University Day is a campus-wide beautification event that takes place each spring. Hundreds of students, staff, and faculty gather together to plant flowers, spread bark dust, and enjoy live entertainment provided by campus groups. We also invite community members to join us! The tradition dates back to 1904 as part of Junior Weekend, when projects included things such as laying the walk to Deady, followed by a feast. It has always been a spirited event to prepare the University grounds for commencement ceremonies, and even though it has greatly evolved since 19045, our roots still lie in campus spirit and community service.

Any student, staff, faculty, alumni, or community member is welcome to participate. There is no pre-registration required, simply join us at Collier Lawn (on the corner of 13th Avenue and University Street, just west of the EMU Amphitheater) between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to participate. Volunteers will be assigned to a section of campus to plant flowers, weed flower beds, spread bark dust, clean up litter, etc. Committing one hour of your time will earn you a free University Day t-shirt, and the satisfaction of contributing to a century old UO tradition!

This year’s campus project will be redesigning a footpath between Lawrence Hall and Villard Hall. We will also be assisting the grounds staff in the planting of President Schill’s investiture tree near the Pioneer statue between Fenton and Friendly Halls at 10 a.m.