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BEND, Ore. - As it begins it's second year of operation, the Oregon State University-Cascades Campus is ahead of its enrollment projections, anticipating a fast rate of continued growth, adding new majors and already contemplating the construction of another major facility on its campus.

In fall term of 2002, the state's only branch campus officially has 625 total students that comprise 340 "full time equivalent" positions. This includes all categories of undergraduate and graduate students, from all of the participating university partners, and those who are now enrolled at Central Oregon Community College but plan to continue their education at OSU-Cascades Campus.

"We had originally expected to have 300 FTE students by spring term of 2003, so we're somewhat ahead of our projections," said Jay Casbon, campus executive officer for OSU-Cascades.

"Our only real frustration is that we could grow even faster if we had the resources," Casbon said. "The demand is there. But the state is doing the best they can to support us under the circumstances, and we expect to really grow at a fast rate and prosper once the Oregon economy recovers."

Casbon said the new institution expects a 10-15 percent annual increase in its enrollment for the next five years, due to increasing demand for higher education services, expansion of majors and the beginning of efforts to market the campus beyond its original base in Central Oregon.

Right now, 81 percent of the students at OSU-Cascades are from the "tri-county" area of Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook County in Central Oregon. But 19 percent of the students are already coming from elsewhere, including 12 percent from other areas of Oregon and 7 percent out-of-state.

In its formative years, the branch campus is largely serving an older-than-average student population of area residents - about 23 percent of its upper division students are in the 18-22 year-old age group, and the rest are older than 23. But that may change. As early as next year, Casbon said, the number of younger students should rise to 30 percent, and may increase further in the future.

The campus now has 20 majors, Casbon said, an unusually high number that's made possible by its close collaboration not only with OSU but several other state universities. Among the most popular degrees are business, liberal studies, humanities and education.

Beginning in January, the campus will initiate a new major in outdoor recreation leadership, a unique program that's ideally suited to the strong tourism and recreation opportunities available in Central Oregon. There are few similar programs in the nation, Casbon said, and the new major should attract interest not only from students in the Pacific Northwest but across the country.

Next year the campus also hopes to add a major in psychology, and slowly build its faculty base. A bachelor's degree in nursing is anticipated, and some types of professional programs or perhaps a degree may be developed to help nurture Central Oregon's blossoming aviation community.

According to Casbon, the economic problems facing the state and nation may, in some ways, be working to the advantage of the new campus.

"We have small classes and great faculty, and through our collaboration with Central Oregon Community College students can actually get a four-year degree from Cascades Campus for about 30 percent less than any of the other four-year schools in the state system," Casbon said. "So a lot of Central Oregon students can stay near home and get a good education at a lower price."

The impact of the new campus is already being felt in the region, Casbon said, and it appears to be interacting very favorably with area residents. Area businesses have reported a positive effect on their recruitment and expansion, he said.

"The Economic Development for Central Oregon organization studied how the new campus will affect the region, and it found that over the next five years the campus should help create 400-500 new jobs with an economic impact of $25-30 million," Casbon said. "And those are conservative figures."

The collaborative relationship with Central Oregon Community College continues to strengthen, Casbon said, as the two institutions share such services as the library, enrollment and financial aid.

According to Casbon, the growth and services provided by the new campus were somewhat slowed when its budget for the 2001-02 biennium was reduced from $7.2 million to $6.8 million, along with similar cuts experienced by all the state institutions of higher education. The campus hopes to obtain a budget of $7.9 million in the next biennium, Casbon said, if that's possible given developments in the state economy and legislative allocations to the State System of Higher Education.

The community support for the institution, as evidenced by scholarship funding, has been little short of phenomenal, Casbon said.

"Residents of Central Oregon realize that creation of this campus was a 50-year effort, and they've been very generous in helping to support student scholarships," Casbon said. "Our scholarship goal for this academic year was $300,000 and we have already surpassed that."

And even though the paint is barely dry on Cascades Hall, the primary home of the new campus - a 38,000-square-foot, $7.5 million office, advising, and laboratory facility that was dedicated this fall - the campus administrators are already making plans for future expansion. Another building of similar size with additional offices, classrooms and laboratories may be constructed within four years, Casbon said.