OSA Statewide Survey

The OSA Statewide Survey is administered to students across Oregon’s colleges and universities. The results of this survey are highly influential to setting OSA’s policy agenda for Oregon’s long legislative sessions every two years.

The OSA Statewide Survey Campaign asks students to rank issues from most pressing to least pressing. By understanding how students prioritize these issues, OSA gains a better understanding of what matters most to Oregon students.

Survey Issues - 2025 Cycle

After collecting issues briefs from students across Oregon, OSA's Council of Legislative Advocates engaged in a collaborative process to pinpoint 10 key issues for inclusion in the OSA Statewide Survey. During this deliberation, the council uses a policy rubric as a guiding tool in selecting issues that align with OSA's mission and values.

The OSA Statewide Survey Campaign asks students to rank issues from least pressing to most pressing. By understanding how students prioritize these issues, OSA gains a better understanding of what matters most to students across Oregon.

Read below to learn more about the 10 key issues included in the OSA Statewide Survey:

Issue 1: Higher Education Governance Reform

Oregon should reform the Board of Education and Board of Trustees structures at Oregon’s colleges and universities. This should include increasing student and faculty representation, more inclusion of campus stakeholders in the selection of Board members, etc.
Issue 2: Expanding Medication Abortion Access on College Campuses

Oregon should do more to ensure and expand access to medication abortion and emergency contraceptives in student healthcare centers at public institutions in Oregon.
Issue 3: Promoting Textbook Affordability

Oregon should better fund Oregon’s statewide textbook affordability program to keep expanding access to no-cost, low-cost textbooks. Oregon should combat automatic textbook billing models that automatically bill students for the cost of the textbooks.
Issue 4: Advancing Disability Justice in Oregon Higher Education

A task force should be created to investigate how to make higher education institutions more accessible, accommodating, and safe for disabled students in Oregon. Further, the installation of emergency evacuation devices for disabled students should be enforced according to Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Issue 5: Creating an International Student Success Task Force

Oregon's international students face challenges, including securing guarantors and accessing essential services like student loans. Oregon should establish a task force to investigate and enhance state-level support for their education and well-being.
Issue 6: Expanding Student Mental Health Services

Student mental health centers on Oregon’s campuses are underfunded, understaffed, and overcapacity. Oregon should better fund and deliver student mental health services.
Issue 7: Create Taskforce On Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs)

Many colleges and universities that serve Latinx students in Oregon are pursuing “Hispanic Serving Institution” classifications that come with additional funding. Oregon should do more to ensure this additional funding is specifically assisting and ensuring the success of the Latinx student communities.
Issue 8: Promoting Affordable Housing for Students in Oregon

Oregon should investigate how to expand affordable housing options for students to develop specific and actionable recommendations to improve student housing availability, accessibility, and affordability.
Issue 9: Strengthening Student Basic Needs Programming and Infrastructure

Oregon should provide ongoing funding that allows colleges and universities to strengthen basic needs programming and infrastructure that supports students experiencing food insecurity, housing instability, and challenges accessing transportation, childcare, healthcare, etc.
Issue 10: Ending Underinvestment in Public Higher Education

Higher education is not financially accessible to many Oregonians due to high tuition rates and low state investment. Oregon should better fund student financial aid, student support and academic services, and workforce connection programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

The OSA Statewide Survey is administered to students across Oregon’s colleges and universities. By understanding how students prioritize these issues, OSA gains a comprehensive understanding of what matters most to the student body. This data-driven approach ensures that the subsequent legislative agenda aligns closely with the collective priorities and sentiments of the students, enhancing the organization's ability to advocate effectively on behalf of the student community.
The results of this survey are highly influential to setting OSA’s policy agenda for the 2025 Legislative Session. By understanding how students prioritize these issues, OSA gains a better understanding of what matters most to the student body.
Upon the conclusion of the OSA Statewide Survey, the survey insights are disseminated to state legislators, state agencies, and higher education advocates in Oregon. This sharing of insights ensures that key decision-makers are informed about the priorities and concerns of the student community.
While survey results serve as a crucial tool in shaping OSA’s legislative advocacy, it's important to note that the process doesn't guarantee that every identified issue will translate into actual legislation. Rather, this process informs OSA about the key issues affecting students, enabling the organization to strategize and assess whether legislative action is both feasible and necessary in the future.
The decision to pursue legislative action is contingent on the legislative landscape. If and when conditions are favorable, OSA strategically leverages the survey results to support and drive legislative initiatives that align with student interests.
Every two years, the Oregon Student Association (OSA) engages in a comprehensive Issue Choosing Process that asks students to identify student issues and their potential legislative solutions. During the first stage of this process, students participate by completing OSA Issue Briefs where students are asked to concisely articulate the problem, solution, and action.
After collecting issues briefs, OSA's Council of Legislative Advocates initiates a collaborative process to pinpoint 10 key issues for inclusion in the OSA Statewide Survey. During this deliberation, the council uses a policy rubric as a guiding tool in selecting issues that align with OSA's mission and values.
We collect demographic information to better understand respondent characteristics, identify trends across different types of students, ensure sample diversity (campus and other areas), and improve the reliability and relevance of survey findings.
Yes, all survey responses are anonymous. Results are reported in summary form only.
2-5 minutes.
The survey will be open from February 15th - May 15th, 2024. The survey happens every two years and is part of the OSA Issue Choosing Process.