Bill Thorndike passes away unexpectedly

SOU to host official memorial service for William Thorndike, Jr.

/in , ,

(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University will host a public gathering and celebration of the life of William Downie (Bill) Thorndike, Jr. – a prominent statewide civic servant, the university’s first board chair and recipient of SOU’s highest honor – on Sunday, April 27.

Those who attend the event, at 1:30 p.m. in the SOU Music Recital Hall, are encouraged to wear something identifying their affiliation with Thorndike – whether a hat, uniform, sweatshirt or organizational nametag.

“We are honored to host Bill’s memorial service. His service to our university, and to organizations and groups throughout Oregon and beyond, was absolutely unmatched,” SOU President Rick Bailey said. “We will join his family in paying tribute to him and to the wide variety of causes that were so meaningful to him.”

Thorndike passed away at age 71 while vacationing with his wife, Angela, at the family’s cottage on Whidbey Island, Washington, on Feb. 15. He was a third-generation native of the Rogue Valley, graduating from Medford Senior High School in 1972.

He attended Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, B.C., then graduated from Portland’s Lewis and Clark College in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He then began his lifelong employment with the Thorndike family’s business, now known as Medford Fabrication. He was the company’s president and board chairman at the time of his death.

Thorndike’s public service included terms as president or chair of Asante health system, Pacific Retirement Service, SAIF Corporation, Oregon Business Council, Oregon Cultural Advocacy Coalition and Crater Lake National Park Trust. His particular interest in education led to his service as a member of the SOU Board of Trustees since its inception in 2015 and the board’s first chair, president of the SOU Foundation Board and member of the State Board of Higher Education, the Oregon Independent College Foundation, the Oregon Senate Committee on Educational Excellence and the Rogue Valley Workforce Development Council.

His influence also reached beyond Oregon’s borders. His expertise in finance and economics led to his service, including as chairman, with the U.S. Central Bank’s Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco (Portland Branch).

He was particularly proud of being a fellow of the American Leadership Forum, and his many honors and awards included the SOU President’s Medal, the Chamber of Medford/Jackson County First Citizen Award, the Jackson County Community Service Coalition Person of the Decade, Willamette University’s Glenn L. Jackson Leadership Award and SOLV’s Tom McCall Leadership Award.

Thorndike is survived by his wife, Angela; brothers Dan and his wife Joan, and David and his wife Sally; and by five nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Oregon Community Foundation for the William and Angela Thorndike, Jr., Arts, Educational and Cultural Interest Fund (oregoncf.org/thorndike-fund).

-SOU-

SOU shows up at sustainability conference

SOU participants make a splash at regional sustainability conference

/in , ,

(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University students, staff and faculty made their presence felt at last week’s Washington Oregon Cascadia Higher Education Sustainability Conference (WOHESC) in Portland, where SOU participants shared the university’s stories of success in sustainability with peer institutions.

The conference was hosted this year by Portland Community College and was attended by representatives from colleges and universities throughout the Northwest. SOU and its Institute for Applied Sustainability served as one of three “leading host sponsors” for the three-day event, March 5 through 7.

SOU Sustainability Director Becs Walker presented on two of the university’s major successes in the past year: its groundbreaking work on solar installations and commitment to produce 100% of its daytime electricity by 2035; and its development of The Institute for Applied Sustainability, which has brought together sustainability professionals from academic affairs, student life and campus operations to establish sustainability as a pillar of excellence at SOU.

“Southern Oregon University has led efforts to institutionalize sustainability in higher education for more than two decades,” said Vincent Smith, Ph.D., dean of the School of Science and Business. “The invitation to share our successes this year with an audience of more than 300 WOHESC attendees speaks to our continued leadership in this important field.”

Walker said in her presentation that SOU is set apart by its unique partnerships across various areas of campus. Last week’s conference was attended by a diverse group who were drawn together through the SOU Sustainability Council.

“Our success stems from a solutions-focused collaboration driven by student passion,” Walker said.

The Washington Oregon Cascadia Higher Education Sustainability Conference is registered as a Certified B Corporation – a for-profit company that meets established standards for social and environmental performance and accountability, and whose operations benefit all stakeholders. WOHESC is described on its website as “a platform for inspiring change, facilitating action, and promoting collaboration related to sustainability and social justice within the region’s higher education institutions.”

The conference featured a lineup of main stage keynote speakers – PCC President Adrien L. Bennings, author Sarah Jaquette Ray, Portland State University faculty member Judy Bluehorse Skelton and Samoan climate activist Brianna Fruean – along with six plenary speakers and more than 90 session speakers. This year’s conference theme, “Cultivating Sustainable Communities, was an exploration of the intentional care required to build inclusive and resilient communities.

SOU Honors College student Sierra Garrett attended this year’s WOHESC – including a workshop on sustainability student engagement – as a representative of the Associated Students of SOU and Director of Student Engagement for the Institute for Applied Sustainability.

“I love learning from other colleges about how they are engaging students in sustainability, but it is so rewarding to be able to share our work at SOU with others,” she said. “Students I meet from other schools are always amazed by what we are doing at SOU.”

This year’s attendance and sponsorship of WOHESC is an important part of SOU’s Institute for Applied Sustainability’s strategic plan, which emphasizes establishing sustainability education, research and operations as a pillar of excellence for SOU, as a means to recruit students and external funding. IAS staff and faculty fellows have already raised over $12 million to support SOU since the institute’s inception three years ago.

-SOU-

new Inside SOU website

Look and feel of Inside SOU website to change

/in

SOU students and employees will have a new user experience as they access features on the Inside SOU website beginning next week, when the university migrates from one platform to another. The new Inside SOU will have a more compact and easier-to-navigate layout, but will still offer secure access to most of the web-based information available on the website’s previous version.

Inside SOU – the internal website for members of the campus community – will migrate from the Joomla content management system to WordPress at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 9. The previous version of the website will no longer be available.

The new website will still offer links to features and apps protected by Okta, SOU’s multi-factor authentication provider, including email, calendar, Google Drive, moodle, Workday and box. It will also provide access to SOU News; quicklinks to sites including the SOU academic calendar and course catalog; student resources such as registration tools, Degree Works and EAB Navigate; current highlights from the SOU Events Calendar; and more.

The most noticeable feature that will be missing from the new Inside SOU is the current online directory for faculty, staff and students – which is difficult to maintain and has long been out of date. But employees, including student employees, will still be able to securely look up contact information for other faculty or staff members by using tools available on either Zoom or Workday.

Once logged into Workday, for instance, employees’ contact information and job titles can be found by simply typing their first or last names into the search box at the top of the page. Employees who have been assigned Zoom phones, based on their roles and business needs, can call each other in that app.

The new Inside SOU page also offers a campus directory link with basic contact information for SOU departments. And faculty or staff using Workday can type in a department name in the search field and all employees in that department will be shown.

More than 40 “online services,” listed with links on the right-hand side of the current version of Inside SOU, will available on the new website via the Okta dashboard. Apps for some of those services may need to be loaded from the “Add Apps” icon on the Okta dashboard. Users can continue to log into Okta from Inside SOU following the transition, or can log in directly at https://okta.sou.edu 

The new platform for Inside SOU is intended to make navigation easier and more efficient, with better performance, reliability and security. Those who have difficulty accessing Inside SOU following Sunday’s migration should clear their browser’s cache; if that doesn’t resolve the issue, the Information Technology Department’s Help Desk can be reached at helpdesk@sou.edu.

Behavioral Health Initiative dialogue session

SOU embraces Behavioral Health Initiative

/in , ,

(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University took a step toward “Creating a Culture of Care” through a well-attended dialogue session with that title earlier this month. The wide-ranging discussion – with more to come – is one of the projects currently included in the university’s Southern Oregon Behavioral Health Initiative, funded last spring with a legislative allocation intended to address a statewide shortage of behavioral health providers and programs.

“During the dialogue, we dove deep into behavioral/mental health and well-being, and what that looks like on campus,” said Robin Sansing, SOU’s Behavioral Health Initiative director. “We had great group discussions focusing on critical behavioral health issues including topics like supporting gender-affirming care and appreciating neurodiversity. Across all groups, there was a strong call for more accessible resources, inclusive conversations and community-driven solutions.”

About 40 students, faculty and staff attended the Feb. 10 “Culture of Care” discussion in Hannon Library’s Meese Room, and the next such session is being planned for Tuesday, April 15.

Topics at this month’s session included the need for more conversations and curriculum integration to support gender-affirming care; strategies including youth-friendly Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, a speakers bureau and “party mentors” to help prevent addiction and overdose; supporting undocumented people by addressing their fears and offering tangible help; embracing neurodiversity with access to affordable diagnoses, stronger accommodations and faculty awareness; and using storytelling to address climate anxiety.

The on-campus dialogue series is one of the first projects of the new Southern Oregon Behavioral Health Initiative, an SOU program that advances behavioral health education, workforce development and community collaboration. SOBHI is taking the lead in creating the Rogue Valley Behavioral Health Employment and Career Opportunity Network, offering professional development programs in behavioral health, expanding on-campus behavioral health opportunities and support, and maintaining the “Culture of Care” dialogue.

The SOBHI mission is to create partnerships that impact behavioral health, mental wellness and early childhood development at SOU and around the Rogue Valley through education, action and scholarship.

Behavioral health addresses the connection between behaviors and well-being, and how support through prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery may impact overall health. It encompasses mental health, lifestyle and health behaviors, substance use, and crisis and coping strategies.

-SOU-

Bill Thorndike passes away unexpectedly

SOU loses friend and mentor with passing of Bill Thorndike

/in ,

Bill Thorndike – a member of the SOU Board of Trustees since its inception in 2015 and the board’s first chair – passed away unexpectedly while vacationing with his wife Angela last weekend at their family cottage on Whidbey Island, Washington.

“Bill was to SOU what each of us cherishes in our closest of friends – he was supportive to a fault, generous with his time and ready to lend a hand however it may be needed,” SOU President Rick Bailey and Sheila Clough, chair of the SOU Board of Trustees, said in a joint message to campus. “Above all, he understood us and helped keep us on track, always with a smile and an easy laugh.

“Our university benefited in countless ways from a decades-long relationship with Bill.”

He served as a member and president in the early 1990s on the SOU Foundation Board of Trustees, and as a member and president of the Jefferson Public Radio Listeners Guild. Before becoming the inaugural chair of SOU’s governing board, he served on the Oregon State Board of Higher Education. He was honored in 1996 with the President’s Medal, SOU’s highest tribute to community members who are distinguished by their actions and contributions. The Thorndike Art Gallery at SOU is indicative of the indelible mark he left on the university.

Bill was a 1972 graduate of Medford Senior High School and graduated in 1976 from Lewis & Clark College with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. After college, he began working at his family’s business, Medford Fabrication, a custom steel fabrication company that has been in operation for almost 80 years. He joined the family business in 1976, was elected president in 1987, and then chair in 2004. The MedFab team supplies multinational corporations across the globe.

It was his deep, multi-generational connections to the Rogue Valley – skiing at Mt. Ashland, hiking from his family’s cabin at Union Creek – that drove Bill’s unmatched  sense of volunteerism. His life was a tapestry woven with threads of business success, leadership and an unwavering dedication to community and service – he received at least a dozen prestigious awards for his professional accomplishments and community service. He was well known in southern Oregon and the Rogue Valley as a servant leader, serving on almost 60 boards and committees – many concurrently, and often as president or chair.

He was a strong advocate for education beyond SOU, serving with organizations including the SMART Oregon Children’s Foundation and the Jackson County SMART Advisory Committee. His civic engagement included service with the Chamber of Medford/Jackson County, where he held various leadership positions, the Jackson County Budget Committee, the Jackson County Community Service Consortium (JCCSC) and Rogue Valley Manor Community Services. His dedication to the region’s well-being was recognized with awards including “Person of the Decade” in 2000 from JCCSC, the “First Citizen Award” in 2007 from the Chamber of Medford/Jackson County and “the Imagine Award” in 2015 from Resolve (formerly Mediation Works).

Bill served the broader state through his appointments to governmental boards and committees including two Oregon governors’ Regional Solutions committees, the Senate Commission on Educational Excellence, the Oregon State Board of Higher Education, Port of Portland and Oregon Department of Transportation committees. He also chaired the Crater Lake National Park Trust, the Oregon Business Council, and the Oregon Community Foundation. His statewide impact has been acknowledged with awards such as Willamette University’s Glenn L. Jackson Leadership Award recognizing individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, integrity and civic responsibility to the state and its people, and the Tom McCall Leadership Award from SOLV/ Bank of America for helping to preserve livability in Oregon.

His influence reached beyond Oregon’s borders, as well. His expertise in finance and economics led to his service, including as chairman, with the U.S. Central Bank’s Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco (Portland Branch). He served on the boards of the Northwest Area Foundation, Philanthropy Northwest and Northwest Business Committee for the Arts. Bill was named “Exporter of the Year” in 1990 by the U.S. Small Business Administration (Oregon) to recognize his experience in international trade.

“We are certain that Bill will be missed within each of those organizations, just as he will be at SOU,” Chair Clough and President Bailey said in their joint message. “It is his friendship and genuine, caring nature that will leave the deepest void.

“So we ask you, as members of our loving and compassionate campus community, to hold Bill and his family in your thoughts. Please do your best to keep his spirit alive through your own kindness with each other, with our university, and with our community.”

Drs. Roy and Barbara Saigo

SOU’s Saigo Multicultural Alcove rededicated

/in ,

Southern Oregon University recognized the importance of providing a diverse perspective with its recent rededication of the Drs. Roy and Barbara Saigo Multicultural Alcove in SOU’s Hannon Library.

The collection, near the library’s third-floor lobby, was originally established during Roy Saigo’s tenure as SOU’s interim president and then president, from 2014 through August of 2016.

Drs. Roy and Barbara SaigoBoth Roy Saigo, who currently heads a consulting business, and his wife, biologist Barbara Saigo, were present for the rededication ceremony, which was attended by about 50 people. The Saigos live in Ashland, and both spoke at the event about the importance of examining issues through multicultural lenses.

SOU President Rick Bailey also addressed those in attendance, recognizing the Saigos’ continuing contributions to the university and the southern Oregon region.

“We were thrilled to honor the Saigos for their service to our students, our university and our community,” President Bailey said. “They continue to be great assets and friends to SOU and we are grateful for their leadership, mentorship and friendship.”

The multicultural alcove “contains books that celebrate, support and recognize the diversity of the Southern Oregon University community,” according to a plaque at the site. The books on multicultural topics – including “well-reviewed” children’s books – are intended to reflect the life experiences and research of SOU’s African-American, Latinx/Hispanic American, Native American, Pacific Islander, Asian American and LGBTQ communities.

Roy Saigo came out of retirement in 2014 to lead SOU as interim president, and his role was later was changed to president. He had previously served as president of Minnesota’s Saint Cloud State University from 2000 to 2007, and as chancellor of Auburn University-Montgomery from 1994 to 2000. Barbara Saigo served in faculty positions at those institutions and at the University of Northern Iowa and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Roy Saigo received his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of California, Davis, and his Ph.D. in botany and plant pathology from Oregon State University. Barbara Saigo received her bachelor’s degree in biology from Willamette University, her master’s degree in zoology from Oregon State University and her Ph.D. in science education from the University of Iowa.

Snow storm causes postponements and cancelations

SOU campus weathers snow storm

/in

This week’s snow and freezing temperatures have resulted in all SOU classes, events and activities being canceled for two consecutive days, and also for a variety of events later in the week being postponed or canceled.

Affected events include the women’s and men’s basketball double-header that has been moved from tonight to Wednesday night; the indefinite postponement of the Campus Theme lecture “Peeking Behind the Veil” that had been scheduled for Wednesday night and the “Creating a Culture of Care” behavioral health dialogue that was scheduled for Thursday; and the first-ever cancellation of a Preview Day for prospective students and their families, which was planned for Friday.

As much as six inches of snow has accumulated on and near the SOU campus this week, with driving and walking conditions remaining hazardous. The National Weather Service is forecasting additional snow at times throughout the remainder of the week, although precipitation amounts are expected to decrease and temperatures are predicted to rise somewhat.

Additional updates on the status of classes at SOU are likely as information becomes available. The Hawk Dining Commons has operated as normal during the inclement weather.

The basketball double-header against Oregon Tech is now scheduled to be played on Wednesday at Lithia Motors Pavilion, with the women’s game at 5:30 p.m. and the men’s game at 7:30 p.m. Those who purchased tickets for tonight will be able to use them for the rescheduled games.

This week’s Campus Theme lecture, “Peeking Behind the Veil,” is expected to be rescheduled for a later date. Dr. Fred Grewe, a recently retired chaplain, will share his thoughts about how religion helps shape people’s experiences of reality.

The behavioral health dialogue, “Creating a Culture of Care,” had been planned for Thursday in the Hannon Library and is also expected to be rescheduled. Participants in that event will have opportunities to join breakout groups on a variety of topics.

Friday’s previously scheduled Preview Day has been canceled, but another Preview Day is planned for April 11. The SOU Admissions Office events occur a few times each year and are opportunities for prospective freshman and transfer students, and their families, to experience the SOU campus, tour the residence halls, explore facilities and meet with faculty members.

SOU leaders have emphasized throughout the current weather event that the safety of students and employees is the university’s top priority. Maintenance crews are working to reduce hazards, but those who must be on campus have been urged to be cautious.

Students and employees are encouraged to sign up for weather and other emergency notifications through both the city of Ashland’s NIXLE alert system and SOU Alerts, which allows users to manage and customization notifications. Southern Oregon radio and television stations can also be monitored for up-to-date weather conditions.

Senior living proposals sought by SOU Ashland

SOU seeks development proposals for senior living

/in ,

(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University has begun the process of identifying a private-sector partner for the construction and operation of a senior living center on a 4.3-acre parcel where a defunct dormitory complex is currently being demolished.

A “request for qualifications” – an invitation for developers and operators of retirement facilities to submit proposals – was issued last week, with all bids due by April 18 and finalist interviews scheduled for the last week of May. The project is expected to be completed as soon as fall of 2027.

“This is an exciting moment for our university,” SOU President Rick Bailey said. “As we endeavor to reimagine the fiscal model of the institution, entrepreneurial ventures like this one will help us transition from being solely dependent on state dollars and tuition for our revenue sources.

“In addition to the fiscal benefits, this project will also present a world of opportunities in lifelong learning, intergenerational connectivity and much more,” he said. “The possibilities are endless. I also want to say a very special thank you to our team members who worked tirelessly over the last several months – years really – to get to this point. We owe them a debt of gratitude.”

The request for qualifications process is intended to identify an experienced operator of retirement communities with whom the university will negotiate specifics for a public-private partnership to build and run the proposed SOU facility. The document issued last week describes “a program and facility designed to accommodate a growing contingent of previously underserved nontraditional students: retirees.”

The senior living center at the site of the Cascade Complex is seen as an entrepreneurial opportunity to forge a unique synergy between the facility’s residents, traditional SOU students, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at SOU and the university. The project is intended to generate long-term revenue for SOU while supporting the university’s commitment to lifelong learning.

Senior communities are a rare but growing feature on university campuses across the U.S., and the SOU facility would be the first in Oregon – capitalizing on southern Oregon’s reputation as a retirement mecca with a blend of educational, cultural and recreational opportunities.

“SOU believes that retirement today looks very different than it did just decades ago,” the request for qualifications said. “As people transition from full-time careers, today’s active and engaged retirees are looking for dynamic places to live, learn and play.”

Residents in the proposed SOU center could either audit or take regular SOU courses for credit, attend concerts, athletic events and lectures, and participate in a full range of offerings through OLLI at SOU – one of the largest of 125 OLLI chapters on college and university campuses across the U.S. The SOU program has close to 1,700 members and provides a diverse mix of academic courses, activities and excursions intended for those who are 50 and older.

The university also was accepted for membership a year and a half ago in the Age-Friendly University Global network — a collection of more than 100 universities across five continents that have committed to age diversity and intergenerational interactions on their campuses.

SOU’s plans include opportunities for traditional students to benefit from the academic and real-world experiences of retirement community residents, some of whom are expected to serve as mentors.

“This project has the potential to create a whole new demographic of SOU students and community members, organically develop new educational initiatives, and diversify and stabilize university revenue,” the request for qualifications said.

Proposals from would-be developers of the project are limited to 50 pages and must be “comprised of recyclable and, ideally, recycled materials.” Those responding must outline their companies’ expertise in senior living, and describe how their philosophies may align with SOU’s mission and project objectives.

The university will choose the proposal that is “the most advantageous to SOU,” then will enter into negotiations for a legally binding partnership. If those negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the university will shift to the runner-up in the request for qualifications process.

The university is not expected to take an ownership interest or operational role in the project, but will provide agreed-upon services and amenities for the facility and its residents.

-SOU-

Cascade Complex demolition underway

Demolition underway at SOU’s Cascade Complex

/in

(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University’s Cascade Complex, an obsolete cluster of nine residence halls and a cafeteria that have been largely unused since 2013, is being demolished over the next three months to make room for the anticipated development of a senior living center on the five-acre site at the southwest corner of campus.

Staton Companies, a Eugene-based contractor, was awarded a contract to demolish the Cascade Complex following a competitive bidding process. The demolition portion of the job began last week and is being done for just under $1.7 million. That and all other aspects of the project – including abatement and disposal of asbestos and other hazardous materials, and preparation of the site for future use – are being covered by a $3.5 million allocation from the 2021 Oregon Legislature to responsibly raze the facility.

Cascade Complex demolition underway“The utility tunnels under the slab, and the basement under the old kitchen, will be filled with ground concrete generated on-site,” said Leon Crouch, SOU’s director of Facilities Management & Planning. “None of the demolished concrete will be hauled off-site, rather it will be used to fill utility tunnels and basement spaces to prep the site for future construction.”

The Cascade Complex was built in phases during the early 1960s, and was completed in 1967. Issues with the facility – including defunct HVAC and plumbing, leaky roofs, fire risks and other safety concerns – precluded updating or repurposing the complex as it neared the end of its expected 50-year life span.

The facility’s demolition will eliminate ongoing upkeep costs for the university, and also removes an estimated $12 million in “deferred maintenance” projects that would have been necessary to rehabilitate the complex’s failing infrastructure. Two of the Cascade residence hall wings had been condemned.

SOU and its contractors are taking precautions throughout the project to minimize impacts on surrounding neighborhoods and the university campus, including limiting the hours of the noisiest work and mitigating the production of dust. Care is also being taken to prevent erosion and control storm water drainage.

“Demolition was scheduled for winter months, purposely to allow winter rains to help with dust control,” Crouch said. “On days where there is no rain, the contractors will appropriately wet material as it’s being ground to control dust.”

The current demolition work is expected to be completed by the end of March, when other contractors and SOU staff are scheduled to begin a month-long process of site restoration. The goal will be a stable, drought-tolerant, easily-mowed field that’s ready for development.

SOU leaders have begun exploratory conversations with potential private partners for the creation of a senior living facility to be built at the Cascade Complex location. The senior living center is seen as an entrepreneurial opportunity to forge 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.

-SOU-

Solar projects underway at SOU Ashland

Construction underway on SOU’s latest solar projects

/in ,

(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University is making headway in its march toward becoming the first public university in the U.S. to produce all of the daytime electricity used on its campus, with more than $5 million in recent state, federal and student funding and multiple solar projects underway.

SOU completed a rooftop solar  installation on Lithia Motors Pavilion in July, with the project adding a 241 kilowatt solar array to the 63 kilowatt array already located on the athletic pavilion’s roof – making it the largest rooftop solar array in Ashland. SOU’s next project – a solar array and battery storage bank – will begin this month at The Hawk Dining Commons. That project will enable SOU to support community resilience by providing 24/7 power at The Hawk, if needed, in the event of an emergency.

Other upcoming solar projects include installation of four more rooftop arrays on the SOU Art Building, Theatre Building, Marion Ady Building and Central Hall. Also in the works are projects in parking lots adjacent to Lithia Motors Pavilion and the Computer Science Building, in which solar arrays will be installed on raised “canopies” above parking spaces. The second of those projects will include another battery storage bank in the Computer Science Building.

“We are looking ahead to our next phases of funding and excited about this journey for revenue diversification, low-carbon energy production and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,” said Becs Walker, the university’s director of sustainability. “At the same time, we 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.”

The recent and upcoming projects have been funded so far by a total of $3 million from the Oregon Department of Energy’s Community Renewable Energy Grant Program, $800,000 through a legislative allocation for Sustainability Funding for Oregon’s Technical and Regional Universities, and $51,000 from the Associated Students of Southern Oregon University’s Green Fund. Another $2 million that was appropriated by Congress as part of a December 2022 spending bill is also earmarked for the current projects.

SOU is continuing to work through details of the federal appropriation’s funding mechanism, and is using the state grants to maintain the pace of its solar build-out.

Construction on the current round of projects began last spring with the installation of inverters and electronics at Lithia Motors Pavilion, and the installation of solar panels in the summer under a contract with Ashland’s True South Solar and its subcontractor, Welburn Electric of Phoenix.

The university anticipates generating 100% of its own electricity by 2035. 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.

SOU has 10 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-