Supporting DetailsSalem, Our Community

Willamette UniversityA Community Resource

Willamette's Waller Hall and the State Capitol Willamette University enriches the community with cultural, educational and entertainment opportunities and with abundant volunteerism and community service. As one of the area’s major employers, Willamette is also an important player in the local economy and, as such, contributes leadership, support and resources to worthy community initiatives. The University offers hundreds of free or low-cost entertainment, educational and cultural events each year.

Educational Events

The community can attend lectures almost every week of the school year. Notable speakers have included Ambassador Joe Wilson, Ira Glass, Benazir Bhutto, George Will, Molly Ivins and Cokie Roberts. Lectures cover everything from politics and social issues to the arts and sciences. Speaker series are sponsored by the President’s Office, the College of Law, the Indian Conversations program, the Dempsey Environmental Speaker Series, the Mark O. Hatfield Library and various student organizations.

Forums, panel discussions and readings provide educational activities, and conferences welcome local and worldwide audiences. Willamette conferences this year include the international Cultural Heritage Conference, the Pacific Northwest AIDS Conference and the Sustainability Conference. Films and documentaries, such as the recent “Common Ground,” moderated by Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, are offered.

Retired residents are invited to return to school with the Institute for Continued Learning, which provides low-cost courses, access to professors and access to the Hatfield Library.

Cultural Events

Maori Weaving Demonstrations at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art The Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University attracts 34,000 visitors each year with exhibits of regional and international significance, ranging from rock posters to Maori feather weavings to ancient Egyptian artifacts.

Willamette offers 30-40 concerts each year, including choral concerts, operettas, world music, new music, classical, folk, and jazz and blues. Willamette is also home to the Salem Chamber Orchestra and Trio Oregon, and houses Salem performances of the Oregon Symphony. Plays and dramatic performances are presented by the Willamette Theatre Department.

Family and Athletic Events

The Annual Star Trees Lighting in Early December Family events include the annual lighting of the Star Trees, the Wulapalooza music festival, Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations, annual Luaus, Africa Day and annual Social Pow Wows, which draw hundreds of Native Americans and others. Athletic fans can pick up softball, basketball, football, soccer and track events.

Special Programs

Willamette Academy Students in Class Willamette Academy is an intensive academic program that helps Salem-Keizer 8th–12th grade students prepare for college, at no cost to them or their families.

Tokyo International University of America (TIUA) welcomes 100 Japanese students to live and study at Willamette each year, contributing to Willamette’s reputation as one of the most diverse undergraduate institutions in Oregon. TIUA also sponsors Japanese cultural programs for local children during the summer.

Sponsorships

Willamette University supports the local community through sponsorship of local events, including the Salem Art Fair, World Beat Festival, Clay Ball, the Crystal Apple Awards, Salem Film Festival, Academic All-Stars and more.

Service

Undergraduate students volunteer more than 40,500 hours of service around the world each year, with 14,000 hours going to 160 nonprofit organizations in the area. Students mentor children at Bush Elementary and Parrish Middle School, tutor migrant farm workers, and work in homeless shelters. Graduate students contribute more than 17,000 hours each year to community service, with College of Law students contributing 15,000 hours of legal assistance to needy Salem residents through the Willamette Legal Clinic. Faculty volunteer as well, contributing to more than 100 community projects, nonprofit organizations and schools, including United Way, the Salem Art Association, Salem Chamber of Commerce and others.

The school motto is: Not unto ourselves alone are we born.

Library / Bookstore / Food Services

The Mark O. Hatfield Library and the Law Library provide academic resources for the public, and the Willamette Bookstore allows customers to special order books. The campus food service, Bon Appetit, has a strong reputation for low-cost, fresh food, and for its support of local farmers and ranchers. Many people who work downtown eat meals at Goudy Commons, and a new Japanese-themed dining hall at Tokyo International University of America is bringing in new clientele.

Economic Contribution

Willamette University contributes $63.2 million each year to the local economy.

  • $32 million in payroll to more than 500 employees residing in Marion and Polk counties
  • $24 million in local spending by the University itself, plus its faculty, staff and students. This includes approximately $3 million* in local spending by an estimated 15,000 campus visitors each year.
  • $7.2 million in estimated property taxes paid by 3,600 University alumni and employees in Marion and Polk counties

* This number refers to spending by alumni and family members attending four annual events: Commencement, Parent and Family Weekend, Reunion Weekend and new student orientation. It does not include local spending by the approximately 80,000 people who attend conferences, camps or any of the nearly 1,300 other events that take place on the Willamette campus.