Thrive fundraising campaign underway at SOU Ashland

SOU launches largest-ever fundraising campaign with $100 million goal

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University launched the largest comprehensive fundraising campaign in its history on Wednesday, with a goal of raising $100 million to transform SOU into the country’s defining model of what a regional public university can be – small by choice and distinctive by design. The university’s THRIVE campaign, which began its silent phase in 2021 and has already raised $71.4 million, is built around the pillars of Community, Resiliency, Innovation and Discovery.

“The philanthropic support that SOU has received, and will continue to receive, is an absolute game-changer for this university,” SOU President Rick Bailey said. “Our traditional funding pipelines – appropriations from the state and tuition revenue from our students – are what we rely upon for our day-to-day operations. But it is the generosity of our donors – and more than 9,200 have already contributed to this campaign – that truly enables us to be unique, exceptional and innovative.”

Thrive fundraising campaign underway at SOU AshlandThe university’s THRIVE campaign is expected to reach its $100 million goal over the next three years – an extraordinary feat for an institution such as SOU. Campaigns launched by small, public regional universities around the country typically have goals ranging from $10 million to $50 million, with timelines of five to seven years.

Launched amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the THRIVE campaign has regularly surpassed its initial year-by-year fundraising projections and has strong momentum heading into its public phase.

Donations have come from alumni and individuals, businesses, foundations and other organizations. Their support reflects a broad commitment to SOU and its role in southern Oregon – from local community members to corporations that recruit graduates and national foundations.

SOU’s new academic model – the heart of its Vitality Plan for long-term fiscal stability and regional distinction – relies on a shift toward multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary learning, streamlined pathways to degree completion, experiential learning opportunities and a continued commitment to student success. To transition its curriculum and remain competitive, SOU must have resources to attract and retain top-tier educators while offering programs that evolve to meet the changing needs of the workforce, students and their families. Philanthropic support from the THRIVE campaign amplifies state funding, enriches existing programs and creates opportunities for learning and growth.

“Most donors designate their gifts, so when the university’s priorities match donor passion, there is magic that happens,” said Janet Fratella, SOU’s Vice President for Advancement and Executive Director of the SOU Foundation.

“Gifts are funding new academic programs, supporting our faculty and students, and allowing us to construct new facilities needed by our programs,” she said. “Commitments from our donors are providing a level of excellence above what we could otherwise provide.”

The campaign’s priorities center on connecting students with their communities, strengthening support systems, fostering innovation and expanding opportunities for discovery. Together, those pillars are intended to help students graduate with practical experience, professional mentors and the skills to contribute to their communities and careers.

The Community pillar emphasizes regional partnerships, inclusive gathering spaces and experiences that broaden students’ horizons. Priorities include supporting student participation in professional conferences and building connections with local businesses, government agencies, nonprofits, health care providers and Tribal organizations. The pillar has a $5 million fundraising goal, with $1 million raised to date.

Resiliency, also with a $5 million goal, focuses on mentorship, student wellness and basic needs. Initiatives include the Bridge Program for underrepresented first-year students, expanded coaching and mentoring, emergency assistance through the SOU Cares Program and support for the student food pantry. The pillar has raised $3.65 million.

The Innovation pillar is intended to prepare students to address real-world problems through interdisciplinary collaboration and entrepreneurship. Plans include a collaborative learning hub, student business competitions and opportunities to develop solutions to regional economic needs. The pillar has a $5 million goal, with $1.4 million raised.

Discovery supports experiential learning, international exchanges and civic engagement. Scholarships will help students afford field studies, research and regional internships, while expanded global programs and a Center for Civic Engagement and Civil Discourse will broaden students’ perspectives. The pillar has raised $860,000 toward its $5 million goal.

Connecting Learning, the campaign’s broader academic focus, carries an $80 million fundraising goal: $20 million for scholarships, $25 million for faculty support and $35 million for academic programs. The initiative reflects SOU’s plan to use the Rogue Valley as a living laboratory, connecting classroom learning with regional industries, environmental research, arts and community needs.

Donor support is already producing tangible results. Nearly 3,500 scholarships have provided about $9.4 million in direct student assistance over five years, averaging $3,017 per award. Laurel Park, home to SOU’s national championship softball program, opened in 2026 and was funded entirely by donors. Philanthropy also has supported new music facilities, faculty fellowships, academic exchange programs in Mexico and Ghana, and sustainability projects through a partnership with Lithia Motors & Driveway.

New endowments have strengthened programs in coaching and mentoring, choral and vocal studies, entrepreneurship and student emergency assistance, among others.

SOU’s THRIVE campaign aims to expand opportunities for students while strengthening the university’s academic programs and regional partnerships. Continued philanthropic investment will enable SOU to develop new programs, recruit and retain faculty, and respond to emerging needs.

Comprehensive fundraising campaigns are historically rare and challenging for small, public regional universities compared to larger flagship institutions. Those comprehensive campaigns – which bundle capital projects, annual giving and endowment needs – are increasingly being embraced by small universities across the country due to declining state appropriations.

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SOU Ashland Distinguished Alumni award winner Brant Hoskins

Four SOU alumni to receive annual awards

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(Ashland, Ore.) — This year’s Southern Oregon University alumni award winners will be a retired U.S. Army colonel; a program manager for a global video game developer; the superintendent of the Phoenix-Talent School District; and a civil rights activist who founded the Black Alliance for Social Empowerment.

This year’s four award recipients, who were chosen by the SOU Alumni Association Board of Directors, are Brant Hoskins for the Distinguished Alumni Award; Brent Barry for the Alumni Excellence in Education Award; Vance Beach for the Stan Smith Alumni Service Award; and Lindsay Thacker for the Outstanding Young Alumni Award. The awards will be presented during a celebration at noon on Thursday, Oct. 22, in the Meese Room of SOU’s Hannon Library.

Hoskins
The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented each year by the university and the SOU Alumni Association to recognize someone whose personal and professional achievements have significantly benefited humankind and brought distinction to the university. This year’s honoree, Hoskins, earned an economics degree and was commissioned as a second lieutenant through SOU’s ROTC program. He later earned master’s degrees in adult and continuing education, military science, and U.S. military strategic studies from Kansas State University, the U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies, and the U.S. Army War College, respectively. As an expert in Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) operations, Hoskins managed strategic and operational initiatives around the world. He retired from the U.S. Army in 2023 after a distinguished 30-year military career.

Barry
The Alumni Excellence in Education Award recognizes career achievement in education, service to community and commitment to SOU. Barry, who will receive this year’s award, is a Rogue Valley native who went to San Diego State University on a baseball scholarship and later studies as an undergraduate at SOU and Linfield College. He then earned his master’s degree in education from SOU and his administrative credentials from Portland State University. Barry began his career teaching math and coaching, and served as athletic director, assistant principal and school principal before becoming assistant superintendent and then superintendent. In that role since 2017, Barry helped to pass an historic $68 million community bond measure for safety, and career and technical education, and he has championed targeted equity programs. He was named the Oregon Superintendent of the Year in 2022 for his extraordinary leadership to stabilize the district through the dual crises of COVID-19 and the Almeda Fire. Barry has served on the SOU Board of Trustees since 2022.

Beach
The Stan Smith Alumni Service Award recognizes alumni who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the community and service to people. Beach earned a bachelor’s degree in communication and a master’s degree in management at SOU, where he was a wide receiver on the Raider football team. He founded the Black Alliance for Social Empowerment (BASE) in 2020 to combat structural racism and ease isolation for Black residents in southern Oregon, after producing “We Stand Together” – a documentary capturing the lived experiences and community building of local Black residents. Under Beach’s leadership, BASE has become a leading regional nonprofit delivering youth mentorship, cultural programming and advocacy. He is a former member of the SOU Foundation Board of Trustees..

Thacker
The Distinguished Young Alumni Award is presented to a recent university graduate who has demonstrated distinction in career, civic involvement or both. Thacker earned degrees in art and computer science from SOU in 2012, and serves as a program manager at Riot Games – the global video game developer and publisher of “League of Legends” and “VALORANT.” She has focused on game quality, production and talent development while contributing to titles including “Guild Wars 2” and “Plants vs. Zombies 2.” Thacker has become a prominent advocate for studio collaboration since joining Riot Games in 2017. She has spoken at the Game Developers Conference on her “Six Pillars of Impactful Onboarding” framework and mentors aspiring talent.

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book on conflict in creative industries co-edited by SOU Ashland faculty

SOU faculty members co-edit new book on conflict in creative industries

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Erica Knotts and Chris Lucas – both faculty members in Southern Oregon University’s Communication, Media & Cinema Department – are co-editors of a new book that explores the presence of conflict in creative industries including film, television, the fine arts, radio and podcasting. The collection of essays looks at how conflict can be considered a necessary, productive and manageable element in the creative process.

The book, “Creativity and Conflict in the Cultural Industries,” was published by Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group – a global academic publishing company that specializes in books and journals for higher education and research. It is available in paperback, hardback or as an e-book, and can be purchased through most major retailers or directly from the Routledge website.

“For me, creativity and conflict have always been intertwined, and it was insightful to see how that plays out in our cultural industry spaces like film and radio,” Knotts said. “I hope this book serves as a starting point for dialogue among those currently working or hoping to work in these creative spaces, about how tension and conflict are discussed and approached, while still creating space to prioritize the human beings who create this work and seeking true resolution.”

Lucas said the book was an opportunity to engage with Knotts and others around the world on the role of conflict in the creative experience.

“Assembling ‘Creativity and Conflict in the Cultural Industries’ was a rewarding and educational experience,” Lucas said. “I was able to work on a cross-disciplinary project with Erica, my colleague in the Communication program at SOU, and hear from a global group of scholars with valuable insights on diagnosing and managing conflict in many professional contexts.”

The publisher’s website recommends the new book as a resource for students and scholars of media, culture and communication. It features various real-world case studies and interviews, offering concrete examples of conflicts, how they were addressed, and the strategies and tactics that were developed in the process.

Lucas is an associate professor in SOU’s Department of Communication, Media, & Cinema, and coordinator of the university’s Digital Cinema program. He teaches media studies, documentary and film production, and is the producer of the feature documentaries “Above All Else” (2014) and “Raising Aniya” (2025). He is a co-founder of flowjournal.org, a popular site for scholarly media criticism.

Knotts is a senior instructor of Communication at SOU, and coordinator for the Conflict Management Certificate program. She is a co-editor of “Women Educators’ Experiences During COVID-19” (2023), the past chair of the National Communication Association’s Peace and Conflict Communication Division and a certified Collaboration Discussion coach through the Interactivity Foundation.

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Ghana's Palm University College is collaborating with SOU Ashland

SOU takes first steps in Ghana relationships

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University and a pair of universities in Ghana took the first steps in their cooperative relationship with shared online courses earlier this year, and the connection is set to expand during the 2026-27 academic year to become part of SOU’s Global Innovation Scholars program – which includes reciprocal opportunities for community-based projects in each country.

The initial joint undertakings included a pair of communication courses, conducted online with students from SOU and Palm University College in Kordiabe, Ghana. The two universities will participate next spring in a shared business course that will include two-week student exchanges – either in-person or online – to work with faculty, universities, community organizations and business owners on projects in both Ghana and southern Oregon.

“Our work with Ghana has developed quite intentionally over time,” said Dee Fretwell Carreon, director of both SOU’s Center for Professional Development and the university’s Global Innovation Scholars (GIS) program.

“In partnership with our Ghanaian colleagues and donors, we began by using COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) as a way to build relationships and test meaningful academic collaboration between SOU and our partner universities before moving toward a larger immersive program,” Carreon said.

It was COIL, a teaching methodology used by various institutions around the world since 2006, that led to a unique spring term course that was taught online to two very different groups of students in southern Oregon and Ghana. For SOU students, it was COMM 460F – an upper division offering that focused on the intersections of communication, fashion, media and culture. That class connected online with Palm University’s Communication Skills course – a lower-division, first-year college course that introduced the fundamentals of communication.

“Even though our collaboration with Palm University was unlikely – our class being an upper division class on fashion, textiles and communication and Palm University’s class being a lower-division, first-year fundamentals of communication course – we used our differences as a catalyst for curiosity,” said Precious Yamaguchi, the professor of communication who taught the SOU course.

“The students were different ages, they were in different countries, time zones and from different cultures, but we did not face these challenges with discouragement,” Yamaguchi said. “Instead, we approached these obstacles with enthusiasm and curiosity.”

Yamaguchi gave a presentation on the SOU-Ghana collaboration in August at the 13th annual Focus Conference, an international forum in South Africa that spotlights academic issues. She addressed “Overcoming Division: COIL Connections Between Ghana and the United States.”

 “I received a lot of positive feedback on my presentation because other African countries such as South Africa have been enthusiastically participating in COIL as well,” Yamaguchi said. “They enjoyed seeing the U.S. and Ghana collaborate, as SOU and Palm University did through COIL.”

The next SOU-Ghanaian collaborations, planned for early 2027, will be part of SOU’s Global Innovation Scholars program and also will receive funding from an Essieh Family Foundation grant that is intended to cultivate SOU’s relationships with both Palm University and Catholic University of Ghana, in Sunyani. The foundation was created by Portland business leaders Matt and Emmanuella Essieh, who met as international students at SOU.

Senior instructor Erica Knotts will take students from a Communication class to Ghana, and the School of Business will launch a Ghanaian version of the hybrid exchange program it launched in a 2022 partnership with the business program at Universidad de Guanajuato – SOU’s sister university in Mexico. That business development initiative enables nine students from each university to spend a total of 20 weeks researching, analyzing and assisting three businesses each in Guanajuato and Ashland. The course includes international, online coursework during each year’s winter and spring terms, and week-long site visits to each city.

“Rather than being solely a traditional exchange, the (Ghanaian) program is being designed around sustained, project-based collaboration between students, faculty, universities and community organizations in southern Oregon and Ghana,” Carreon said.

The collaboration with Ghanaian universities will start with two business projects in southern Oregon and two in Ghana. There is also some uncertainty around the Ghanaian visit to Ashland due to current restrictions on visas for students coming to the U.S., but the program will go forward with that portion of the reciprocal exchange conducted online, if necessary.

“We are continuing to build the program in ways that allow the academic and community collaboration to move forward even as we navigate those external variables,” Carreon said.

This spring’s COIL collaborations that made online Communication courses possible for students in both countries were not part of the Global Innovation Scholars program, which features in-person exchanges, but those classes laid a solid cooperative relationship for what is to come.

“Those experiences helped us learn how students and faculty could work together across institutions and countries, and they ultimately helped create the foundation for what has now developed into the Ghana-based Global Innovation Scholars (GIS) program,” Carreon said.

“COIL has been much more than a series of individual courses; it has provided a really valuable pathway for building trust, experimenting with international collaboration and ultimately creating something much more ambitious together.”

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Emergency Board releases allocation to SOU Ashland

Legislative Emergency Board approves SOU allocation

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(Ashland, Ore.) — The Oregon Legislature’s Joint Emergency Board voted Thursday to release the second half of a $15 million allocation to Southern Oregon University, signaling lawmakers’ satisfaction that the university is on track to meet agreed-upon milestones for implementation of its Vitality Plan for long-term financial stability and operational innovation.

The 20-member E-Board approved the allocation “without objections” – the equivalent of a unanimous vote – and after a robust and thoughtful discussion. The $7.5 million is the second installment of a $15 million emergency funding package approved by the legislature this spring to maintain SOU’s financial viability through June 2027 and beyond. The funding was contingent on SOU’s development and successful implementation of a plan for long-term fiscal sustainability.

“This is the turning of a corner for Southern Oregon University,” President Rick Bailey said following the vote. “Our short-term financial security is assured, and we are proceeding full-speed ahead with our plan to transform SOU’s academic and operational model for the long term. There is a bright future for SOU and its students, as we shift toward multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary learning, streamlined pathways to completion, experiential learning opportunities and a continued commitment to student success.

“We owe a debt of gratitude to legislators from both political parties for keeping faith with SOU over the past several months as the university has acted with alacrity to resolve its financial issues and build a sustainable model for the future.”

The SOU Board of Trustees approved the final version of the Vitality Plan in July, satisfying one of the conditions set by the legislature. Many legislators offered specific praise today for SOU’s efforts in rethinking its academic and operations models. In particular, Rep. Mark Owens – who voted against the release of the first $7.5 million in June – voted “yes” this morning, citing the university’s financial reporting and stronger forecasting of future conditions in developing the plan and ensuring fiscal stability through June 2029.

Moving forward, Oregon’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission will track SOU’s adherence to specific benchmarks in executing the Vitality Plan. SOU is submitting monthly reports on its progress, adhering to measurable implementation yardsticks and offering clear communication with the campus community, state officials and the public.

The Vitality Plan reduces SOU’s $100 million budget by more than $20 million while avoiding impacts on students wherever possible. It preserves pathways to degree completion and leverages resources throughout the Rogue Valley for relevant capstones, internships, mentorships and research projects that combine academic theory with hands-on experience.

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Karen Lopez Villanueva appointed to SOU Ashland board

Graduate student appointed, current members reappointed to SOU Board

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University student Karen Lucia López Villanueva, a Master of Business Administration candidate from Guanajuato, Mexico, has been appointed by Gov. Tina Kotek and confirmed Thursday by the Oregon Senate to serve on the university’s Board of Trustees. Current board members Brent Barry and Iris Maria Chavez were each appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate to serve second terms on the SOU Board.

López Villanueva will finish the unexpired term of Rose Harwood as the board’s graduate student member. That term expires June 30, 2027, and Villanueva was also appointed to her own two-year term on the board, beginning next July 1.

Barry and Chavez were reappointed to their second four-year terms that will begin next July 1 and run through June 20, 2030. Barry was appointed to his initial term in June 2022, and Chavez was first appointed in September 2022 to complete an unexpired four-year term on the board.

“I am delighted to welcome Karen Lucía López Villanueva – an accomplished graduate student, violinist and financial professional – to the board, as Brent Barry and Iris Maria Chavez continue their invaluable leadership on the SOU board,” Chair Sheila Clough said. “I am deeply grateful for their service and shared commitment to bringing lasting vitality to SOU’s future and to ensure that our students thrive.”

López Villanueva is pursuing dual MBA concentrations in business analytics and accounting at SOU. She earned her bachelor’s degree in public accounting from SOU’s sister university, the Universidad de Guanajuato, and has professional experience in public and corporate accounting, and in fiscal compliance.

She is also an accomplished violinist who earned a second-place medal at the 16th Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival in 2024, performing with Siskiyou Violins at Vienna, Austria’s renowned Musikverein concert hall.

López Villanueva is an active member of her communities in both Ashland and Guanajuato. She served previously in Guanajuato as secretary of the board for the student branch of the Mexican Institute of Public Accountants, representing the nine-state, central-western region of Mexico. She currently serves as a board member for the Ashland Amigo Club, supporting initiatives that strengthen cultural connections and community engagement in southern Oregon. She is also a graduate assistant to the dean of SOU’s College of Natural and Social Sciences, where she supports the administration and leads critical research on sustainable investment strategies that help to inform institutional endowment practices.

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Digital Cinema at SOU Ashland

SOU Digital Cinema on prestigious list for third consecutive year

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(Ashland, Ore.) —Southern Oregon University’s Digital Cinema program has been included on MovieMaker Magazine’s annual list of the “30 Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada” for the third consecutive year.

SOU Digital Cinema is the only program from Oregon, Washington or Idaho to be included in MovieMaker’s review. The Digital Cinema major – part of SOU’s Communication, Media & Cinema Department – was launched in 2019 and has enjoyed steady growth and increasing regional attention ever since. The department offers majors in Communication Studies and Media Innovation in addition to Digital Cinema.

Digital Cinema at SOU AshlandStudents in the program learn visual storytelling, creative problem-solving and professional collaboration using industry-standard production technologies, while developing essential skills in leadership, communication, adaptability, critical thinking, equitable and sustainable practices, teamwork and conflict management. In addition to bachelor of arts, bachelor of science and bachelor of fine arts degrees, the program offers regular student showcases and connections with local film professionals, and hosts an annual student film festival that is popular with the community.

The centerpiece of the Digital Cinema program is its 10-week production immersion course, The Crew Experience, in which students are assigned professional crew roles and produce a short film guided by the faculty and industry mentors.

“This third annual recognition is a real testament to the creative passion and energy of our faculty and students,” said Christopher Lucas, Ph.D., an associate professor and program lead. “I’m proud of the film and production culture we’ve been able to build here in Ashland.”

SOU President Rick Bailey praised the teamwork that has made the program a success.

“All of us at Southern Oregon University are thrilled to be named on the best film schools list for the third year in a row, and are grateful to everyone at MovieMaker for this prestigious distinction,” President Bailey said. “We also want to recognize the outstanding students, faculty and staff who make our Digital Cinema program such a standout academic and career-building pathway.”

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SOU Ashland Vitality Plan addresses long-term sustainability

SOU finalizes Vitality Plan for institutional transformation

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University has released the final version of its Vitality Plan, a strategic outline that addresses financial challenges and prepares the university for long-term sustainability and student opportunities.

The final version includes a variety of modifications based on suggestions from faculty, staff and students that were submitted after a provisional version of the Vitality Plan was announced June 15.

The new version holds firm to the university’s objective of at least $20 million in overall budget savings – through combined SOU Resiliency and SOU Vitality Plan efforts – in the fiscal year that ends next June 30, but does so while maintaining all but one of its current academic offerings. The plan calls for a sunset of the Music Industry and Production degree but will maintain the overall Music program, which is possible by committing the institution to a revolutionary change in course delivery and design.

“The Vitality Plan was constructed in such a way as to keep as many pathways as possible open to students,” SOU President Rick Bailey said in a message to campus Tuesday night. “We’ve done just that. But we still need a robust student body to thrive, and we’ll need all of us working together to keep students on the path toward the graduation stage and the fulfillment of their educational goals.”

The final version of the plan was released at the conclusion of a deliberation period that was required by the university’s contract with its faculty union, the Associated Professors of Southern Oregon University, and consultation with the Service Employees International Union. It is a revision of the initial plan that was drafted following months of analysis, discussion and engagement with students, faculty, staff, alumni and community stakeholders. Those interactions led to important improvements that will serve the institution and the community during the implementation process and beyond.

The plan prioritizes reducing impacts on students wherever possible, preserving pathways to degree completion and strengthening SOU’s long-term financial and operational foundation.

“Our new proposed mission centers on educating students for resilient, meaningful lives by making the Rogue Valley our classroom, mentorship our method and practical, experiential work our curriculum,” an introduction to the plan says. “Moving away from the outdated model of a generic regional institution, the Vitality Plan adopts a ‘Living Laboratory’ operating system that unifies the university’s academic offerings and prioritizes the cultivation of essential human capacities that no machine can replicate.”

The Vitality Plan is intended to connect SOU to the communities it serves through a bioregional approach; provide streamlined pathways to degree completion in every academic discipline; offer flexible options for students through innovative, interdisciplinary academic design models; and incorporate a human-connected approach to education that is cognizant of the rapid pace of emerging technologies.

The final version of the Vitality Plan will result in the elimination of a total of 60.6 faculty and staff positions over the coming year. That is about five fewer than those identified in the provisional version of the plan, but the overall expected savings for the year of $20,028,030 remains above the $20 million threshold set by the university’s Board of Trustees.

President Bailey acknowledged in Tuesday night’s campus message that all reductions in the plan will be difficult and come at a human price.

“Our goal during this process is to respect the dignity of all our employees and their contributions to our students and our university,” he said.

You can review the full Vitality Plan, revisions and more here.

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Economic impact of SOU Ashland

Economic impact report sees SOU as key resource

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(Ashland, Ore.) — A new economic impact study that measures the financial reach of Oregon’s three regional public universities shows that Southern Oregon University has a prominent and growing influence on the prosperity of Jackson County and the Rogue Valley.

SOU’s total annual economic impact is $730 million statewide, $532.5 million in southern Oregon and $440.1 million in Jackson County alone, according to the study. The most recent previous economic study of SOU, in 2019, found a total impact of $282.5 million in Jackson County but did not measure regional or statewide impact.

The new study shows that the state of Oregon receives a 24X return on its investment in SOU – the university’s economic impact of $730 million is more than 24 times the $30.4 million that is appropriated to SOU for operational expenses by the Oregon Legislature.

“It’s no surprise to us that SOU is a critically important economic prosperity engine for southern Oregon,” SOU President Rick Bailey said. “This study backs up what we already knew and provides a lot of important detail about the scope of that influence and why it is essential that we protect the university’s ability to stimulate economic growth on the local, regional and statewide levels.”

The study, “The Economic Impact of the Regional Public Universities of Oregon,” was conducted this spring by Econsult Solutions, Inc. – a Philadelphia consultancy that specializes in economic, planning and public policy research. It measures and quantifies the economic impacts of SOU, Eastern Oregon University and Western Oregon University – which jointly commissioned the study and together have a total statewide impact of $1.9 billion.

The regional universities support about 10,900 jobs in Oregon, have a combined 78,038 alumni living and working in the state and produce much of the workforce for the largely rural areas they serve – from teachers and healthcare professionals to business leaders, law enforcement officers, counselors, tourism employees and creative industries workers.

“Oregon’s regional public universities drive the economies of our communities, and much more,” SOU’s President Bailey said. “We are sources of knowledge, launching points for innovation, and centers for cultural exploration and expression. We provide leadership and creativity, enabling our regions to be productive and competitive in a quickly evolving and highly dynamic environment.”

SOU by itself supports a total of 4,060 direct, indirect and induced jobs statewide, for a total of $202.4 million in annual earnings. Direct jobs are those of the university’s employees and vendors, while indirect jobs are those related to subsequent business-to-business transactions. Induced jobs are those supported by the ripple effect of spending by direct and indirect employees.

The economic impact study found that SOU:

  • Serves a total of 7,212 students annually, including full-time, part-time, dual-credit and lifelong learners;
  • Has a total of more than 675 employees, including student workers;
  • Has 26,165 alumni living in Oregon, including 18,473 in the workforce who earn an aggregate annual wage premium of $362.6 million – the amount in additional wages they earn due to their university degrees;
  • Has an average of 24,042 campus visitors each year, with student and visitor spending accounting for $108.5 million in annual spending in Jackson County and $157.9 million in southern Oregon;
  • Produces capital construction projects that account for about $17.1 million per year in total economic impact and support about 80 full-time jobs;
  • Supports local, regional and statewide employers with bachelor’s degree earners, about 68% of whom remain to work in Oregon for at least a year after graduation.

Overall, the study found that 74% of freshman students at the three regional public universities come from within Oregon and that 65% of graduates are still working in Oregon a decade after graduation.

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SOU Ashland wildlife photo

Funding for I-5 wildlife crossing gets green light

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Good news arrived recently for Southern Oregon University researchers and others who have done preliminary work in the development of a wildlife crossing over Interstate 5 south of Ashland, when the Federal Highway Administration released key funding for the overpass.

Oregon was awarded a federal Wildlife Crossing Pilot Program (WCPP) grant of $33.2 million for the project in December 2024, but ODOT’s use of the  funding was only recently finalized after many months of negotiation. Oregon senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden pressed to fulfill the grant, which will be matched with $3.8 million from the Oregon Department of Transportation for a total project cost of $37 million.

SOU Ashland wildlife photo“This is a win not only for wildlife and driver safety, but also for the educational opportunities it will provide to Southern Oregon University students,” said Karen Mager, an associate professor in SOU’s Environmental Science and Policy program.

“SOU has been studying wildlife along I-5 for four years now to assist in planning this overpass,” Mager said. “We thank Senator Merkley and Senator Wyden for their work to secure this funding. We at SOU look forward to continuing our research to document the animals that use this wildlife overpass and share that information with the public.”

The Mariposa Wildlife Crossing – the first wildlife overpass anywhere on I-5, from Mexico to Canada – will span the freeway’s northbound and southbound lanes 1.7 miles north of the Oregon-California state line. Planning and construction of the overpass, directional fencing to funnel wildlife to the overpass and associated habitat improvements are expected to be completed no later than spring of 2029.

“This project will be instrumental in safeguarding all the special species that call the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument home and protecting drivers from dangerous wildlife collisions,” said Senator Merkley, a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, where the budget request was recent reviewed.

“I’ll continue to champion smart federal investments that protect families, our natural treasures and the diverse wildlife that call them home,” Merkley said.

The Oregon Department of Transportation has been collaborating on the project with the Southern Oregon Wildlife Crossing Coalition. A vision for the wildlife crossing grew out of a February 2021 meeting of representatives from 17 organizations and agencies, including SOU, that are part of the coalition.

Mager and students in her SOU classes and paid research internships have used camera traps to study wildlife use of I-5, to better understand regional needs for wildlife crossings. Those camera traps have taken more than a million photos and videos – most triggered by wind – and SOU Computer Science and Environmental Science and Policy students have used AI to sift through the data, identifying and capturing more than 20,000 unique animal images.

The SOU-generated data was a key component in the feasibility study that identified the priority site for an overpass. The university’s monitoring efforts – and opportunities for research funding – are expected to continue for at least the next six to seven years, Mager said.

About 6,000 vehicle-wildlife collisions are reported each year throughout Oregon, according to state agencies. Data from six wildlife underpasses in Oregon – five under Highway 97 and one under Highway 20 – show that their construction led to an 86% decrease in wildlife-vehicle collisions in the areas near those underpasses.

The site of the I-5 overpass is considered to be the highest-priority location along I-5, due to its biodiversity and sensitive wildlife populations. The region is home to rare mammals such as the Pacific fisher, along with deer, bear, elk, cougars and other large-bodied animals – all of which have been observed at the site of the future overpass. Many rare and unique butterflies and other species are also found in the area.

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