Welcome
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Welcome
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SOU CATALOG HOME : WELCOME
The Region
Southern Oregon is geographically and historically rich. The seven county region served by Southern Oregon University is distinguished by the Rogue River, Crater Lake, the coast, and three mountain ranges: the Cascades, the Siskiyous, and the Coastal Range. The 200 mile Rogue River is famous for fishing, rafting, and other recreational uses. This beautiful and wild river originates in the Cascade mountains near Crater Lake and flows southwest and west across the Coastal Range to the Pacific Ocean at Gold Beach.
Crater Lake National Park, just eighty miles from Ashland, is home to Oregon's most spectacular natural feature. Crater Lake was formed 6,600 years ago when Mount Mazama erupted and left behind an enormous caldera. This pristine mountain lake is the second deepest in North America, measures six miles across, and is more than 6,000 feet above sea level.
Tourism, retail sales, and a burgeoning computer industry are driving forces of the Rogue Valley economy. It is surpassed only by the Portland area and the coastal region in the number of total tourist facilities. Ashland has more than sixty lodging facilities and eighty restaurants. It is second only to Portland in the number of such facilities in the state.
Cultural and recreational facilities are numerous. The region has five fairs and thirteen festivals, twenty-five art galleries and twenty-four museums. Recreational facilities include 151 public and 110 commercial campgrounds, seventeen golf courses, three race tracks, two ski areas, two ice skating rinks, and four horse stables. There are sixty-four registered guided tours in the region, many of which are on the Rogue River.
Ashland
Southern Oregon University is located in Ashland, population 18,500, at the base of the Siskiyou Mountains in the Rogue Valley of Oregon. The town is surrounded by forests, mountains, lakes, and rivers which provide a spectacular setting for outdoor sports and ecological studies.
Ashland benefits from a mild four-season climate. The average rainfall in the area is twenty inches, less than half the annual rainfall of Eugene or Portland.
Although the valley floor is generally free from snow, Mount Ashland Ski Resort, at 7,500 feet, offers winter recreation only thirty minutes from campus. The resort offers day and night skiing and has twenty-two downhill runs ranging from beginner to expert level. The slopes are served by four chair lifts with day and night skiing. The area has numerous cross country ski opportunities in the Siskiyous and the nearby Cascade mountains.
Only ten minutes from the campus, Emigrant Lake offers summer fun with its water slides, sailing, and parkland.
The University and community are a focal point of cultural activity and have gained national recognition due to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and associated theatres which draw 385,000 patrons annually.
A variety of restaurants, delis, bakeries, specialty shops, bookstores, banks, theatres, ice cream parlors, clothing stores, and more are within easy walking distance from the campus. A bicycle path leads from the University to downtown Ashland.
Lithia Park, with its duck ponds, paths, arboretum, and gently flowing creek, offers an ideal 100-acre area for picnics and strolls. It also provides the setting for the University's commencement.
The mission of Southern Oregon University is to provide excellent study in the liberal arts, selected professional programs, and research and service programs. Degrees are offered at the baccalaureate and master's levels.
Strong emphasis is placed on teaching and scholarship. Our student:faculty ratio of 17:1 is ideal for undergraduate instruction.
Students
Ninety-two percent of SOU's 5,073 students are undergraduates, distributed across thirty-five baccalaureate degree programs. Eight percent are pursuing graduate work in one of five areas of study. Approximately 900 students reside in twelve residence halls located in three main complexes on campus. An additional residence hall is used for visiting educational groups.
The student body represents a variety of cultures. In addition to students from predominately the western U.S., more than 145 international students from thirty-eight countries are currently enrolled at SOU. Our alumni are located in forty-nine states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and many overseas countries.
Campus
Southern Oregon University occupies a 175-acre campus with fifteen academic buildings, thirteen residence halls, and other multiuse facilities. All classrooms are accessible to disabled students. Beautifully landscaped grounds and architecturally pleasing buildings provide a pleasant environment for academic endeavors.
The oldest building on campus is Churchill Hall, built in 1925. It houses many of the administrative offices. The majority of buildings on campus were built in the 1960s and 1970s. Recent buildings include the Family Housing Complex, McNeal Hall addition, Stevenson Union Bookstore addition (1990), Computing Services Center (1991), Student Access Center (1995), Art East Sculpture Lab (1995) and Schneider Museum addition (1996). The $11.4 million Southern Oregon Center for the Visual Arts is scheduled for completion in early 2001.
History
Southern Oregon University is one of seven institutions in the Oregon University System. The University was originally founded as a private institution in 1869 by interested citizens of Ashland. In 1882, it was approved by the state legislature as a state normal school. Along with other normal schools in Oregon, it was discontinued for lack of state support in 1909.
After the normal school closed, a number of local citizens continued to make efforts to reopen the institution. In 1925, the state legislature appropriated funds to establish the Southern Oregon State Normal School. The doors reopened for summer session in 1926 with an enrollment of 258 students. Churchill Hall, now the administration building, housed the entire College, including the office of the first president, J. A. Churchill, for whom the building was named. Later presidents included Walter Redford, 1932 to 1946; Elmo Stevenson, 1946 to 1969; James K. Sours, 1969 to 1979; Natale A. Sicuro, 1979 to 1986; and Joseph W. Cox, 1987 to 1994. The current president, Stephen J. Reno, was appointed on July 1, 1994.
In the 1940s, all state normal schools were officially renamed colleges of education. As Southern Oregon College of Education, the Institution experienced rapid growth following World War II. In 1956, with more than 900 students, it became Southern Oregon College to signify its transition to a regional liberal arts college. In 1975 the name was changed by the Oregon legislature to Southern Oregon State College. In the spring of 1997 that name was changed to Southern Oregon University. This reflects the present role of the University as a regional multipurpose institution serving the state and the southern region of Oregon through programs of instruction, research, and public service.
Southern Oregon University is accedited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges. The facilities, faculty, and curricula of the Department of Chemistry are approved by the American Chemical Association. The Department of Education is accredited by the Oregon Teachers Standards and Practices Commission. The Department of Music is an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Music.