2013 the Oregon University System began the process of creating independent boards for certain schools, including Oregon State and the University of Oregon. On June 30, 2015, the Oregon University System was dissolved and on July 1, 2015, the Eastern Oregon University Board of Trustees took on governance of the institution. The university removed the name Pierce from the library in November 2020, which had been named for former governor Walter M. Pierce and his wife Cornelia Marvin Pierce due to the governor's views on race. On Tuesday May 9, 2023 the EOU Board of Trustees voted unanimously to name Kelly A. Ryan as the university's 13th president.
== Campus setting ==
EOU's location in La Grande is in the heart of the Blue Mountain range between Portland, Oregon and Boise, Idaho just off Interstate 84. Driving to La Grande takes approximately four hours from Portland, two and half from Boise, five from Seattle, and four from Spokane. As of 2021 EOU has a 98% acceptance rate. The college also has centers across …
