Campus Organizer:
Marcella Buser, (541) 505-4240, [email protected]
Chapter Chair: Elizabeth Radcliffe, [email protected]
How does OSPIRG address racial injustice:
Racial justice is a public interest issue.
Public interest issues impact marginalized and Black, Indigenous, and communities of color disproportionately and that’s what makes addressing them even more urgent.
After this summer’s calls for racial justice we started the ongoing process of more completely integrating racial justice into our campaigns. We released a public statement and began reforming the structure of our campaigns and educational programs to include racial justice issues such as environmental racism. In our campaigns we are working to include the intersectional perspectives of all people who are impacted by public interest issues.
Internally, we are working on educating our volunteers during our weekly intern class and informing students we reach out to about how BIPOC are disproportionately affected by environmental injustice, food and housing insecurity, the high costs of college, and the resource inequalities exacerbated by the pandemic.
OSPIRG students is committed to learning from students, organizers, and advocates with experience working through a framework of social justice and is committed to more intentionally using our power as an organization to align with those shared goals.
How OSPIRG at University of Oregon is Funded:
The thing that makes us effective is that we’re funded by students. Every two years students at University of Oregon vote to reaffirm our funding. We’re funded by students chipping-in $1.75 per term, and two years ago over 85% of Ducks voted yes for OSPIRG—so thanks! We pool this money statewide and hire professional staff to work for students. Expert staff give students the skills and resources to make a difference here on campus, and also in Salem, Portland, and Washington D.C. where decisions are made.
During this time of social distancing, we have remote volunteer opportunities and internships available to help people in need, protect public health and the environment, and keep our community civically engaged.
Regardless of your schedule, you can volunteer with OSPIRG Students and make a difference. Whether you can volunteer once a week or once a term, OSPIRG Students provides a unique opportunity to work on meaningful issues and help your community in a time of need.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
100% Clean Electricity– Work towards clean electricity in Oregon! California, Washington, and Hawaii have already made commitments to 100% clean electricity. Oregon can join them so the west coast can lead our country into a green future!
Hunger and Homelessness – With COVID-19 causes and public health and economic crisis, work to fundraise for critical charities helping our neighbors struggling to make ends meet.
Affordable Textbooks – Textbooks are too expensive! The solution is open textbooks which are free to download. At the very least students should be able to see the costs of the books they’re purchasing. Help us advocate for course material costs transparency for all campuses in Oregon by collecting support from faculty.
