SOU plans forums to kick off facilities master plan

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University’s 10-year update to its Campus Facilities Master Plan is underway, and the university is seeking input from both campus and the community before the plan goes before the Ashland City Council for final approval next spring. The first two opportunities are introductory gallery and open house master plan forums – on Oct. 3 for students and SOU employees, and on Oct. 10 for members of the Ashland community.

The Campus Facilities Master Plan, when completed by the university and approved by the city council, will serve as a guide to development at SOU from 2025 through 2035. It will replace the current master plan, which was created in 2009 and was intended to steer the evolution of SOU’s campus from 2010 through 2020.

“The master plan is intended to describe how we expect SOU’s physical growth and needs to progress over the next 10 years,” said Joe Mosley, SOU’s director of communications. “It’s more of a long-range satellite image than a detailed roadmap, but it will give our campus community, neighbors and partners in city government a basic picture of how we expect our footprint and facilities to change during the coming decade.”

The first forum, for members of the campus community, will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 3, in the ASSOU Lounge at SOU’s Stevenson Union building. It will include a summary of work that is underway and planned, and the opportunity for participants to give input about how the university’s buildings and grounds should grow or change.

The second forum, for community members from Ashland and the Rogue Valley, will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 10, also in the Stevenson Union’s ASSOU Lounge. It will offer a similar outline of work that is in progress and opportunities to provide feedback.

Those who attend either of the forums will be able to view maps that show all buildings currently on SOU’s 175-acre campus and also facilities that are expected to be added in the coming years. Coming developments that are expected to be on the final version of the updated master plan include projects that are currently in planning – such as a senior living facility that will replace the Cascade housing complex – and other proposals for renovation or new construction.

Projects included in the plan should align with SOU’s mission and meet the needs of students, the southern Oregon region and the state. The master plan will not be a “wish list,” and its proposals will reflect the university’s financial realities

The master plan will not preclude other projects from being pursued over the next 10 years; many recent changes to the SOU campus have occurred that were not included in the 2010 master plan.

Campus and community members will have additional chances to hear about and weigh in on the master plan when it goes to the Ashland Planning Commission for study sessions next spring, and to the City Council in May for final approval. Interested parties will be invited to hear about the plan and to submit comments, questions and concerns.

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Grant awarded for additional SOU solar projects

SOU receives third $1 million state grant for solar arrays

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(Ashland, Ore.) — The solar energy aspirations at Southern Oregon University have received another jolt, with news that the Oregon Department of Energy has approved a third round of state funding for SOU’s push to become the nation’s first public university to generate all of the daytime electricity that it uses. The latest $1 million grant will be used to install a battery storage bank at SOU’s Computer Science Building and a solar array in a nearby parking lot.

The university has now received a $1 million grant in each of the most recent three years from the state Department of Energy’s Community Renewable Energy Grant Program, along with a $2 million appropriation from Congress in December 2022. Part of the federal appropriation will likely be used to complete funding for the Computer Science Building projects, which will cost a total of $1.3 million.

“We are excited about these opportunities to further diversify SOU’s revenue, and to increase our on campus renewable energy and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions,” said Becs Walker, the university’s director of sustainability. “We also recognize the importance of energy efficiency, and are monitoring all buildings to identify potential improvements. A recent renovation project on Britt Hall improved our energy efficiency across campus.”

This year’s funding process for the Community Renewable Energy Grant Program was especially competitive, with the state selecting 34 of 75 applicants to receive a total of almost $18 million in grants. The program is intended to support planning and construction of renewable energy or energy resiliency projects for Tribes, public bodies and consumer-owned utilities.

SOU is currently working on solar projects – funded by the earlier grant, appropriations and $51,000 from the Associated Students of SOU’s Green Fund – at Lithia Motors Pavilion and The Hawk Dining Commons that will increase the university’s photovoltaic output from the current 455 kilowatts (kW) to a total of 848 kilowatts. The first project has added a 241 kW solar array to the 63 kW solar array already on the athletic pavilion’s roof, making it the largest rooftop solar array in Ashland. The second project, at The Hawk Dining Commons, is a solar array and battery storage bank that will enable SOU to support community resilience by providing power at The Hawk, if needed, in the event of an emergency.

SOU’s first solar canopy in a parking lot will be funded with money from the state Department of Energy’s second round of grants and the congressional appropriation. The first parking lot array will add 340 kilowatts of generating capacity, and SOU will be able to produce about 17% of the daytime electricity it uses when all three current projects are completed. That amount will increase when the Computer Science Building projects are also built out.

SOU has nine existing solar arrays, plus one at the Higher Education Center in Medford and a pole-mounted array installed in 2022 by a nonprofit on land leased from the university. SOU has added five arrays over the past four years, with funding from private investors, grants, the student government and university administration.

The university anticipates generating 100% of its own electricity by 2033, and is already planning for its next rounds of solar expansion. SOU is focused on being entrepreneurial in its approaches to revenue generation, and on energy independence and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Its eventual energy independence will save the university at least $750,000 per year in utility costs, and each solar array that comes on-line results in an incremental reduction of the overall energy bill for campus.

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Donation to Student Food Pantry from Amy's Kitchen

Soup’s on, following donation to Student Food Pantry

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Organic food company Amy’s Kitchen, which operates a manufacturing plant in nearby White City, has made one of the largest-ever donations to Southern Oregon University’s Student Food Pantry – a total of 1,200 cans of vegan soup.

The donated food – 50 cases each of Amy’s Indian Golden Lentil and Alphabet soup – will be added to the food pantry’s inventory throughout the 2024-25 academic year. Each case of the soup contains 12 cans.

“The soup will be fed in (to the pantry’s shelves) gradually, to meet the demand of the students,” said Jason Piazza, benefits navigator for the SOU Dean of Students Office. “We will go through it before the end of the academic year.”

Piazza said discussions with Amy’s Kitchen have included the likelihood of future food donations. The Petaluma, California-based company has donated more than 300,000 pounds of organic food to at least 17 food banks and other organizations – including SOU and two other universities – so far in 2024.

“We’re proud to have partnered with incredible organizations across North America to address food insecurity for communities in need,” the company posted recently on its social media channels, pointing out that September is celebrated as both Organic Month and Hunger Action Month.

Amy’s Kitchen remains a family-owned business, founded in 1987 by Andy and Rachel Berliner and named for their daughter, Amy. The company has processing plants in White City; Santa Rosa, California; and Pocatello, Idaho; making more than 250 organic, vegan or vegetarian products.

The SOU Student Food Pantry provides food and other necessities to students in need. First-time clients must fill out an intake form and provide their student ID numbers, then can stop by the pantry at Room 312 of the Stevenson Union to receive as many as 10 non-perishable food items, occasional perishable food items and unlimited personal hygiene products each week, as long as they are enrolled at SOU. Those with questions can email the food pantry at foodpantry@sou.edu. The pantry is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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Presidents of Oregon's TRUs visit Taiwan

Oregon’s regional universities build strategic international partnership in Taiwan

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(KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan) — The Presidents of Oregon’s public technical and regional universities (TRUs) – Southern Oregon University, Western Oregon University, Eastern Oregon University and Oregon Institute of Technology – signed a memorandum of understanding on Aug. 15 with Wenzao University in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

The MOU aims to foster teacher-student exchanges, student mobility programs, joint research initiatives and Chinese language programs, all with the goal of cultivating international and cross-disciplinary talent.

The delegation was led by Oregon State Rep. Paul Evans (District 20) and was made up of key leaders from Oregon’s universities, including Rick Bailey, president of Southern Oregon University; Jesse Peters, president of Western Oregon University; Kelly Ryan, president of Eastern Oregon University; and Nagi Naganathan, president of Oregon Institute of Technology; along with Sheila Clough, chair of the SOU Board of Trustees.

The signing ceremony was attended by dignitaries including Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai, Oregon State Rep. Evans and former state Rep. Brian Clem. Others present included director of the Kaohsiung Branch of the American Institute in Taiwan, Neil H. Gibson; Wen Hongguo, leader of the cultural newsgroup of the Kaohsiung Branch of the American Institute in Taiwan; and additional cultural and educational stakeholders.

The partnership marks a new chapter in global academic cooperation, as Wenzao University continues to establish itself as a hub of international education.

“Wenzao’s alliance with a well-known higher education institution in the United States has great symbolic significance,” Wenzao University President Zhuang Huiling said.

Wenzao University was founded in 1966 by a group of nuns from the Saint Ursuline religious order in Rome, and Huiling said the school has always adhered to the spirit of “internationalization.” Wenzao University has more than 320 sister schools around the world, where its students have the opportunity to study abroad. At the same time, Wenzao hosts students from 19 countries to integrate multiple cultures into the campus.

This is an important milestone between Wenzao University and Oregon’s public, technical and regional universities. It not only strengthens each institution’s connection with the world, but also opens up a new era for academic exchanges and development.

The presidents from Oregon’s TRU institutions value the importance of international educational exchanges.

“International educational exchanges are essential for fostering global understanding and collaboration,” the presidents said in a joint statement. “They provide students and faculty invaluable opportunities to learn from diverse perspectives, enriching both their academic and personal growth. We are deeply grateful for the warm hospitality extended during our visit and look forward to nurturing and growing this partnership.”

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Marcus Mariota donates football shoes to SOU

Heisman Trophy winner Mariota donates to SOU football

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(Ashland, Ore.) — For those who don’t agree that first impressions are lasting impressions, talk to Marcus Mariota. The former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback of the University of Oregon and current member of the NFL’s Washington Commanders has donated new Nike cleats for every member of the Southern Oregon University football team – a total of 140 pairs – based on a visit he made to SOU with his brother several years ago.

Mariota’s donation – valued at about $16,500 – was distributed to members of the SOU football team when they arrived for a morning practice on Monday, Aug. 19, at the football locker room in Raider Stadium.

The donation was orchestrated in part by SOU alumnus Ed Nishioka, who – like the Mariotas – hails from Hawaii.

“He really appreciates the fact that the team has many Hawaii players and the school has good Hawaii representation,” Nishioka said.

Marcus Mariota visited SOU when his brother, Matt, was considering a transfer from the UO to the Ashland campus. Matt Mariota, a tight end, wound up playing at the UO for four years, ending with the 2019 season.

Marcus Mariota, whose coaches at the UO included SOU alumnus Mark Helfrich, also donated cleats to football players at Lahainaluna High School after it was devastated by the Maui wildfires of 2023.

SOU football coach Berk Brown said his players were enthusiastic about the new cleats. Members of the news media were welcome when the football shoes were distributed.

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Training exercises will be held at Cascade complex

SOU’s Cascade complex to host variety of first responder training exercises

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(Ashland, Ore.) — First responders are likely to become  a common sight at Southern Oregon University’s defunct Cascade student housing complex for the remainder of this summer, as the university has offered the site for a variety of training exercises before demolition of the sprawling facility ramps up in the fall.

Agencies including Ashland Fire & Rescue, Ashland Police Department, Medford Police Department, Medford Fire Department and SWAT teams from Medford, Jackson County and Oregon State Police are coordinating with SOU Campus Public Safety & Parking to conduct drills at the site through Aug. 31. The groups are planning to practice their procedures for building searches, tactical search and rescue, door and window breaching, ladder operations and more.

“This collaboration helps foster our relationships with our first responders and provide them with the opportunity to gather data and experience on the tactics and tools they use to keep our community safe,” said Robert Gibson, director of SOU’s Campus Public Safety & Parking.

SOU programs and offices that are located near the Cascade Complex – a five-acre parcel at the southeast corner of campus – have been advised to expect a frequent presence of first responders in the area, now through the end of August. Each agency will post “Training In Progress” signs outside the complex to advise neighbors and passersby that they are present for training, rather than a live event.

The Cascade complex, which was completed in 1967, has been largely vacant for the past decade, when the costs associated with extending its useful life became prohibitive. The facility – eight residence halls situated around a central cafeteria – has numerous roof leaks, defunct HVAC and steam systems, and degraded plumbing. At least two of its wings have been condemned.

The 2021 Oregon State Legislature allocated $3.5 million for SOU to raze the Cascade Complex, which will eliminate a $12 million deferred maintenance backlog on the facility – the amount it would cost to correct its current physical deficits. Some interior destruction is underway this summer and fall, and general demolition is expected to begin in early 2025. The project will include concrete crushing to fill and level the basement and old tunnels that were used for the structure’s mechanical systems.

The site is expected to be ready for redevelopment by the middle of 2025. President Rick Bailey and other SOU leaders have begun exploratory conversations with potential private partners for the development of a senior living facility to be built at the Cascade complex location. The senior living center is seen as an entrepreneurial opportunity the create a unique synergy between its residents, SOU students, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at SOU and the university. The facility could be completed as early as fall 2027.

This summer’s pre-demolition access to the Cascade complex will give first responder agencies an opportunity to train in situations and surroundings that are not typically available to them.

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SOU sociology and anthropology group at Maxville

SOU receives grant for archaeological project at African-American logging town of Maxville

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(Ashland, Ore.) — A recent $20,000 grant from the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office will enable staff and students from the Southern Oregon University Sociology and Anthropology Program to conduct archaeological investigations at the northeast Oregon town of Maxville – a logging town that was home in the early 20th century to both African American and white loggers.

SOU will collaborate on the project with the Maxville Heritage and Interpretive Center of Wallowa County – a museum established and run by descendants of Maxville’s inhabitants, and dedicated to the history of African American, Indigenous and immigrant loggers in the Pacific Northwest.

The Maxville townsite was acquired by the museum in 2022 to be developed as an interpretive, educational and communal space. SOU anthropology professor Mark Axel Tveskov was the lead author on a nomination that led the National Park Service to place Maxville on the National Register of Historic Places.

Those efforts led the Maxville project to earn a 2024 Oregon Heritage Excellence Award from the State of Oregon.

The grant will allow students from the SOU Sociology and Anthropology program to gain professional experience in archaeological survey, excavation and analysis through field work that will take place this September, and through laboratory work that will occur over the coming academic school year.

“This project will allow our students to engage in practical work on one of the most significant heritage projects currently underway in the Pacific Northwest,” Tveskov said.

Oregon’s State Historic Preservation Office offers matching grants for rehabilitation work that supports the preservation of locations listed on the National Register of Historic Places, or for work that helps to identify, preserve or interpret archaeological sites.

SOU students will work with Maxville Heritage personnel on geophysical survey and traditional archaeological excavation that will identify significant features of the Maxville townsite and gather a representative sample of artifacts to better understand the lived experiences of Maxville’s inhabitants.

“Uncovering our hidden history has been a through-line within our mission and vision,” said Gwendolyn Trice, executive director of the Maxville Heritage and Interpretive Center. “Research, oral histories, journals and archives are some of the ways in which we uncover and discover our history.

“Archeology takes this uncovering to the next level, using scientific methods above and below ground to reveal our past in a way that established collection of information, textiles and artifacts cannot achieve,” Trice said.

Other partners in the Maxville project include the Anthropology/Sociology Program at Eastern Oregon University and the Anthropology, Art History and Environmental Studies programs at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington.

Maxville, about 13 miles north of the town of Wallowa, was once home to about 400 residents and was the county’s largest railroad logging town from the mid-1920s to mid-1930s. Loggers and their families came to Maxville in the 1920s from the South and the Midwest in search of work, and the Bowman-Hicks Lumber Company – which owned the town – hired Black loggers despite Oregon’s exclusion laws of that period.

Maxville’s African American families lived in segregated housing, attended segregated schools and played on a segregated baseball team, but Black loggers worked side-by-side with their white counterparts.

Maxville’s eventual decline was due to economic conditions, including the Great Depression and a consequent downturn in the lumber market.

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Digital Media Center lighting upgraded

SOU Digital Media Center moves to energy-efficient studio lighting

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University’s Digital Media Center has addressed sustainability and improved educational resources for students in a recent, transformative upgrade to its studio lighting. The studio is now operating with state-of-the-art LED film and TV lighting fixtures, dramatically reducing energy consumption while enhancing the quality of its productions.

“This project has been a dream for some time, but until now has been cost-prohibitive,” said Brandon Givens, director of the DMC. “Thanks to a consortium of campus partners – as well as abnormally generous pricing from the manufacturer, ARRI Lighting – we were able to complete this incredible upgrade all at once.”

Better for users, better for the environment.
The new lighting system uses cutting-edge LED technology, reducing energy use by approximately 75% and aligning with SOU’s commitment to green energy. The lights are expected to run directly from the campus solar grid in the future, as SOU continues to add arrays of solar panels and expands its generating capacity to become the first public university to produce enough electricity to meet all of its daytime energy needs. The LEDs also produce far less heat than the lights they replaced, conserving energy by reducing the need for air conditioning.

The DMC project was funded largely by the Associated Students of SOU’s “Green Tag Fee” – an assessment of $14 per student each term that was approved in a student vote several years ago to promote sustainability projects. SOU Sustainability Director Becs Walker said the Green Tag Fee is “designed to empower student-led sustainability projects that not only benefit our campus but also set a precedent for environmental stewardship in higher education.” The DMC and SOU’s Sustainability Office and Institute for Applied Sustainability each contributed additional funding for the project.

“The new lighting capabilities in the studio allow students to experience a form of artistic expression they may not have otherwise cultivated,” said student Riley Carter, who is majoring in Sustainability with a minor in Digital Cinema.

“This program preaches collaboration on all fronts and I have gained experience and knowledge from every person I have had the opportunity to work with,” said Carter, who spearheaded the application for Green Tag funding.

Benefiting a variety of current and future users
The high-quality ARRI lighting fixtures, known for their durability and professional-grade performance, are expected serve the SOU community for decades. The improved studio environment benefits SOU student filmmakers and a variety of other campus programs, including digital and performing arts, The Fringe Festival, Rogue Valley Television, Community & Government Access, and Southern Oregon PBS.

The old lighting equipment was donated to local middle and high schools, aiding their lighting setups and promoting sustainability by avoiding unnecessary disposal.

An intersection of sustainability initiatives
The DMC’s lighting upgrade is an example of SOU’s efforts to make sustainability a team sport by encouraging collaboration and interconnected projects. The university is striving for a comprehensive model of sustainability that improves educational and community resources, prioritizes re-use of materials by way of local donations and opens potential revenue streams to expand access and opportunity for students.

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SOU Commencement 2024

SOU Commencement: good weather and optimism

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SOU’s 98th Commencement Ceremony on June 15 centered squarely on those receiving about 1,300 bachelor’s and master’s degrees – and on the recipient of a rare, honorary doctorate in humane letters. Sid DeBoer, who guided Lithia Motors from a single dealership in Ashland to the largest automotive retailer in the U.S., was honored for his business and civic accomplishments, and his longtime friendship with SOU.

“Lithia is one of just two Fortune 500 companies based in Oregon, and the only one without a swoosh as its logo,” SOU President Rick Bailey said, drawing a laugh from the crowd in his introduction of DeBoer.

The chair of Lithia’s board of directors – modestly referring to himself as a “used car salesman” – then encouraged the day’s other degree recipients to use what they have learned to take action and make their mark on the world. “It’s your moment every day when you get up,” DeBoer said.

Graduates and the near-capacity crowd at SOU’s Raider Stadium cheered and applauded throughout the 2 ½-hour ceremony – from the remarks by student speakers Edward Minasian, Emilio McCutcheon and Mimi Pieper through the awarding of diploma covers to the hundreds of new graduates who individually walked across the stage, shook hands with Bailey and posed for photos.

The graduates were asked to return to their seats after receiving degrees, to support those who followed them to the stage, and most did. The weather cooperated, with cooler-than-normal but dry conditions throughout the event.

Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs Casey Shillam, emceeing her first SOU Commencement Ceremony following her hiring early this year, pointed out that many of the day’s graduates missed out on their high school commencements when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out four years ago.

“Many of those walking today were denied that honor four years ago,” she said.

Pieper, one of the three student speakers and also a student member of the SOU Board of Trustees, told her classmates that the uncertainty of life “is what makes it an adventure.”

She was the only woman graduate in the Computer Science Program, receiving her bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 3.95. Pieper tutored fellow students in computer science and math, and also served as SOU’s Student Sustainability Coordinator.

SOU's inaugural Business Venture Tournament this week

Inaugural SOU Business Venture Tournament: innovative ideas across disciplines

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University (SOU) will host its inaugural Business Venture Tournament this week. The groundbreaking competition – designed to nurture entrepreneurial ideas from students across all academic disciplines – is intended to transform innovative ideas into successful business ventures, with generous support from SOU alumni Jim Teece and Dena Matthews.

The tournament’s final competition and gala event will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 6, in Room 217 of Britt Hall on the SOU campus. Seventeen students from various academic disciplines have submitted their venture ideas, and seven finalists will present their projects in Thursday’s final round.

The tournament’s primary goal is to help students understand that regardless of their major, any idea with an organizational structure inherently involves crucial business elements. That knowledge is essential for students pursuing any passion – from an Environmental Science major aiming to rescue endangered species to a Theatre major planning to open a children’s space for learning drama and dance.

By participating in the tournament, students gain hands-on experience in idea proof-of-concept, market research, venture promotion and presentation skills, preparing them for the real world.

The competition offers significant prizes: $3,000 for first place, $700 for second place, $250 for third place and $500 for the best sustainability features. Students who vote for a pitch and attend the gala will also be entered into a drawing for a $500 gift certificate at Southern Oregon Wilderness Adventures.

Teece and Matthews provided the initial funding for the Business Venture Tournament, envisioning a competition that would be inclusive of students from all academic backgrounds. That vision was brought to life by Vincent Smith, Ph.D., director of the School of Science and Business, and Douglas Daley, coordinator for SOU’s MBA program. Daley developed and executed the competition’s structure with support from Smith and graduate intern Jenny Chynoweth.

Thursday’s final round event will feature sponsors and table hosts, including the Ashland Food Co-Op, Southern Oregon Wilderness Adventures, Talent MakerCity, the SOU Small Business Development Center, SCORE Jackson County, Seed Collective, Rogue To-Go, Crater Works & Direct Involvement Recreation Teaching (DIRT), the SOU Institute of Applied Sustainability and Rogue Valley Women in Business.

For more information, visit venture.sou.edu.

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