Ashland, OR – December 5, 2013: Southern Oregon University president Mary Cullinan made the formal announcement today that the university needs to make academic program reductions to ensure its long-term fiscal strength and student affordability. Termed “retrenchment,” the formal move enables the faculty contract to be opened so that a process of eliminating and reducing programs can begin.

The retrenchment announcement came this morning during a University forum at which Dr. Cullinan as well as faculty senate president Dave Carter and student body president Tommy Letchworth addressed faculty, staff, and students on the need to cut programs in order to balance the budget and reinvest in core programs.

“Retrenchment is the only option for SOU,” said Cullinan. “It will enable us to sustain and advance our university, offer our students a high quality, affordable education, and serve our regional mission. The new landscape offers less certainty about enrollment and state funding, and a greater certainty that only through affordable tuition can we keep SOU accessible for Oregonians. We need resources to support and enhance in-demand degree programs and help students stay in school and earn a degree.”

The next step of the retrenchment process is to develop a provisional plan that provides a draft of program eliminations and reductions. The plan, to be released in January, will be consistent with SOU’s mission and reflect academic needs and enrollment priorities, but also enable the university to meet its budgetary goals. The campus community has a 15 university-day period in which to provide their comments for consideration in the final plan.

“Losing valued faculty members will be the hardest part of this process,” said Cullinan. “Because of the length and nature of this process, those whose programs face reduction or elimination will know well in advance, so they will have preparation time and help from SOU with their transition.

“SOU is incredibly important to present and future generations of students. Our university is vital to this region and to the state of Oregon. We need to do what is best for the short and long term. This means cutting low-enrollment, low-demand programs and retargeting resources so that SOU remains affordable and provides the programs student need most.”

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Public TV and community TV are joining hands for “Immense Possibilities.”

The SOPTV public affairs program “Immense Possibilities” is moving its production to Southern Oregon University’s high-tech Digital Media Center (DMC) at Rogue Valley Community Television. The program is also expanding its reach to Portland, Redding and other parts of the West.

“This is a great example of regional collaboration,” says SOU President Mary Cullinan. “We’re harnessing DMC’s exceptional technology and SOU’s talented Digital Media students to work with the experienced staff and talent from Southern Oregon Public Television. Together they’ll create a compelling TV program that can be viewed broadly in the West. It’s a wonderful showcase for southern Oregon.”

“With the help of SOU, we plan to make ‘Immense Possibilities’ a more regional program,” says Mark Stanislawski, President & CEO of SOPTV.  ”KIXE in Redding begins broadcasting ‘Immense Possibilities’ in January, and this season of ‘Immense Possibiliites’ will be seen on Oregon Public Broadcasting.   We hope more stations on the west coast broadcast the series and so we can expand the exchange of community-building experiences even further.”

The DMC’s state-of-the-art “green screen” technology was a big reason for the move from SOPTV’s studio in Medford to the SOU campus in Ashland. The green screen technology allows the host and studio guests to be superimposed on a variety of virtual sets, enhancing the visual appeal of the program.

DMC’s green screen allows the program host and guests to be superimposed on a variety of virtual sets.

SOU’s participation in the partnership also creates opportunities for dozens of students to gain real-world experience in producing a program aired on PBS stations in the West, on-air presenting and social media campaigning. “The University has made it a strategic priority for our students to be more engaged, more visible and more productive in the world outside of our campus,” said SOU faculty member Erik Palmer.

“We plan to bring more intergenerational activity to the show,” says “Immense Possibilities” host and producer Jeff Golden. “We’d like to see someone in their 20s host a regular segment within ‘Immense Possibilities’’ That’s an important element of the community building that our program is all about.”

The “Immense Possibilities” partnership will be formalized on Friday, December 6 at 2:30 p.m. in a ceremony at the Digital Media Center on the SOU campus. President Cullinan and SOPTV President and CEO Mark Stanislawski will view a student demonstration of the virtual set to be used for “Immense Possibilities.”

About Southern Oregon University

As the public liberal arts university of the West, Southern Oregon University focuses on student learning, accessibility, and civic engagement that enriches both the community and bioregion. The university is recognized for fostering intellectual creativity, for quality and innovation in its connected learning programs, and for the educational benefits of its unique geographic location. SOU was the first university in Oregon—and one of the first in the nation—to offset 100 percent of its energy use with clean, renewable power, and it is the first university in the nation to balance 100% of its water consumption. Visit sou.edu.

About Immense Possibilities

“Immense Possibilities” is a weekly public TV and Internet visit with guests whose social creations are building vibrant communities.  In the process they are infusing others with realistic hope and inviting them to engage in the activities around them.  Says one recent IP guest,  ”With Americans waking up almost every day to a barrage of discouraging, disempowering news stories, ‘Immense Possibilities’ is exactly what we need right now.  It inspires us with proof that positive, life-affirming solutions to our big challenges aren’t just possible — they’re actually unfolding around us everyday”

—Ocean Robbins, Founder of YES!

Immense Possibilities video highlights.

About the Digital Media Center

The Southern Oregon Digital Media Center (DMC) provides a space where people, tools and technology blend together to inspire relevant and compelling media for the 21^st century. The center serves both Southern Oregon University (SOU) and the larger community in Southern Oregon and Northern California. The DMC builds on and expands the mission of SOU’s Rogue Valley Community Television organization (RVTV), and supports the teaching function of multiple academic programs at SOU. We are #thehouseofyes.

About Southern Oregon Public Television

Southern Oregon Public Television (SOPTV) is a nonprofit, community-owned, governed and operated educational television station.  Using television, the Internet and community outreach, SOPTV connects communities in five southern Oregon counties and a portion of northern California by partnering with local organizations and corporations. Made possible by the financial support of its viewers, SOPTV is accessible to all regardless of their means. SOPTV is available from Roseburg to Happy Camp, CA and from Brookings to Klamath Falls. Its headquarters are located in Medford, Oregon.  More information on SOPTV and its programs and services is available at www.soptv.org. 

 -SOU-

Fall 2013 Enrollment Down 5%, reflecting national trends of lower post-recession college attendance

(Ashland, Ore.) –As the economy turns up, Southern Oregon University’s enrollment numbers are turning down, following a national trend at many universities. SOU headcount is 6,140 this fall, 5.3% less than the previous year, and 8.9% less than fall 2011, SOU’s record enrollment year. 2011’s enrollment was a 32% spike from 2009.

SOU’s numbers follow a trend at Oregon’s other public regional universities and community colleges, and at many campuses across the country. These institutions serve growing numbers of low- and moderate-income students whose families have been hard hit during the recession, making it harder to go to college or stay there. SOU also saw its two largest-ever graduating classes exit in 2011 and 2012, and enter the work force.

The drop in enrollment comes at a time when SOU is increasingly dependent on student tuition to offset a steady decline in state support. Twenty years ago tuition provided just 30% of education costs, and state support supplied most of the balance. Today 70% of the cost of education is covered by students and their families.

SOU President Mary Cullinan notes that “Lack of state support for public higher education puts the burden on students. Although SOU remains one of the most affordable universities in Oregon, students still struggle with the cost.  Many are working several part-time jobs. As the employment picture improves,” she adds, “significant numbers of students are increasing their work hours and not enrolling in university classes.”

Oregon’s regional campuses are the most sensitive to economic downturns. 72% of SOU’s students receive financial aid, and more than 60% of students who receive financial aid are eligible for federal Pell grants to low income families.

The US Census Bureau reported in September that the demographic group showing the largest decrease on college campuses is adults 25 and older.

Although most SOU enrollment categories were down, some continued to go up:

• Headcount is 6,140, 341 students or 5.3% less than 2012.
• Full Time Equivalent (FTE) enrollment is 4,351, or 4.9% less than 2012.
• New freshmen enrollment is down 6.7% and new transfer enrollment is down 1.1%. Rogue Community College transfer enrollment is down 17.7%.
• Although total California enrollment is down 19 students or 2.0%, new California freshmen and California transfers were both up slightly.
• Latino enrollment continues to grow, up 5.8% from fall 2012.
• Freshmen retention decreased slightly from the year before.
• Foreign student enrollment is up 22 students or 16.1%. The biggest increase is students from South Korea.

SOU Ten-Year Fall Enrollment History

About Southern Oregon University 

As the public liberal arts university of the West, Southern Oregon University focuses on student learning, accessibility, and civic engagement that enriches both the community and bioregion. The university is recognized for fostering intellectual creativity, for quality and innovation in its connected learning programs, and for the educational benefits of its unique geographic location. SOU was the first university in Oregon—and one of the first in the nation—to offset 100 percent of its energy use with clean, renewable power, and it is the first university in the nation to balance 100% of its water consumption. Visit sou.edu.