BEND, Ore.-- The University of Oregon is ending its undergraduate program in Bend at the request of the State Board of Higher Education.

Instead, the board is consolidating undergraduate classes under the Oregon State University banner.

Oregon State opened its OSU Cascades branch in 2001 after the U of O lost its bid to open a branch. Under this partnership, students enroll at Central Oregon Community College to take lower-division classes and then transfer to OSU for upper-division classes while remaining in Bend.

The state had allowed the U of O to offer classes that enrolled students separately in a different building and awarded separate degrees.