SOULA receives grant to create historic plastics database

SOU awarded grant to create historic plastics database

/in ,

(Ashland, Ore.) — The Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology has been awarded a Preserving Oregon Grant from Oregon Heritage, the state historic preservation office, to create a digital, archaeological database of historic plastics – from buttons to knick-knacks to kitchenware.

The $13,000 grant will help pay for new camera equipment that will be used to create a new digital database in the Southern Oregon Digital Archives at SOU’s Hannon Library. It will also be used to help bring experts to SOU to assist in building the collection, and student workers who will produce digital content for the collection – including photography, research and short videos or animations that demonstrate how to identify historic plastics.

The new website and database are expected to be used by archaeologists and historians nationwide.

“The grant provides funding to upgrade the photography system that Hannon Library has been using for the last 15 years to digitize objects for the Southern Oregon Digital Archives,” said Shana Sandor, the SOU archivist and digital projects specialist who has worked with SOULA on previous collections. “This will benefit not only the plastics collection that the grant was awarded for, but also any future digital collections, creating higher quality images to improve the research value of the collections.”

The SOU Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) regularly collaborates with various individuals, agencies and organizations to promote public archaeology and heritage stewardship. SOULA has previously completed three Preserving Oregon Grant projects, one other Oregon Heritage project and has worked with the SOU Hannon Library on two previous online research resources – the Jim Rock Historic Can Collection in about 2015 and the Chinese Material Culture Collection in 2018.

The Jim Rock collection had more than 80,000 views this year, and the CMCC had more than 6,000 views. Both are important resources for professional researchers in Oregon and beyond, and provide open-source scholarly content for the public.

The Historic Plastics Database will take advantage of the existing platform and audience to serve a growing interest in the study of historic plastics.

Outside experts expected to contribute to the project include Kimberly Wooten, a California-based archaeologist who teaches workshops and classes on historic plastics. Wooten said the new digital database will give researchers the opportunity to “tackle an archaeological issue in real time.”

“The interest in the history and archaeology of plastics never stops surprising me, and with each class we teach, demand only continues to grow,” Wooten said.

“Plastic really is the artifact of the modern era – people can see their own archaeological footprint in plastic artifacts – and at the same time it’s a reflection of the shape of things that have come before us. I can’t wait to share the online historic plastic database at my next workshop.”

The new archive will help archaeologists and researchers to identify and interpret plastic artifacts, to date sites more accurately and to explore more nuanced questions about how the growing commercialization of plastic items changed daily life with cheap, mass-produced consumer products.

Early celluloid, for instance, mimicked expensive natural materials. Later, when the versatility of synthetic materials was fully embraced, there was an explosion of colorful and creatively-shaped Bakelite jewelry that is now highly sought-after.

The SOULA project was awarded one of 20 grants totaling $300,000 that were announced this week by Oregon Heritage, a division of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Six of the grants were awarded in the “Diamonds in the Rough” category to help restore the historic character of properties. The other 14 grants were in the “Preserving Oregon” category for properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places and for archaeology projects.

More information about the grant program is available on the Oregon Heritage website.

-SOU-

Older adult housing and education facility finalists come to campus

SOU considers partners for older adult housing and education facility

/in ,

(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University is in the process of selecting an official partner to build and operate a housing and educational facility for older adults on a 4.3-acre site previously occupied by the Cascade Complex of residence halls.

“SOU is excited to continue advancing this initiative to identify a partner company that aligns with our vision and values for this new space on campus,” SOU President Rick Bailey said. “This also serves as a testament to our commitment to changing the fiscal model of our university to keep it affordable and accessible for generations of students to come.”

SOU has invited two companies to campus, where they will present their visions for a partnership during the second phase of the selection process. The companies under consideration are McCormack Baron Salazar and Pacific Retirement Services.

Representatives of both companies will engage with university leaders, the wider campus and local community during their visits to Ashland. The companies were selected in phase one as part of a national “request for proposal” bid process.

Medford-based Pacific Retirement Services, whose properties include the Rogue Valley Manor, will make its on-campus presentation from 9 to 9:50 a.m. on July 9 in the SOU Music Recital Hall, followed by St. Louis-based McCormack Baron Salazar, which will make its presentation from 1:30 to 2:20 p.m. on July 11, in the Music Recital Hall .

Members of the SOU, Ashland and Rogue Valley communities are encouraged to attend each of the moderated sessions. The meetings will feature presentations from the vendors, followed by opportunities for questions and answers.

Community members may submit questions in advance to ensure a robust discussion. SOU has established a designated website (https://sou.edu/older-adult-living-community-provider-partnership/) for those seeking additional information or to submit questions. The university’s Office of the General Counsel can also be contacted at generalcounsel@sou.edu or (541) 552-8055 for further inquiries.

Developers from around the country were invited in January to submit proposals for the project – an entrepreneurial opportunity to forge a synergy between the facility’s residents, traditional SOU students, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at SOU and the university. The project is intended to generate long-term revenue for SOU while supporting the university’s commitment to lifelong learning.

Several proposals were submitted and were narrowed to the two finalists in a review process that extended through the spring.

The university will make its final selection, then negotiate specifics for a public-private partnership to build and run the proposed SOU facility. If those negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the university will shift to the runner-up.

The university is not expected to take an ownership interest or operational role in the project, but will provide agreed-upon services and amenities for the facility and its residents.

Older adult communities are a rare but growing feature on university campuses across the U.S., and the SOU facility would be the first in Oregon – capitalizing on southern Oregon’s reputation as a retirement mecca with a blend of educational, cultural and recreational opportunities.

-SOU-

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.

Sustainability Director Becs Walker among solar panels at SOU

SOU maintains “Gold” in prestigious sustainability rating

/in ,

(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University’s rating for campus-wide sustainability achievements remains at the “Gold” level and is the highest of five participating colleges and universities in Oregon, as measured by an evaluation system developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

SOU improved its score from three years ago in the AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) that is used to grade colleges and universities worldwide. The system grades participating institutions in 45 subcategories, and SOU scored particularly well for its sustainability-based course offerings, graduate programs, outreach and communication efforts, student success, civic engagement, and institutional climate and governance.

“STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “Southern Oregon University has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS Gold Rating and is to be congratulated for their efforts.”

SOU first achieved the system’s silver level in 2017, and that rating was reaffirmed in 2019, before the university reached AASHE’s Gold level in 2022. The latest Gold rating will be in effect for three years.

Participants in AASHE’s can be recognized simply for reporting their sustainability achievements, or for rating at the organization’s bronze, silver, gold and platinum levels. STARS is used by more than 1,200 participating institutions in 52 countries, rating their sustainability efforts in five categories: academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, and innovation and leadership.

“SOU’s Gold STARS rating is a powerful testament to the leadership, dedication, and innovation demonstrated across our entire campus community,” said Becs Walker, SOU’s Director of Sustainability. “It’s exciting to see us not only maintain this high standard but also make meaningful improvements in key areas.

“Sustainability is deeply woven into both our daily operations and long-term strategic vision. We’re proud to continue challenging ourselves to find better, smarter and more impactful ways of doing things at SOU.”

SOU’s latest Gold rating takes into account the university’s ongoing efforts to achieve a variety of sustainability goals. STARS assesses environmental factors, along with social and economic considerations. SOU has demonstrated progress in many areas related to sustainability in achieving the gold rating, including governance of sustainability, health and wellbeing, protecting the environment, equity, social justice and community engagement.

The new STARS rating from AASHE is the latest of many sustainability efforts by the university in recent years. SOU was the nation’s first certified Bee Campus USA and has maintained that certification, has been named a Tree Campus USA for eight consecutive years.

The university has been awarded $5.8 million in state and federal funding over the past three years to support energy generation and resilience, including six new rooftop solar arrays, one parking lot canopy array and two battery storage systems. SOU currently has solar arrays on nine Ashland rooftops and one on its Medford campus, for total generating capacity of 842kW – 11.6% of the electricity it uses.

SOU purchases the rest of its electricity through the city of Ashland – a mix that includes as much as 77% renewable energy.

The university has also launched its Institute for Applied Sustainability since the 2022 AASHE rating. The institute – part of an historic philanthropic gift from Lithia Motors and its GreenCars division – identifies and implements initiatives that move the university toward sustainability, collaborating with Lithia to develop projects and programs such as a national sustainability conference and an academic credential in corporate sustainability.

AASHE is a nonprofit organization that helps colleges and universities work together to create and lead the way to a sustainable future. Its STARS program is the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance.

-SOU-

Surprise speaker Tina Kotek at SOU Ashland commencement

Commencement surprise: Gov. Kotek addresses SOU graduates

/in ,

(Ashland, Ore.) — Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek surprised graduates and audience members by visiting Ashland to deliver the commencement address for Southern Oregon University’s class of 2025 on Saturday. The event – SOU’s 99th Commencement – marked the first time the governor has spoken at a graduation ceremony since taking office.

“I know that young Americans feel conflicted about their world, about themselves, about the future,” Governor Kotek told the SOU graduates. “But don’t give up on the big picture. Don’t give up on what the world can be.

“So, as you start a new chapter in your life, believe in yourself. Believe in others. And believe in something bigger than yourself. You’ll like where it takes you.”

SOU President Rick Bailey expressed his thanks to the governor and to the day’s honorees – the graduates.

“Today our governor gave us all a beautiful and gracious gift by taking the time to help us celebrate our graduates,” Bailey said. “All of us were honored to host Governor Kotek, who exemplifies the transformative power of higher education and serves as a powerful role model for our university and our graduates.

“She is an inspiring leader, and her comments today truly moved and motivated those in SOU’s Class of 2025 as they transition into meaningful careers as future leaders of our region and our state.”

The 880 graduates in SOU’s class of 2025 – and the capacity crowd at SOU’s Raider Stadium – cheered and applauded throughout speeches from Gov. Kotek, President Bailey, student Parker Boom and others in the 2 ½-hour ceremony. Blue skies and moderate temperatures helped to create a picture-perfect backdrop as a total of 1,056 degrees were conferred – 659 undergrad degrees, 221 graduate degrees and 176 certificates.

Boom, a creative writing graduate and poet, drew sustained applause as her speech came near its conclusion.

“As we celebrate today, I urge all of us to embrace our active role in the meaning-making of the world,” she said. “To be conscious of its direction. To witness and notice the shape of the earth, the quality of light. To hurl ourselves against billionaires, monarchs, oligarchs and regimes. To place ourselves between the sword and the neck. To insist on all our lives.

“That work, too, is worthy of celebration.”

Governor Kotek and President Bailey presented diploma covers, shook hands and posed for photos with each new graduate as their names were called and they walked individually across the stage. SOU Provost and Executive Vice President Casey Shillam, Ph.D., presided over the event.

Gov. Kotek graduated high school near York, Pennsylvania and attended Georgetown University before earning a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from the University of Oregon. She received her master’s degree in international studies and comparative religion at the University of Washington before returning to Oregon, where she served as a public policy advocate for the Oregon Food Bank before beginning her political career in 2006.

She was elected to eight two-year terms in the Oregon House of Representatives – and served 10 years as House Speaker – before her election as governor in 2022..

-SOU-

Outstanding Graduate Student award recipient Matthew Havniear, SOU Ashland

SOU’s Havniear receives Outstanding Graduate Student award

/in ,

(Ashland, Ore.) — U.S. Marine Corps veteran, nonprofit leader and graduating MBA student Matthew Havniear will be celebrated as the 2025 recipient of the University of Guanajuato Outstanding Graduate Student Award during the Southern Oregon University commencement ceremony on June 14.

The prestigious annual award honors a graduate student who exemplifies academic excellence and meaningful service to both their university and broader community. It celebrates the long-standing academic partnership between Southern Oregon University and the Universidad de Guanajuato in Mexico, grounded in shared commitments to cross-cultural understanding, leadership and public impact.

Havniear – a full-time graduate student from Talent with a 4.0 GPA – was nominated by SOU’s MBA Program for his noteworthy contributions inside and outside the classroom. He currently serves as Interim Executive Director of both the Jackson County Community Long-Term Recovery Group and the Rogue Valley Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) – two key regional organizations that support disaster recovery, housing and emergency preparedness across southern Oregon.

Havniear has played a central role in advancing wildfire resilience, affordable housing initiatives and inclusive recovery strategies for vulnerable populations through his leadership. He has also co-authored federal grant proposals in collaboration with SOU and other regional leaders, securing vital resources for underserved communities.

He founded Team Overland in 2015 – a volunteer-run nonprofit that provides free therapeutic outdoor adventures for veterans and their families. Since its inception, the organization has positively impacted more than 1,000 participants throughout the region.

“This award is significant to me – not just as a student, but as a father, a veteran and a community member,” Havniear said. “My time at SOU has helped me build stronger systems of support for those most impacted by crisis. I’m proud to be part of a university that values service, cultural inclusion and resilience.”

Havniear completed his degree through SOU’s Online MBA Program, launched in 2017 to meet the needs of working professionals throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond. The program now serves approximately 150 students nationwide, offering flexible, accelerated terms that allow students to finish their degrees in as few as 16 months.

For those who prefer a traditional classroom experience, SOU also offers its MBA in a face-to-face format on the Ashland campus, maintaining the same academic rigor and applied learning as the online program while fostering in-person engagement.

The University of Guanajuato Outstanding Graduate Student Award stands as a testament to the power of international academic partnerships and the role of transformational leadership in advancing the public good – values that are central to both SOU and the Universidad de Guanajuato.

-SOU-

Mindfulness and compassion book co-authored by Paul Condon of SOU Ashland

SOU faculty member co-authors book on mindfulness and compassion

/in ,

(Ashland, Ore.) — Paul Condon, an associate professor of psychology at Southern Oregon University, is co-author of a new book that blends psychological science and contemplative theories to inform mindfulness and compassion practices for the general public. “How Compassion Works: A Step-by-step guide to cultivating well-being, love and wisdom,” was written jointly with Boston College professor John Makransky and will be released June 24.

The book, published by Shambhala Publications and distributed by Penguin Random House, offers a guide to embody the qualities of love, compassion and wisdom from within, using an evidence-based meditation method called Sustainable Compassion Training (SCT). The compassion training style is adapted from Tibetan Buddhism traditions, attachment theory and cognitive science.

“Organized into three categories – receptive mode, deepening mode, and inclusive mode – these practices help us cultivate unconditional care and discernment from within,” the publisher’s description of the book says. “With a flexible framework that allows practitioners to integrate their own religious or spiritual beliefs, this book offers practices suitable for people of all faiths and those seeking a purely secular path.”

The book uses a progressive series of meditations that readers can use to gradually build capacity for mindfulness and compassion.

Makransky and Condon, who are both practitioners of Tibetan Buddhist meditation, worked together to develop SCT as a means of teaching modern Buddhists, those of other faiths and people in caring professions to train compassion and wisdom.

“Befriending one’s mind through formal meditation practice can be thought of as a radical act of love, sanity, wisdom, and healing,” Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), said in a review of the new book.

“’How Compassion Works’ is a high-resolution guide to both the instrumental and non-instrumental dimensions of meditation practice based predominantly on Tibetan teachings yet explicitly inviting a broader inclusivity,” said Kabat-Zinn, the author of “Wherever You Go, There You Are” and “Coming to Our Senses.”

Makransky, Ph.D., is a professor of Buddhism and comparative theology at Boston College. He has served as senior academic advisor for the Buddhist Studies Center at Rangjung Yeshe Institute in Nepal, president of the Society of Buddhist-Christian studies and “contemplative fellow” of the Mind and Life Institute in Virginia. He was ordained 25 years ago as a Tibetan Buddhist lama.

Condon, Ph.D., is an associate professor of psychology at SOU and a research fellow at the Mind & Life Institute. He has been a visiting lecturer at Rangjung Yeshe Institute, and a guest teacher at Kagyu Sukha Choling in Ashland. His work has appeared in several leading psychology journals, Buddhist magazines and other publications.

“How Compassion Works” will be available in paperback or as an ebook for $24.95, online through Penguin Random House or through retailers including Target, Walmart, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s and Hudson Booksellers.

Bloomsbury Books in Ashland will host a book event from 7 to 8 p.m. on July 21, with Condon in conversation with Cody Christopherson, Ph.D., who is a professor of clinical mental health counseling at SOU.

-SOU-

Faculty union and SOU Ashland extend contract

SOU and faculty union agree to extend contract

/in ,

(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University and its faculty union have signed an agreement that will postpone bargaining on a new contract for 18 months, allowing the university to better navigate fiscal uncertainties at the state and federal levels.

The current collective bargaining agreement with the Association of Professors of Southern Oregon University (APSOU) was set to expire in August. Instead, faculty members will receive 2 percent cost-of-living adjustments for each of the next two fiscal years, and the contract will be extended to January 2027.

“This university owes a huge debt of gratitude to the members of the SOU faculty union,” SOU President Rick Bailey said. “We would not be in this position without their initiative. This agreement is without question a testament to their love and commitment to our students, our university and our community.”

Members of APSOU voted overwhelmingly to approve the plan. The university and APSOU leaders agree that the focus now must be on students’ academic experiences.

“APSOU is committed to student success and to working collaboratively with the administration to find solutions that prioritize stability and allow faculty to focus on the high quality teaching, scholarship and service that contribute so much to SOU’s reputation as an educational destination,” said Melissa Anderson, the APSOU president and an associate professor in the library.

The 18-month postponement to negotiations on a new contract will allow the university to navigate ongoing federal policy and funding uncertainties, and budget challenges currently being addressed by the Oregon Legislature.

SOU and the faculty union most recently negotiated a contract in the spring of 2022 – a four-year agreement that provided for modest annual salary adjustments, along with health insurance coverage and guidelines on working conditions.

-SOU-

SOU Ashland's Calli Pelkey is in top 1% nationwide in MBA test

SOU MBA student places on top percentile in nationwide test

/in ,

(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University student Calli Pelkey, a participant in SOU’s Online MBA Program, has earned a remarkable distinction, placing in the top 1% nationwide on the Educational Testing Service (ETS) Major Field Test for master of business administration programs.

The MBA Major Field Test is a national standardized exam taken by thousands of MBA students across the country. It assesses knowledge and critical thinking in key areas such as accounting, finance, marketing, management and strategic integration. Scoring in the top percentile is an extraordinary academic achievement and a rare honor.

“First and foremost, Calli’s performance is a testament to her hard work, dedication and talent,” said Rene Leo E. Ordonez, Ph.D., professor and coordinator of graduate programs in business at SOU. “Scoring in the top 1% speaks volumes about her capabilities and commitment to excellence. While her success reflects positively on our MBA program, her individual effort and drive truly stand out.”

Pelkey lives in Grants Pass and is enrolled in SOU’s Online MBA Program, which was launched in 2017 to meet the needs of students in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. The fully online program has grown significantly and currently serves approximately 150 students from Oregon, Washington and throughout the United States. Designed for flexibility and accessibility, the program operates year-around across five accelerated seven-week terms, allowing students to complete the degree in as few as 16 months.

“The MBA program at SOU provided a challenging yet rewarding journey, where the unwavering support of the faculty and my dedication were key factors in achieving a top 1% score nationwide on the MBA field test,” Pelkey said. “This recognition affirms that hard work and perseverance can lead to significant accomplishments. As I prepare to embark on the (Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing) program, I am eager to combine my passions for business and healthcare to make a meaningful impact in the future.”

In addition to the online format, SOU offers its MBA program in a traditional, face-to-face format on the Ashland campus. The in-person option provides a more immersive, classroom-based experience for students who prefer direct interaction with faculty and peers, while maintaining the same high standards of academic rigor and applied learning.

Pelkey’s success highlights the strength of SOU’s MBA curriculum and reinforces the university’s commitment to academic excellence and student achievement. The MBA program emphasizes real-world application, innovation and leadership development, preparing graduates to navigate the complexities of today’s global business environment.

Pelkey’s accomplishments have joined a growing list of student success stories that continue to elevate the reputation of SOU’s School of Business, which prepares future leaders in business and beyond.

-SOU-

Open textbooks at SOU

SOU faculty members take lead role in open textbook project

/in ,

(Ashland, Ore.) — Open Oregon Educational Resources, a statewide initiative that promotes textbook affordability for students at Oregon colleges and universities, is releasing four new open textbooks whose authors include four Southern Oregon University faculty members and a student in the Criminology and Criminal Justice program.

“Our goal with these projects is to provide rigorous and scholarly – yet accessible and equity-minded – studies in contemporary criminology and criminal justice for our students,” said lead authors and SOU Criminal Justice faculty members Shanell Sanchez and Jessica Peterson. “By making this material freely accessible online, we remove financial barriers for our students and also provide classroom materials that instructors can fully adopt or modify to supplement their course materials.”

The SOU open textbook project started in September 2021, when Open Oregon Educational Resources received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) to develop openly-licensed materials with an equity lens in criminal justice. The project targeted high-enrollment courses in a discipline where high-quality, deliberately inclusive open textbooks were not available.

As two of the project’s lead authors, Sanchez and Peterson served as primary decision-makers about textbook content and course design. Contributing authors including SOU faculty members Kelly Szott and Alison Burke, and undergraduate student Catherine Venegas-Garcia, brought their diverse expertise and experiences to the project. An instructional designer from Open Oregon Educational Resources also helped guide the course design with an emphasis on inclusion and student engagement.

Two of the open textbooks are already publicly available:

  • “Introduction to Criminology: An Equity Lens,” is co-authored by Peterson and Western Oregon University faculty member Taryn VanderPyl, with contributing authors Mauri Matsuda and Curt Sobolewski of Portland State University, Jennifer Moreno of WOU.
  • “Inequality and Interdependence: Social Problems and Social Justice,” is authored by Oregon Coast Community College instructor Kimberly Puttman, with contributing authors Szott of SOU, Patricia Antoine of Chemeketa Community College, independent scholar Kate Burrows, Bethany Grace Howe of the University of Oregon, antiracist educator Nora Karena and Avery Temple.

The other textbooks are expected to be available soon:

  • “Race, Crime and Injustice” authored by SOU’s Sanchez and edited by Peterson, with contributing authors Szott, Venegas-Garcia and WOU’s VanderPyl.
  • “Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System: An Equity Lens,” is co-authored by Roxie Supplee of Central Oregon Community College and Megan Gonzalez of Chemeketa Community College, with co-authors Burke of SOU, Sam Arungwa of Utah State University, Irvin Brown of Chemeketa, Whitney Head-Potter and Eric Wilkes.

“SOU is a leader in creating Criminal Justice open textbooks with an equity lens,” said Holly Gabriel, an open access librarian at SOU’s Hannon Library who assists faculty in locating open course materials and helps coordinate projects from Open Oregon Educational Resources.

“Starting with our faculty writing the ‘Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System’ in 2019, and now with four faculty authors on the current project, SOU is leading the way in creating inclusive open materials for students,” she said. “These textbooks will be shared online with an open license, making them free for people to use across North America and all across the world.”

Open Oregon Educational Resources is a state-funded effort to support the use of Open Educational Resources (OER) in the state’s community colleges and universities. It collaborates with various institutions and offers grants and training to support faculty members who develop open textbooks and other Open Educational Resource course materials.

Open textbooks – typically available online – are released under open licenses that allow them to be used at no cost by educators, students and others.

“As an undergraduate student, I have seen the impact that textbook prices have on my peers,” said Venegas-Garcia, the SOU student who served as a contributing author on the project. “Free and low-cost textbooks are important because they allow students to engage with impactful and detailed resources without spending a significant amount of money.”

Another Criminology and Criminal Justice student at SOU, Kayla Gaches, said she hadn’t realized that some of the textbooks she has used in her classes have been Open Educational Resource materials, but she acknowledged their effect on her bottom line.

“Whenever I see that I do not have to purchase a textbook, it is like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders because I can allocate my textbook fund elsewhere, so I truly appreciate that we have this opportunity,” Gaches said.

-SOU-

Elementary students from Kids Unlimited Academy visit SOU Ashland.

New SOU pathway program reaches into elementary schools

/in ,

(Ashland, Ore.) — A Southern Oregon University Spanish instructor’s personal initiative has brought to campus more than 120 elementary school students from underserved backgrounds over the past month, offering the children an up-close look at college life and the opportunity to see themselves as future students in a post-secondary setting.

The “Vision to the Future” initiative – introduced this spring by Lady Vanderlip, a senior instructor of Spanish at SOU – offers campus tours and activities to primarily Latino/a/x students from various Rogue Valley elementary schools. The program is intended to inspire and motivate the students by showing them that higher education can be a realistic goal for them.

“This program has been my little ‘dream passion’ that started when my children were attending primary school and I would invite their classes to visit my classroom,” Vanderlip said. “It was and is so important to me for them to see a person that looks and sounds like them being in a position of influence – in this case, as an educator influencing the future leaders of this nation.”

The Vision to the Future initiative differs from SOU’s existing pathway programs, in that it reaches students in primary grades to plant a seed of curiosity. For example, the Pirates to Raiders program – SOU’s first pathway program for Hispanic students – focuses instead on introducing middle and high school students from the Phoenix-Talent School District to the realities of a college experience.

SOU’s more established pathway programs create partnerships between students, their families, their school districts and SOU to ensure that the students remain on track for high school graduation and college. The students take appropriate college preparatory courses, attend program-related events and sign contracts, promising to stay on track to graduate on time.

The goals of the Vision to the Future program are more fundamental.

“Many students from an underprivileged background may not have the opportunity to envision themselves attending university due to various barriers, including lack of exposure and resources,” said Vincent Smith, Ph.D., Dean of the SOU School of Science & Business. “This program seeks to bridge that gap by providing a first-hand glimpse into the world of academia, encouraging students to dream big and realize their potential.”

Primary school students for the Vision to the Future tours are drawn from local schools with high populations of Latino/a/x students, including Phoenix-Talent, Medford and eventually, the Eagle Point and White City school districts. Tours in late April and early May were held for students from Phoenix Elementary School, Talent Elementary School, Medford’s Wilson Elementary School and the Kids Unlimited Academy, a Medford charter school.

Vanderlip also gives students from her SOU Spanish classes the opportunity to participate in the tours, practicing their Spanish skills and gaining insights into their university. Student Monica Kyle, who is seeking bachelor’s degrees in Fine Arts and Spanish, said she took part in two of the recent tours.

“In doing so, I had the chance to practice my Spanish skills, earn volunteer hours and learn more about the SOU campus,” Kyle said. “However, the experience also left me asking some very important questions, like how can the SOU community be even more welcoming and inclusive to young students, specifically those learning English as a second language?”

-SOU-