Honors College at SOU Students Serve Community

(Ashland, Ore.) — Forty-seven students from the Honors College at Southern Oregon University traveled to Portland recently, where they—along with approximately 1,000 other volunteers—participated in the Table For Two event held at Freeman Motor Company.
The students and other volunteers collectively packaged approximately 260,000 meals, each containing a nutritional combination of beans, rice, soy, and vitamins. Half of the meals went to the Oregon Food Bank, while half are destined for Rwanda. Honors College at SOU students partnered with two service organizations, Numana and Africa New Life, which provided funding for the purchase of the bulk food supplies and transportation of the packaged food.
“An integral aspect of the Honors College curriculum is community service,” according to Dr. Ken Mulliken, Director of the Honors College at SOU. “In addition to being a learning experience, this was very meaningful service for these students.”
The Honors College at SOU, now in its second year, accepts students from every major and allows for a customizable academic plan. All qualifying students who are accepted into the Honors College receive a scholarship.
In addition to service to the community, Honors College students also learn outside of the classroom with real-world experiences. “Every honors student works with a community mentor—a local professional working in a field of interest to the student,” Mulliken said.
“This is more than just networking; it’s an exploration of the uncharted world of life after college. Students will graduate with the necessary skills and experience to feel at home in a professional environment,” He continued. Honors College students work with their community mentors on applied research or other project which is then presented to members of the University and community upon completion.
SOU is accepting applications now through Jan. 16, 2015, for the 2015 cohort of Honors College Scholars. High school seniors and graduates, as well as transfer students who have not progressed beyond their sophomore year of college are eligible for consideration.
Priority consideration for admission into the Honors College will be given to those applicants who have a 1,200 combined critical reading and math SAT score with neither section below a 500, or a 27 overall ACT score with scores of at least 22 on both the math and English sections; and a cumulative GPA (high school and/or college) of 3.75 or higher, though Mulliken says students who don’t meet those qualifications are still encouraged to apply. “We look at the totality of each applicant: their personal interests, skills, previous community service, hobbies, and more,” he said. “We want students who will not only succeed academically, but who will contribute to the various aspects of the Honors College experience.”
For more information, or to apply, prospective students can visit honorscollege.sou.edu.
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About Southern Oregon University
Southern Oregon University provides outstanding student experiences, valued degrees, and successful graduates. SOU is known for excellence in faculty, intellectual creativity and rigor, quality and innovation in connected learning programs, and the educational benefits of its unique geographic location. SOU was the first university in Oregon—and one of the first in the nation—to offset 100 percent of its energy use with clean, renewable power, and it is the first university in the nation to balance 100% of its water consumption. Visit sou.edu.
About the SOU Honors College
Combining real world projects with intellectual rigor, The Honors College at Southern Oregon University aims to provide a challenging learning environment. Our creative curricula will take advantage of the university’s unique location by drawing on the rich natural, cultural, and artistic resources that are Southern Oregon. Visit honorscollege.sou.edu.