Volume III: Issue 4

New Enrollment Milestones for Winter 2009

I’m happy to report that winter 2009 marks the highest winter term student headcount since 2004 and the highest minority enrollment in our history. Many thanks to everyone who has helped make SOU such a welcoming place for students.

These outstanding achievements are the result of an intensive team effort to increase recruitment and retention. In spite of extraordinary economic challenges, SOU is in a stronger position than it has been in a number of years. With the help of our many supporters throughout the state, we will weather this fiscal storm and emerge stronger than ever.

Highlights from the winter term enrollment figures (percentage increase over 2008)

• Headcount: 5,490 (4.2% increase)
• Full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment: 3,963 (1.4% increase)
• Minority student enrollment: 12.9%
• Jackson County residents: 12.2%
• Foreign student enrollment: 30.7%
• New student enrollment: 4.1%
• SOU enrollment at the new SOU/RCC Higher Education Center (HEC): 52%
• Freshmen retention from fall to winter term showed a slight but continuing improvement.

SOU named to Presidential Honor Roll

On February 10, the Corporation for National and Community Service honored SOU with a place on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts and service to America’s communities. This is the second consecutive year SOU has received this award.

Launched in 2006, the Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Honorees for the award were chosen based on a series of selection factors, including scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.

For more information and a complete list of honorees, visit their website.

State Stimulus for Capital Projects

SOU will receive nearly $2 million of state stimulus funding for repair and maintenance projects. The funding will provide for a range of improvements, from new roofs to renovated elevators and bathrooms, as well as fire alarms, lighting, boiler work, and various classroom upgrades. Buildings on the list include McNeal, Britt, Music, Theatre, Ed/Psych, Churchill, Art East, and Hannon Library. Other projects will improve storm water drainage and exterior lighting throughout the campus.

Intended to provide jobs in our region, the funding will allow work to begin almost immediately. SOU facilities staff will do everything possible to ensure comfort and safety while these projects are underway and will keep the campus aware of timelines and locations of work in progress.

I am delighted that we can move forward immediately on projects that will make our campus buildings safer, more efficient, and more comfortable.

New Master’s Program

I am pleased to announce that SOU will offer a new master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies (MIIS) through the College of Arts and Sciences.

Beginning in fall 2009, the MIIS program will offer students an opportunity to study more than one area of concentration at a time and examine how those areas interact. An MIIS student might focus on biology and international studies, English and computer studies, or health and environmental studies.

Options for an MA or MS in interdisciplinary studies are also available. The application deadline for early consideration in the MIIS program is April 15.

Oregon Stories Celebrates Oregon’s Sesquicentennial

On February 14, Rogue Valley Community Television (RVTV) and SOU commemorated Oregon’s 150th birthday with a seven-hour series titled Oregon Stories: Remembering Southern Oregon. The first four hours were broadcast live from the new RCC/SOU Higher Education Center in Medford.

The series celebrated Oregon’s natural and cultural history, as well as the history of people and stories from our past. Presenters included SOU Professor of Environmental Studies/Geography Pat Acklin and Chair of Communication D.L. Richardson.

I copresented a special segment, "Remembering Southern Oregon University," along with SOU Emeritus Professor Arthur Kreisman, Dr. Ken Bartlett, Dr. David Hoffman, Sue Corp, and Ron Bolstad.

Sponsored by SOU and a grant from the Oregon University System, Oregon Stories is part of the Oregon 150 project. Oregon 150 is designed to inspire people across the state to remember, experience, and celebrate Oregon. Anyone is invited to submit original stories, poetry, photographs, or videos relating to Oregon as a source of inspiration, a setting for adventure, and a journey of discovery. See the Oregon Stories website for submission information.

First Amendment Forum

On March 2, community leaders joined keynote speaker Robert H. Giles, curator of the Nieman Foundation at Harvard University, to talk about the future of newspapers at the annual Thomas W. Pyle First Amendment Forum.

The Thomas W. Pyle First Amendment Forum was produced by the SOU Department of Communication with a grant from the Ashland Daily Tidings.

Lock-In

The SOU Criminology Club hosted their annual Lock-In on February 20. Open to all students and faculty, the event offered a chance to work with criminal justice professionals in training simulation scenarios. Participants received training and practice just as officers do in the field.

Chamber Choir European Concert Tour

Congratulations to the SOU Chamber Choir, which has been selected to perform in Liepzig, Germany, at the home church of J.S. Bach in a celebration of the composer’s birthday. This is just one stop on the Choir’s European tour over spring break that will culminate with an international choral festival near Prague, Czech Republic.

On March 15 at 3 pm in the Music Recital Hall, the Chamber Choir will join with the SOU Concert Choir to perform selections from the repertoire of German choral music that will be performed during their tour. The program features a variety of sacred and secular works. For more information on the program and to purchase tickets to the concert, visit the Music Department website.

Vagina Monologues

The February 13 and 14 performances of The Vagina Monologues were a tremendous success. Sponsored by the SOU Women’s Resource Center, the event raised a total of $6,500 for local anti-violence agencies, including the Dunn House shelters and Sexual Assault Victim Services/Prevention Program, as well as this year’s international spotlight campaign: Women and Girls of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Based on the Obie award-winning play by V-Day founder Eve Ensler, The Vagina Monologues has grown into a global movement staged by more than 120 countries. V-Day Movement is a nonprofit corporation that distributes funds to grassroots, national, and international organizations that work to stop violence against girls and women. The movement has raised more than $60 million dollars in ten years. For more on V-Day, visit their website.

International Women’s Day

Held on March 7, the annual International Women’s Day Parade was led by the three puppet sisters and the rhythm of Samba Like it Hot. The lineup included the Ananda Natya Dance Troupe, Ballet Folklorico, and the Eastern European ensemble Samovila.

Completing the day’s offerings was an international food fair, children’s activity tent, and women’s interfaith tent. Events continued on campus with a candlelight vigil and, on March 9, a poetry reading by and about women and women’s issues in Hannon Library.

Snow Fiesta Week

Students celebrated the recent area snowfall during Snow Fiesta, a week of activities on campus and at Mt. Ashland. Events included Rail Jam, an on-campus freestyle snowboard and ski competition; Crash Test Dummy Ski and Night Skiing at Mt. Ashland; and an Up All Night party at Stevenson Union. Competition winners went home with cash prizes, and participants were also eligible to win a free snowboard and other gear.

Karen Dugas in the Thorndike

Canadian artist Karen Dugas was on hand February 26 for the closing reception of Trapeze, an exhibition in the Thorndike Gallery. Her show comprised large-scale digital prints that explore narratives of the precarious balance between humanity and the natural environment. She also refers to the structures of film and advertising to involve the viewer through spectacle and the acrobatics of special effects. Dugas has exhibited her work internationally and lives in Alberta, Canada.

Gregory Martin at Liquid Assets

It's your last chance to catch alumnus and SOU Graphic Artist Gregory Martin's exhibition at Liquid Assets. The show was curated by Marsa Morse, who serves as the gallery's director/curator. Marsa is double majoring in art with a printmaking emphasis and in communication with a focus on video production. Thursday evening is the last day to view this spectacular exhibit!

Ed Battistella Lectures on Language School

The subject of Dr. Edwin Battistella’s book Do You Make These Mistakes in English? The Story of Sherwin Cody’s Famous Language School was the topic of a lecture sponsored by Hannon Library on February 26. Using Sherwin Cody’s school as a starting point, Battistella explored the intersections between marketing, education, and the development of the self-help industry as a cultural phenomenon in the early twentieth century.

Professor of English and Writing Battistella is the author of three previous books on grammar and language, including the popular Bad Language: Are Some Words Better than Others?

Rare Print Collection Donation

On February 12, Ashland resident Lily Hearn—accompanied by her daughter-in-law, Susan Hearn—presented the Hearn Family History of Writing and Printing Collection to the Hannon Library.

Donated by Ms. Hearn and her family, the collection includes examples of rare and valuable early writing and printing from various cultures and languages around the world, such as a Coptic Ethiopian scroll, a 2034 BC cuneiform tablet on Sumerian clay, and an Arabic Koran.

Hannon Library will display the collection in the exhibit cases on the second floor adjacent to Special Collections/University Archives until a custom exhibit is created.

For more information, click here.

Student Alumni Etiquette Dinner

Career Development Services and Alumni Affairs joined forces to create the second annual SOU Student Alumni Etiquette Dinner on March 4. This event brought students together with alumni in their major or school. Students learned dining and etiquette tips to help prepare them for interviewing, presenting themselves, and networking.

Platt Claims NAIA National Championship

SOU sophomore Chris Platt (above) scored an individual National Title during the NAIA National Wrestling Championships finals.

As a team, the Raiders finished second to defending national champion Lindenwood. The Lions finished with 167 points, while the Raiders finished with 125.5 points.

Platt jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead before defeating Montana State-Northern’s Evan Hinebauch 6-2 to claim the 184 pound National Championship.

With the title, Platt becomes the 23rd National Champion in the history of SOU wrestling and the first since 2004. Platt outscored his opponents 32-7 and scored a pin during his run to a National Championship. Platt wraps up the 2008–09 season 19-4 with six pins.

Brothers Mitchell and Trevor Lofstedt each came away with second place finishes at the National Championships.

Mitchell dropped the 125 pound National Championship match 11-2 to Montana State-Northern’s Corey Borges. Mitchell Lofstedt ends his freshman season 37-10 with nine falls.

Trevor fell in the National Championship match 19-9 to Lindenwood’s Ray Stephens. He will graduate SOU as the fourth four-time All-American in school history.

Mike Ritchey was named the NAIA National Coach of the Year after leading the Raiders to an 18-1 dual record, a National Dual Meet Championship, and a second place finish at the NAIA National Championships.

Barry Johnson (141) brought home a third place finish with a pair of victories. Johnson scored a pin in the consolation semis and then defeated Grand View’s Jon Henslee 9-5 in the third-place match.

Seth Roy finished fourth at 149. Roy defeated Lindenwood’s Ryan Moyter 3-1 in overtime before falling to Notre Dame College’s Jeffrey Pelton 6-0 in the third place match.

Tommie Hooper and John Bates each finished fifth after falling in their consolation semifinal matches. Hooper scored a major decision victory over Oklahoma City’s Nik Turner 10-2 in the fifth place place at 157. Bates also scored a major decision victory, with a 12-4 victory over Corey Johnson of Oklahoma City.

As a team, the Raiders had seven All-Americans.

Raiders to Play Black Hills State

The 23rd-ranked SOU Women’s Basketball Team will open up the NAIA Division II National Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa, against fifth-ranked Black Hills State. The game is set for 9:15 p.m. (CST) tonight.

Both SOU and Black Hills State received at-large bids to the National Tournament.

The Raiders are 25-6 on the season and fell to the College of Idaho during the Cascade Conference tournament semifinals. Black Hills State is 24-7 and fell in the Dakota Athletic Conference championship game to Dickinson State 67-64. SOU is the sixth seed and Black Hills is the third seed in their group.

All SOU games will be aired on AM580 in the Rogue Valley and at souraiders.com.

Current Events

Arts and Culture

January 15–March 29

Arp’s Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies

Schneider Museum of Art

Music

March 12, 8 pm

SOU Symphonic Band

Music Recital Hall

March 13, 8 pm and March 14, 3 pm

Chamber Music Concert: Altenberg Trio

Music Recital Hall

March 15, 3 pm

SOU Choirs Concert

Music Recital Hall

Community Events

April 13, 7 pm

Betsy LaSor Endowed Lecture, "Oregon Nursing: Are We on the Frontier?"

Music Recital Hall

Credits (top to bottom, left to right)

Admissions Campus Ambassador Kat Ellison (Rory N. Finney).

Community Garden (Rory N. Finney).

Hannon Library (Gregory Martin).

Associate Professor of Women's Studies Barbara Scott Winkler teaching (Rory N. Finney).

A clip from Oregon Stories (Marsa Morse).

Robert H. Giles at the First Amendment Forum (Associate Professor of Communication Dennis Dunleavy).

Criminology Lock-in (Rory N. Finney).

Professor of Music Paul French during choir practice (Rory N. Finney).

Vagina Monologues cast (courtesy of the Women's Resource Center).

International Women's Day Parade 2008 (Dennis Dunleavy).

Snow Fiesta montage (Marsa Morse).

Karen Dugas in the Thorndike Gallery (Rory N. Finney).

Gregory Martin, #71, mixed media, 2009.

Ed Battistella teaching linguistics (Rory N. Finney).

Hearns Book Collection (Ana Carreon).

Student Alumni Etiquette Dinner (Marsa Morse).

Chris Platt at the championships (courtesy of Athletics).

Women's Basketball Team (courtesy of Athletics).