Tag Archive for: senior living

Older adult housing and education facility finalists come to campus

SOU considers partners for older adult housing and education facility

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University is in the process of selecting an official partner to build and operate a housing and educational facility for older adults on a 4.3-acre site previously occupied by the Cascade Complex of residence halls.

“SOU is excited to continue advancing this initiative to identify a partner company that aligns with our vision and values for this new space on campus,” SOU President Rick Bailey said. “This also serves as a testament to our commitment to changing the fiscal model of our university to keep it affordable and accessible for generations of students to come.”

SOU has invited two companies to campus, where they will present their visions for a partnership during the second phase of the selection process. The companies under consideration are McCormack Baron Salazar and Pacific Retirement Services.

Representatives of both companies will engage with university leaders, the wider campus and local community during their visits to Ashland. The companies were selected in phase one as part of a national “request for proposal” bid process.

Medford-based Pacific Retirement Services, whose properties include the Rogue Valley Manor, will make its on-campus presentation from 9 to 9:50 a.m. on July 9 in the SOU Music Recital Hall, followed by St. Louis-based McCormack Baron Salazar, which will make its presentation from 1:30 to 2:20 p.m. on July 11, in the Music Recital Hall .

Members of the SOU, Ashland and Rogue Valley communities are encouraged to attend each of the moderated sessions. The meetings will feature presentations from the vendors, followed by opportunities for questions and answers.

Community members may submit questions in advance to ensure a robust discussion. SOU has established a designated website (https://sou.edu/older-adult-living-community-provider-partnership/) for those seeking additional information or to submit questions. The university’s Office of the General Counsel can also be contacted at generalcounsel@sou.edu or (541) 552-8055 for further inquiries.

Developers from around the country were invited in January to submit proposals for the project – an entrepreneurial opportunity to forge a synergy between the facility’s residents, traditional SOU students, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at SOU and the university. The project is intended to generate long-term revenue for SOU while supporting the university’s commitment to lifelong learning.

Several proposals were submitted and were narrowed to the two finalists in a review process that extended through the spring.

The university will make its final selection, then negotiate specifics for a public-private partnership to build and run the proposed SOU facility. If those negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the university will shift to the runner-up.

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

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

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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.

Age-friendly designation for SOU

SOU achieves “age-friendly university” status

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University has been accepted for membership in the Age-Friendly University Global Network – a collection of more than 100 universities across five continents that have committed to age diversity and intergenerational interactions on their campuses and in their communities.

“This is a timely and impactful distinction for SOU,” President Rick Bailey said. “It meshes with some initiatives that we’re already very excited about. Our acceptance into this distinguished network really highlights our dedication to students of all ages and backgrounds, and our utmost respect for the knowledge, expertise and capabilities of older adults.”

The membership underlines SOU’s commitment to serving mid-career and older students and welcoming the contributions of older employees. It will also place the university on lists of age-friendly institutions that are maintained by organizations such as the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and the Gerontological Society of America.

SOU, Portland State University and Western Oregon University are the only Oregon institutions to gain AFUGN membership. Member colleges and universities commit to AFUGN’s list of 10 Age-Friendly University Principles, which touch on second careers, intergenerational learning, online educational opportunities, engagement with retired communities and other key topics.

“Your institution’s demonstrated commitment to this cause and its ongoing efforts to promote age-friendly policies, research, services and initiatives are to be lauded,” said Aaron Guest, Ph.D., an Arizona State University faculty member who serves as secretariat of AFUGN.

“We are thrilled to embark on this journey together and look forward to a fruitful and collaborative relationship,” he said. “Together, we can significantly impact older adults’ lives and create societies where everyone can age with dignity, respect and fulfillment.”

The new membership meshes with SOU’s plans to build a senior living center on campus and with the existing Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. OLLI at SOU leaders collaborated on the AFUGN membership application with Noriko Toyokawa, an associate professor of psychology at SOU whose research focuses on intergenerational relationships and health in later life.

“Age diversity on campus is a resource for learning and community building,” Toyokawa said.

SOU has been awarded state funding to raze its outdated and largely unused Cascade Housing Complex, and university leaders have begun conversations with potential private partners for development of a senior living facility in its place. The goal is to create a living community that creates a unique synergy between the center’s residents, SOU students, OLLI at SOU and the university. A list of seniors who are interested in moving into the facility has already been generated.

SOU’s is among the largest of 125 OLLI programs on college and university campuses across the U.S., with close to 1,700 members at the university’s Ashland and Medford campuses. The SOU program, like others around the country, provides a variety of in-person and online noncredit courses and outdoor activities geared toward adults 50 or better who seek “learning for the joy of learning.” OLLI at SOU invites adults to come for the classes and stay for the connections.

OLLI at SOU members collaborate with staff to govern their organization, and teach and take classes in subjects ranging from art and music to science and technology to health and recreation. The local program began with 100 members in 1993 as Southern Oregon Learning in Retirement (SOLIR) before being incorporated into the nationwide OLLI network that is part of the Bernard Osher Foundation.

The AFUGN was initiated in 2012 at Ireland’s Dublin City University and has grown into a network of institutions that promote positive, healthy aging by offering age-friendly educational programs, research, curriculum, online education, health and wellness activities, arts and culture programs and opportunities for civic engagement.

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