History

The Mills International Center, which started as the International Resource Center in 2000, has seen remarkable growth – visits to the Center have almost tripled in just 6 years. The Mills Center has always been funded entirely by student incidental fees, via the ASUO (student government). Its first funding came from a two-year ballot measure, passed in March 2000.

Major renovations in 2007 marked a milestone in Mills Center history. To fund the renovation, the UO Office of International Affairs (the Mills Center’s administrative home) raised $1.3 million from many sources, the largest part from the Student Building Fee Committee. Significant amounts were contributed by other donors, including UO international alumni in Japan, Hanyang University of Korea, the EMU itself, and the UO Office of the Vice President for Research. The renovation made the Center more attractive, flexible, and technologically up-to-date. Additionally, updated electrical equipment has proven to be useful for the many events that occur in the space. Our statistics indicate that our new facility is increasing our exposure and use.

We are proud to have over 37,000 visits a year and host over 300 events. We hope you will visit us to check out travel books from our lending library, attend an event, or just hang out on the most comfortable couches on campus.