Scholarship to benefit Native American Studies Program at SOU

First Presbyterian Church of Ashland gifts scholarship to SOU Native American Studies

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(Ashland, Ore.) — What began as a partnership among Southern Oregon University and community organizations to see Indigenous Peoples’ Day instituted at SOU and in the City of Ashland a number of years ago has continued to evolve into further advocacy for Native people. Representatives of the First Presbyterian Church of Ashland signed documents this week to establish a three-year scholarship commitment for Native students and the university’s Native American Studies Program.

The scholarship agreement is a collaboration by Dennis Slattery, an associate professor of business at SOU and First Presbyterian elder; Brook Colley, chair of the SOU Native American Studies Program; the Rev. Dan Fowler of First Presbyterian; and the SOU Foundation’s Cristina Sanz. The amount of the scholarship will be driven by congregants’ donations, but it will start at $2,000 per year.

“Dennis and I worked together to build a coalition for recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day on campus and in the community a number of years ago, and we continue to work on building opportunities for our various communities,” Colley said. “Today, we take another step and I am very happy to sign a letter of commitment with the First Presbyterian Church of Ashland for scholarship support of the SOU Native American Studies Program.”

Fowler, the church’s minister, said the scholarship fund represents an opportunity for his congregation to be more than symbolic in its support of Native American people.

“We honor the fact that the land our church sits upon is the ancestral land of people who were here long before us,” he said. “We recently installed a plaque in our church with a land acknowledgment recognizing this. However, the plaque we placed upon the sanctuary is meaningless unless it includes some kind of action. The scholarship for Native American Studies is one action of many we hope to do. We pray for healing and reconciliation. We pray in time that Indigenous people would come to see us as an ally.”

Slattery credited the “team effort” that resulted in the scholarship, and said the incremental approach will allow church members to grow into their new role in helping Native American students.

“Everyone pitched in to make it all happen, from the Foundation to Brook and her program to the church’s board,” Slattery said. “This is a humble effort. We look to encourage others to take these kinds of small steps – many small steps will lead to something big. We can’t just talk about recognizing or honoring Native peoples, we need to also act. This is a step in that direction, one of many we hope to accomplish in the future.”

The underlying purpose of the First Presbyterian Church of Ashland’s partnership with SOU’s Native American Studies Program is to show and provide support for NAS Students. The church acknowledges a need to do more – to continue to work on equity matters for Native communities and to provide ever greater access for Native people to higher education.

Those who are interested in establishing a scholarship of any kind may contact the SOU’s Foundation office.

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Crew Experience is underway

SOU Digital Cinema program launches unique “Crew Experience”

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(Ashland, Ore.) — After a two-year pandemic delay, Southern Oregon University has launched its innovative, new, 12-credit spring immersion course called “The Crew Experience.” Student filmmakers spend an entire term learning on location, collaborating under the supervision of faculty and experienced industry mentors on the set of a significant film project designed to emulate the professional working environment.

Students had to apply and interview for their crew positions and were placed based on the experience, skill levels and portfolios of work they have accumulated in preceding classes. No other film or media program in the Pacific Northwest offers such an experiential approach to professional production training.

“This is truly ‘higher’ education, what college ought to be,” said Andrew Gay, associate professor and chair of Communication, Media & Cinema at SOU, and the principal architect of the Crew Experience.

“Today’s film student is savvy,” he said. “They know they can learn the buttons of a camera or editing software on YouTube, so why spend the tuition on film school? What we’re offering is professional immersion — hands-on training, working side-by-side, on-set with both faculty and industry veterans. It’s about learning the set culture, the lingo and procedures that mark professionals from amateurs. You can’t get that from a YouTube video.”

Thanks to a generous sponsorship from Canon USA, SOU students are working with a higher caliber of camera equipment than ever before. The company has loaned SOU two full C500 Mark II camera packages with cinema lens kits, providing students the opportunity to work with professional-grade gear as they develop their skills. Students who successfully complete the Crew Experience are eligible to receive SOU’s new micro-credential in Set Skills for Cinema Production, in recognition of their achievements.

Ashland-based producer and founder of Film Southern Oregon Gary Kout is one of the industry mentors working with Digital Cinema students in their final week of production. Kout also kicked off the term with an inspiration keynote address encouraging students to make the most of this unique opportunity.

“Filmmaking is as much a craft as it is an art, and the inner workings of a film set is an understandable mystery to those who’ve never been on one,” Kout said. “So to get a real education in film production, one has to get their hands on the gear and their bodies on a set. The Crew Experience provides this invaluable opportunity to SOU film school students that will benefit them greatly as they move into careers in the industry.”

Courtney Williams, another local writer-producer, 1st assistant director, and board member for the Oregon Media Production Association (OMPA) is another set mentor this term.

“Hands-on experience is one of the most valuable ways to learn filmmaking,” Williams said. “The Crew Experience is just that. Students experience rigorous planning, on-their-feet decision-making, creative-problem solving, and unexpected inspiration — what it really takes to make a movie!”

The Crew Experience has been shooting throughout the Rogue Valley this term and will continue production through Sunday, May 29. Gay said the project chosen for the Crew Experience was created specifically to pose significant production challenges for the students to overcome as a crew – such as working with a large crowd of extras during COVID and having to shoot in remote, rugged locations. The filming locations have included the Medford Railroad Park, downtown Medford, Porters Restaurant in Medford, Rogue Valley Roasting Co. coffee shop in Ashland, the Mill Creek and Barr Creek Falls trails in Prospect, and a private residence in Medford.

Rick Bailey, president of Southern Oregon University, commented on the unique program. “We are very proud of the students, faculty and staff who make The Crew Experience possible,” he said. “It is a great example of interdisciplinary collaborations leading to powerful experiential opportunities for our students. Opportunities like this make Southern Oregon University a truly one-of-a-kind institution.”

Media members may contact SOU to schedule a set visit for photography and/or video interviews on Saturday, May 28, while the student crew are filming at the Medford Railroad Park.

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SOU's Campbell Center renovation is complete

OLLI community comes together to complete Campbell Center renovations

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The Campbell Center on campus has finished its 25th anniversary classroom renovation project, which began in 2018. More than $600,000 was raised for the project, and students in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at SOU can now enjoy new, comfortable chairs, better lighting and much more.

The Campbell Center, on Frances Lane just east of the Cascade Complex, was formerly a World War II barracks, before being incorporated into the SOU Campus and used as office spaces, dorms and student family housing before becoming the home for OLLI at SOU.

The program offers educational courses for local adults who are age 50 and older. It provides a wide array of learning opportunities – everything from how to use various internet programs to learning a new musical instrument. The current OLLI catalog includes an assortment of courses in 15 broad subject areas – most taught by local OLLI members with expertise in one or more specific subjects, and all serving as volunteers.

Learn more about taking courses at OLLI here.

Fundraising for the Campbell Center renovation came from a variety of sources, including university and community organizations. OLLI’s own volunteer community accounted for hundreds of donations and a majority of the project’s funding.

Local wildlife artist Pam Haunschild painted a black-and-white mural of a nature scene in the members lounge at the Campbell Center, and portions were colored in periodically to track donations and the fundraising goal. The mural now stands fully colored, for OLLI attendees to enjoy.

The renovation features seating that is both more comfortable and accessible. Other new accessibility features include restrooms in each classroom, and new and improved LED lighting. OLLI has also implemented multipurpose audio/visual setups to enhance remote learning.

Overall, the Campbell Center has a modernized and improved feel, enhancing an already rich learning environment for members of the Rogue Valley community.

Please enjoy this video showcasing some of the newly renovated features at the Campbell center:

Story and video by Nash Bennett, SOU Marketing and Communications student writer/videographer

Memorial Day Reflection and Remembrance on Wednesday

SOU Memorial Day event commemorates fallen service members

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Southern Oregon University will observe Memorial Day during a commemoration event on Wednesday, May 25, honoring the men and women of our military branches who have died in service to the nation.

The SOU Reflection and Remembrance Ceremony will be from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Rogue River Room, located on the main floor of the Stevenson Union. SOU President Rick Bailey, Jr., an Air Force veteran, will be the keynote speaker.

“We have two days that honor military service – Memorial Day and Veterans Day – that are commonly confused,” said Jesse S. Watson, Ph.D., SOU’s equity coordinator for veterans & military families. “Memorial Day is the opportunity to honor the lives and sacrifices of fallen service members, while Veterans Day is a day to recognize our living military veterans.

“Military service is an oath that each individual upholds but I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the collective sacrifice of each member’s support network,” Watson said. “Countless loved ones mourn their loss, celebrate their dedication and honor their call to service.”

The Memorial Day Reflection and Remembrance Ceremony is an opportunity for the campus community and Rogue Valley neighbors to come together to remember those who have laid down their lives in service and to lift up those loved ones who carry their loss each day. All are welcome to attend the ceremony.

For more information, please visit: sou.edu/veterans.

College access agreement signed by SOU, Grants Pass schools

Grants Pass schools sign college access agreement with SOU

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(Ashland, Ore.) — The Grants Pass School District and Southern Oregon University finalized an intergovernmental agreement on Friday that will make college admission information more widely available to students. The district will make basic contact information for Grants Pass  high school students available to SOU, which will promote college attendance and provide timely enrollment guidance – improving college access, especially for traditionally underserved students.

The arrangement is the third in a series of the rare agreements that SOU has negotiated over the past few weeks with southern Oregon school districts. The university signed identical pacts with the Medford and Ashland districts.

“These agreements illustrate our commitment to work in partnership with school districts throughout our region to make high school students aware of the opportunities that are available to them,” said SOU Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Neil Woolf. “Many students mistakenly believe that college is beyond their means. We want them to know that the life-changing benefits of a college education are accessible to virtually any student with the desire to achieve.”

Woolf said that communicating more efficiently with the region’s high school students – and encouraging more of them to attain their educational goals – will improve the prospects of students and communities throughout southern Oregon.

SOU President Rick Bailey said partnerships such as those with the local school districts lead to focused efforts on areas of mutual interest. “We all agree that helping people achieve their academic goals and become career-ready is good for the students, the schools, the university and the region,” Bailey said. “Relationship-building is the first step toward achieving the result that benefits us all. It is our intention to offer similar partnerships with every interested school district in the region and beyond.”

The Grants Pass school district will provide SOU with basic “directory information” about its students – name, school, mailing address, school email address, phone numbers and grade level or expected year of graduation. The agreement ensures that the district and university will comply with all federal and state privacy laws, and that no information will be provided about students whose parents have asked their school not to disclose the information.

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Rating system give SOU gold

SOU achieves “Gold” in prestigious sustainability rating

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University has jumped from a “Silver” to a “Gold” rating for campus-wide sustainability achievements, as measured by an evaluation system developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and used to grade colleges and universities worldwide.

Gold rating from AASHE“It is an honor for SOU to be recognized for its contributions to heal and preserve our environment,” SOU President Rick Bailey said. “Achieving the ‘Gold’ level is a huge accomplishment that reflects our commitment to sustainability.

“We still have several projects in the works or in development that I am convinced will make our university even more of a national model – and will lift us to this rating system’s very highest level,” Bailey said. “We are very grateful to Becs Walker and all of the staff members and students who lead us in these important efforts.”

Participants in AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) can be recognized simply for reporting their sustainability achievements, or for rating at the organization’s bronze, silver, gold and platinum levels. STARS is used by more than 900 participating institutions in 40 countries, rating their sustainability efforts in five categories: academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, and innovation and leadership.

SOU first achieved the system’s silver level in 2017, and that rating was reaffirmed in 2019. The new gold rating takes into account the university’s ongoing efforts to attain its sustainability goals. STARS assesses environmental factors, along with social and economic considerations. SOU has demonstrated progress in many areas related to sustainability in achieving the gold rating, including governance of sustainability, health and wellbeing, protecting the environment, equity, social justice and community engagement.

SOU has completed eight new green building projects over the past three years, for instance, with four of them including new solar arrays. Three buildings on campus currently fall under the “net-zero” category, meaning they create more energy than they spend. President Bailey and the SOU team are also working to secure funding for solar projects that would eventually enable SOU to produce all of its own electricity, and potentially to sell excess power production.

“SOU’s gold STARS rating demonstrates leadership in sustainability across the SOU community,” said Becs Walker, SOU’s sustainability and recycling manager. “Sustainability is not just about doing something that has a positive impact – or negates an adverse impact – on the environment. It is about system change for the economy, society and the environment. We are continuing to challenge ourselves in building a better way of doing things here at SOU.”

The upgraded STARS rating from AASHE is the latest of many recognitions of the university’s sustainability efforts in recent years. The American Association of State Colleges and Universities recognized SOU in 2019 as the organization’s Excellence and Innovation Award recipient for comprehensive sustainability and sustainable development. The university also received an honorable mention that year at the Presidential Climate Leadership Summit.

SOU was the nation’s first certified Bee Campus USA and has maintained that certification, has been named a Tree Campus USA for five consecutive years and has been recognized for the ninth year in a row as one of the nation’s top 30, “Best of the Best” LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities by Campus Pride – a nonprofit that supports and improves campus life for LGBTQ people on campuses nationwide.

AASHE is a nonprofit organization that helps colleges and universities work together to create and lead the way to a sustainable future. Its STARS program is the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance.

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Esports event to preview new game

SOU Esports hosts community night and game preview

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(Ashland, Ore.) — The Esports Hub at Southern Oregon University’s Student Recreation Center is hosting a community game night from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday to preview the unreleased alpha version of a local video game development company’s new product.

The event, a partnership with SunSpear Games of Medford, will feature the fantasy game “IMMORTAL: Gates of Pyre.” Developers from SunSpear will be on hand, along with representatives of the Cyber Center Esports Gaming Lounge in Phoenix and Funagain Games, a game store with locations in Ashland and Eugene.

There will be complimentary snacks, along with gaming equipment giveaways and a t-shirt raffle.

The Esports Hub, which features 12 top-end gaming stations, is located in the Student Recreation Center, at Wightman and Webster streets in Ashland. The facility is used for intercollegiate competitions, intramural gaming and open play for all SOU students and SRC members.

SOU is among the first institutions on the West Coast to offer both an academic program and a competitive team in Esports – a billion-dollar global enterprise. The university’s academic minor in esports management is one of just a handful that are offered nationally and its combination of programs positions students for future employment in the growing industry.

The “IMMORTAL: Gates of Pyre” video game features action among three planets surrounding the mythical “God-Star” Pyre. The SunSpear website describes it as “an action-packed battle strategy game” that puts players in the roles of god-like commanders who create alliances, command armies and conquer enemies. It has intuitive controls and enables team play.

SunSpear was formed as a collaboration of community design teams and gaming industry veterans, with the goal of building better Esports, according to the company’s LinkedIn profile. It has “co-crafted” games with other developers around the world has created its IMMORTAL game to combine “social, accessible, free-to-play design with the competitive excellence and visual clarity of Real Time Strategy genre.”

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Sustainability at the Student Recreation Center

SOU green buildings project in full swing, improving campus sustainability

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SOU has walked its talk on sustainability over the past three years, completing eight new green building projects – with four of them including new solar arrays. The Sustainability at SOU program is committed to promoting an environmentally friendly culture and implementing more sustainability features campus-wide.

“It’s really important for us to demonstrate new ways of doing things to build a better world to live in,” SOU Sustainability and Recycling Manager Becs Walker said in an interview with SOU News.

The Student Recreation Center on campus has abundant sustainable features throughout the facility, including brand-new solar panels, electricity-free workout machines, and fully paperless operations – exchanging paper towel dispensers for air hand drying units in all bathrooms, and using reusable cloths for cleaning the equipment. The SRC has been awarded LEED Gold certification, which is a green building certification system that assesses things like air quality, energy use and overall sustainability. SOU has a goal to reach at least LEED Silver or the equivalent on all buildings on campus.

There are three buildings on campus that currently fall under the “net-zero” category, meaning they create more energy than they spend: the Athletics Storage at Raider Stadium, the Farm’s Storage Barn and the Outdoor Program Equipment Storage Building. None of the three buildings have heating and cooling units, which greatly lowers the energy cost. They also feature new solar arrays, generating energy to power the buildings’ electrical equipment.

SOU has spent the last four years hard at work trying to reduce the energy cost and increase sustainability across campus, and the efforts aren’t done. Britt Hall is currently being completely remodeled, with new sustainable features in mind – and has a LEED Silver certification pending. There’s been a long standing goal to promote sustainability in all ways at SOU, whether it’s through education, campus life or facilities.

Please enjoy this video tour of the SRC’s sustainability features, led by Director of Campus Recreation Hugues Lecomte, and Sustainability and Recycling Manager Becs Walker.

Click here to learn more about campus sustainability, and all the work being done to keep the campus green.

campus climate survey underway at SOU

Experiences, beliefs and opinions sampled in ongoing “campus climate” study

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SOU students and employees have until May 24 to participate in a 15-minute, online “campus climate” survey that will measure experiences, beliefs and opinions about diversity, equity and inclusion at the university, and serve as a baseline to gauge future progress and to make future comparisons of  SOU’s climate with that of other institutions.

Incentives to take part in the survey include a variety of random drawings: for each of two $50 gift cards, and for numerous $10 food truck vouchers, with the total number determined by level of participation.

Vice President for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Toya Cooper and SOU’s EDI  Leadership Team contracted with SoundRocket, a Michigan-based survey research organization that specializes in higher education consultation. Respondents’ answers to the survey will remain anonymous, and will be used to determine steps the university can take to develop and grow a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment.

“The data will help SOU gain a baseline for the climate, which can be measured against data collected from future iterations of the survey,” Cooper and the EDI team said. “The survey will be used to inform policy, programmatic efforts and practices aimed at SOU’s commitment to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where all learners flourish.”

The survey began on May 3 and will remain open through Tuesday, May 24. SOU students and employees began receiving invitations by email on May 3, and a reminder on May 4, both with links to the survey.

SOU undertook a similar campus climate survey two years ago, but that was conducted on a different platform so it is important for all members of the campus community to participate in the current survey, to gain a more accurate reflection of all perspectives.

Most questions for the survey are part of SoundRocket’s standard survey for equity, diversity and inclusion. A handful of other, SOU-specific questions were developed collaboratively by SOU and the vendor.

The incentives are intended to reward participation and generate enough responses to produce valid data. The two $50 gift cards will be widely usable, such as Visa or Mastercard. The $10 meal vouchers will be for use at either of two food trucks – Empanada Caba and Sultan’s Delight – that will visit campus from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 2. Three SOU musical groups will perform during the food truck event.

A total of 50 meal vouchers will be given to randomly selected student participants if the overall response rate is 30 percent; the number will rise to 200 vouchers for a 40 percent response rate and to 340 vouchers for a 50 percent rate. For employees, there will be 30 vouchers for a 30 percent response rate, 40 vouchers for a 40 percent rate and 60 vouchers for a 50 percent rate.

New pathways to college access with agreement

Ashland district is second in a week to sign college access agreement with SOU

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(Ashland, Ore.) — The Ashland School District and Southern Oregon University finalized an intergovernmental agreement on Thursday to make the basic contact information of Ashland high school students available to SOU – less than a week after the university and Medford School District completed an identical pact. The groundbreaking agreements enable SOU to promote college attendance and provide timely enrollment guidance that may improve access to college, particularly for traditionally underserved students.

“Agreements such as these are rare in the world of higher education, but we anticipate additional partnerships with other local school districts in the weeks ahead,” said SOU Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Neil Woolf. “Our hope is to open pathways to college that haven’t previously existed for many high school students in our area.”

SOU President Rick Bailey said that raising awareness of the steps that are necessary to attend college – and offering support for those who are interested – will raise the prospects of students, the university and communities throughout the region.

“This latest agreement illustrates our ongoing partnership with the Ashland School District, and our shared commitment to the educational needs of all students – including those who may not have family histories of college attendance,” President Bailey said. “I am a first-generation college student myself, so I am well aware of how helpful it is to have someone who can point out both opportunities and obstacles.”

Ashland School District Superintendent Samuel Bogdanove said the arrangement with SOU will help address questions that some students may not otherwise be able to answer.

“We are excited to give our students access to information on local post-secondary options, and to learn about how post-secondary education is both possible and a good fit for their career and life interests after high school,” Bogdanove said. “Students need to know that college is within reach.

“Having a local university like SOU is an exceptional opportunity,” he said. “When students register for high school, they can elect to participate, or not, in sharing directory information with third parties, including colleges. By participating, students and their families have the opportunity to learn more about the options available to them.”

The school district will provide SOU with basic “directory information” about its students – name, school, mailing address, school email address, phone numbers and grade level or expected year of graduation. The agreement ensures that the district and university will comply with all federal and state privacy laws, and that no information will be provided about students whose parents have asked their school not to disclose the information.

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