(Ashland, Ore.) — Officials from Southern Oregon University and Klamath Community College have signed an agreement that is designed to increase the rate of students transferring from KCC to SOU and result in more associate and bachelor’s degree completions at the two institutions in coming years.
The memorandum of understanding, which was signed by SOU President Roy Saigo and KCC President Roberto Gutierrez during a signing ceremony at KCC on May 15, promotes seamless transfer with no loss of credits for KCC students who follow articulated pathways to SOU.
It also allows for concurrent enrollment, whereby students can be admitted to and actively enrolled in courses at both institutions simultaneously.
“This agreement provides pathways for us to better serve students and better serve our state and region,” said Dr. Saigo. “By adding KCC to our list of partner institutions, more southern Oregonians will have an opportunity to pursue a bachelor’s degree at SOU and we come one step closer to achieving the state’s ambitious 40-40-20 goals.”

Devised by former Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber and adopted by the Oregon Legislature, 40-40-20 calls for 40 percent of Oregonians to have a baccalaureate degree or higher, 40 percent to have an associate degree or professional certification, and for the remaining 20 percent to have at least a high school diploma or its equivalent by 2025.
“This new partnership creates opportunities for our students to pursue further education at SOU in a number of articulated programs,” Dr. Gutierrez said. “We are also working on a reverse transfer option that would allow KCC students who transfer to SOU prior to completing their associate degree to be awarded that degree once required courses are completed at SOU. This is very exciting for our students and our community.”
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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.

(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University is pleased to announce that SOU alumnus—and current head football coach at University of Oregon—Mark Helfrich will be this year’s featured speaker during the University’s Commencement ceremony on June 13.

Helfrich, who had a decorated career as a student athlete at SOU before his successful coaching career, graduated from SOU with a bachelor’s degree in biology in 1996. He played football for the Raiders from 1992-1995, earning NAIA Honorable Mention All-America honors in 1993. That same season he would set team records for pass attempts in a season, passing yards in a season, passing touchdowns in a season, and total offense.

Though all of those records have since been broken, Helfrich still ranks as one of the most successful quarterbacks in Raider history, not only on the field but also in the classroom, having been named both an NAIA Scholar Athlete and FA Academic All-Star. He was inducted into the SOU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012.
After years as one of the nation’s top assistant coaches, Helfrich’s head coaching career got off to a fast start in 2013 as he led the Ducks to an 11-2 record and a victory in the Alamo Bowl over University of Texas. Last season, under Helfrich’s leadership, the Ducks went 13-2, including victories in the Pac-12 Football Championship Game and the 2015 Rose Bowl semifinal game before falling to Ohio State in the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
In a letter to SOU President Roy Saigo, Helfrich stated “It is with great humility and pleasure that the offer to deliver the commencement address at this year’s graduation ceremony is officially accepted. Thank you very much for this distinguished honor.”
SOU’s Commencement ceremony will take place Saturday, June 13, at Raider Stadium. The processional begins at 8:45 a.m. and the ceremony starts at 9 a.m. Commencement will be aired live on RVTV and archived for later viewing. Seating is available on a first come, first serve basis.
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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.

(Ashland, Ore.) – The Music program of the Oregon Center for the Arts at Southern Oregon University presents the grand finale concert of the 2014-2015 SOU Tutunov Piano Series on Friday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the SOU Music Recital Hall. The concert features piano virtuoso Dr. Alexander Tutunov, namesake of the series, violinist Terrie Baune and pianist Jodi French.
The concert begins with Tutunov and Baune performing the “Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Major” by Maurice Ravel, followed by “Sonata No. 3 for Violin and Piano in D minor, Op. 108” by Johannes Brahms. Tutunov is joined by French playing the orchestral reduction of the “Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18” by Sergei Rachmaninoff.
A new Concert Steinway D (with two actions), donated by James Havstad, will be dedicated at the concert.
Tutunov is Professor of Piano and Artist in Residence at Southern Oregon University. “Over the past few years, I felt there were enough people in the Rogue Valley who are as passionate about the things I do and love doing as I am,” said Tutunov. “We have a fortunate combination of a great venue, terrific supportive audience, and my personal connections in the classical piano music world with the result that we can bring high quality music-making to the Rogue Valley.” Tutunov describes each featured artist’s uncompromising quest for finding “the deepest meaning and perfection in the music they perform” as the common thread through the series.
Baune is concertmaster of the Eureka Symphony, concertmaster of the North State Symphony, and co-concertmaster of the Oakland East Bay Symphony. She is a member of Earplay, a professional new music ensemble based in San Francisco, and the associate director of the Humboldt Chamber Music Workshop. She has been a member of the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington, D.C., the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra of New Zealand, and concertmaster positions with the Fresno Philharmonic, the Rohnert Park Symphony and the Santa Cruz County Symphony. She is an active chamber musician as a member of the Empyrean Ensemble in residence at University of California, Davis, the Gabrielli Trio and the Helmholtz Trio.
French is an accomplished soloist and accompanist whose talented style is familiar to Rogue Valley residents. She has been playing piano since the age of three and her favorite hobby as a child was trying to play every piece she knew in every possible key. She studied with Dr. Alexander Tutunov at Southern Oregon University. She is a professional accompanist for the Southern Oregon Repertory Singers, has played with the Rogue Valley Symphony for many years, and with virtually every other musical organization in southern Oregon. She has had several sacred works for choirs and soloists published. She is also an adjunct faculty, teaching piano in the Southern Oregon University Music program.
Tutunov is the Artistic Director of the SOU International Piano Institute. He has served as director of the Chinese-American International Piano Institute in Chengdu, China; a voting member of the Grammy Academy; and as the artist in residence at the University of Alaska Southeast. Tutunov was named the Nationally Certified Teacher of Music and the Official Soloist with the Port Angeles Symphony orchestra last year. He maintains a busy performing schedule in Europe, China, Mexico and the United States as a recitalist, soloist with orchestra, and on radio and television. He is also in demand as an adjudicator for piano competitions. A successful piano pedagogue, he prepares award-winning students.
Reserved tickets are $20 general and free to full-time students. The Performing Arts Box Office is located in the Music Recital Hall lobby. Box office hours are noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and two hours prior to each performance. Tickets can be purchased with a credit card over the phone by calling 541-552-6348 or online at oca.sou.edu.
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 percent of its water consumption. Visit sou.edu.
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