The Senate Committee on Education on April 28, 2025 held a public hearing on House Bill 2556, which would designate Portland State University as Oregon’s Urban Research University.

Supporters said the statutory designation would recognize PSU’s role in the Portland metro area, improve the university’s competitiveness for grants and help with faculty and student recruitment. "House Bill 2 5 5 6 designates Portland State University as Oregon's Urban Research University," Senator Kate Lieber said in opening testimony.

The bill’s backers included state and local elected officials, Portland State leaders and current students. Barrett Johnson testified for Representative Dacia Graber, and Anne Cudd, Portland State University’s president, explained the university’s history and mission, citing the PSU motto "let knowledge serve the city." Rick Tankersley, vice president for research and graduate studies, noted PSU’s classification as an R2 institution and told the committee PSU brings about $83,000,000 in research funding annually, with more than 60% from federal sources. Student speakers described how PSU’s programs and faculty opened research opportunities and career paths that kept them in Oregon while attending college.

Business and community groups also testified in support. Elizabeth Howe of the Portland Metro Chamber highlighted PSU’s economic contribution to the region; Diana Núñez Gassetas of Hacienda CDC described PSU as a gateway for low-income, first-generation and BIPOC students.

Committee members asked about branding and costs. President Cudd said the designation would be used as a tagline and in grant materials and would not require wholesale rebranding or new stationery. Committee members also discussed whether the designation sets precedent for other public universities; witnesses pointed to previous statutory designations for other institutions (Eastern Oregon University as the rural university; Oregon Institute of Technology as the polytechnic university) and said designations can clarify each institution’s role in the state’s higher-education landscape.

No committee vote on HB 2556 occurred during the hearing.

Why it matters: Supporters said a statutory urban-research designation would help PSU recruit researchers and students, make it more competitive for certain grants and recognize the university’s civic research mission in Portland and statewide. Opponents or formal objections were not recorded in the hearing record.