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Sage Kiernan-Sherrow<\/strong> | News Editor<\/span><\/p>\n ÀÖ²¥ÊÓƵ\u2019s campus has officially expanded into Salem after the WOU Board of Trustees unanimously voted to purchase the historical downtown Vick building on Sept. 11. This $2.735 million decision established Western as the only public university in Oregon with face-to-face instruction in the state capitol and will inaugurate two new degree programs unique to the Salem campus: a M.A in Organizational Leadership and an A.B in Liberal Studies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In the FAQ section of the statement issued by President Fuller on Sept. 13, the purpose of Western\u2019s expansion \u201creflects (Western\u2019s) mission of delivering transformative education and personalized service in our region, including providing convenient and flexible degree programs for working adults where they are.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n WOU:Salem, as the campus is being referred to, is designed to provide accessibility to the numerous amounts of working and commuting students from the Salem area, with many classes strategically being offered during the evening in an attempt to accommodate working students\u2019s busy schedules.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n One such Tuesday evening hybrid class is being taught by Dr. Lars S\u00f6derlund, who called it \u201ca thrill and an honor to teach at an institution where it feels that our commuting and non-traditional students can benefit from hybrid-format classes which maximize both time in the classroom and time spent reflecting.\u201d Dr. S\u00f6derlund hopes that his Professional Editing class will \u201cbe more easily connectable to student\u2019s professional lives.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Renovations are still being completed at the Vick building which is set to open in 2020; in the meantime, Western students with Salem-based classes like Dr. S\u00f6derlund\u2019s on their fall schedules can expect to continue to receive instruction at the <\/span>Willamette Education Service District (WESD) Marion Center. Until the Vick building\u2019s official opening, preview photos of the space as well as additional updates can be found on Western\u2019s various social media platforms.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n