Gender-based violence survivors have new resource at SOU

SOU enters partnership to support survivors of gender-based violence

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University has a new resource to support students and employees who have experienced gender-based violence such as stalking, sexual assault and dating or domestic violence. Community Works, a Medford nonprofit, is offering free on-campus sessions two days per week with a specially trained confidential advocate.

SOU and Community Works recently signed a memorandum of understanding to make the advocacy services available, as required by state law.

“We previously needed to refer folks to off-campus agencies for this same support,” said Sarah Olejniczak, Ph.D., SOU’s interim director of equity grievance and Title IX coordinator.

“We are only in our first few weeks of this partnership, so only a small handful of individuals have been referred – but we certainly hope it will make a difference for the campus community. (The confidential advocate’s) services are open to any member of the SOU community – student, staff and faculty.”

Community Works confidential advocate Hannah Neudorfer is available to meet with students or employees on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in the Dean of Students Office, at Room 321 of the Stevenson Union. Hannah can also be reached during business hours at (541) 951-3406 or hneudorfer@community-works.org.

All incidents of discrimination, harassment and sexual misconduct should be reported via online form to SOU’s Office of Equity Grievance and Title IX. Members of the university’s Equity Grievance Team will respond to and manage all such reports, contacting involved parties and enforcing university policies.

SOU has a long history and national reputation for effectively addressing instances of sexual harassment and violence through its Office of Equity Grievance. The university also offers a wide range of in-person and remote counseling options for both students and employees.

The Dean of Students Office offers a website full of resources for survivors of sexual violence. Counseling for any mental health crises or other concerns is available to students through the La Clinica Student Health & Wellness Center; in-person or remote sessions can be scheduled through the online health portal or by calling the SHWC at (541) 494-4875.

On-demand, no-appointment sessions by phone or chat are available to students at any time through SOU’s affiliation with TELUS Health Student Support, at (866) 743-7732. Assistance is also available from the SOU Care Coordinators Office.

SOU employees can seek guidance through SOU’s employee assistance program, Canopy (formerly Cascade Centers), by calling (800) 433-2320 or visiting the organization’s website.

Neudorfer is a full-time advocate with Community Works, serving clients based on their requests and needs. The Community Works organization was selected for the partnership with SOU in part because of its experience with higher education clientele.

“Community Works was able to provide this (service) for us at no additional cost, and they have previously served another campus community, so understand how this position can interact positively within SOU’s community,” Olejniczak said.

Under terms laid out in the memorandum of understanding, Community Works will also help with training and prevention programming at SOU. The university will help prepare the organization’s confidential advocates to support clients through potential campus processes, in addition to their typical work with supporting clients through criminal proceedings.

Title IX – a federal law that in part prohibits exclusion or harassment based on sex – applies to all educational institutions, both public and private, that receive federal funds.

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Behavioral Health Initiative dialogue session

SOU embraces Behavioral Health Initiative

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(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.

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SOU interns help grow Rogue Buzzway map

Rogue Buzzway gardens grow with SOU partnership

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The Rogue Buzzway – an interactive map that represents southern Oregon’s pollinator corridors – has bounced back following a steep decline caused by the 2020 Almeda Fire, under the leadership of recent SOU Environmental Science & Policy graduate Leo Helm.

Helm, who graduated last fall and is the latest in a succession of SOU interns to work on the Buzzway, has collaborated with the Pollinator Project Rogue Valley to create the Rogue Buzzway StoryMap, which celebrates nearly 120 self-certified pollinator gardens from Ashland to Grants Pass.

The Buzzway map helps visualize pollinator habitat connectivity – a vital element in helping native pollinators such as butterflies, bees and moths to navigate the urban landscape. The map also encourages people to create new gardens by showing areas with no certified pollinator habitat, and shares stories about how existing gardens were created.

“We made the Buzzway StoryMap to better communicate what the Buzzway is about,” Helm said. “It takes you through the map and really shows the kinds of gardens that are on there. It’s pretty inspiring.”

Gardens on the map include organic farms, city parks, front yards and gardens planted by PPRV as a part of its “From Fire to Flowers” pollinator garden program, which brought pollinator gardens to people affected by the 2020 Almeda fire.

Colorful pollinator plantings on the SOU campus are not yet included on the map, but Helm and others at the PPRV plan to work with the university and city of Ashland to fill in the map with existing local gardens.

The Rogue Buzzway was created after the PPRV approached SOU associate professor Jamie Trammel in 2016 about mapping the Rogue Valley’s pollinator gardens. Trammel and then-SOU student Ollie Bucolo and Dr. Jamie Trammell created the map, whose scope and capabilities have grown over the years with the contributions of other Environmental Science & Policy interns.

Helm said he hopes more interns will step forward in the future to help the Buzzway continue to grow.

“It’s really cool to be a part of a long-standing project like this,” he said. “We keep finding new uses for the Buzzway and ways to improve it. It’s been a valuable experience for me and I’m excited to see what happens to the Buzzway map once someone else inherits it.”

Students can also volunteer with the Pollinator Pals educational program or in PPRV’s demonstration garden in Phoenix, or put their knowledge to work with videography, photography, social media, graphic design, writing newsletters or helping to maintain and update the organization’s website.

Freshman Ryan Goodrich named to SOU Board of Trustees

SOU freshman joins Board of Trustees

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University freshman Ryan Goodrich, a business administration student from Medford, has been appointed by Gov. Tina Kotek and confirmed today by the Oregon Senate to serve on the university’s Board of Trustees.

Goodrich succeeds Mimi Pieper, who had served as one of two undergraduate student members of the 17-member board since spring of 2021. Goodrich said he comes from “a long lineage of alumni” from SOU, and grew up in Medford “attending SOU basketball games to watch North Medford alumni play.”

He is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis on accounting, and received an honors diploma when he graduated last spring from North Medford High School – where he played on the basketball team for three years. He works for a local nonprofit, coaching and refereeing youth basketball, and is a member of the SOU lacrosse club.

“We are happy to have Ryan join the Board of Trustees, where he can deepen his already strong connection to the university,” said Sheila Clough, the board’s chair. “He is a bright, talented member of the campus community, and I have no doubt that his contributions to the governing board will be valuable.”

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SOU Indigenous Peoples Day

Indigenous Peoples Day to be celebrated over two days at SOU

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University’s annual Indigenous Peoples Day celebration will return to campus for a weekend full of activities on Oct. 19 and 20, from Native dancers to guest speakers to lunches of salmon on Saturday and Indian tacos on Sunday.

Indigenous Peoples Day celebrates the historic, cultural and present-day influence of Native Americans. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Honor the past, empower the present, inspire the future.”

SOU has formally observed Indigenous Peoples Day since 2017, after a student and the university’s Diversity and Inclusion Oversight Committee petitioned for the change a year earlier. The state of Oregon began recognizing the holiday in 2021.

This year’s celebration – the seventh at SOU – will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, with a “grand entry” procession of Native American dancers at the university’s Stevenson Union. A period of “welcoming” will begin at 11 a.m., followed by a $10 salmon bake lunch (cash only) at noon. Guest speakers and open sharing of songs, dances and stories will be from 1 to 4 p.m.

The celebration will continue on Sunday, Oct. 20, with guest speakers and open sharing throughout the day, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Indian tacos and frybread offered by SOU’s Native American Student Union (cash only).

An Indigenous artisans market and a variety of other activities will be held during both days of the celebration.

Dancers are invited to join Saturday’s grand entry procession, and Native American regalia is encouraged. More information about the celebration is available from Kenwani Kravitz, SOU’s Native Nations Liaison, at kravitzk@sou.edu or (541) 552-6937.

Hosts of SOU’s Indigenous Peoples Day celebration include the university, its Office of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, the Native Raiders office and the Native American Student Union.

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Marcus Mariota donates football shoes to SOU

Heisman Trophy winner Mariota donates to SOU football

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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SOU Commencement 2024

SOU Commencement: good weather and optimism

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Farm at SOU prepares for CSA season

Cultivating community: The Farm at SOU

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The Farm at Southern Oregon University is currently growing a variety of crops including kale, radishes, potatoes, asparagus, garlic and onions, despite recent weather adversities – signaling a promising start to the upcoming Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) season.

The Farm at SOU prepares for CSA seasonRecent potato plantings marked a significant step toward fulfilling the summer 2024 CSA Program, a cornerstone initiative of the farm, with crops that have over-wintered now approaching harvest. The CSA program yields high-quality, pesticide-free produce and fosters community engagement by offering subscribing members weekly access to fresh fruits and vegetables grown on The Farm.

CSA shares are available for participants who wish to receive weekly produce boxes. The program is open to all community members, regardless of their relationship with SOU. More information regarding the 2024 CSA program is available on The Farm at SOU website.

The Farm at SOU also partners with Aladdin, the campus catering service responsible for The Hawk dining commons. The Farm supplies fresh produce for a variety of dishes, enriching the dining experience while reinforcing The Farm’s commitment to sustainability, and compostable waste from the dining facility is used to enrich soil at the student-led and student-powered agricultural organization.

The Farm, located near the SOU campus on North Walker Street, has blossomed since its inception in 2013. It provides learning opportunities, embracing the principles of farming and sustainability, and serves as an educational hub open to students of all ages – from elementary to college.

As The Farm embraces the new growing season, its organizers extend gratitude to the individuals and businesses whose support sustains its mission.

first-generation student goes beyond expectations

Soon-to-be graduate goes beyond first-generation expectations

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(Ashland, Ore.) — To describe Nansi Cortes simply as a first-generation college student and soon-to-be Southern Oregon University graduate would ignore both her personal history and her family’s unwavering support.

Nansi’s immigrant parents, whom she said had “lower than a grade school education,” were nonetheless aware of education’s potential impact on their children. So they were all in when Nansi was in eighth grade at Medford’s McLoughlin Middle School and became eligible for the SOU/McLoughlin Bulldogs-to-Raiders partnership, a pathway program designed for first-generation Hispanic students to learn about higher education and receive extra help with coursework.

A Spanish translation of this story can be found here.

Nansi, a senior in the SOU Honors College, will receive her bachelor’s degree at the commencement ceremony in June. She has served as a student mentor, a teaching assistant and a lead student assistant in the university’s Office of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion. And she already has been accepted into the SOU master’s degree program in Clinical in Mental Health Counseling.

“Mental health has been seen as a controversial topic for the Spanish-speaking communities,” Nansi said. “I will help educate the importance of mental health, become a bilingual counselor for young adults in Rogue Valley and advocate the benefits of therapy within the Spanish-speaking community.

“As I have been a resource for students at Southern Oregon University, I will continue to be a resource for Spanish-speaking communities.”

Her path to achievement has been neither straightforward nor easy. Her grade point average before transferring to McLoughlin Middle School was 1.9, which she quickly raised to a 3.8.

“About two months in at a new school, I passed classes with A’s, received higher test scores and eventually was asked to enroll in honors courses,” Nansi said. “With the support system I received from the new school, I began to believe in my potential to succeed and desire to plan my educational future.”

Which is where Bulldogs-to-Raiders came in. As part of the program, Nansi participated in SOU’s Academia Latina Leadership, Cesar Chavez Conference, Dia Familiar Latino and other Latinx-oriented youth programs. Those in the program visited various colleges and universities, where they received advice from students on the application process.

“As a first-generation student, I could experience the (SOU) campus by joining workshops and events, while the program taught my parents how to support me,” Nansi said. “Before joining this program, I did not think I was qualified to apply to colleges, pass courses or find the funds to attend. Bulldogs-to-Raiders gave me the opportunity for an education.”

As fate would have it, the COVID-19 pandemic was at full stride when Nansi graduated high school and enrolled at SOU in 2020. She was accustomed to learning through face-to-face classroom interactions, and was concerned about the shift to online coursework – but also felt that her scholarships would be impacted if she took a term off, so met with her guidance counselor.

“She encouraged me to attend the professor’s office hours when I was confused, join a study group for each course for support and seek the tutoring center at the Hannon Library,” Nansi said. “I completed my first year with immense help, and motivation to continue.

She learned about the SOU Honors College while attending the Cesar Chavez Conference with her Bulldogs-to-Raiders cohort, worked hard to be accepted into the program and became an Honors College student as a freshman. She has taken on the role of an academic leader among her peers, and counts that as one of her greatest achievements.

“I have tutored students outside of class to explain the material step-by-step, helped them find sources for their papers and helped the professors with grading,” Nansi said. “This has been an accomplishment because I did not have someone at home to help me with assignments. I wanted to be an additional resource for students.

“These achievements have prepared me for my future by leading me to my goal of becoming a bilingual counselor.”

She also serves as a role model to her siblings, helping them with their educational decisions, and has found her way to a rewarding, meaningful future in counseling.

“My parents will endlessly express their gratitude toward programs that help students achieve academically,” Nansi said. “They are proud to see how far their daughter has gotten in life. The sacrifices they made so I could receive a proper education will never go unseen.”

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Limited membership club question posed to SOU students

Student input sought on “limited membership” clubs

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SOU students are being asked to weigh in on a proposal – prompted by a request from a group interested in bringing the Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) fraternity to campus – to allow “groups that have limited membership” to be recognized as student clubs. The student government, Associated Students of Southern Oregon, is offering question-and-answer sessions through Thursday, May 9, and is circulating an email survey this week. A May 14 vote on the matter by the ASSOU Senate is scheduled.

Current ASSOU policy requires recognized student clubs to be open to all students, but TKE membership is limited, based on gender and membership dues.

“There are many different types of organizations that might have limited membership,” ASSOU President Brayden Clayburn said in an email to students last week. “For example, an honors business fraternity that has membership limited by GPA and major. A religious organization that has membership limited by religious beliefs. A political organization that has membership limited by political affiliation.

“This vote will impact several different types of groups beyond Greek Life.”

The ASSOU has held listening and question-and-answer sessions on the proposal each day for the past week, and plans three more this week: Today, May 7, from 5 to 6 p.m. in Stephenson Union Room 319; Wednesday, May 8, from noon to 1 p.m. in Stephenson Union Room 319; and Thursday, May 9, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at The Hawk dining commons.

The student government has scheduled an email survey to be sent May 8 on the question of whether limited-membership groups should be recognized as student clubs.

A TKE chapter at SOU was founded in 1962, according to the fraternity’s website, and it remained active at least through the mid-1970s. It has been inactive for many years.