Dr. Mary Cullinan

New Enrollment Milestones for Winter 2009

I’m happy to report that winter 2009 marks the highest winter term student headcount since 2004 and the highest minority enrollment in our history. Many thanks to everyone who has helped make SOU such a welcoming place for students.

These outstanding achievements are the result of an intensive team effort to increase recruitment and retention. In spite of extraordinary economic challenges, SOU is in a stronger position than it has been in a number of years. With the help of our many supporters throughout the state, we will weather this fiscal storm and emerge stronger than ever.

Highlights from the winter term enrollment figures (percentage increase over 2008)

• Headcount: 5,490 (4.2% increase)
• Full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment: 3,963 (1.4% increase)
• Minority student enrollment: 12.9%
• Jackson County residents: 12.2%
• Foreign student enrollment: 30.7%
• New student enrollment: 4.1%
• SOU enrollment at the new SOU/RCC Higher Education Center (HEC): 52%
• Freshmen retention from fall to winter term showed a slight but continuing improvement.

SOU named to Presidential Honor Roll

On February 10, the Corporation for National and Community Service honored SOU with a place on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts and service to America’s communities. This is the second consecutive year SOU has received this award.

Launched in 2006, the Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Honorees for the award were chosen based on a series of selection factors, including scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.

For more information and a complete list of honorees, visit their website.

State Stimulus for Capital Projects

SOU will receive nearly $2 million of state stimulus funding for repair and maintenance projects. The funding will provide for a range of improvements, from new roofs to renovated elevators and bathrooms, as well as fire alarms, lighting, boiler work, and various classroom upgrades. Buildings on the list include McNeal, Britt, Music, Theatre, Ed/Psych, Churchill, Art East, and Hannon Library. Other projects will improve storm water drainage and exterior lighting throughout the campus.

Intended to provide jobs in our region, the funding will allow work to begin almost immediately. SOU facilities staff will do everything possible to ensure comfort and safety while these projects are underway and will keep the campus aware of timelines and locations of work in progress.

I am delighted that we can move forward immediately on projects that will make our campus buildings safer, more efficient, and more comfortable.

New Master’s Program

I am pleased to announce that SOU will offer a new master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies (MIIS) through the College of Arts and Sciences.

Beginning in fall 2009, the MIIS program will offer students an opportunity to study more than one area of concentration at a time and examine how those areas interact. An MIIS student might focus on biology and international studies, English and computer studies, or health and environmental studies.

Options for an MA or MS in interdisciplinary studies are also available. The application deadline for early consideration in the MIIS program is April 15.

Oregon Stories Celebrates Oregon’s Sesquicentennial

On February 14, Rogue Valley Community Television (RVTV) and SOU commemorated Oregon’s 150th birthday with a seven-hour series titled Oregon Stories: Remembering Southern Oregon. The first four hours were broadcast live from the new RCC/SOU Higher Education Center in Medford.

The series celebrated Oregon’s natural and cultural history, as well as the history of people and stories from our past. Presenters included SOU Professor of Environmental Studies/Geography Pat Acklin and Chair of Communication D.L. Richardson.

I copresented a special segment, “Remembering Southern Oregon University,” along with SOU Emeritus Professor Arthur Kreisman, Dr. Ken Bartlett, Dr. David Hoffman, Sue Corp, and Ron Bolstad.

Sponsored by SOU and a grant from the Oregon University System, Oregon Stories is part of the Oregon 150 project. Oregon 150 is designed to inspire people across the state to remember, experience, and celebrate Oregon. Anyone is invited to submit original stories, poetry, photographs, or videos relating to Oregon as a source of inspiration, a setting for adventure, and a journey of discovery. See the Oregon Stories website for submission information.

First Amendment Forum

On March 2, community leaders joined keynote speaker Robert H. Giles, curator of the Nieman Foundation at Harvard University, to talk about the future of newspapers at the annual Thomas W. Pyle First Amendment Forum.

The Thomas W. Pyle First Amendment Forum was produced by the SOU Department of Communication with a grant from the Ashland Daily Tidings.

Lock-In

The SOU Criminology Club hosted their annual Lock-In on February 20. Open to all students and faculty, the event offered a chance to work with criminal justice professionals in training simulation scenarios. Participants received training and practice just as officers do in the field.

Chamber Choir European Concert Tour

Congratulations to the SOU Chamber Choir, which has been selected to perform in Liepzig, Germany, at the home church of J.S. Bach in a celebration of the composer’s birthday. This is just one stop on the Choir’s European tour over spring break that will culminate with an international choral festival near Prague, Czech Republic.

On March 15 at 3 pm in the Music Recital Hall, the Chamber Choir will join with the SOU Concert Choir to perform selections from the repertoire of German choral music that will be performed during their tour. The program features a variety of sacred and secular works. For more information on the program and to purchase tickets to the concert, visit the Music Department website.

Vagina Monologues

The February 13 and 14 performances of The Vagina Monologues were a tremendous success. Sponsored by the SOU Women’s Resource Center, the event raised a total of $6,500 for local anti-violence agencies, including the Dunn House shelters and Sexual Assault Victim Services/Prevention Program, as well as this year’s international spotlight campaign: Women and Girls of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Based on the Obie award-winning play by V-Day founder Eve Ensler, The Vagina Monologues has grown into a global movement staged by more than 120 countries. V-Day Movement is a nonprofit corporation that distributes funds to grassroots, national, and international organizations that work to stop violence against girls and women. The movement has raised more than $60 million dollars in ten years. For more on V-Day, visit their website.

International Women’s Day

Held on March 7, the annual International Women’s Day Parade was led by the three puppet sisters and the rhythm of Samba Like it Hot. The lineup included the Ananda Natya Dance Troupe, Ballet Folklorico, and the Eastern European ensemble Samovila.

Completing the day’s offerings was an international food fair, children’s activity tent, and women’s interfaith tent. Events continued on campus with a candlelight vigil and, on March 9, a poetry reading by and about women and women’s issues in Hannon Library.

Snow Fiesta Week

Students celebrated the recent area snowfall during Snow Fiesta, a week of activities on campus and at Mt. Ashland. Events included Rail Jam, an on-campus freestyle snowboard and ski competition; Crash Test Dummy Ski and Night Skiing at Mt. Ashland; and an Up All Night party at Stevenson Union. Competition winners went home with cash prizes, and participants were also eligible to win a free snowboard and other gear.

Karen Dugas in the Thorndike

Canadian artist Karen Dugas was on hand February 26 for the closing reception of Trapeze, an exhibition in the Thorndike Gallery. Her show comprised large-scale digital prints that explore narratives of the precarious balance between humanity and the natural environment. She also refers to the structures of film and advertising to involve the viewer through spectacle and the acrobatics of special effects. Dugas has exhibited her work internationally and lives in Alberta, Canada.

Gregory Martin at Liquid Assets

It’s your last chance to catch alumnus and SOU Graphic Artist Gregory Martin‘s exhibition at Liquid Assets. The show was curated by Marsa Morse, who serves as the gallery’s director/curator. Marsa is double majoring in art with a printmaking emphasis and in communication with a focus on video production. Thursday evening is the last day to view this spectacular exhibit!

Ed Battistella Lectures on Language School

The subject of Dr. Edwin Battistella’s book Do You Make These Mistakes in English? The Story of Sherwin Cody’s Famous Language School was the topic of a lecture sponsored by Hannon Library on February 26. Using Sherwin Cody’s school as a starting point, Battistella explored the intersections between marketing, education, and the development of the self-help industry as a cultural phenomenon in the early twentieth century.

Professor of English and Writing Battistella is the author of three previous books on grammar and language, including the popular Bad Language: Are Some Words Better than Others?

Rare Print Collection Donation

On February 12, Ashland resident Lily Hearn—accompanied by her daughter-in-law, Susan Hearn—presented the Hearn Family History of Writing and Printing Collection to the Hannon Library.

Donated by Ms. Hearn and her family, the collection includes examples of rare and valuable early writing and printing from various cultures and languages around the world, such as a Coptic Ethiopian scroll, a 2034 BC cuneiform tablet on Sumerian clay, and an Arabic Koran.

Hannon Library will display the collection in the exhibit cases on the second floor adjacent to Special Collections/University Archives until a custom exhibit is created.

For more information, click here.

Student Alumni Etiquette Dinner

Career Development Services and Alumni Affairs joined forces to create the second annual SOU Student Alumni Etiquette Dinner on March 4. This event brought students together with alumni in their major or school. Students learned dining and etiquette tips to help prepare them for interviewing, presenting themselves, and networking.

Platt Claims NAIA National Championship

SOU sophomore Chris Platt (above) scored an individual National Title during the NAIA National Wrestling Championships finals.

As a team, the Raiders finished second to defending national champion Lindenwood. The Lions finished with 167 points, while the Raiders finished with 125.5 points.

Platt jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead before defeating Montana State-Northern’s Evan Hinebauch 6-2 to claim the 184 pound National Championship.

With the title, Platt becomes the 23rd National Champion in the history of SOU wrestling and the first since 2004. Platt outscored his opponents 32-7 and scored a pin during his run to a National Championship. Platt wraps up the 2008–09 season 19-4 with six pins.

Brothers Mitchell and Trevor Lofstedt each came away with second place finishes at the National Championships.

Mitchell dropped the 125 pound National Championship match 11-2 to Montana State-Northern’s Corey Borges. Mitchell Lofstedt ends his freshman season 37-10 with nine falls.

Trevor fell in the National Championship match 19-9 to Lindenwood’s Ray Stephens. He will graduate SOU as the fourth four-time All-American in school history.

Mike Ritchey was named the NAIA National Coach of the Year after leading the Raiders to an 18-1 dual record, a National Dual Meet Championship, and a second place finish at the NAIA National Championships.

Barry Johnson (141) brought home a third place finish with a pair of victories. Johnson scored a pin in the consolation semis and then defeated Grand View’s Jon Henslee 9-5 in the third-place match.

Seth Roy finished fourth at 149. Roy defeated Lindenwood’s Ryan Moyter 3-1 in overtime before falling to Notre Dame College’s Jeffrey Pelton 6-0 in the third place match.

Tommie Hooper and John Bates each finished fifth after falling in their consolation semifinal matches. Hooper scored a major decision victory over Oklahoma City’s Nik Turner 10-2 in the fifth place place at 157. Bates also scored a major decision victory, with a 12-4 victory over Corey Johnson of Oklahoma City.

As a team, the Raiders had seven All-Americans.

Raiders to Play Black Hills State

The 23rd-ranked SOU Women’s Basketball Team will open up the NAIA Division II National Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa, against fifth-ranked Black Hills State. The game is set for 9:15 p.m. (CST) tonight.

Both SOU and Black Hills State received at-large bids to the National Tournament.

The Raiders are 25-6 on the season and fell to the College of Idaho during the Cascade Conference tournament semifinals. Black Hills State is 24-7 and fell in the Dakota Athletic Conference championship game to Dickinson State 67-64. SOU is the sixth seed and Black Hills is the third seed in their group.

All SOU games will be aired on AM580 in the Rogue Valley and at souraiders.com.

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Credits (top to bottom, left to right)

Admissions Campus Ambassador Kat Ellison (Rory N. Finney).

Community Garden (Rory N. Finney).

Hannon Library (Gregory Martin).

Associate Professor of Women’s Studies Barbara Scott Winkler teaching (Rory N. Finney).

A clip from Oregon Stories (Marsa Morse).

Robert H. Giles at the First Amendment Forum (Associate Professor of Communication Dennis Dunleavy).

Criminology Lock-in (Rory N. Finney).

Professor of Music Paul French during choir practice (Rory N. Finney).

Vagina Monologues cast (courtesy of the Women’s Resource Center).

International Women’s Day Parade 2008 (Dennis Dunleavy).

Snow Fiesta montage (Marsa Morse).

Karen Dugas in the Thorndike Gallery (Rory N. Finney).

Gregory Martin, #71, mixed media, 2009.

Ed Battistella teaching linguistics (Rory N. Finney).

Hearns Book Collection (Ana Carreon).

Student Alumni Etiquette Dinner (Marsa Morse).

Chris Platt at the championships (courtesy of Athletics).

Women’s Basketball Team (courtesy of Athletics).

Taking Charge of Our Future

Thanks to those of you who attended my State of the University speech last Friday. I highlighted the triumphs of the past year and the good work going on across campus, as well as the continuing challenges we face. If you were unable to attend on Friday, you can listen to the audio file and see the slides at my website.

Higher Education Center Donation from Providence

On April 18, I was pleased to accept a check for $25,000 from Providence Medford Medical Center CEO Tom Hanenburg. The donation is designated for the Medford Higher Education Center and is one of many local contributions since 2005. For more information, see the Higher Education Center website.

Above, Southern Oregon University Foundation Board members Anne Root, Bob Mayers, and Gary Sherwood (far right) join Tom Hanenburg and me during the check presentation.

Earth Day 2008

SOU continues to demonstrate leadership within the local community and across the country in its efforts to conserve energy, encourage regional economic development, and support the development of green power sources.

As the largest energy user in Ashland, SOU also participates in the Ashland Renewable Pioneers program, a partnership between the City of Ashland and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation that enables city residents and businesses to support Green Tags.

In spring term 2007, with an 85-percent majority, students supported a campuswide vote to establish a Green Energy Fee. Driven by a student coalition dedicated to encouraging sustainable energy sources on campus, the referendum was a product of collaborative research, team spirit, and the democratic process. As a result, SOU became the first university in Oregon—and one of the first in the U.S.—to offset 100 percent of its energy use with clean, renewable power.

More details are online at www.greenashland.org and at our website.

Women’s Resource Center Events

On April 18, the Women’s Resource Center (WRC) coordinated a Take Back the Night march beginning with a rally and speaker. The assembly then marched to the plaza in downtown Ashland, where a candlelight gathering was held for survivors of sexual violence and assault.

Take Back the Night began in England over 130 years ago as a way for women to reclaim their right to safety and respect. The first march in the United States was held in San Francisco in 1978. Take Back the Night links women, men, and communities as they gather to show their commitment to ending sexual violence.

Sexual assault is widely considered to be the most underreported violent crime in America. College students are particularly vulnerable. According to a 2005 U.S. Department of Justice report, 35 out of every 1,000 women students on campus will be sexually assaulted in an average, nine-month school year. Fewer than 5 percent of these students will ever report their rape or attempted rape to campus authorities or law enforcement.

Clearly, the need for action is urgent.

Together, the Women’s Resource Center and the Jackson County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) are responding to this need with the Yell it! Tell it! campaign.

Campaign goals:

• to raise awareness within the campus community about the prevalence of sexual assault and about the new first response services available;
• to motivate the community to help prevent sexual assaults and to let them know what steps to take if a sexual assault does occur;
• to engage the community in removing barriers that discourage survivors from seeking healing and justice; and
• to make sexual assault issues visible and discussions of sexual assault a more regular part of campus life.

Elements of the campaign include coordinated campus t-shirt days, The Restroom Project, outreach through stickers and posters, Siskiyou ads, peer education groups, public events, and tabling. A support group for survivors of intimate violence will be held every other week at the Women’s Resource Center.

Special thanks go to Yell it! Tell it! Student Coordinator Niki Trueblood (above), as well as Women’s Resource Center Coordinator Deltra Ferguson and the WRC student staff and volunteers, for organizing this and other campaigns to promote awareness regarding these topics.

Visibility and campuswide involvement are key. Please call the Women’s Resource Center at 552-6216 if you wish to participate or would like any further information.

Track and Field

Five team members are qualified to participate in the NAIA national track and field championships. Daniel Cecchini (Senior, Bend, High Jump), Kevin Jeffers (Senior, Salem, Steeplechase), David Laney (Freshman, Portland, 10,000 Meter Run), Ryan Musselman (Senior, Wilderville, Pole Vault), and Ixel Sanchez (Junior, Guanajuato, Mexico, Marathon) have all met NAIA ‘A’ qualifying standards in their respective events. With three meets remaining, several more athletes are expected to make it to St. Louis, site of the nationals, at the end of May. Congratulations to our men’s and women’s track teams!

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Raider Roll-Out

Increasing enrollment is key to SOU’s financial stability. We need to build back the new enrollment lost over the last decade—and retain in significantly larger numbers of our qualified first-time and transfer students. We especially need to show stronger numbers for fall 2008 as we enter a new legislative session.

Our goal: increase fall 2008 enrollment by 5 percent over that of fall 2007.

On April 2, the vice presidents, deans, and others met to think and plan strategically about ways to increase fall enrollment through both new and established approaches to recruitment and retention. We discussed short- and long-term strategies and laid out timelines, costs, and benefits for a number of key approaches.

Preview Day

Most importantly for the immediate short-term, I ask that faculty and staff participate in the Preview Day scheduled for this Friday, April 11. We have a large array of prospective students and families coming to campus: please work with Mark Bottorff to ensure our guests experience the very best of SOU.

Recruitment and retention efforts are crucial to the success and sustainability of SOU. I will communicate over the next few days the plans coming together for our spring enrollment initiative: Raider Roll-Out.

The entire campus—including alumni, emeriti, and friends of the University—needs to join in this important work.

Once again, thank you for all you do for SOU!

SOU Student Named Oregon Indian Education Higher Ed Student of the Year

Native American Student Union (NASU) Co-Chair Lilly Yasana was just named the Oregon Indian Education Association’s (OIEA) Higher Education Student of the Year. She was also elected Higher Education Student Representative during the association’s annual conference in early March at the community of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde. As part of her representative role, she plans to work with the OIEA campaign against college mascots trivializing Native American culture.

We are very proud of Lilly’s accomplishments. Congratulations, Lilly!

SOU in the News

Assistant Professor of Physics Ellen Siem was featured in an Ashland Daily Tidings article on March 17. The article highlighted Ellen’s choice to live in a dorm room in Diamond Hall and examined what it’s like for a faculty member to live in the residence halls. For the full story, please visit the Ashland Daily Tidings website. Photo courtesy of Orville Hector and the Ashland Daily Tidings.

SOU’s Dining Services was also recently featured for their environmentally responsible work with Footprint Recycling, a biodiesel producer from Humboldt County. Dining Services has a contract with Footprint Recycling to pick up all waste vegetable oil from the University and turn it into biodiesel. Photo courtesy of Thom Larkin and the Ashland Daily Tidings.

Please visit our marketing website for more instances of SOU in the news.

Empty Bowls Project 2008

Ceramics student Christine Silva (above) helps prepare for the ninth annual Empty Bowls Project, a pottery fundraiser to alleviate hunger in our community. Silva is the student coordinator of Empty Bowls, which took place on Friday, April 4, during the First Friday Art Walk. Empty Bowls is sponsored by Soroptimist International, the Schneider Museum of Art, and the SOU Art Department. Proceeds will benefit local food agencies.

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Celebrating International Women’s Day

On Saturday, March 8, 2008, the first community-wide celebration of International Women’s Day in the Rogue Valley took place in Ashland. Southern Oregon University, Rogue Community College, and the communities of Medford and Ashland joined hands to organize the event, honoring women who work for equality, freedom, and social justice. Thanks to all for such a wonderful display of support.

SOU Theatre Productions

Saturday, March 9, marked the final showing of Urinetown, one of the Theatre Department’s two productions this season. Public response has been exceptionally positive, including a glowing review in the Medford Mail Tribune by Richard Moeschl.

Congratulations to the talented cast of Urinetown, some of whom are featured above. From top: Libby Barnard, Samuel Dinkowitz, Tim Homsley, Monique Barbee, and Danielle Chaves strike a pose in the Tony Award-winning musical in SOU’s Center Stage Theatre.

The Theatre Department’s second production this season was Many Moons, which ended on March 2. This children’s theatre play is adapted from a 1943 book by James Thurber and has charmed audiences in SOU’s Center Square Theatre.

Pictured above are Nick Ferrucci, Jorge Paniagua, and Tara Watkins playing the Jester, King, and Princess. (Theatre production photos courtesy of Brian Prechtel and Ezra Severin.)

I hope you got a chance to catch these plays showcasing the wide-ranging talents of our theatre students.

Wine and Cheese Reception

On Friday, February 29, we gathered to celebrate our successful re-accreditation, the signing of our faculty contract, and the pending arrival of spring. I am grateful to Weisinger’s for donating the wine. Thanks for coming, everyone!

Women’s Basketball Wins Conference Tournament

Congratulations, once again, to our victorious Women’s Basketball Team! With nearly 1,000 spectators in attendance at McNeal Pavilion, the Women’s Basketball Team won its fifth Cascade Conference Tournament Championship on March 3. The game concluded with an exciting 82-72 overtime win over the College of Idaho.

The team ended the regular season 29-4, the best record in Southern’s history. With the win, SOU received an automatic berth in the NAIA National Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa.

The first round of the tournament is this Wednesday, March 12, at 7:45 pm. SOU will be playing against St. Ambrose College of Iowa at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City. Check the Athletics website for the latest news, and go Raiders!

Barney Riggs: In Memoriam

Please join me in honoring Southern’s legendary football coach, Barney Riggs, who died on Sunday, February 24. In 1946, Riggs led the football team to its only undefeated full season in SOU history. Coach Riggs later became known for his work as a teacher and coach at Hedrick Junior High School in Medford. Riggs was inducted into the SOU Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Medford Sports Hall of Fame in 1985. He will be greatly missed.

A celebration of life ceremony was held at the Elks Lodge in Medford at 2 pm on Friday, February 29.

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New Provost and VP for Academic Affairs Appointed; Vice President for Development Search Now Underway

I am delighted to announce that Dr. Gary Kiger has accepted our offer to serve as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Dr. Kiger comes to us from Utah State University, where he has served as Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences since 2003.

Dr. Kiger will start at SOU on July 1. I know you will join me in welcoming him.

The Provost Search Committee, chaired by Vice President Jonathan Eldridge, did great work during the entire search process. I am very grateful for their efforts.

Now that we have successfully hired a Provost, we will move ahead with a search for the Vice President for Development. As this is a very difficult position to search for, we have hired a search firm, Paschal-Murray, to help us develop a strong pool of candidates and work with us through the process. The firm has strong connections all over the country and has been successful in searches for numerous West Coast universities.

Our search consultant, Colette Murray, requested that we keep the search committee very small, six people at most. Gary Sherwood from the SOU Foundation Board will chair the search committee. The other members are Dean David Harris, Anne Root (SOU Foundation Board), Gigi Morgan (Schneider Museum of Art Board), Peter Thomas (OSF), and Jerry Taylor (former SOU Foundation Board member). Lisa Sherrill from the School of Business will staff the search.

I will keep the campus apprised as we move forward in this process. The committee, of course, will greatly appreciate any nominations or recommendations of possible candidates. As we bring candidates to campus, we will seek wide campus input and feedback.

I am very hopeful that this search, too, will be highly successful for SOU.

SOU Makes the Honor Roll

The Corporation for National and Community Service has named Southern Oregon University to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts and service to disadvantaged youth. This is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for commitment to service learning and civic engagement.

Since fall 2006, 143 of SOU’s classes have practiced community-based learning, involving a total of 3,551 students. Good work, everyone!

Hydrology Class Puts Learning to Work in the Community

In early February, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Studies Robert Coffan’s Hydrology class went to work drilling a monitoring well at North Mountain Park. Fred Krasner of Pioneer Drilling volunteered his time and equipment to install the well, while the site was donated by the City of Ashland. Scientists and students will use data from the well to assess water quality and other conditions.

On site covering the event were Jamie Lusch, an SOU photojournalism alumnus and now staff photographer with the Medford Mail Tribune, and Tribune student-intern and journalism major Jake Williky.

My thanks go to Assistant Professor of Communication Dennis Dunleavy for sharing not only these exciting images of the event, but also the following video. Check out Dennis’s blog, Southern Oregon University Today, for more photographs of SOU life.

Football Awards

We celebrated our annual Raider football banquet on February 24, recognizing a 5-4 record and the first winning season since 2003. Nearly 200 people were in attendance as Coach Steve Helminiak and his staff presented certificates acknowledging player accomplishments for the 2007 season.

Congratulations to the following Raiders, who were honored at the ceremony:

Offensive Players of the Year Kevin Holtzman (#81) and Tim Greenridge (#85) celebrate their success.

Go, Raiders!

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Welcome to the new President’s Newsroom! I will be sending more frequent updates and including photos, video, and audio. I look forward to sharing the latest SOU happenings with you and welcome your feedback on the new format.

Remembering Gladys Jimenez

We are still mourning the tragic loss of Gladys Jimenez, our first-term transfer student from Santa Rosa who died last week.

Many of us joined the Jimenez family in celebrating Gladys’s life on Saturday afternoon at Our Lady of the Mountain Catholic Church.

This tragedy has touched us all. I am grateful to Student Affairs for arranging grief counseling for our campus community.

Meanwhile, the University is working with the City of Ashland on ways to improve pedestrian safety on Siskiyou Boulevard.

On Thursday morning, we set up flag stations at the main Siskiyou crosswalks. Please take advantage of the flags to help cross safely to the other side.

Eighth Annual Criminology Lock-In

Friday, February 22 marked the Criminology Club’s Eighth Annual Lock-In Event. This live simulation brought about fifty uniformed law enforcement officers, several SWAT vehicles, and the new Jackson County Command (Peace Keeping) vehicle to the SOU campus. More than eighty student participants got to experience what it is like to be a career criminal justice professional during this event.

Women’s Basketball

Congratulations to our Women’s Basketball Team! They have been crowned Cascade Conference co-champions for the 2007–08 season. SOU finished the regular season with a spectacular 26–4 record (the second best all-time record for the team), including a 12–0 record at home.

Tournament play against Northwest Christian begins at 7:30 pm tonight, February 26, at McNeal Pavilion. For those unable to cheer for the Raiders in person, the game will be available via radio on LEX AM 730 and live video at the SOU Athletics page.

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