Along with many residents of Central Oregon, we are very pleased with Monday’s decision by the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals that affirms the site development plan for OSU-Cascades’ proposed 10-acre campus.

This decision represents a victory for higher education in Central Oregon and is particularly significant for our current and future students. While OSU-Cascades will welcome its first freshman class this September, the LUBA ruling makes it possible for OSU-Cascades to bring students to the region’s long-awaited four-year university campus during the 2016-2017 academic year.

As leaders of Oregon State University and OSU-Cascades, we are steadfast in our commitment to fulfill a 30-year community aspiration to bring a four-year university to Central Oregon. And we remain committed to building a four-year campus that is well-integrated into the Bend community.

Last week, we were greatly heartened by the results of a recent survey of Bend-area residents that demonstrated overwhelming support of a four-year university campus that is part of the Bend community and within walking distance of downtown, housing and other community amenities for students.

These survey results also demonstrate significant interest among community residents and employers in being able to readily engage with and benefit from having a four-year university campus close at hand.

Looking ahead, we renew our pledge to continue working with Bend and Central Oregon residents, as well as with community, business and education leaders to:

• Fulfill longtime aspirations for having a university in Central Oregon by continuing to move this important initiative forward.

• Engage in collaborative planning and problem-solving by actively seeking public input.

• Ensure that the new four-year university campus will be an educational, economic and community difference-maker for Central Oregon that will add to the region’s quality of life.

By working together, we will not just build a physical campus. We will create a university that reflects community values and provides a legacy of opportunity for local students of all ages, who otherwise would be forced to leave their community to complete their education.

Consider Allison Zavala, a 2015 Bend High School graduate, who will enroll this fall as an incoming freshman at OSU-Cascades. Allison plans to study anthropology, and after completing her college degree she hopes to work in the health care field — possibly in forensic anthropology.

Allison has shared with us that it was always her dream to attend college, but like many of her friends, she says she did not want to leave Bend to have a university experience and earn a four-year degree.

OSU-Cascades’ expansion to a four-year campus will allow Allison a chance to earn her degree while remaining close to home.

Working together, we can make this campus a showcase for higher education and career opportunities for Allison and hundreds of other Bend and Central Oregon residents. And we can ensure that the campus will serve as a community asset that enhances the culture, economy and quality of life of Bend and surrounding communities.

We hope you will join us in achieving what’s best for Bend, Central Oregon and students like Allison Zavala.

— Ed Ray is president of Oregon State University. Becky Johnson is vice president of OSU-Cascades.