SOU One of Nation's Top LGBTQ-Friendly Campuses

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University has been named one of the 25 most LGBTQ-friendly campuses in the nation according to Campus Pride, the leading national educational organization for LGBTQ and ally college students and campus groups.
Now in its seventh year, the Campus Pride Top 25 LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges and Universities list highlights the most LGBTQ-inclusive colleges and universities when it comes to policy, program, and practice in higher education.
“We are extremely pleased with our inclusion in Campus Pride’s list of top LGBTQ-friendly campuses,” said janelle wilson, SOU’s associate director of student life for social justice and service. “The administration, faculty, staff, and students at SOU have gone to great lengths to ensure that students of all orientations and identities have the opportunity to study at an inclusive, safe campus, and this recognition affirms those efforts.”
This marks the third year in a row that SOU has been included on Campus Pride’s list. SOU was also recently named the most LGBTQ-friendly school in Oregon by eCollegeFinder.org.
“According to a recent report from the Human Rights Campaign, LGBTQ youth are twice as likely as their peers to report being physically assaulted, and more than 40 percent report living in a community that is not acceptable of LGBTQ people,” wilson said. “It remains as important now as ever to provide a safe, welcoming environment to everyone who wants to pursue post-secondary education.”
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SOU earned a Campus Pride Index ranking of 4.5 out of 5 stars. In its SOU report card (available online at https://tinyurl.com/p9jv4j6), Campus Pride highlighted the University’s LGBTQ academic and student life opportunities as well as housing, campus safety, and recruitment and retention efforts for LGBTQ students.
More information on LGBTQ resources at SOU is available from the University’s Queer Resource Center online at sou.edu/qrc or by calling 541-552-8329.
SOU is sponsoring the Southern Oregon Pride Festival, which is taking place Oct. 10 in Ashland.
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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 percent of its water consumption. Visit sou.edu.
About Campus Pride
Campus Pride is the leading national educational organization for LGBTQ and ally college students and campus groups building future leaders and safer, more LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities. The organization provides resources and services to thousands of college students and nearly 1400 campuses annually. Learn more online at CampusPride.org.

SOU In the News: Aug. 15 – 21

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SOU Student, Alumni, Faculty, and Staff Features:
Mail Tribune – Crowdfunding Will Send Man Back to India: https://www.mailtribune.com/article/20150817/NEWS/150819761/0/SEARCH
Daily Tidings – SOU Professor: Change in Thinking Needed to Combat Change in Climate: https://www.dailytidings.com/article/20150817/NEWS/150819845/0/SEARCH
Daily Astorian – New Director for College Library (feature on SOU alumnus Luke Kralik): https://www.dailyastorian.com/Local_News/20150818/new-director-for-college-library
Oregonian/Oregon Live – The Audacity of Julie Parrish: Salem’s ‘Mama Grizzly’ Blazes Her Own Path: https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/08/the_audacity_of_julie_parrish.html
Oregonian/Oregon Live – What You Call Environmentalism Might Be ‘Nature Religion’ (Professor Shibley featured): https://www.oregonlive.com/faith/2015/08/what_you_call_environmentalism.html
 
News on SOU Academic Programs:

Register Guard – Oregon Wine Production Records Record-Breaking Year (features Southern Oregon University Research Center): https://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/33409300-75/oregon-wine-production-records-record-breaking-year.html.csp
KOBI – Increase in Diverse Students in SOU’s School Preps Program: https://kobi5.com/news/local-news/item/increase-in-latino-students-in-sou-s-school-preps-program.html?category_id=3#.VdXuZ_m2pCA
World News – SOU Welcomes Increase in Hispanic Teacher Candidates: https://article.wn.com/view/2015/08/19/SOU_Welcomes_Increase_in_Hispanic_Teacher_Candidates_Souther/
 
News on SOU Environment and Sustainability Initiatives:
Sierra Magazine – Cool Schools 2015: https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2015-5-september-october/cool-schools-2015/full-ranking
 
News on SOU Fine and Performing Arts:

KTVL – New Band at SOU: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqNCRR_CGZM&feature=youtu.be
 
Miscellaneous News:
Daily Tidings – SOU’s TRiO Gets $1.3 Million Federal Grant to Serve Underserved Students: https://www.dailytidings.com/article/20150817/NEWS/150819865/0/SEARCH
Daily Tidings – Guest Opinion: SOU Science Building Noise Will Lessen: https://www.dailytidings.com/article/20150818/OPINION/150819848/0/SEARCH

News Bachelor's Degree Approved for SOU

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(Ashland, Ore.) —Students attending Southern Oregon University have long had the option of pursuing a minor or concentration in creative writing. Beginning this fall, creative writing will be a major course of study as well, after the Higher Education Coordinating Commission approved a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing degree at SOU during its August meeting.
The creative writing minor and concentration had previously been within the Department of English and Writing, but a recent academic restructuring at SOU placed creative writing as part of a newly created creative arts program under the purview of the Oregon Center for the Arts at Southern Oregon University. “This restructuring provided the perfect opportunity to expand the role of creative writing within the University and offer students a vibrant, interdisciplinary experience that explores contemporary creative writing practice and theory,” according to Dr. Susan Walsh, SOU’s provost and vice president of academic and student affairs. “We feel strongly that this program will contribute to our region’s identity as an arts-based, culturally inclusive location.”
Based on recent polling and expressed interest by students, program faculty and administration are confident that more than 40 students will enter the program this fall. “Through an increased presence and active outreach and promotion, we anticipate that the program will attract a great deal of increased interest over the next few years,” Dr. Walsh said. “We expect the enrollment numbers to continue to increase over the next five years by 10-15 students per year.”
The creative writing minor and concentration will remain available to students who wish to pursue their interest in creative writing while majoring in another field of study.
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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.

SOU Welcomes Increase in Hispanic Teacher Candidates

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Recent research indicates the hiring of well-qualified minority teachers is a significant factor in closing the achievement gap experienced by minority students in primary and secondary education. If the students currently studying to become elementary school teachers in Southern Oregon University’s elementary education program are any indication, classrooms throughout the region may be staffed by significantly more minority teachers in the very near future.
More than a half dozen students of Hispanic heritage are nearing completion of SOU’s elementary education and Master of Arts in teaching programs. That compares to only about one per year during the previous decade. “With most projections indicating the Hispanic and Latino population is expected to continue to increase in southern Oregon, it will become even more important to ensure that our education system is properly serving those students from preschool on,” according to Susan Faller-Mitchell, coordinator for the SOU Elementary Education program.
Senior Kelly Ramirez, of Grants Pass, believes her dedication to learning will pay off. She has recently been awarded an academic scholarship from the Josephine County Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma based on her high GPA and her goals as a pre-service teacher. She remembers struggling in her elementary grades. “I was still learning both languages and it was hard to explain my thinking. I kept wishing there was someone who could understand me.” Ramirez credits her parents for encouraging her to work hard in school as they never had the financial resources to go to college. Ramirez notes her parents often came to parent/teacher conferences and pretended to know what was being shared because they were too embarrassed to say they didn’t understand enough of the language. “When I am a teacher, I want to help parents communicate with us,” she said. Ramirez is a first-generation college student in her family.
Senior Eduardo Steiger, of Medford, has demonstrated his passion for minority students and students living in poverty. He has been working with Kids Unlimited Academy for three years as an educational assistant and enrichment leader. “I realized that I can really make a difference in these kid’s lives. I never had such a strong purpose for my life before this,” Steiger noted. He is of Mexican heritage but has been raised in a white family. He shared that he never really felt accepted by the white culture, but through working with Hispanic students and families at Kids Unlimited he is now “experiencing his own roots and learning to be a role model.”
“In order to close the achievement gap, we must put teachers who actually represent underserved communities in front of those students. Not only do they serve as teachers, but they serve as authentic mentors as well. That is a very important component that can sometimes be lacking when students don’t have role models who share many of the same experiences and cultures,” Faller-Mitchell added.
The state of Oregon is now requiring teacher preparation programs to provide pre-service teachers with the knowledge and skills to support second language learners. This work is enhanced in the SOU programs by these future teachers who were themselves second language learners.
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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 percent of its water consumption. Visit sou.edu.

SOU In the News: Aug. 7 – 14

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SOU Student, Alumni, Faculty, and Staff Features:
Daily Tidings – SOU Student Raising Funds to Help India Orphanage by Documenting It: https://www.dailytidings.com/article/20150807/NEWS/150809847/0/SEARCH
The Guardian – What Motivates CEOs to Solve the World’s Big Social and Environmental Problems (Feature on SOU Professor Steve Schein’s new book): https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/aug/06/steve-schein-nike-spring-mattel-coca-cola-pope-francis-climate-change-encyclical-ecology
Chronicle of Higher Education – In Assignment Group Work to Students, Designing the Group Comes First (Professor Alison Burke featured): https://chronicle.com/article/In-Assigning-Group-Work-to/231355/?key=TGhxcwQ4ZXRCMHtnaGpBYzYDanA8M0omayVIbixxbltUGA==
Oxford University Press – How to Write a Compelling Book Review (article by Edwin Battistella): https://blog.oup.com/2015/08/how-write-book-review/
Daily Tidings – Our View: Helping the Helpers: https://www.dailytidings.com/article/20150812/OPINION/150819946/0/SEARCH
 
News on SOU Academic Programs:

Daily Tidings – SOU’s Academia Latina Program Helps Incoming High Schoolers Learning to Lead: https://www.dailytidings.com/article/20150808/NEWS/150809852/0/SEARCH
Mail Tribune – Learning to Lead: https://www.mailtribune.com/article/20150808/NEWS/150809689/0/SEARCH
World News – SOU TRiO Program Receives Grant: https://article.wn.com/view/2015/08/14/Southern_Oregon_University_News_Southern_Oregon_University/
 
News on SOU Fine and Performing Arts:

Daily Tidings – Quills & Queues: Public Art at SOU Features Discarded Paddles: https://www.dailytidings.com/article/20150807/NEWS/150809869/0/SEARCH
 
Miscellaneous News:
Daily Tidings – University Housing Units’ Internet, TV Service Switched to Single Provider: https://www.dailytidings.com/article/20150810/NEWS/150819994/0/SEARCH

SOU Launches New Sports Band

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(Ashland, Ore.) —Fans attending Southern Oregon University home football games this fall can expect an even more fun experience than in previous years: a sports band. Raider Band director, Travis Moddison, has already begun recruiting students.
“The first home game is scheduled for September 12, so we need to have our members identified and begin rehearsals before classes start in the fall,” Moddison said.
Moddison, who is an alumnus of SOU, envisions a band that will bring another level of excitement to the experience of attending an SOU athletic event. “The intent of this band is to entertain the fans, promote school spirit, provide momentum to our sports teams, and have fun,” he said.
Although fans can expect to hear some familiar sports band music, the Raider Band will not be a typical marching band. “We are excited about making something unique at SOU. The environment of creativity and excellent leadership is the basis for building a program that serves the community in a variety of ways,” Moddison said.
Although bringing more excitement and fun to events on campus at SOU is among the primary goals of the band, it is expected to be a tool in recruiting and retaining students as well. “We know from national studies and our own internal data that students who are engaged in extracurricular activities on campus persist at higher rates than students who aren’t involved in such activities,” according to SOU President Roy Saigo. “They retain at higher rates and are more likely to graduate.”
The Raider Band is expected to be made up of up to 30 students, many of whom may not have attended SOU if not for the opportunity to participate in the sports band.
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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.

SOU TRiO Program Receives $1.3 Million Federal Grant

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University was recently notified that its TRiO program has been awarded a $1.3 million federal grant in order to continue operations on campus at SOU for the next five years. TRiO, which is part of the larger Success at Southern program, has been operating at SOU since 1994.
The TRiO program provides additional student support services to students from traditionally underserved populations, including low income, first-generation, and students with disabilities. Students who qualify for the TRiO program receive individualized student coaching, initial and annual assessment of academic needs, development of a personal education plan, and academic support, including tutoring, study groups, academic advising, and career preparation workshops.
“The goal of all of these services is to help more students overcome obstacles and reach graduation on time,” according to Jane Reeder, Success at Southern program coordinator. “Research has proven that these interventions lead to higher rates of graduation, particularly among these underserved groups.”
SOU’s TRiO program serves 190 students per year. The grant application that SOU submitted received the maximum score from three readers and multiple comments about the quality and rigor of the program.
“We are very proud of that feedback,” Reeder said. “It really shows that we are going above and beyond in our efforts to help more students succeed.”
For more information about SOU’s TRiO program or eligibility requirements, visit www.sou.edu/success or call 541-552-6062.
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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.

SOU In the News: Aug. 1 – 6

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SOU Student, Alumni, Faculty, and Staff Features:
Alaska Dispatch News – Hometown U: The New Kid in Town (feature on SOU alumnus Hunter Hewitt): https://www.adn.com/article/20150802/hometown-u-new-kid-town
News on SOU Academic Programs:
Daily Tidings – Signups for Fall OLLI Classes Accepted Through Friday: https://www.dailytidings.com/article/20150803/NEWS/150809952/0/SEARCH
 
Miscellaneous News:
KDRV – Schneider Children’s Center to Reopen: https://www.kdrv.com/news/local/Schneider_Childrens_Center_to_Reopen.html
Daily Tidings – SOU Childcare Center will Reopen: https://www.dailytidings.com/article/20150731/NEWS/150739945/0/SEARCH
Mail Tribune – SOU Childcare Center will Reopen: https://www.mailtribune.com/article/20150731/NEWS/150739891/0/SEARCH
KOBI – Schneider Children’s Center Will Remain Open: https://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=9535&DateTime=7%2F31%2F2015+6%3A16%3A40+PM&Term=Southern+Oregon+University&PlayClip=TRUE
World News – SOU/OCDC Partnership to Keep Schneider Children’s Center Open: https://article.wn.com/view/2015/07/31/SOU_OCDC_Partnership_to_Keep_Schneider_Children_s_Center_Ope/
Daily Tidings – Our View: A Fresh Start (Editorial on Schneider Children’s Center): https://www.dailytidings.com/article/20150804/OPINION/150809955/0/SEARCH
Daily Tidings – SOU Season Tickets Go On Sale Saturday: https://www.dailytidings.com/article/20150804/SPORTS/150809948/0/SEARCH