Volume II: Issue 4
New Provost and VP for Academic Affairs Appointed; Vice President for Development Search Now Underway
I am delighted to announce that Dr. Gary Kiger has accepted our offer to serve as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Dr. Kiger comes to us from Utah State University, where he has served as Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences since 2003.
Dr. Kiger will start at SOU on July 1. I know you will join me in welcoming him.
The Provost Search Committee, chaired by Vice President Jonathan Eldridge, did great work during the entire search process. I am very grateful for their efforts.
Now that we have successfully hired a Provost, we will move ahead with a search for the Vice President for Development. As this is a very difficult position to search for, we have hired a search firm, Paschal-Murray, to help us develop a strong pool of candidates and work with us through the process. The firm has strong connections all over the country and has been successful in searches for numerous West Coast universities.
Our search consultant, Colette Murray, requested that we keep the search committee very small, six people at most. Gary Sherwood from the SOU Foundation Board will chair the search committee. The other members are Dean David Harris, Anne Root (SOU Foundation Board), Gigi Morgan (Schneider Museum of Art Board), Peter Thomas (OSF), and Jerry Taylor (former SOU Foundation Board member). Lisa Sherrill from the School of Business will staff the search.
I will keep the campus apprised as we move forward in this process. The committee, of course, will greatly appreciate any nominations or recommendations of possible candidates. As we bring candidates to campus, we will seek wide campus input and feedback.
I am very hopeful that this search, too, will be highly successful for SOU.
SOU Makes the Honor Roll
The Corporation for National and Community Service has named Southern Oregon University to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts and service to disadvantaged youth. This is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for commitment to service learning and civic engagement.
Since fall 2006, 143 of SOU’s classes have practiced community-based learning, involving a total of 3,551 students. Good work, everyone!
Hydrology Class Puts Learning to Work in the Community
In early February, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Studies Robert Coffan’s Hydrology class went to work drilling a monitoring well at North Mountain Park. Fred Krasner of Pioneer Drilling volunteered his time and equipment to install the well, while the site was donated by the City of Ashland. Scientists and students will use data from the well to assess water quality and other conditions.
On site covering the event were Jamie Lusch, an SOU photojournalism alumnus and now staff photographer with the Medford Mail Tribune, and Tribune student-intern and journalism major Jake Williky.
My thanks go to Assistant Professor of Communication Dennis Dunleavy for sharing not only these exciting images of the event, but also the following video. Check out Dennis’s blog, Southern Oregon University Today, for more photographs of SOU life.
Football Awards
We celebrated our annual Raider football banquet on February 24, recognizing a 5-4 record and the first winning season since 2003. Nearly 200 people were in attendance as Coach Steve Helminiak and his staff presented certificates acknowledging player accomplishments for the 2007 season.
Congratulations to the following Raiders, who were honored at the ceremony:
Offensive Players of the Year Kevin Holtzman (#81) and Tim Greenridge (#85) celebrate their success.
Go, Raiders!
