Oregon State requires two courses examining ‘systems of oppression’

Oregon State University requires undergraduate students who enrolled in summer 2025 or later to complete two “Difference, Power & Oppression” (DPO) courses as part of its Core Education curriculum. The university’s core education requirements include “Difference, Power & Oppression Foundations” and “Difference, Power & Oppression Advanced.” Many courses can fulfill each requirement. Professors must complete specialized training to teach DPO courses. In addition to “difference, power, and oppression,” participants in the DPO Academy learn about “feminist and critical pedagogies” and “fundamentals of curriculum transformation.” The description of the Advanced courses explains the reasoning for the requirement. “The inequitable distribution of...