicent Hospital school. That same decade, the School of Nursing and the Pamplin School of Business Administration were also incorporated.

In 1948, the university founded the Shiley School of Engineering and established the Graduate School in 1950. The School of Education opened to the public in 1962. In 1951 all women became eligible for all courses of study. The library completed construction in 1951 and, in 1967, a board of Regents owned the university.

Rankings, description, and academics

Payscale and CollegeNet’s Social Mobility Index college rankings ranked the University of Portland the 23rd top college in the U.S. News & World Report ranked the establishment the 6th best “Regional University” and the 17th “Best Value School.” Students can choose from many programs through six divisions of study: Schools of Business, Education, Engineering, and Nursing, College of Arts and Sciences, and Graduate School for post-bachelor degree programs. As of the 2018/19 school year, its tuition and fees are around $45,904.

Among all undergraduate courses available, the most desired and in-demand majors include Biology, Nursing, Marketing & Management, Finance, and Elementary Education.

The university has ten main residential halls: Mehling Hall, Corrado Hall, Villa Maria, Shipstad Hall, Kenna Hall, Christie Hall, Haggerty and Tyson Halls, Fields Hall, Schoenfeldt Hall, and Lund Family Hall (recently built for the 2016-2017 school year).

The school is still expanding and renovating its residential halls, academic buildings, and other facilities.

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Resources

University of Portland: About

Oregon State Parks: University of Portland

The Oregon Encyclopedia: University of Portland

U.S. News: University of Portland