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BEND - A new bachelor's degree in outdoor recreation leadership and tourism at Oregon State University-Cascades Campus should attract student interest from across the state and nation, educators say, with a curriculum tailored to the needs of a rapidly growing industry.

The educational program, which was officially approved this month by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education, will begin this fall and expand gradually over the next five years.

"As a four-year bachelor's degree, this is definitely a unique program for Oregon," said Rebecca Johnson, a professor and associate dean in the OSU College of Forestry. "It has an intensive focus on commercial recreation and leadership development, and is something the state has needed for a long time.

"Many other states with a strong tourism industry such as Oregon already have educational programs similar to this," Johnson said. "A program in global tourism recently began at Colorado State University and they have already had to limit enrollment. There should be many career opportunities for graduates from this program, not only in Oregon but around the world."

The new degree will begin with an option that emphasizes international ecotourism, Johnson said, which will include an international internship, study of a foreign language, exploration of the environmental, economic and cultural impacts of tourism, and an understanding of sustainability issues along with more traditional topics in the business and marketing arena.

Later, three other options will be added to this bachelor's degree: commercial recreation and tourism; experiential education; and outdoor recreation for special populations, such as the elderly, disabled or at-risk youth. By the time the degree is fully phased in over the next five years as many as five new faculty members working in this field may be added to the OSU-Cascades Campus.

"There is already a lot of interest in the Central Oregon community in this degree, because tourism businesses are looking for students with appropriate training," Johnson said. "With its many types of outdoor recreation including skiing, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, and wilderness adventures, Central Oregon is one of the best places in the country to begin a program such as this. And it's a great area for students to get internships and work experience."

Tourism is one of the leading industries in Central Oregon, employing about 6,500 people in the three-county area. And the degree will be a good complement to a two-year educational program in recreation leadership now being offered at Central Oregon Community College, officials said.

"COCC already has a strong program in outdoor recreation, as do a number of other community colleges around the state, including Mount Hood," said Jay Casbon, campus executive officer of OSU-Cascades. "Until now, their graduates have had to leave the state to complete four-year degrees. This degree should be a perfect fit for both Central Oregon and the state as a whole."

The new program was set up jointly at OSU by the College of Forestry and the College of Health and Human Sciences, and was begun in part with grant support from the U.S. Department of Education.