The Oregon Extension

About the Oregon Extension

The Oregon Extension is a unique program that takes place each fall semester near Ashland, Oregon. It is an adventure in ideas and community living and takes place in a rustic setting. Students join college professors who live at Lincoln, a 1920s logging village on the banks of a millpond in the mountains of southern Oregon. Daily learning revolves around the reading of great books, careful note-taking to prepare for small group discussion, lectures, and individual study and writing projects.

Life in the Pacific Northwest

Up to 40 students and four resident professors form this intentional learning community at the Oregon Extension. Aside from reading and writing, they climb mountains, hike the coastline, stoke the woodstoves of their cabins and bake bread.

Steven Johnson, a professor at EMU, was a student and then faculty assistant of the program in the 1990s. During the 2012-13 academic year, he spent his sabbatical there and taught during the fall semester. Johnson speaks fondly of his experiences there:

“This program was one of the best things I did as a college student. The landscape of southern Oregon is amazing, and I loved the combination of community living, honest conversation, and intellectual and theological exploration.”

Learn more about the Oregon Extension

For more information, feel free to contact Ronda Rittenhouse, EMU’s executive assistant to the provost. You can also take a look our news article or visit the program’s website directly at oregonextension.org.