New storage facility checks the solar and recycling boxes

New SOU storage facility is doubly green

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University has completed a new storage facility at Raider Stadium that addresses sustainability on two fronts – it includes the university’s ninth array of solar panels, and the structure itself was created from recycled shipping containers.

The new facility, which will be used for storage of Athletic Department equipment and supplies, is SOU’s second net-positive building – the renewable energy it produces is greater than what it consumes. The first was SOU’s Student Recreation Storage Building, built in 2018 with solar installed in 2019.

“SOU is wholly committed to the pursuit of sustainability in both construction and day-to-day operations,” said Rebecca Walker, the university’s sustainability and recycling manager. “This project demonstrates that when we think differently and creatively, sustainability can make both financial and environmental sense.

The new storage facility’s solar panel installation was paid for by a fund that is fed in part by other energy savings projects on campus. The fund receives money from sources including energy savings incentives and credits from the university’s natural gas company, recycling receipts and other sustainability-related income sources.

The building itself – located behind the stadium’s east bleachers – is made from six recycled railroad shipping containers. The university repurposed three containers that we already on campus and purchased another three for $10,500 from Oregon Cargo Containers of Grants Pass.  The solar panels, installed by True South Solar of Ashland, will produce 49.68 kilowatts of electricity – enough to power about five typical homes.

“Athletics was in need of safe and adequate storage,” said SOU Athletic Director Matt Sayre. “What was designed for that purpose by the SOU Facilities Management and Planning Department and architect Matt Small – using rail boxcars and a plan to collect solar energy from the roof of that structure – is an asset Raiders can be proud of.”

The new project pushes SOU’s total solar energy generation capability to more than 430 kilowatts. The university has a total of seven other solar arrays on six buildings on the Ashland campus and one at the Higher Education Center in Medford.

Output from SOU’s solar facilities is typically fed back into the electrical grid and credited to SOU’s accounts, reducing the university’s utility bills.

SOU’s first solar installation was a 24-panel, 6-kilowatt array that was placed on Hannon Library in 2000 and it still generating electricity at 70 to 80 percent efficiency.

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The Indigenous Gardens Network will promote access to "first foods" by Native Americans

Indigenous Gardens Network receives Oregon Cultural Trust grant

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University, tribal partners and others have received a $35,483 grant from the Oregon Cultural Trust to initiate the Indigenous Gardens Network – a hub for conversation and coordination around traditional food gathering areas throughout southwestern Oregon.

The Indigenous Gardens Network is intended to restore areas where “first foods” and other culturally significant items can be cultivated, harvested and made accessible to Indigenous people. First foods are plant and animal species that Native Americans traditionally relied upon for subsistence, medicine and ceremonial uses. The network that will be funded by the new Oregon Cultural Trust grant will pull together new and existing resources to address urgent issues such as food security, climate change and Indigenous food sovereignty.

“The Indigenous Gardens Network centers the knowledge and expertise of Native people and communities and approaches all projects with a robust sense of accountability to them,” said Brook Colley, chair of the SOU Native American Studies Program and principal investigator on the OCT grant.

“(The network) will be Indigenous-led, driven by their needs and solutions, and based on mutual respect,” Colley said.

The project is a regional partnership that brings together diverse partners including tribes, educators, conservation organizations and land managers or owners to address barriers to first food access and cultivation. The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Vesper Meadow Education Program and other regional partners are joining SOU on the project.

A history of genocide, forced treaties and removal from ancestral lands created a pervasive, detrimental legacy for Indigenous people, many of whom remain displaced from southwestern Oregon. Several tribes from the region were forcibly relocated to Siletz and Grand Ronde reservations during the mid-1800s, and descendants continue to live there as citizens of the Grand Ronde and Siletz tribes.

Many members of those tribes have not re-established the annual food-tending practices of their ancestors for reasons including a lack of access to public and private land, scarcity of financial and human resources, concerns over safety and prejudice, divergence between Indigenous and Western perceptions of land use, and degradation of Indigenous gardens caused by ranching and other industries.

The Oregon Cultural Trust grant will enable the partner organizations to initiate the Indigenous Gardens Network, while additional funding sources will be sought for follow-up efforts. The network will work to re-establish specific first foods, medicines, materials and landscapes in southwestern Oregon, and to engage both private and public partners in supporting tribal access to – and stewardship of – critical cultural resources.

The Indigenous Gardens Network supports tribes and other Native communities in building sustainable food systems that improve health and well-being, strengthen food security and increase their control over Indigenous agriculture and food networks.

The Indigenous Gardens Network is also supported through the SOU Foundation. Those wishing to contribute to this work may make a donation online or contact Brook Colley (colleyb@sou.edu) for more information about the Indigenous Gardens Network. Information on donating to the Oregon Cultural Trust is available on the organization’s website.

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Food drive seeks donations to SOU Student Food Pantry

Employees and others urged to help SOU students by participating in governor’s food drive

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SOU President Linda Schott has reached out to the university’s employees, asking them to help reduce food insecurity on campus by donating as they are able to the annual Governor’s State Employee Food Drive, which runs through February. All food or money contributed at SOU will go directly to the Student Food Pantry.

“I recognize that we are all in difficult times, but for those of you who are able, please consider helping the Student Food Pantry reach its goal of raising $5,000 this month to help sustain its charitable mission through the year,” the president wrote in an email to employees.

A 2018 survey in the “Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition” found that 43.5 percent of U.S. college and university students face food insecurity – a much higher rate that the 13 percent of households nationwide that were found in an earlier study. Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon – a Portland nonprofit that works with students, organizations, schools and legislators – polled 197 students last year from 11 public colleges and universities, and found that 71 percent had experienced food insecurity in the previous 12 months.

“The most difficult thing about college should be the academic coursework, but it isn’t,” one student from Columbia Gorge Community College told the nonprofit. “The most difficult thing is trying to survive without incurring soul-crushing debt or breaking yourself by working extra jobs to make ends meet. ‘Choosing’ between buying books for your class, medicine you need to live and food to eat isn’t really a choice – it’s just picking the least horrible path.”

SOU’s Student Food Pantry provided 195 bags of 10 food items each to more than 90 students facing food insecurity during fall term 2020.

Employees and others who wish to help SOU students by donating to the Governor’s State Employee Food drive will have three options this year:

  • Non-perishable food donations can be dropped off at the Stevenson Union’s Welcome Desk anytime from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday. Items the Food Pantry could use the most include hearty soups (both meat and vegetarian), instant oatmeal, non-dairy shelf-stable milk, canned beans, canned vegetables and granola bars. Contact the Student Food Pantry at foodpantry@sou.edu with any questions.
  • Anyone can make a contribution via a one-time donation by visiting the Food Pantry website. The form is always available and donations are accepted throughout the year.
  • SOU employees are encouraged to sign up for monthly payroll contributions to provide ongoing support for the Student Food Pantry. You may fill out a Payroll Deduction Form and send the electronic copy directly to the SOU Foundation at SOUFoundation@sou.edu by Feb. 28. Those completing the form should select “other” and fill in “SOU Food Pantry” as the fund.
Philosopher Graham Harman to lecture in Campus Theme series

SOU’s 2021 Campus Theme takes on “Thinking Uncertainty” and “Justified Untrue Belief”

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SOU’s Campus Theme lecture series – which has focused each academic year since 2009-10 on a specific concept – is taking on the idea of “Thinking Uncertainty” this year and continue on Wednesday, Feb. 10, with an online lecture on “Justified Untrue Belief” by prominent philosopher Graham Harman of the Southern California Institute of Architecture.

Knowledge has been defined since the days of Plato as justified true belief – that the conditions of truth, belief and justification equate to knowledge. Harman’s lecture will put a contemporary twist on that description by examining justified untrue beliefs.

Harman maintains that knowledge cannot be “justified true belief” because – according to his philosophical concept of “object-oriented ontology” – a thing cannot be simultaneously justified and true. His concept of object-oriented ontology, or the nature of being, holds that no two entities – including human thought – can make contact without mediation from a third. He suggests there can be “justified untrue belief,” including science; and there can be “unjustified true belief,” including both philosophy and art.

Harman’s lecture will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday on a Zoom webinar at https://sou.zoom.us/j/81549473609.

Other events on the schedule for this year’s Campus Theme series include:

  • “Uncertainty and the Buddhist Perspective” on Thursday, Feb. 25, with Dan Le, a full-time volunteer with the Compassionate Service Society in Anaheim, California; Le is a practitioner in both the Zen and Huayan traditions of Buddhism. “
  • A Pathway to Peace: Making Friends with Uncertainty,” on Thursday, March 4, with Fred Grewe, an ordained minister who has companioned with almost 3,000 dying patients over the past 13 years at Providence Hospice in Medford.

Each year’s Campus Theme series aims to create opportunities for students, faculty, staff and community members to engage in intellectually stimulating conversations. The Campus Themes address big questions, enable deep understanding and broaden the intellectual horizons of participants.

This year’s theme of “Thinking Uncertainty” picks up where last year’s theme of “Uncertainty” left off. Campus Themes in previous years have ranged from “Civility” to “Race” to “Truth.”

Harman, Wednesday’s speaker, holds the titles of distinguished professor of philosophy and Liberal Arts Program coordinator at the Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles. He is the author of 18 books, most recently “Art and Objects” (Polity, September 2019).

He received his bachelor’s degree from St. John’s College, his master’s degree from Penn State University and his doctorate from DePaul University. He has taught at American University in Cairo and the European Graduate School, and has been a visiting faculty member at the University of Amsterdam, University of Turin and Yale University.

"All My Relations" is a virtual spin-off program for Native youth and families

SOU retreat for Native American youth spins off multigenerational program

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University’s Konaway Nika Tillicum wasn’t what anyone expected last summer, when the seven-day academic and cultural enrichment residential camp for Native American Youth was shifted to a virtual version of itself because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Then the totally unexpected happened: the Oregon Community Foundation, a longtime supporter of the Konaway program, reached out to its organizers at SOU to find out if there were any plans to continue supporting pre-college Native youth in Oregon at the conclusion of the one-week program. Serious conversations began, the foundation offered a new $50,000 grant and a virtual offshoot program for Konaway students and their family members was born.

“All My Relations” – the English translation of the Chinook Trade Jargon phrase, “Konaway Nika Tillicum” – was launched on Oct. 28 with seven students and has rapidly grown to include more than 33 students and their families in six states. There are currently 19 students from seven Oregon counties in the program. Another eight participants live along the Oregon border in Washington or California and have tribal connections to the region. The program runs through fall, winter and spring terms, offering biweekly, virtual longhouse gatherings to provide academic encouragement and support, and discuss everything from beading moccasin ornaments to traditional story-telling to maintaining cultural identity during a pandemic.

“It was clear that students and families were hungry for this kind of connection and assistance, and when we were approached by OCF it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get something going,” said Katherine Gosnell, assistant director of youth programs at SOU.

“OCF is keenly aware of the disproportionate impacts of COVID on Native communities and were seeking ways to address the situation,” said Rachel Jones, SOU’s director of outreach and engagement. “We shared with OCF the wish list of ideas that the Konaway team had created during the virtual Konaway, for ways that we could continue working with the students.”

Jones and her staff put together an outline and projected cost for the program, and the foundation backed the proposal with a quick-turnaround grant.

“It was a great testament to OCF’s exceptional role across the state during this challenging year – they were extremely responsive, had a quick turnaround and eliminated lengthy application processes,” Jones said.

All My Relations was originally seen as a one-time project, but has now transitioned into a pilot for what organizers hope will be an ongoing program to support and enhance the original Konaway residential offerings. Organizers at SOU are seeking additional funding through grants and donations from foundations, organizations and individuals to support a second year of All My Relations beginning in fall 2021.

“Not only are we serving Native American Youth but we are serving their families, their friends, and their communities as well,” said Tamara Ellington, an SOU adjunct instructor and residential coordinator for the Konaway program.

“We have students that join with their parents, their foster parents, their closest trusting neighbors with good internet connectivity, their cousins, their friends, and their elders,” she said. “This is truly a multigenerational program modeled and influenced by the original Konaway Nika Tillicum Native American Youth Academy.”

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The Veterans Resource Center at SOU has been awarded a grant that will enable enhanced services to the university's veterans

SOU Veterans Resource Center awarded grant to enhance services

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(Ashland, Ore.) — The Veterans Resource Center at Southern Oregon University has been awarded a $68,254 grant from the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs to help improve outcomes for student veterans at the university.

SOU is one of 14 Oregon universities and community colleges to receive the one-time veterans resource grants, which range from $25,830 to $79,290. A total of $900,000 was awarded.

“A post-secondary degree or course of study at a technical or vocation college is a critical gateway for many veterans to transition out of the military into a successful civilian career,” said Kelly Fitzpatrick, director of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs. “But unlike most students, veterans are often older and have very different life experiences from their peers.

“Campus veteran resource centers provide critical veteran resources and offer support networks with other student veterans, which can drastically improve outcomes and help ensure success for student veterans in their educational endeavors and future careers.”

The Veterans Resource Center at SOU provides support to student veterans, current service members, and their families during their transition from military service to college life, and as they complete their educational goals. The grant will provide funding for orientation and outreach, and help the SOU center create a cultural competence training course, hire a graduate assistant and add new programs to support veterans and military families.

“It was a lot of work, but we are excited and humbled to receive this grant,” said Kevin Stevens, coordinator for the SOU Veterans Center.

“The SOU Veterans Center is more connected to the region and campus than ever before, and this grant will help us take our outreach programming to the next level,” he said.

The grant program is intended to augment existing campus resources by paying for innovative projects or programs that will improve the lives of student veterans.

A Veterans Affairs committee evaluated the proposal of each college and university that applied for the grants, approving some projects and declining others. Most projects in the SOU proposal were approved.

Other institutions receiving the Veterans Resource grants are the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Portland State University, Oregon Institute of Technology and Western Oregon University, and Blue Mountain, Chemeketa, Clackamas, Klamath, Lane, Mount Hood, Rogue and Southwestern Oregon community colleges.

More information about SOU’s veteran-affiliated programs is available at www.sou.edu/veterans.

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wildfire respite is moving to Stevenson Union

SOU exploring all options to help students, employees and community through wildfires

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University has been exploring for the past week how its facilities and resources can best benefit students, employees and community members who have been affected by the recent wildfires.

SOU is currently offering daily respite and support from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Lithia Motors Pavilion for those who need to regroup in an air-conditioned facility with bathrooms, water and WiFi. Those services will transition to the Stevenson Union’s Rogue River Room on Thursday, Sept. 17.

The university’s Student and Family Housing units are fully occupied and its residence halls are already beginning to receive a reduced number of new, appropriately distanced students for fall term, which begins Sept. 23. Emergency shelter is being provided in SOU’s remaining, habitable residence halls for employees and students who have been displaced from their homes. A fire relief fund has been initiated for those who would like to make donations to support SOU students affected by the wildfires.

SOU representatives are also actively working with city, county, state and federal agencies to determine whether additional shelter can be provided in other SOU facilities. However, the university must be able to ensure the well-being of those housed on its campus and is urging patience as those options are pursued.

All wildfire responses by the university are in accordance with state guidelines – including social distancing and face-covering requirements – that have been imposed to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

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New director for Division of Education, Health and Leadership

SOU remains flexible in pandemic, pivots toward remote courses

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University is making use of the flexibility built into its reopening plan, pivoting to a fall academic schedule in which most – but not all – classes will be delivered remotely. The shift is due to the continued spread of COVID-19 in southern Oregon and statewide, and will benefit from the university’s growing familiarity with online and remote classes.

“I shared some months ago that our reopening strategy would be flexible and allow for these kinds of adjustments,” SOU President Linda Schott said in a message to students. “I remain committed to delivering a customized and flexible ‘hybrid’ learning experience this fall, balancing academic excellence with our community’s health and safety.”

The president pointed out that COVID-19 continues to spread in southern Oregon and much of the state, and that SOU recently learned of some initial cases involving members of its campus community.

The university has updated its safety and health protocols – including strict capacity standards for indoor spaces and a requirement for face coverings both inside and outside where adequate social distancing is not possible – to exceed CDC guidance. SOU is working with Oregon’s other public universities, community partners and Jackson County Public Health to plan for and respond to positive COVID-19 cases when they occur.

“I want our students to continue their studies in safety,” President Schott said. “I want SOU employees to continue serving our students without putting their health in jeopardy. And I want our neighbors and community members to recognize that we are moving ahead with appropriate caution.”

The university’s planning teams have worked to develop educational and student experiences that ensure both academic progression and improved quality of remote delivery courses. Many faculty members are taking advantage of professional development opportunities this summer to enhance learning environments for students in the coming academic year. SOU’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning has helped upgrade the university’s online and remote offerings.

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About Southern Oregon University
Southern Oregon University is a medium-sized campus that provides comprehensive educational opportunities with a strong focus on student success and intellectual creativity. Located in vibrant Ashland, Oregon, SOU remains committed to diversity and inclusion for all students on its environmentally sustainable campus. Connected learning programs taught by a host of exceptional faculty provide quality, innovative experiences for students. Visit sou.edu.

Cascade Conference delays fall sports

Cascade Conference delays fall sports for SOU and other member schools

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(Ashland, Ore.) — The Council of Presidents of the Cascade Collegiate Conference voted today to delay the start of its fall sports seasons until the winter and spring of 2021. Southern Oregon University competes in the Cascade Conference fall sports of women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s cross-country, and men’s and women’s soccer.

SOU’s football team competes in the Frontier Conference, which shortened its schedule to eight games last month and is likely to further modify the season based on today’s action from the Cascade Conference.

“Our focus is on the safety of all students on our campus,” said SOU President Linda Schott, who participated in today’s vote by the Council of Presidents. “We also feel that this move provides the best opportunity for our fall sports student-athletes to participate in a full season of competition during the coming academic year.”

The Cascade Conference suspended all outside competition until at least Nov. 1, but member schools can authorize practices, weight training, conditioning and other team activities that are consistent with guidance from local and state health authorities.

The conference has member schools for fall sports in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia, Canada. Its geographic reach presents challenges based on the reopening status of each state or province, and the U.S./Canadian border remains closed to nonessential travel.

The Cascade Conference has encouraged the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) to follow suit on the delay of fall sports, with national tournaments rescheduled for next spring.

Presidents of the Cascade Conference schools have made no decisions about the winter sports of men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s and women’s wrestling, but the schedules of those sports could also be adjusted depending on trends with the pandemic.

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About Southern Oregon University
Southern Oregon University is a medium-sized campus that provides comprehensive educational opportunities with a strong focus on student success and intellectual creativity. Located in vibrant Ashland, Oregon, SOU remains committed to diversity and inclusion for all students on its environmentally sustainable campus. Connected learning programs taught by a host of exceptional faculty provide quality, innovative experiences for students. Visit sou.edu.

Raider Receptions and Registrations are online this year

With campus access limited, Raider Receptions and Registrations go online

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Southern Oregon University typically introduces newly admitted students to life at SOU via Raider Receptions, touring them around campus in tight-knit groups. Then come the Raider Registrations, where students-to-be meet with academic advisors, schedule classes and get set for enrollment.

COVID-19 precautions prevent incoming students from seeing all that the SOU campus offers, so this year’s incoming class of first-year and transfer students are being informed of SOU’s attributes and amenities by way of digital Raider Receptions and remote Raider Registrations.

“Raider Reception is meant to be a celebration of your admission to the university, as well as to provide information about the enrollment process,” Ian Parent, associate director of admissions at SOU, says in a video element of the digital reception.

“Throughout Raider Reception, we will address the next steps for enrollment,” he says. “In doing so, you will hear from current students, campus professionals and alumni on topics such as the enrollment deposit, Raider Registration, financial aid, housing, student life and much more.” 

Living arrangements – including the housing contract for future students who will be staying in SOU’s residence halls – and Raider Registration events are among the key next steps following the Raider Receptions for those who have applied or been admitted to the university.

“One of the more exciting steps in the enrollment process is Raider Registration,” Parent says in the video. “There are multiple Raider Registration events throughout the summer. Some are for first-year students and some are for transfer students. Ultimately, it is at Raider Registration where you will meet with a Student Success Coordinator or faculty member and register for your fall classes.”

This summer’s Raider Registration events are live, remote group meetings on set dates, and only a few remain for fall term: on Saturday, July 18 and Friday, Aug. 7 for first-year students; and on Friday, July 10 and Saturday, Aug. 8, for transfer students.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many of the topics covered in the Raider Reception events. Most student life activities – including operations at the Student Recreation Center and events through the Outdoor Program – have been canceled through the summer. And SOU Dining is limited for now to take-out options through The Landing convenience store that is part of The Hawk dining commons.

SOU is planning for a mix of in-person and remote academic and other offerings for fall term, but flexibility is a key as the pandemic remains unpredictable and student wellness is the university’s top priority.

 

The goal of the university has been to make the preliminary steps to becoming a student as easy as possible, given the obstacles created by the pandemic. For instance, only incoming students who have paid their $300 enrollment deposits are typically eligible for Raider Registration events and to prepare housing contracts. But the university has deferred payment of the enrollment deposit to a later date as part of its COVID-19 response, allowing new students to make headway toward enrollment before making a financial commitment.

The digital Raider Reception includes a video walkthrough by director of financial aid Kristen Gast, who details some of the other ways SOU is helping its students pay for college.

“Me and my staff are so thrilled to welcome you to be a part of the Raider family,” Gast says. “My office is dedicated to making sure that you have all of the resources available to you to be able to afford to complete your degree here at SOU.”

The online reception ends with links to a number of supplemental videos that address the concerns of and opportunities for new students. Topics include Raider athletics, transferring to SOU, Honors College at SOU, student and alumni testimonials, the Veterans Resource Center, disability resources, the Western Undergraduate Exchange tuition program, Army ROTC, the Degree in Three program, the Study Away and exchange program, the Bridge Program that helps underrepresented students transition to college and North State Promise tuition advantage for northern California students.

Story by Blair Selph, SOU Marketing and Communications student writer