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

SOU's Small Business Development Center

SOU Small Business Development Center helps local businesses weather COVID-19

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Southern Oregon University’s Small Business Development Center, in Medford at the RCC/SOU Higher Education Center, has done more than its part to make sure businesses in Jackson County survive the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown declared a state of emergency in Oregon to address the virus outbreak on March 8, and President Trump declared a national emergency five days later.

“We noticed a marked increase in the number of calls into our SBDC Center immediately upon the president’s declaration of the national emergency,” said Marshall Doak, the center’s director. “Initially, our volume doubled, then continued to rise until we were dealing with a ten-times increase in our workload, trying to respond to the panic we heard in the regional business people’s voices.”

The flurry of calls from local business owners typically focused on accessing Small Business Administration programs or unemployment services, how to deal with landlords who wouldn’t offer rent leniency and the closure of businesses. Confidential, one-on-one business advising is a core feature of the national SBDC model.

One of the local businesses that reached out to SOU’s SBDC for help is the Talent Café, which focuses on a diverse selection of breakfast and lunch comfort food. The walls of Talent Café showcase owner Denise O’Brien’s paintings, which she creates while working there.

“I moved to Talent from Kona, Hawaii,” O’Brien said. “I had owned salons for 30 years but got really tired of the dynamic. I saw the cafe for sale in Talent, got a job as a hostess on the weekends and then bought it.”

Then the pandemic hit Oregon. Gatherings of 25 people or more were banned, along with on-premises food consumption at restaurants, bars and coffee shops.

O’Brien’s dedication to her customers, some assistance from the SBDC and some changes in direction have enabled the Talent Café to stay afloat.

“(COVID-19) closed us down for three months, right as it was getting busy,” O’Brien said. “I have completely redone the café to be more geared to to-go food.”

Her cafe isn’t the only local business to benefit from the SBDC’s assistance. Even with the increase in calls, the center has maintained its caller satisfaction rate, according to surveys of clients. 

“Our SBDC has distinguished itself in the amount of client contact we have had,” Doak said. 

The SBDC itself was also affected by the coronavirus, beyond the increase in calls. Doak and others take pride in the SBDC’s one-on-one meetings with business owners, and in-person training such as the “Introduction to Entrepreneurship” and “Grow your Business/Grow your Online Presence” classes taught at the HEC. A Zoom webinar to help business owners “Develop Your Unique Post-COVID Strategy” will be held at noon on July 23.

But with the cancellation of all non-essential meetings, the SBDC had to adapt its offerings to remote delivery.

“We went to a virtual delivery method before our peers around the nation were able to,” Doak said. “The SOU IT Department was absolutely fantastic in getting us up and running, so we (didn’t) skip a beat.”

The Medford SBDC has also been able to leverage its connection to the Small Business Administration – the only cabinet-level federal agency fully dedicated to small businesses – to help its local clients. About 900 SBDCs operate across the country, usually located at colleges or universities and funded by a combination of state and SBA support.

“We have extensive resources for SBA lending programs, for updated information for the CARES Act, and the accumulated knowledge of over 120 highly-educated and experienced professional business advisers across the state at our fingertips to assist our client businesses,” Doak said.

The SBDC’s business expertise and familiarity with the CARES Act were critical resources for O’Brien and as her Talent Café struggled to survive the COVID-19 restrictions.

“I have greatly valued the advice of Marshall, my (SBDC) counselor,” O’Brien said. “He guided me through loan applications and let me rant.”

Doak and the Medford SBDC are committed to the one-on-one approach that sets the business assistance agency apart from other organizations of its type.

“In the immediate past and present, the most important work we do is to keep entrepreneurs and business owners solvent so that they are able to rebuild their businesses post-COVID,” Doak said. “Knowing how fast businesses can go from prosperity to poverty or bankruptcy has been a shocking revelation to us.”

Story by Blair Selph, SOU Marketing and Communications student writer

SOU board condemns racial injustice

SOU board condemns racial injustice, pledges action

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(Ashland, Ore.) — The Southern Oregon University Board of Trustees voted unanimously today – on Juneteenth, a significant date in the history of Black and African Americans – to condemn racial injustice and pledge to take action as the nation searches for solutions.

“We must seize these opportunities, and while acknowledging the challenges, we must assure our students and colleagues that we see them, hear them and stand with them against racial oppression and injustice,” the SOU board said in a statement.

“We cannot be silent. It is not enough to feel bad, or hope someone else will do something. We must be part of the solution. We must act.”

The board’s action came on the same day that the university hung Black Lives Matter posters in prominent campus locations and President Linda Schott announced the creation of an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Team to temporarily direct SOU’s social justice efforts. The team – made up of campus leaders Sabrina Prud’homme, Jonathan Chavez Baez and Kylan Mattias de Vries – will manage those duties until the university hires a successor to former senior executive for Suresh Appavoo, who resigned last month.

“We have agreed that it is most vital to concentrate on the work that must be done on our campus rather than conduct a national search for an equity, diversity and inclusion executive at this time,” President Schott said Friday in a message to campus.

The EDI Team will lead SOU’s efforts to meet state cultural competency requirements by December; provide professional development opportunities including culturally responsive teaching and implicit bias training; and create a campus Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity Plan to guide policy changes and strengthen institutional accountability.

“I have full faith in the ability of our campus to come together and create the constructive change we seek,” President Schott said. “SOU is a special place, and I am committed to ensuring that all in our community feel safe here. I welcome your good ideas and good hearts to our work.”

She praised the board for its message in support of students, faculty and staff of color, and its shared dedication to SOU’s welcoming atmosphere.

“The board has committed – as I have – to lead SOU through whatever process is necessary to ensure that our campus embraces people from all walks of life and from all nations of the world,” the president said.

The Board of Trustees’ statement:

“On this Juneteenth of 2020, we act in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, and with people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds who continue to face unprecedented challenges, injustices, and violence.

“The SOU Board joins President Linda Schott in her clear statement that Southern Oregon University condemns and denounces hate and abhorrent language and behaviors intended to harm any member of our learning community on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, expression, age, national origin (ancestry), immigration status, disability, marital status, sexual orientation or military status. We are firmly committed to peace, justice, civil discourse, social-emotional support and respect for all.

“We must seize these opportunities, and while acknowledging the challenges, we must assure our students and colleagues that we see them, hear them and stand with them against racial oppression and injustice. We cannot be silent. It is not enough to feel bad, or hope someone else will do something. We must be part of the solution. We must act.

“Identifying actions that we can take will be part of our challenge and our opportunity. We recognize that thinking of actions is easier than taking them, but taking action is a moral imperative. As a board, we commit to not only condemning injustice but also taking action and rising to the challenge of being part of a solution.”

Wetlands are being restored at The Farm at SOU

SOU shows commitment to sustainability, restoring wetlands at The Farm

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Southern Oregon University is demonstrating its commitment to sustainability and helping to preserve a portion of Oregon’s remaining wetlands with its ongoing effort to restore a “wet meadow” at The Farm at SOU.

“We have already noticed impacts from our work,” said associate professor Vincent Smith, director of The Farm. “The area is alive with the sounds of frogs and I personally watched a blue heron land in the site yesterday for a bit of rest.”

The wet meadow was previously overgrown with blackberries and other invasive species, but Smith and his team of 13 student workers have triggered a turnaround at the site. Much of the unwanted brush has been cleared and replaced with wetland plants that are native to the area, and a new boardwalk now extends into the meadow from the adjacent Thalden Pavilion.

“Much of the wetland walkway is now completed,” Smith said. “Students have planted over 100 new wetland plants and work weekly to reduce pressure from invasive species.

“One of the biggest challenges we have faced is the removal of invasive species, namely blackberry, without the use of chemicals.”

Funding for the restoration project has been provided by local philanthropists Barry and Kathryn Thalden of Ashland, whose earlier donation paid for construction of the pavilion that bears their name.

The wet meadow – part of a 5 ½-acre parcel that encompasses The Farm and the SOU Center for Sustainability – will become a hub for research and education when its restoration is complete. Students and community members will have opportunities to observe and research the beneficial ecosystem of a functioning wetland.

Wetlands – areas of land covered by fresh or salt water – used to cover 2.3 million acres of Oregon, and are home to numerous species of mammals, birds, fish and invertebrates. More than a million acres of the state’s wetlands have been lost to agricultural and urban development, leading to issues of water filtration, storm protection and flood control.

About 40 percent of Oregon’s wetlands have been drained, and 22 states have lost at least half of their wetlands.

The Farm’s restoration project has a long way to go – physical removal of invasive species will continue for several years.

“We will not see the full environmental impacts until later this year and next year,” Smith said. “Our construction will limit wildlife returning for now. I expect by late summer, we will begin to see extensive growth of native plants and hopefully begin to see additional wildlife on the site.”

Managing and maintaining the project has been a collective effort. The Farm has hosted seven work days, during which volunteers from SOU have contributed hundreds of hours to site preparation, planting and weeding. Two student interns in particular – Erin Wheeler, an Environmental Science and Policy major at SOU, and Katy Tarr, an intern from Chico State University – have made an impact as leaders of the restoration effort.

“Perhaps one of my favorite experiences during the restoration project so far was watching the two interns leading the project take pictures after planting was completed,” Smith said. “Watching students figure something out in the classroom is a beautiful thing … but watching students accomplish something outside of the classroom is why I come to work every day.”

The Farm, on Walker Street in Ashland, serves as a venue for organic agriculture and a source of healthy, sustainable food for the SOU community.

Story by Kennedy Cartwright, SOU Marketing and Communications assistant and student writer

Commencement week, virtually, at SOU

SOU offers various Commencement recognitions in lieu of ceremony

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Raider Stadium will be strangely empty Saturday, when Southern Oregon University’s traditional Commencement Ceremony was planned until the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily ended all mass gatherings in Oregon. But SOU remains in celebration mode this week with a variety of displays and program-level virtual, video and drive-through acknowledgements.

And all 1,000-plus Class of 2020 graduates will be recognized with small, individualized signs placed in the campus lawn – after President Linda Schott and the Rocky Raider mascot congratulate each graduate by posing for a photo with their sign. The lawn sign photos will be posted on the university’s website Saturday as a slideshow tribute to the graduating class.

“College graduation is a remarkable milestone for any student,” President Schott said. “I commend this year’s graduates for their hard work and determination, and for the grace with which they have negotiated the challenges of these past few months. They have prepared themselves well for future success.”

Visible displays to honor this year’s graduates will begin showing up on campus later this week, including a large Class of 2020 banner, signs at various campus locations and a commemorative display on the Churchill arch – traditionally a favorite spot along Siskiyou Boulevard for graduation photos.

At least 31 SOU programs are offering graduation observances specific to their graduates. Most of the program-specific events – which began last week and continue through this weekend – are virtual graduation celebrations. At least two programs are holding in-person but socially distant ceremonies, three created drive-through graduation events, four prepared video celebrations for their graduates and one – the Digital Cinema Program – streamed a live “Student Film Festival and Senior Celebration.”

SOU’s 2020 graduates have been told they should also expect to be invited back to campus for a full Commencement Ceremony at Raider Stadium as soon as an event of that size is allowed and the safety of participants and spectators can be assured.

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Centralized trash cans and recycling bins will be the focus at SOU

Initiative to reduce trash cans – and trash – continues despite COVID-19

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COVID-19 has reached so deeply into everyday life that it’s affected even seemingly unrelated procedures and initiatives – such as a project to reduce waste at SOU by eliminating individual trash cans.

The program – launched in January by sustainability and recycling manager Rebecca Walker – is continuing, but at a different trajectory and pace.

Walker, who became SOU’s sustainability and recycling manager in November, launched the initiative to remove individual trash cans from rooms across campus, starting with the Facilities, Management and Planning building.

“This is a small change, but to me a critical one,” Walker said. “Studies have shown that removing individual trash cans has a number of benefits, including the reduction in the use of plastic liners, helping staff and students to think about how they handle their trash, increasing recycling rates … and reducing overall trash.”

It will also save money by reducing the amount of time the custodial staff needs to take out the trash.

The Science Building, Taylor Hall, and Churchill Hall had their trash and recycling measured in early January, before the initiative started. The intent was to allow Walker and the rest of the Facilities, Management and Planning team to check the initiative’s outcome by comparing measurements later. Unfortunately, COVID-19 threw a wrench into that plan – the reduced presence of students and employees on campus would skew trash comparisons,.

“We haven’t done any trash measurements since January,” Walker said. “And with less people on campus and a campus operating differently, we are going to roll out this program of work over a longer period of time.” 

It’s only small, individual cans found in classrooms, offices and other locations that will be removed. The centralized waste stations (the ones containing three bins for trash, paper, and glass) will still be in every building, a short walk from most locations. And Walker is prepared to make exceptions in some situations.

“Not all individual trash cans had been removed,” she said. “In some cases, it makes sense to keep a smaller trash can between a few people or an individual trash can. We need to put in place systems that work for everyone, and in some cases there may be a reason why someone has to keep an individual trash can.”

The initiative has temporarily slowed, but it isn’t going away. 

“We do intend to continue to roll out (the trash can) project – including centralized locations, signage and education and awareness for recycling – over the summer,” Walker said. “Recycling is an important foundation for any campus to have in place to achieve its sustainability goals.”

In the meantime, she has refocused her team on projects that can be completed predominantly online – such as a new, more ambitious SOU Climate and Sustainability Plan.

“I have been working with the Sustainability Council and students to initiate (the development of a Climate and Sustainability Plan),” she said. “We have exciting plans of getting as many involved as we can through Zoom workshops and social media to maximize participation and involvement in the current, more online community.”

Those who want to be involved or have ideas for sustainability and climate action at SOU should complete the form at (https://form.jotform.com/200288565040148) by Friday, May 15.

Story by Blair Selph, SOU Marketing and Communications student writer

Restoration work at The Farm will happen Friday

Habitat restoration at The Farm at SOU to be completed – at safe distances

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University students and staff will make use of a charitable donation at one of the best places on campus for social distancing when they complete the restoration of a “wet meadow” area on Friday at The Farm at SOU.

The wetland was previously overgrown with blackberries and other invasive species, but has recently been cleared and a new boardwalk that originates at the Thalden Pavilion has been built into the area. About five student employees and interns will work with associate professor Vincent Smith, director of The Farm, to plant a variety of native plants beginning at about 3 p.m. on Friday.

“The plants are all native wetland plants and will be used exclusively to create habitat and as a tool for teaching about the value of wet meadows,” Smith said.

Funding for the restoration project was provided by local philanthropists Barry and Kathryn Thalden of Ashland. An earlier donation from the Thaldens paid for construction in 2018 of the adjacent pavilion that bears their name.

SOU is offering 98 percent of the courses that were originally scheduled for spring term – all by remote instruction or online platforms in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. All campus buildings are closed to the public, and students and employees have been urged to wear face masks and strictly observe safe social distancing.

But the 5 ½-acre property at The Farm offers a unique opportunity to get at least a handful of students outside and working on a project that supports the university’s commitment to sustainability. The Farm could have been shut down while the university is in remote operation, but doing so would have cost eight students the jobs they rely upon to help pay for school.

“The reason The Farm at SOU is still operating is because we can guarantee outdoor distanced work,” said Smith, chair of the university’s Environmental Science and Policy program. “The students have all received distancing training.”

The Farm, on Walker Street in Ashland, serves as a venue for organic agriculture and a source of healthy, sustainable food for the SOU community. It is also a center for sustainability and a hub for education, student and faculty research, and community outreach to the Rogue Valley.

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Retired SOU registrar Mike Corcoran

Retired SOU registrar Mike Corcoran passes away

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Retired Southern Oregon University registrar Michael Corcoran passed away in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 29, after a hard fought battle with cancer.

Mike was born in Florida on Sept. 19, 1944, but grew up in southern Massachusetts. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War as a “Ditty Bopper,” intercepting enemy code.

He was especially proud of his time at SOU, where he was hired in 1997 as associate director of information technology. He became registrar in 1999 and served in that position until his retirement in June 2007. Mike often talked about how he loved being registrar because it allowed him to work with and help students one-on-one.

Mike’s birthday was on the little-known holiday “Talk Like a Pirate Day,” and it was not uncommon for him to come to work dressed as a pirate on that day. He leaves behind a legacy of intellect and humor.

Mike is survived by his wife, Cindy Corcoran; children Ryan (Amber) Corcoran, Kelly Porter, Chris (Jennifer) Corcoran and Bobby Corcoran; and six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Mike donated annually to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, and contributions in his honor would be welcomed. He will be buried in the National Veterans Cemetery in Phoenix, Arizona, once the world is no longer in quarantine. He earned that privilege and will receive full military honors.

SOU operations modified for spring term

SOU goes remote for spring term, campus closed to public

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University has informed students and employees that all spring term courses will be delivered remotely and most on-campus operations will be limited to help slow the spread of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

SOU’s decisions came in response to an executive order today by Oregon Gov. Kate Brown for all public colleges and universities in the state to halt in-class coursework through at least April 28. University leaders made the decision to offer all classes remotely throughout spring term to give students, faculty and others a greater degree of certainty.

The university’s main campus in Ashland will be open only to SOU faculty, staff and students beginning Saturday.

President Linda Schott informed students of the developments today, and offered some details about how SOU’s COVID-19 responses will affect winter and spring term grades, financial aid, spring courses, academic support programs, student employment, residence hall occupants and other campus programs or operations. The university will waive interest on all student accounts, late payment fees and revolving charge fees for all of spring term.

SOU’s tuition rate is set for the entire academic year, but the university’s Board of Trustees will discuss modifications to a variety of student fees – including those for the Student Recreation Center, Student Health & Wellness Center, Student Life activities and remote delivery of courses – during an emergency meeting tonight.

SOU employees were notified this afternoon that most will be encouraged work remotely until further notice, and those who remain on campus will be required to follow social distancing guidelines. Exceptions to the telecommuting arrangement include those whose work is designated as “essential,” whose work cannot be performed away from campus, whose presence on campus is required for operational purposes or who need technical or other resources that are not available at their remote locations.

Academic counseling and guidance will continue throughout the term – largely online – and faculty members will be told whether their presence on campus is needed.

SOU’s new measures are consistent with those adopted by most of Oregon’s six other public universities in response to the governor’s executive order.

The order prohibits colleges and universities “from conducting in-person classroom laboratory and other instruction” from this Saturday through April 28, with the possibility that the period will be extended. Gov. Brown also ordered higher education institutions to “limit on-campus operations only to critical functions and … employ strict social distancing measures for all on-campus employees and residents.”

The governor specifically allowed the continued operation of programs including student housing and dining services. SOU’s residence halls will remain open for spring break throughout spring term, and food service will continue to be available at the Hawk dining commons – but only by takeout.

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SOU takes action against COVID-19

SOU takes steps to protect campus, slow COVID-19 spread

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Southern Oregon University continues to both anticipate and react to challenges in the global COVID-19 outbreak, implementing a variety of new measures this week to protect the health and well-being of the campus community and enable continuity in academic and student support programs.

The SOU campus remains open and active even as students, faculty and staff adapt to measures that will reduce their risk of contracting the virus. Information and resources to help campus community members navigate the outbreak are available on the university’s COVID-19 website (sou.edu/campus/notifications/).

SOU President Linda Schott announced the newest steps on Thursday to prepare for and mitigate the effects of COVID-19. The measures include plans for finals week, spring break, spring term coursework, remote working, personal and SOU-related travel, groups and gatherings, and international programs.

The new actions are consistent with those announced for other public universities in the state and are based on guidance from Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, the Oregon Health Authority and the Higher Education Coordinating Commission.

Finals week
President Schott said that finals will proceed as scheduled. The university is making remote options available to faculty members to use, if feasible. If remote exams are not practical, faculty members have been directed to ensure that social distancing criteria are met – a distance of at least three feet should be maintained between all people.

SOU Provost Susan Walsh followed up with an email to faculty members Thursday night, asking them to make determinations on their final exams and register them today on a shared spreadsheet.

Spring break
The university is extending this year’s spring break for students by one week – it will begin on Monday, March 23, and spring term classes will begin on Monday, April 6. SOU’s intent is to allow additional time for the curve of the virus’s spread to “flatten” and also to give faculty members an opportunity to plan and develop options for spring term remote course delivery.

Residence halls at SOU and the Hawk dining commons will remain open through spring break for students who choose to remain on campus.

Spring term
Both the president and provost asked faculty members to prepare for remote delivery of instruction in all courses where it’s feasible. Remote instruction – which includes online, video conferencing and other methods – is intended to help limit opportunities for virus transmission in group settings.

The new start date for spring term will still enable all courses to be completed in time for SOU’s commencement on Saturday, June 13.

Remote work
All supervisors and managers were asked to offer remote working opportunities to office employees, in all cases where those arrangements are feasible. Allowing work to be done away from campus is another effort to limit chances for the virus to spread within SOU’s campus community.

Travel
Limits have been placed on all non-essential SOU-related travel. Members of the campus community were also encouraged to avoid personal travel outside of southern Oregon to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

Groups and gatherings
The president announced the cancellation of all non-essential SOU activities, events and gatherings that do not allow participants or attendees to maintain a distance of three feet from each other. This cancellations include audience admission at intercollegiate athletics and activities, except for student participants, essential personnel and credentialed media. The NAIA has cancelled all currently scheduled events, and SOU is awaiting word on whether all spring sports seasons will be cancelled or resumed after a delay.

All performance and museum events that result in gatherings of 20 or more people have been postponed until further notice by the Oregon Center for the Arts at Southern Oregon University. The decision was made to protect audiences, students and employees from the spreading virus.

The university is also encouraging the use of remote meetings whenever possible, and has placed a limit of 20 people or fewer on all non-essential meetings. Organizers have been directed to arrange spaces that can accommodate three times the number of invited attendees, to allow adequate room for social distancing, when in-person meetings are necessary.

International programs
All SOU-sponsored international programs and trips have been suspended until further notice.