SOU’s ‘Civility Theme Continues with Winter Term Presentations

(Ashland, Ore.) – Southern Oregon University continues discussing this year’s campus theme “Civility” with a fascinating series of winter term presentations. All presentations are free and open to the public.

Celebrating Dissent and Nonviolent Civil Protest: Exploring the Role of Nonviolent Action and Civil Disobedience in the Emergence of Civility.

When the civil order alienates citizenry, civil unrest and social change movements emerge to challenge the civil order. Protest movements applying nonviolent tactics engage in power struggles that use social media, news media, and popular appeal for advantage. The power struggle is most visibly fought between civilian protesters and police and/or military. Rules of engagement in this struggle indicate the civility of the civil order, and those rules change as civility emerges. This community dialogue explores the topic from diverse perspectives.
Panelists: SOU Professors Jonathan Lange (Communication), Lee Ayers (Criminology & Criminal Justice), and Steven Jessup (Environmental Studies).
Thursday, January 12 * 3:30 – 5:00 PM * Meese Room, SOU Hannon Library

Gang-related Crime Trends in Southern Oregon and Prospects for Hope

In 1996, a gang-related homicide shocked Southern Oregon into the realization that Southern Oregon is not immune to gang-related crime. In 2009, shortly after a second gang-related homicide, several agencies joined together to establish the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement Team or MADGE. The area has seen a large influx of California-based gangs Sureno and Norteno with a small yet growing Juggalo population as well. With an increasing level of gang-related criminal activity in Jackson County, MADGE gang investigators will discuss current trends, law enforcement’s concerns, and opportunities and approaches to alleviate gang activity.
Presenters: Sgt. Kevin Walruff, Medford Police Department; Officer Ian McDonald, Medford Police Department; Brett Johnson; Lee Ayers, Associate Professor of Criminology, SOU.
January 19, 7:00 PM * SOU/RCC Higher Education Center, Medford, Presentation Room (132)

Civility, Competition and Communication

Global competition, emerging technologies and increased communication have dramatically changed the way business is done. Business civility defines the standards of behavior expected in employee/employer interactions and consumer/investor dealings. Three SOU School of Business professors examine the social responsibilities and ethics occurring within businesses today. External accountability to the world community and internal responsibilities will be debated. These dual, and sometimes opposing, obligations to people will be scrutinized as the business community considers how to civilly compete and communicate.
Business Professor Panelists include: John Bowling PhD, Organizational Consultant and Master in Management coordinator, Steve Schein MA, CPA and founder ResortQuest International, Inc; and Cynthia Scherr, MBA, MTS and Principal, Scherr Management Consulting.
Wednesday, February 15 Meese Room of the Hannon Library, 5:30 PM * Reception to follow in Central Hall

HOT COFFEE: Is justice being served?

Seinfeld mocked it. Letterman put it on one of his Top Ten lists. More than 15 years later, the McDonald’s coffee case continues to be cited as a prime example of how citizens use “frivolous” lawsuits to take unfair advantage of America’s legal system. But is that an accurate portrayal of the facts? First-time filmmaker and former public interest lawyer Susan Saladoff uses the infamous legal battle that began with a spilled cup of coffee to investigate what’s behind America’s zeal for tort reform. By following four people whose lives were devastated by the attacks on our courts, this thought-provoking documentary challenges the assumptions Americans hold about “jackpot justice.”
Susan Saladoff (Producer, Director) spent 25 years practicing law in the civil justice system, representing injured victims of individual and corporate negligence. She stopped practicing law in 2009 to make the documentary HOT COFFEE.
Tuesday, February 21 * 6:00 PM * Meese Auditorium, Art Building, SOU Campus

Civility on Campus

Civility has become an important topic of discussion on many college campuses. Some even refer to a “crisis of incivility” in our American universities, as our cultural diversity and new media at times divide rather than unite us. The current tone of public discourse and incivility on occasion permeate our own campus. In this panel discussion, a group of SOU students, faculty and administrators will discuss issues of civility and incivility at Southern Oregon University.
Moderator: Marjorie Trueblood-Gamble, Associate Director of Diversity and Inclusion. Panelists: Provost James Klein; Dean of Students Laura O’Bryon; Communication Professor Jody Waters, Communication Professor Alena Ruggerio,
Wednesday, February 29 * 3:30-5:00 PM * SOU Student Union 319
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