Volume II: Issue 6
Welcome Back
The days are getting longer, snow is receding on the mountains, and trees are blooming in Ashland. Welcome back to spring term. I hope you had a pleasant break. Spring will be busy.
On April 11, we will co-host with the Ashland Chamber of Commerce the second annual Global Conference on Business and Culture. This year’s focus is “How to Do Business in Japan.” The 2007 conference was so successful that I am sure the Rogue River Room will be packed for this year’s event.
Last summer, I asked a small group of faculty, led by Dean of Education Geoff Mills, to put together an event highlighting the work in the arts and the research being done by faculty and students. On May 21 and 22, we will launch Southern Oregon Arts and Research (SOAR), which I hope will become a highly successful annual event. Faculty, staff, and students are cordially invited to attend.
I am hopeful that SOAR will not only highlight exceptional work being done on campus, but that it will also inspire more faculty and students to celebrate and communicate more publicly about the work they are doing.
And, of course, June 14 will feature everyone’s favorite event -- Commencement. This year’s Commencement speaker is Ty Burrell, successful stage and screen actor and SOU alumnus.
This will be a busy and productive term! I hope you had a good rest.
Guanajuato
In March, right before spring break, I made my first visit to our sister city and sister university in Guanajuato, Mexico. I was delighted to be accompanied by Meredith Reynolds from the School of Business, who has years of experience living there and working with both universities.
Our visit overlapped with a visit by members of the Ashland Chamber of Commerce, who were meeting with city officials to discuss plans for celebrating the upcoming fortieth anniversary of our sister-city relationship (in 2009).
All of us came together on March 15 for the annual meeting of the SOU-Guanajuato alumni organization. At this event, Meredith received an award from the Amistad Program, as did former SOU Presidents Steve Reno and Joe Cox, who had both come down for the celebration. It was wonderful to meet and celebrate with so many friends in Mexico who greatly love Southern Oregon University.
Also honored during the Amistad ceremony was Sebastian Sanzberro (pictured above with Meredith), whom many of you may remember from his service as interim dean of business prior to Dave Harris’s appointment.
The Universidad de Guanajuato has many partnerships—with American universities such as Penn State and William and Mary, and with institutions in Europe and throughout Latin America. But ours is a special, longstanding collaboration. I look forward to working with SOU faculty and staff, as well as the Ashland community, to help strengthen this significant and longstanding relationship.
Women’s Basketball
I am so proud of our valiant Women’s Basketball Team. They put up a heroic fight against St. Ambrose in the opening round of the NAIA National Tournament.
Although the team lost to St. Ambrose University with a final score of 77–58, the 2007-08 season will be happily remembered. SOU ended as the NAIA fifth highest scoring team in the nation, with a 29-5 record, the second-best in the University’s history.
Strategic Planning
This spring we will begin to review the individual plans coming forward from campus groups. The first of these draft plans (for international recruiting) is on the planning website. Please take time to review plans as they come forward and send your comments or recommendations to PresidentsOffice@sou.edu.
Soroptimist Award
Women’s Studies Director and Associate Professor Barbara Scott Winkler has won the Ashland Soroptimists’ Club award for “Making a Difference in the Lives of Women.” An award ceremony and reception was held on March 6 to celebrate Dr. Winkler and other award winners.
