University Day is Oregon State University's celebratory launch to the academic year. During this event, the university welcomes new employees, celebrates excellent work, and recognizes awards for teaching, mentoring, engagement, and research. Part of this event is the University Day Lecture, delivered by a distinguished leader, thinker, or scholar who inspires faculty and staff to reflect on their roles as educators committed to delivering OSU's land grant research university mission.

2024 UNIVERSITY DAY LECTURE

The 2024 University Day Lecture presented by Dr. Mark Becker was held on Tuesday, September 17 at PRAx. The lecture recording and presentation slides are available below.

LECTURE RECORDING

LECTURE SLIDES

MARK BECKER | President, Association of Public & Land Grant Universities

Rebuilding Trust and Confidence in Higher Education

Numerous surveys and media articles have recently pointed to declining confidence in American higher education, and there is evidence of increasing skepticism about the value of a college degree. Even though there is compelling evidence that the cost of education at public universities is decreasing in real terms, and other indicators, such as employment rates and ROI, are robustly strongly positive, the public perception is that America is becoming more and more skeptical about higher education. The questions are: Why, and what can our universities do to turn the tide and regain the trust of the American people?

Dr. Mark Becker served as the 2024 University Day keynote speaker. Becker is President of the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities (APLU), a research, policy, and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening and advancing the work of public universities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The association's membership consists of more than 250 public research universities, land-grant institutions, state university systems, and affiliated organizations.

From January 2009 to August 2021, he was the seventh president of Georgia State University. Becker led the transformation of Georgia State from a formerly little known “commuter school” into one of the nation’s premier urban research universities. The university more than doubled sponsored research funding during his tenure, and GSU became a widely recognized national leader in the introduction of innovative programs and initiatives to foster student success. Georgia State University has been consistently ranked as one of the three most innovative universities in the country by U.S. News & World Report magazine.

Prior to Georgia State, Becker held academic appointments at the University of Florida, University of Washington, University of Michigan, and leadership positions at the University of Minnesota and University of South Carolina.

Becker has received numerous awards and recognitions, including being named one of America’s 10 most innovative university presidents by Washington Monthly in 2015, the Academic Leadership Award from the Carnegie Corporation of New York in 2017, and the Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence in Higher Education from TIAA Institute in 2019.