Campus Connections: May 2012

May 10th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

Campus Connections

On Wednesday (May 9) the offices of the President and Provost hosted Campus Connections. This informal monthly get-together provides opportunities for sharing information, introducing new staff and faculty, and thanking people. Hosted by various deans and directors, recent Campus Connections have been wonderfully energetic and innovative, replete with films, music, and competitions.

campus connectionsJim Klein and I were a bit more low tech. However, with John Stevenson providing technical assistance, we handed out clickers and quizzed attendees on interesting facts about SOU. With clickers, everyone can answer without embarrassment: we could just see in graphs what percentage of folks clicked the different options.

Almost everyone knew the topics of this year’s Distinguished Lectures, but almost no one knew that we’re now in the Frontier Conference for football. Only a handful knew that Nabokov wrote part of Lolita in Ashland, using our library archives, but many people knew we’re offering the UO’s Ed Leadership doctoral program on our campus.

With so much going on as we sprint toward the end of the year, it was great to get folks together, briefly celebrate our 140 years of history, and thank folks for all their hard work.

Breaking Ground

April 27th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

North Village Groundbreaking

In Fall 2013, over 700 resident SOU students will move into beautiful new rooms. The huge residence hall and dining commons project is now officially underway. On this golden spring morning (April 27), we officially broke ground for the North Campus Village. It will be the largest construction project ever in Ashland.

The groundbreaking ceremony brought together SOU faculty, staff, and students as well as many of the folks who have made this public-private partnership come together—representatives from the Collegiate Housing Foundation, American Campus Communities, and Adroit Construction.  David West of our Native American Studies program provided a blessing.

Dignitaries included Ashland Mayor John Stromberg and Jackson County Commissioner Don Skundrick. We all donned hard hats and lifted golden shovels for the ceremonial breaking of ground.

The North Campus Village will be an extraordinary addition to our beautiful campus. Students are already asking if they can reserve rooms for Fall 2013!

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Student Stars (and their Supporters)

April 26th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

smullin foundation logo and photo

Two excellent events today (April 26) highlighted student achievements—and the folks who help provide support.

At lunch in the Plunkett Center, we celebrated students who have received scholarships from the Patricia D. and William B. Smullin Foundation.

Patsy Smullin was there to meet our Smullin Scholars: Torrey Johnson (Outdoor Adventure Leadership), Morgan Lycett (Business), Anastasiya Andreyeva (Education), and Chas Barnard (Music). Smullin Scholars are chosen because they’re successful, dedicated, ambitious, and hard working. These students were also filled with stories of travel and plans for the future. Each of them is going to make a difference in the world!

In the afternoon, I visited the annual Alternative Spring Break Sharing Session. At this event, students speak about the work they did on their ASB trips and thank the folks who provide financial support for the trip. ASB is a significant annual experience for SOU: it embodies our commitment to civic engagement and to helping our students become productive global citizens. This spring students traveled to Gold Beach, Sacramento, and Guatemala. Pastor Tim Cartwright (pictured here) from Grace Lutheran Church is always a great supporter of ASB.

With help from community members such as Tim and from philanthropic organizations such as the Smullin Foundation, SOU students are able to achieve amazing dreams.

A Sensational Weekend

April 23rd, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

On Saturday and Sunday (April 21-22), sunshine warmed the Rogue Valley. It was a great weekend for biking, gardening, running, golfing—or just walking around smiling and enjoying the outdoors.

The SOU softball team (in action above) was in LaGrande, sweeping the EOU Mountaineers. Back in Ashland, the SOU campus was alive. The Music Recital Hall was booked with events, and the Oregon Student Association met on campus.

On Saturday, we hosted the second annual Latino Family Day. I was delighted to welcome a large group of families who were here to become acquainted with our campus. Our faculty, staff, and students answered questions, gave tours, and offered sessions in Spanish to help ensure that families were engaged and that students would be ready to come to SOU when they leave high school.

I was particularly happy to see that many of the participating families were from the Phoenix-Talent school district, where we have developed our Pirates-to-Raiders partnership.

Kudos, as always, to Jon Chavez Baez, Alma Rosa Alvarez, and others who spent that gorgeous Saturday helping kids and families learn about the road that leads to a university education.

A Distinguished Event

April 19th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

Professor Mark Tveskov & President Mary Cullinan

On Wednesday (April 18), people from on and off campus filled the Meese Room to attend this spring’s Distinguished Lecture. Dr. Mark Tveskov, SOU Professor of Anthropology, spoke about the archaeological research that he and his students and colleagues have been doing at Fort Lane, north of Jacksonville.

In a fast-moving hour, Dr. Tveskov also presented a fascinating overview of the historical impact of the fort and the ways it affected local indigenous people, settlers, and the soldiers, most of whom had journeyed to Oregon from the East Coast.

Entitled “Myth, Memory, and Identity: Fort Lane and the Rogue River Wars,” the talk enabled us to glimpse archaeological work―tracing the origins of artifacts such as buttons, pipes, and the detritus of everyday life at the fort―and to gain insights into the varying implications of European-American settlement, the Gold Rush, and federal policy on this small but strategically located plot of land in southern Oregon.

SOU Pear Blossom Team

April 15th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

The historical wisdom is that “it always rains on Pear Blossom day.” Well, sometimes it snows. Sure enough, when I left my house at 5:45 AM on Saturday (April 14), the rain was coming down steadily.

With great leadership from Marquis Malcom, Victor Chang, and others, a number of faculty, staff, and students have been training to make a strong SOU showing in Medford’s Pear Blossom 5K and 10-mile races. The training has been part of our Healthy Campus Initiative, a wide-ranging, ambitious project launched this past fall.

The rain had slowed to a misty drizzle by the time over 1,788 people had lined up for the 7 AM 5K. Before the race was over, the sky was almost blue. People ran, jogged, walked, pushed strollers, and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. (Treasa Sprague took this photo of four us: Sarah Kassel, Colin Bunnell, Larry Sprague, and me.)

Jogging rather than running, I finished in a little over 33 minutes. I came in first in my age group, over 10 minutes ahead of the person who came in second. However, I probably owe an apology to the whole group: somehow I was listed in the group aged 70-74.

A Typical Day?

April 13th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

The photo by Graham Lewis shows me with Gordon Roda, July 4th Committee Chair.

People sometimes ask me to describe a typical day as university president. I always say there IS no typical day. That answer (while true) sounds evasive, but truly every day really is unlike others.

Yesterday (April 12) provides an example. The middle of my day was filled with standard meetings—discussions of budgets, housing project, plans for Commencement, and so on. But the day was bookended with surprises and  new experiences.

In the early morning, I traveled to the Ashland Community Hospital for a meeting with the Ashland Chamber. There, amid discussions about the Fourth of July, they surprised me by saying I’d been named Grand Marshal for this year’s parade. Wow!

In the evening, I attended the awards ceremony for our wrestling team, hosted by Head Wrestling Coach Mike Ritchie.  I was pleased to be able to join Jon Eldridge in presenting one of the awards. I was also delighted to chat with friends, fans, and families connected to our wrestling program. But I was especially moved by the stories of four outstanding student wrestlers who talked about the significance of SOU’s wrestling program to their lives.

It was definitely a typically untypical day!

State of the U in Spring 2012

April 11th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

President Cullinan delivers the 2012 State of the University speech

Click here to watch the speech, recorded live

On Monday (April 9) I updated the campus on the challenges we face and the exciting events and achievements of this spring term.

Challenges in Oregon tend to be about financial support as the state continues to disinvest in higher education and we strive to keep tuition affordable. The inspirational events range from a recent $1M gift from the Osher Foundation for scholarships to great news from students who are being accepted into prestigious graduate programs and summer internships.

Our news this year is framed by our 140th anniversary. As we hurtle toward the end of another academic year, we should remember the journey this institution has traveled since 1872. It has been a long and winding road. However, it has also been an inspiring journey–from the days of Ashland Academy to this impressive modern institution with over 6,000 students in Ashland and Medford.

It’s a joy every day to be part of the journey.

Visiting in Salt Lake City

April 1st, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

On my way back from upstate New York last week (March 30), I met up with Sylvia Kelly in Salt Lake City. We had arranged to have lunch with SOU alum Ty Burrell.

Our Commencement speaker in 2008, Ty has had a successful career in film and television. However, now he has become very well known (and much loved) for his portrayal of Phil, the goofy dad, in ABC’s Modern Family. (His SOU fans were delighted recently when he won an Emmy for that role.)

Sylvia and I had a wonderful lunch with Ty and discussed possible future events, interactions, and connections with students. He’s delightful—and a great friend of SOU.

As we said good-bye, we asked if we could have our photo taken with him.

In the North Country

March 26th, 2012 § 1 comment § permalink


On Saturday (March 24) I flew out of Medford at 6 AM, changed planes in Salt Lake and Detroit, landed in Burlington, Vermont, and was taken via car and ferry, at the end of a very long day, to Plattsburgh, New York.

In the 4th grade, I remember reading a biography of Samuel de Champlain, writing a book report, and painstakingly drawing and coloring a map of Lake Champlain. So it was great to wake up on Sunday morning and see the still-wintry whitecaps of Lake Champlain out my window.

In fact, staying at the Valcour Conference Center, I could see the site of the Battle of Valcour Bay. In 1776, the rebel fleet under the command of Benedict Arnold took on the British navy in what is thought to be one of the first naval battles of the American Revolution.

I am chairing an accreditation team for the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, so my team members and I have convened from universities scattered throughout the region. (Having long ago made peace with the British, we have an accreditation team member who has joined us from Canada.)Suny Plattsburgh Logo

For the next three days we will be immersed in our work on the campus. But it’s fun, at long last, to see the lake I drew so carefully when I was nine!

Commitment to Community Service

March 22nd, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

The Rogue River Room was crowded this afternoon (March 22) with representatives of local services clubs, including AAUW, Soroptimists, Kiwanis, Lions, and two Rotary Clubs; all gathered for the 39th Annual Ashland Service Clubs’ Lunch. I’m always delighted that these folks come together on the SOU campus to share the good work they’re doing in our community.

This is a great opportunity to catch up with friends and learn about the myriad ways to support worthy causes in our region.

I appreciate, also, having an opportunity to update our luncheon guests on the progress of SOU, from record enrollments to our new residence hall project and upcoming lectures and events.

I was particularly pleased to tell the crowd that our students are as dedicated as our guests to the values of community service. Last year over 5,000 SOU students participated in service activities. For the fifth year in a row, SOU has been named to the President’s Honors Roll for civic engagement.

Snow Day (Sort Of)

March 13th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

Plunkett Center in the snow

It’s the thirteenth of March after a warm winter—and suddenly we have snow. The campus and hills are white. Snow flakes are coming down gently and beautifully.

A few schools are closed. SOU postponed opening until 9:30 AM.

Of course, in many parts of the country, this amount of snow wouldn’t even be noteworthy. I spent five years in Madison, Wisconsin, thinking that maybe, some day, we might actually have a snow day. But no, not even when the drifts rose higher than the cars and the temperatures hit 30 below: nothing ever closed.

Where I grew up, in Washington, D.C., a few snowflakes caused panic. Every year we’d have a few inches of snow, and everyone would be glued to the radio, waiting to hear which schools had closed. To be in second grade and have a snow day—there’s no greater joy.

So today in Ashland the trees are crusted with white and the hills are breathtaking. It will melt away quickly, so we should enjoy the brief hours of winter beauty. Next week the daffodils and tulips will be blooming!

The 21st Century Library

February 27th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

A Card in the Catalog

On Friday (February 24), 60 people gathered at 7 AM in Grants Pass to talk about libraries. Dull? Not at all! People were enthusiastic and energized.

The event was a community breakfast planned and sponsored by the Institutional Positioning Committee of the SOU President’s Advisory Board. Several times a year, we bring together a group of regional leaders to enjoy a hot breakfast and discuss a topic of interest.

We planned this session in collaboration with Josephine Community Libraries, Inc.  The presenter was our own Paul Adalian, Dean of the Hannon Library.

Paul entitled his presentation “What Can Libraries Do for Us in the 21st Century?”  He started by evoking memories: photos of impressive library buildings, walls of card catalogs, Shhh! signs, librarians keeping order and quiet.

Exterior of The Library of UC Berkeley

Exterior of The Library of UC Berkeley

Then he asked us, “What’s the role of a university library now that we have Google?”

Not to worry. Google, he stressed, is not actually about learning. That’s what libraries are for.

Giving us a virtual tour of the Hannon Library, he showed both traditional books and an innovative digital learning environment. He showed us a library that functions as a place to study as well as a social and cultural center. He showed us a hub that engages students, faculty, staff, and the local community.

Hannon Interior

A quiet moment in the normally packed-with-students Hannon 3rd floor.

Paul’s presentation highlighted students gathered together, talking together, performing music together, (making noise!), working together, learning together. And he showed us a library engaged with a larger community

No, this isn’t the library that most of us knew as college students.

Isn’t that great?

The Arab Spring: Troubled Past, Hopeful Future?

February 16th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

Dr. Robert Harrison and President Cullinan at Dr. Harrison's presentation.

On Monday evening (February 13), Dr. Robert Harrison packed Hannon Library’s Meese Room for the Winter Term Distinguished Lecture. Faculty, staff, students, and community members filled the chairs, perched on window sills, and leaned against the walls as Dr. Harrison walked us through centuries of history in a clear, succinct, and captivating manner.

The Distinguished Lecture Series was established in academic year 2010-2011 to celebrate the tremendous work of SOU faculty. Very often even our own campus community members don’t know what is being done outside their own department and throughout the campus.

Now many more people know about the work Dr. Harrison has been doing at SOU since 1990—and, before that, at Biola University and as a Fulbright Scholar in Egypt. He spoke without notes—but with the assistance of a few useful maps—as he traced the roots of the Arab Spring back over a thousand years and through multiple invasions and wars.

In one brief foray into European and U.S. history, he sketched the slow and painful emergence of democracy through the Magna Carta in AD 1215 and the French and American Revolutions and 20th Century voting rights to illustrate the complexity and painful slowness of change. Change is happening in the Middle East, but he stressed that major cultural and political transformation can’t happen overnight.

Kudos to Dr. Harrison for providing an illuminating and exhilarating tour of a part of the world that is confusing and mysterious to many of us.

We will have another Distinguished Lecture in spring term with Dr. Mark Tveskov.  Mark your calendar for April 18!

A Capital Visit

January 31st, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

I was in Washington, D.C. this past week (January 23-28), visiting our Oregon legislators and attending the annual conference of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). It was sunny and even warm—no coat needed!

On Tuesday and Wednesday, I met with Senators Wyden and Merkley as well as with Congressman Walden and Congressman Schrader and staff members of Congressman DeFazio. Everyone was very supportive of SOU and public higher education as we discussed Pell grants and other thorny issues. They will help as they much as they can in D.C.’s  intensely difficult environment.

Then, starting Wednesday afternoon, I met with colleagues from the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) and attended sessions on the AAC&U conference theme of “Shared Futures, Difficult Choices.” It was refreshing, despite the financial quandaries we all face, to discuss issues such as increasing student success and retention, internationalizing our campuses, and strengthening partnerships with K-12.

As always, I came back to campus with lots of ideas—as well as a sense of what is happening in other states (a few good things, most not so good).

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