(Ashland, Ore.) —The Southern Oregon University Department of Foreign Languages will host its second annual Foreign Language Film Festival Feb. 26 and 27 on campus at SOU. The festival will feature six films in six different languages and is designed to get students and the community excited about and interested in foreign languages.
“Though the festival is open to all, the films we’ve selected for the first day of the festival are targeted toward high school students while the second day is targeted toward college students and the community in general,” according to Christiane Pyle, SOU German instructor and organizer of the Foreign Language Film Festival.
High schools and community colleges from throughout the Rogue Valley and as far away as Roseburg and Klamath Falls have been invited and are planning to attend the event. One of the films, Das alte Lied (“The Old Song”), will be followed by a panel discussion with the film’s award-winning director, Ula Stöckl, while a second film, Throne of Blood, will be followed by a panel discussion led by SOU faculty member Liz Eckhart.
The film festival aims to renew interest and excitement in foreign languages in general, and in foreign language programs offered at SOU. “This is a very exciting and interesting field of study,” said Professor Ariel Zatarain Tumbaga, another of the festival’s organizers. “We hope that this event will help bring some attention to the wonderful programs at SOU.”
This year’s lineup includes films in American Sign Language, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish, all of which will be subtitled. The showings are free and open to the public, but seating is limited and available on a first come, first serve basis. Refreshments will be available for purchase at all screenings.

The festival is co-sponsored this year by SOU’s French, German, and Spanish Clubs, as well as the SOU Film Club.
More information, including a full schedule of screenings, can be found online at tinyurl.com/sou-fest. Those interested in attending can contact Tatiana Watkins by phone at 541-552-6436 or via email at watkinst1@sou.edu.
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About Southern Oregon University
Southern Oregon University is a medium-sized campus that provides comprehensive educational opportunities with a strong focus on student success and intellectual creativity. Located in vibrant Ashland, Oregon, SOU remains committed to diversity and inclusion for all students on its environmentally sustainable campus. Connected learning programs taught by a host of exceptional faculty provide quality, innovative experiences for students. Visit sou.edu.

(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University today announced its selection by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) to participate in the three-year “Re-Imagining the First Year of College” (RFY) project, a sweeping initiative aimed at transforming the first year of college to enhance students’ success in their undergraduate years and in the 21^st century workplace.
The first year of college has emerged as the critical barrier to student success, the point at which undergraduate institutions experience the greatest loss of students. The objective of the RFY project is to help project participants – and ultimately the broader AASCU membership of 420 state colleges and universities – to implement changes that enhance the first-year student experience and increase student retention and graduation rates, particularly among historically underserved populations.
As part of AASCU’s RFY project, SOU will select and implement proven, innovative strategies and programs, adapting them to the campus’s unique environment and needs. The evidence-based strategies focus on four core areas to help first-year students succeed: institutional intentionality, curriculum, faculty and staff roles, and student roles. SOU also will participate in a learning community along with the 43 other state colleges and universities selected for RFY. The learning community will enable RFY participants to attend national conferences and educational webinars, receive one-on-one mentoring, access online tools and resources, and share ideas, successful strategies and lessons learned with each other.
“We are pleased that these AASCU institutions will commit their enormous talent and knowledge to the success of this initiative, which I believe will have a profound effect on undergraduate education in the 21^st century,” said George Mehaffy, vice president for academic leadership and change at AASCU. “The state colleges and universities we selected for RFY represent a broad swath of the institutional landscape and exhibit strong leadership and other qualities that are conducive to effecting broad-scale and sustainable change. Together, with the engagement of all campus stakeholders – from students to academic leadership – we will strive to transform the first-year student experience and ensure student success,” he added.
AASCU will kick off the RFY initiative with academic leaders attending the association’s 2016 Academic Affairs Winter Meeting in Austin, Texas from Feb. 4-6, 2016. RFY is being funded by generous grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and USA Funds.
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About Southern Oregon University
Southern Oregon University is a medium-sized campus that provides comprehensive educational opportunities with a strong focus on student success and intellectual creativity. Located in vibrant Ashland, Oregon, SOU remains committed to diversity and inclusion for all students on its environmentally sustainable campus. Connected learning programs taught by a host of exceptional faculty provide quality, innovative experiences for students. Visit sou.edu.
About AASCU
The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is a Washington, D.C.-based higher education association of more than 400 public colleges, universities, and systems whose members share a learning- and teaching-centered culture, a historic commitment to underserved student populations, and a dedication to research and creativity that advances their regions’ economic progress and cultural development.

(Ashland, Ore.) — The Southern Oregon University French Club will host its 20^th annual French Dinner on Thursday, Jan. 28 in the Rogue River Room inside the Stevenson Union on SOU’s main Ashland campus. The dinner features French cuisine, including vegan options, and wine for just $3 per glass. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with dinner being served at 7 p.m.
“This is a really fun event that gives us an opportunity to introduce the community to French culture and cuisine in a very affordable way,” said Amy Layton, president of the SOU French Club. “Plus it supports a really good cause, as a portion of the proceeds will be donated to an organization that provides wearable baby carriers to traveling refugees in Germany.”

Tickets for the event must be purchased in advance. They are just $8 for SOU students and employees and $11 for members of the community. They can be purchased inside the Stevenson Union on campus at SOU, or at Paddington Station in downtown Ashland. Only 120 tickets will be sold.
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About Southern Oregon University
Southern Oregon University is a medium-sized campus that provides comprehensive educational opportunities with a strong focus on student success and intellectual creativity. Located in vibrant Ashland, Oregon, SOU remains committed to diversity and inclusion for all students on its environmentally sustainable campus. Connected learning programs taught by a host of exceptional faculty provide quality, innovative experiences for students. Visit sou.edu.

SOU Student, Alumni, Faculty, and Staff Features:
Coast Weekend – What Does it Mean to Be Human (feature on Professor Prakash Chenjeri): https://www.coastweekend.com/cw/coastal-life/20160104/what-does-it-mean-to-be-human
KOBI – Community Remembers Medford Teacher: https://kobi5.com/news/local-news/community-remembers-medford-teacher-19575/
Eater.com – How El Nino is Impacting California’s Wine Industry (Professor Greg Jones featured): https://www.eater.com/2016/1/6/10718654/el-nino-california-wine
Daily Tidings – City Councilor Voisin Rules Out Run for House: https://www.dailytidings.com/article/20160108/NEWS/160109855/0/SEARCH
 
News on SOU Fine and Performing Arts:

Daily Tidings – Schneider Museum to Host Lecture by Artist McAdams: https://www.dailytidings.com/article/20160106/NEWS/160109904/0/SEARCH
 
News on Politics, Policy, and National Trends Impacting SOU and Higher Education:
GolocalPDX.com – Oregon Spends Nearly Four Times More on Incarceration than Higher Education: https://www.golocalpdx.com/news/oregon-spends-nearly-four-times-more-on-incarceration-than-higher-education
Statesman Journal – PERS Costs to Rise by Billions: https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/politics/state-workers/2015/12/25/pers-costs-rise-billions/77098062/
Oregonian/Oregon Live – Democratic Legislators Have Made Education a Priority (Opinion): https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/12/democratic_legislators_have_ma.html#incart_river_index
US News & World Report – States are Slacking on Higher Ed Spending: https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016/01/07/states-spending-less-on-higher-education-today-than-before-recession
Market Watch – Why States are Cutting Back on Higher Education Funding: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-states-are-cutting-back-on-higher-education-funding-2016-01-07
 
News on SOU governance and Board of Trustees:
KDRV – Search for SOU President Moves Forward: https://www.kdrv.com/news/local/Search_For_SOU_President_Moves_Forward.html
 
Miscellaneous News:
Daily Tidings – Ashland Nonprofit Interns Help Keep Trails Clear: https://www.dailytidings.com/article/20160106/NEWS/160109903/0/SEARCH
Mail Tribune – Business Briefs: Lunch Talk Will Focus on SOU Intern Program: https://www.mailtribune.com/article/20160105/NEWS/160109844/0/SEARCH
Wepartypatriots.com – $2.5 Million in Backpay Coming to Oregon Tradesmen: https://wepartypatriots.com/wp/2016/01/04/2-5m-in-backpay-coming-to-oregon-tradesmen-for-universitys-prevailing-wage-violations/

(Ashland, Ore.) —Southern Oregon University has announced a new strategic initiative designed to provide a pathway to college for more local high school graduates. The Jackson/Josephine Pledge Program is open to qualifying students who graduate from a high school in Jackson or Josephine County and are eligible for regular admission to SOU.
Those who are accepted into the program will receive tuition discounts of approximately 35 percent and may save on other costs as well, as the Jackson/Josephine Pledge is a three-year baccalaureate degree program. Due to the additional work required to graduate in just three years, students in the Pledge cohort—which has 50 open spots beginning in fall 2016—will have access to enhanced student support services, including individual advising, coaching, and mentoring. “We will be providing the kind of wraparound support and resources necessary to ensure that these students can be successful in three years,” according to Lisa Garcia-Hanson, SOU’s associate vice president for enrollment and retention.
Students who will be graduating from high schools in Jackson or Josephine Counties in spring 2016 are encouraged to apply by SOU Admissions’ priority application deadline of Feb. 15, 2016, in order to ensure that they are considered for the Pledge Program. “Due to the nature of the program, it isn’t open to transfer students. The ideal student for the program is someone who will be graduating this spring, hopefully with early college credit from SOU or another institution already on their transcript,” Garcia-Hanson said. “The Pledge is designed in part to help those students who didn’t think college was possible, due to cost or other factors, see that not only is it possible, it’s affordable too!”
Funding for the Pledge is available after the Oregon Legislature increased funding for public higher education in the state for the 2015-2017 biennium. “This increased funding will allow us to continue to meet financial targets set forth in our retrenchment plan while simultaneously making strategic investments like the Jackson/Josephine Pledge that create a pathway to college for more Oregonians,” said SOU President Roy Saigo. “The goal here is to ensure more local Oregonians have access to college, then ensure that we retain and graduate them at greater rates through initiatives like the Jackson/Josephine Pledge.”
Due to the accelerated three-year program, not all SOU degree programs are available through the Pledge. Participating programs include: Business Administration; Computer Science; Criminology and Criminal Justice; Elementary Education (not including licensure); Emerging Media and Digital Arts; and Health, Physical Education, and Leadership.
To be considered, students should visit sou.edu/admissions/pledge.html and fill out the inquiry card.
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About Southern Oregon University
Southern Oregon University is a medium-sized campus that provides comprehensive educational opportunities with a strong focus on student success and intellectual creativity. Located in vibrant Ashland, Oregon, SOU remains committed to diversity and inclusion for all students on its environmentally sustainable campus. Connected learning programs taught by a host of exceptional faculty provide quality, innovative experiences for students. Visit sou.edu.