U.S. BANK in Southern Oregon and Northern California Provides $12,500 Grant to SOU Foundation in Support of New Honors College

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Gloria Schell and Mary CullinanAshland, OR – U.S. Bank, through the U.S. Bancorp Foundation, is presenting an educational grant in the amount of $12,500 to the Southern Oregon University Foundation to provide a named scholarship for the University’s new Honors College.
U.S. Bank’s educational grants are provided to innovative programs that help low-income and at-risk students succeed in school and prepare for post-secondary education, provide financial literacy training or offer effective mentoring programs.
The SOU Honors College offers talented students the opportunity to work closely with faculty in small classes and to build dynamic relationships with employers and community leaders through a personalized mentoring program. The Honors College will open in the fall, and is expected to grow to 100 students in four years.
“U.S. Bank is honored to award this grant to the Southern Oregon University Foundation,” said Gloria Schell, market president for U.S. Bank in Southern Oregon and Northern California. “The SOU Honors College is an exciting new development and we want to be on board from the beginning to help it attract top-flight students from around the region.”
“The Honors College is a transformational opportunity for students and SOU,” said SOU Vice President for Advancement and Executive Director of the SOU Foundation Sylvia Kelley. “We are grateful for community partners like U.S. Bank for generously supporting Honors College students.”
U.S. Bank is a subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB). The U.S. Bancorp Foundation contributes to the strength and vitality of local communities through partnerships that improve the educational and economic opportunities of low- and moderate-income individuals and families and enhance the cultural and artistic life of the communities in which U.S. Bancorp operates.
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Mentoring Helps SOU’s First Year Students Succeed

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Peer to Peer Support Program Sees Dramatic Growth
(Ashland, Ore.) – Southern Oregon University hopes to increase its first to second year retention rate by assigning academically successful mentors to help first year students succeed. First year retention at SOU is just short of 70 percent. The university’s goal is to achieve a rate in the mid-70s over the next few years.
Begun as a pilot project in the 2009-10 academic year, the mentorship program has seen strong growth. “Last year there were 35 students involved,” says program coordinator Jessica Rapport. “So far this year we have 121 participating.”
A new initiative driving growth this year is outreach to veterans, pairing up soldiers who are new to campus with fellow veterans who have more college experience and are academically successful. Research shows if students feel supported, connected and engaged on campus, they will perform better academically.
“Being a part of the first year mentor program is like having another family,” says mentee Robyn Eckert. “My mentor was more than a friend; She was the big sister I needed in college.”
Rapport says mentors are asked to meet with their mentee at least one hour a week, but are encouraged to do more. “We hope this relationship will help build campus community and strengthen student engagement.”
“For me, it was a chance to take a break from class and spend regular time with a first year student,” says mentor Reena Cramer. “It was amazing to see my mentee at the same time every week, and to hear what her week was like. Sometimes it was bad, and we would talk about it and discuss solutions. Sometimes it was good, and we would have some food and hang out. It was a rewarding experience because she told me I made a difference in her time at SOU for the better.”
The first year mentor program also hosts group activities such as rafting trips, visits to Science Works, and group study sessions. It also provides opportunities for first year students to work with community organizations.
Student fees and a partnership with AmeriCorps through Oregon Campus Compact provide the funding for SOU’s first year mentor program.
For further information contact:
Jesse Rapport
fymp@sou.edu
541.552.8452

SOU Highlighted by U.S. Energy Department for its Investment in Clean Energy

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Fourth video in the “Clean Energy in Our Community” video series

WASHINGTON – Today, the Energy Department released its fourth video in the “Clean Energy in Our Community” video series, highlighting clean energy investments by Southern Oregon University (SOU).  The school’s investments in renewable energy, sustainability, and purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) are benefiting residents and workers across Ashland, a city of about 20,000 people.  SOU is working to reduce its energy waste and deploy clean, renewable energy projects both on its campus and throughout the Ashland community.
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Korean Traditional Dance Troupe to Give Free Performance November 13

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Dankook Dancers(Ashland, Ore.) – Dankook University’s (DKU) traditional dance troupe will present a free performance at SOU’s Music Recital Hall Tuesday, November 13 at 7:00 p.m. The program, “Open Our Hearts and Become One,” includes ten dances, each featuring colorful and elaborate costumes and traditional Korean themes.

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SOU Sees Second-Largest Enrollment in its History

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FTE Dips, Overall Retention Up, Record Number of Californians

(Ashland, Ore.) – Southern Oregon University’s 40% growth spurt over the last four years has paused to take a breath. Headcount that reached a record 6,744 in fall 2011 dipped to 6,481 this fall, a 3.9% decrease. Although down compared to fall 2011, fall 2012 represents the second-largest enrollment in institutional history. The numbers declined in most categories with the noticeable exception of California students, who reached a new record headcount of 969, a 4.4% increase over last fall.
“Enrollment growth has not been a straight line,” says SOU President Mary Cullinan. “Although this year’s numbers show a decrease, our numbers two years ago were the largest increase in the Oregon University System. The state economy has been on a bumpy road the last four years, and enrollment numbers are bouncing as well. We look forward to stability in state revenue and funding for higher education, as well as more predictability in the enrollment pipeline.”

The following are highlights from fall term 2012 enrollment figures:

  • Headcount is 6,481, a 3.9% decrease from fall 2011, and similar to fall 2010 enrollment of 6,444.
  • Full-time Equivalent (FTE) enrollment is 4,573, 2.2% less than the record in fall 2011.
  • Overall retention of continuing students, who comprise 73% of the undergraduate student body, is up 0.9%.
  • Latino enrollment, which had leaped 82% in the last two years, dipped 0.9% this fall.
  • Transfers from community colleges and other universities were down 19.2%. New freshmen were down 10.3%. New graduate students were down 13.8%.
  • California student enrollment is up 4.4% over last fall, hitting another record. Total non-resident enrollment is up 1.5%.
  • On-campus housing is again close to capacity this fall.
  • International student enrollment dropped 2.9% this fall, but will increase over the remainder of the school year

Looking ahead, construction continues on the new North Campus Village, a 700-bed student residential project that replaces the aging Cascades Housing and Dining Complex. Opening is anticipated in fall 2013. Recruiting has begun for the new Honors College at Southern Oregon University, also scheduled for a fall 2013 launch. The renovation of the Churchill Hall administration building is complete, and offices are being reoccupied. The SOU Science Building is scheduled for a major remodel beginning in the spring.
“We just celebrated SOU’s 140th birthday on November 4,” says President Cullinan, “and we look ahead to a bright future. Certainly, there will be challenges but this is a wonderful university with strong local support, a dedicated faculty, and engaged students eager to learn. Great things are still to come.”

SOU English Professor to Highlight the Chicano Movement’s Literary and Artistic Legacy

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(Ashland, Ore.) – Dr. Alma Rosa Alvarez, Southern Oregon University Professor of English and Writing, will present “40 years later, is the Chicana/o Arts Movement Dead?” Tuesday, October 23 at 4:00 p.m. in the Meese Room of the Hannon Library on the SOU campus. A reception follows immediately. The talk is free and open to the public.
Alma Rosa Alvarez Insights Lecture Art Read more

SOU is “Exploring Happiness” This Year for a Campus Theme

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(Ashland, Ore.) – Southern Oregon University launches a new annual campus theme discussion this evening with a panel on “Happiness and the Arts.” Members of the Departments of Music, Theatre and Art will examine how the arts have defined and described happiness. The presentation is at 7:00 p.m. in the Meese Room of the Hannon Library. It is free and open to the public.
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SOU Names New Director of Admissions

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Kelly Moutsatsin(Ashland, Ore.) Southern Oregon University announces the appointment of Kelly Moutsatson as director of admissions at the university. Moutsatson comes to SOU from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising with four campuses in California. She was the Institute’s director of admissions the last 12 years, working remotely from Grants Pass. She has a bachelor’s degree in advertising/marketing from Loyola Marymount University.
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Planetwalker John Francis Returns to SOU to Talk About the Environment

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John Francis (photo by Becky Hale)

John Francis (photo by Becky Hale)

(Ashland, Ore) Southern Oregon University welcomes John Francis ’81 back to campus this week. On Wednesday, Dr. Francis, known the world over as the Planetwalker, will discuss how the current environmental crisis is a reflection of world-wide social and economic inequity and that any attempt to resolve the crisis must not only address the scientific issues, but also the humanitarian issues. His presentation is at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 10, in the Rogue River Room of the Stevenson Union. The talk is free and open to the public.
On Thursday, Dr. Francis will be honored at the university’s annual awards dinner as Southern Oregon University’s Distinguished Alumnus for 2012.
In 1971, Dr. Francis witnessed an oil spill in San Francisco Bay. The effects of the spill compelled him to stop using motorized vehicles. Several months later, to stop the arguments about the power of one person’s actions, he took a vow of silence.
His non-motorized lifestyle lasted 22 years, and his silence lasted 17. During that time Dr. Francis walked across the United States, earning a B.A. at (then) Southern Oregon State College, an M.S. in Environmental Studies at the University of Montana, and a Ph.D. in land resources at the University of Wisconsin.
He later sailed and walked through the Caribbean and then walked the length of South America. He has written two books, “Planetwalker: 22 Years of Walking. 17 Years of Silence,” and “The Ragged Edge of Silence: Finding Peace in a Noisy World.”
Dr. Francis is currently an education fellow with the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C., and a visiting professor at the University of Wisconsin where he is a member of the board at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies.
Dr. Francis is still walking and would like to teach a “semester on foot” about walking. He also still plays a banjo and will bring it with him to his presentation.
Dr. Francis says he’s looking forward to his return to Ashland, his first time back in ten years.
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SOU Archaeologists Discover Lost Indian War Battlefield

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“In 1855, more than 500 Native American warriors, pioneer militiamen, and U.S. Army dragoons engaged in a desperate battle for control over Southern Oregon.  Despite being the largest battle of the Rogue River Wars and one of the largest of the Indian wars of the American West, the details of this battle have, until now, been lost to history, and the location of the fight forgotten.” — Mark Tveskov, Professor of Anthropology, Southern Oregon University
The battle was “the worst defeat, particularly in terms of the total number of casualties, suffered by the combined force of U.S. Army and Oregon Volunteers in Oregon during the Indian wars.” — COL (ret.) Daniel Edgerton, U.S. Army History Center

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