[2] In August 2012, the Oregon State Board of Higher Education approved OSU's plan to expand the campus into a four-year school.

[5] In early 2018, the Oregon Legislature approved a $39 million state-backed bond to expand the OSU–Cascades campus.

[6] Supported by Governor Kate Brown, the expansion will go towards the construction of a new academic building, focused on STEAM fields.

The landfill sits adjacent to the Cascades campus, and was previously used to collect construction debris.

[6][9] The Tumalo Volcanic Center is the source of the pumice for Cascades's to expand their campus.

[1] The campus, which opened in 2001 and operated in Cascades Hall at Central Oregon Community College, began offering four-year degrees by Fall 2015.

[16] The campus is currently seated on 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land, with four buildings on it (one of which is operated by the Bend Science Station).

A fifth building, the Graduate and Research Center (GRC), is located a half-mile away near Deschutes Brewery.

Bend lies between the Cascade Mountains and the Central Oregon high desert plateaus.

The city, which started out as a lumber town when it was established in 1905, has become a tourist hub for outdoor recreation enthusiasts and beer-lovers alike, with dozens of hiking/biking trails and breweries.

Mount Bachelor ski resort is also a popular tourist destination, and just 30 minutes from the cascades campus, providing students with easy access to the mountain.

[20][21] The Oregon State Cascades Campus is located a short drive away from Mount Bachelor, the Factory Outlets, and the Hayden Homes Amphitheater.