2024 URA visited a community garden in Portland, up against commercial and residential properties

Time Magazine: Bridging an Urban-Rural Divide

FEATURED IN TIME MAGAZINE

How Students in Oregon Are Bridging the Rural and Urban Divide

SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE

The Scott Fairley Memorial Scholarship Fund provides tuition for undergraduate students from Eastern Oregon University to participate in the Urban and Rural Ambassadors Seminar, a partnership of Portland State University and Eastern Oregon University. Those who worked closely with Fairley knew well his advocacy for eastern Oregon, whether it was through his work as a state employee or his time on the city council. He was known as a collaborator with an uncommon ability to bring people together on divisive issues. He took his positivity, combined with his breadth of knowledge, to bridge discussions in Salem often for the good of communities of eastern Oregon. The memorial fund is a fitting tribute to a public servant who understood rural and urban issues and served the public across the state.

Apply for the Scholarship

COLLABORATING ACROSS THE URBAN-RURAL DIVIDE

Eastern Oregon University (EOU) and Portland State University (PSU) are leading an effort, along with their community partners, in providing the Urban Rural Ambassadors course to build awareness across the urban-rural divide and better understand and appreciate similarities and differences surrounding common social and economic issues. The course was recently featured in TIME magazine.

Annually, the class includes one weekend-long residential field trip to La Grande and one weekend-long residential field trip to Portland as well as online sessions with guest speakers and activities to complement the field outings. These courses combine EOU and PSU students, allowing tomorrow’s leaders to learn from each other about regional commonalities and differences.

URA offers flexible pathways at EOU to fit your academic goals. Students may enroll in the course as Political Science (POLS 410), Public Administration (PADM 510), or Social Science credit (SSCI 409) - whichever best supports their program of study. No matter the option you choose, you’ll engage in the same dynamic experience examining real-world issues shaping communities across Oregon.

The course consists of a few online classes in April and early May before the weekend class experiences, and one online session in early June.

May 15-17, 2026 - weekend in Portland

May 22-24, 2026 - weekend in La Grande

Register for the course when you enroll in your Spring 2026 classes. EOU students are eligible for a scholarship covering tuition for this course.

Students develop the capacity to forge a path through the tension and stalemate which often is the result of the urban-rural debate, and to find solutions that fit local economies, values, and ways of life for the advancement of Oregon as a whole.

Topics from previous years’ of URA have included: