2005 - 2006 University Catalog
Academic Services
Academic Advising
ACCESS Center541-552-6213
Academic advising is available to all students attending Southern Oregon University. The mission of the SOU advising program is to provide each student with the information and advice necessary to complete a college program appropriate to his or her developing life and career objectives. The principal goals of the advising program include delivering accurate information about degree requirements, assisting students with choosing a major, and teaching students to monitor progress toward their degrees.
To help you succeed at SOU, we have devised an individual advising plan that requires at least one annual session with your advisor. Meeting with your advisor is one of the most important contacts in your academic career. Your advisor not only provides academic assistance, but also serves as a mentor and resource in your field of study.
Listed below are the things you need to do each year; they will require you to plan ahead. Annual academic plans must be prepared by and on file with your major department or you may be prevented from registering for classes as a junior or senior.
Transfers or Undeclared Majors
New transfer students and all students who are undeclared majors without access to an advisor should make an appointment to see an academic advisor in the ACCESS Center. Students entering in fall will be invited to receive their academic advising during one of four Early Registration programs held each summer. Students are advised on General Education requirements, choosing a major, BA/BS requirements, and how to register for classes.
If you have questions regarding General Education requirements, you are encouraged to see an advisor in the ACCESS Center. After you have selected a major, you will be advised by a faculty member within your major department.
All students have access to advising services at SOU’s ACCESS Center.
Freshman Standing (0–44 credits)
The University Colloquium instructor provides advising for all freshmen required to complete CORE 101, 102, and 103. This yearlong sequence of courses focuses on writing, speaking, and clarifying educational goals.
The Colloquium instructor assists with the preparation of freshman and sophomore year plans, which serve as guides for course selection and overall academic planning.
Sophomore Standing (45–89 credits)
Sophomores with declared majors are assigned an advisor within their academic department. Sophomores must contact their major department to formally declare a major and request an advisor.
Sophomores without a declared major continue to be advised and receive assistance in deciding on a major from their Freshman Colloquium instructor or at the ACCESS Center.
All sophomores must declare a major and complete a junior plan in their chosen department by the conclusion of their sophomore year. This plan and a declaration of major must be on file by the time students accumulate 90 credits, or future registration will be blocked.
Junior Standing (90–134 credits)
Upon reaching junior standing, students must have completed the following (or registration will be blocked):
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declared a major;
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secured a departmental advisor; and
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filed a junior plan through their major department.
Senior Standing (135+ credits)
Upon reaching senior standing, students must have completed the following (or registration will be blocked):
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filed a senior plan through their major department; and
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filed an Application for Degree for graduation at least two terms prior to the term in which the student plans to complete degree requirements. Applications for Degree are available in the Registration Center.
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Academic Support
The goal of the University is to provide each student with the best possible opportunity for successful completion of a degree program.
Academic Support helps students develop the learning skills and study habits needed to succeed throughout their academic careers. Helping students understand their scholastic strengths and weaknesses and improving their academic performance, Academic Support offers Jump Start! Recharge Your Study Skills workshops, as well as individual sessions by appointment. The At-Risk Program offers academically at-risk students personal assistance in academic counseling and referral, study skill evaluation and teaching, and academic advising. Academic Support also coordinates mathematics tutoring and computerized mathematics placement testing.
Career Development and Community Partnerships
ACCESS Center541-552-6213
http://www.sou.edu/careers
A variety of career assistance is available to current and prospective SOU students, parents of SOU students, and SOU alumni at the Career Services Web site. An interactive cyber-library provides guidance in selecting a major and career direction and recommends job links. Sign up on the career-info email group to get current job listings, career tips, and information about career events. Check out the Career Services calendar of events, and find out about job-search workshops, presentations on graduate school, Oregon employment, annual career fairs, and the annual resumé doctor clinic. Individual appointments are also available year-round for assistance with all areas of the career development process. Career Services encourages all students to use their available resources to help plan extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, internships, and jobs after graduation.
Information Technology
Computing Services 119541-552-6449
http://www.sou.edu/it/
Information Technology (IT) includes campus Computing Services, Media Services, Telecommunications, technical support for Distance Learning, courseware systems, and Web support. In addition to providing enterprise-wide voice, data, and video services for students, faculty, and staff, IT supports instruction, scholarly activities, administrative services, and Web development throughout the campus.
Students have access to the campus network and a wide array of services and facilities that include twenty-eight labs and sixty technology-equipped classrooms across campus. In the labs, students have access to word processing, spreadsheet, and database software; presentation graphics; and curriculum-specific software. Students are provided with network storage for data files and a personal Web site. From labs, residence halls, or their homes, students may access the Internet, email, data files stored on the SOU network, and courseware systems. They may also pay bills, register for courses, and access grade information. Access to all computing facilities and services is free to registered students, who automatically receive accounts to access the SOU network, email, and other online campus Web services. On campus or in the residence halls, students use SOU’s high-speed network. From home, for students who have not contracted for broadband Internet services, the SOU Dial-in System is available free of charge.
The largest computer lab on campus and one of the largest facilities of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, the main Computing Services lab houses more than 200 PC and Macintosh computers. Areas of the main lab are used for classes; however, a portion is available for general walk-in use seven days a week. The main computer lab is equipped with high-speed laser printers, as well as scanners and color printers that provide specialized input and output capabilities. Students pay a fee for printing and copying. Many campus information services are supported in part by the Student Technology Fee.
Media Services
Computing Services 117A541-552-6393
Media Services provides instructional support and equipment for classroom use. In addition, Media Services performs equipment installation and repair, audio setups, videotaping of lectures and special events, and instructional design and media graphics support for faculty. SOU faculty may arrange equipment checkout by students.
Telecommunications Services
Computing Services Lab A204541-552-6419
SOU’s Telecommunications Services provides faculty, staff, and residence hall students with telephone and voice-mail services, as well as operator and directory assistance.
International Programs
Stevenson Union541-552-6336
intprogs@sou.edu
The International Programs Office coordinates and promotes international activities and involvement by students and faculty. There are many ways to add an international dimension to studies at the University. International activities include language and culture courses, study abroad programs and international internships, participation in the International Students Association, involvement in international forums, and a special campuswide international event each spring. With nearly 140 international students on campus, there are approximately forty countries represented in the student body. Returning study abroad students and internationally oriented faculty also enrich the University and contribute to a focus on global issues.
Study Abroad and International Internships
Many students consider the time they spend studying or working abroad to be one of their richest college experiences. Opportunities range from short summer sessions to academic yearlong programs. Study abroad and internship programs are easily arranged and enable students to live overseas while earning college credit at the University. For details, see page 159.
International Student Program Advisor
Stevenson Union541-552-6660
The international student advisor corresponds with prospective students about admission requirements, financial arrangements, housing, visa questions, and other topics. Once the students are on campus, the international student advisor connects them with an appropriate academic advisor and assists them with a successful transition to life at SOU. The international student advisor meets with students throughout the year as needed and helps coordinate social events and other activities. International students are encouraged to remain in close contact with the international student advisor during their enrollment at the University.
Study Abroad Program Advisor
Stevenson Union541-552-8334
The study abroad program advisor works with students who wish to study abroad or engage in an international internship. The advisor provides information about selecting the right program, admission requirements, financial arrangements, housing, and many other topics. The study abroad program advisor also works with students upon their return to process their transcripts and help them with any other issues that may arise.
The Lenn and Dixie Hannon Library
Library Hours: 541-552-6856Reference Services: 541-552-6442
Loan Services and Information: 541-552-6860
Hannon Library provides resources for students’ instructional, research, recreational, and general information needs. SOU’s well-trained and enthusiastic staff of librarians and paraprofessionals assist students with reference needs, electronic and Web information resources, interlibrary borrowing, and materials checkout. Librarians aid students in developing their research and evaluation skills, providing specialized instruction in library research in a wide range of classes. Subject specialist librarians also offer in‑depth research and reference assistance in specific areas.
Hannon Library holds approximately 310,000 printed volumes in the general collection, with nearly 2,000 journal, serial, and newspaper subscriptions. The large federal and state government collections total nearly 290,000 items. Some 825,000 microforms provide additional materials, which range from popular magazines to historical materials of scholarly interest.
A growing collection of electronic information resources, including indexes, full-text databases, and a number of e-journals can be accessed from both inside and outside the library. Other electronic and multimedia resources include videotapes, library Web pages, music CDs, and DVDs. Special collections include the 7,500-volume Margery Bailey Collection of Shakespeare and English Renaissance materials, an extensive Native American studies collection, a collection on wine and wine-making, a local history collection covering the six counties of southern Oregon, and children’s literature and art print collections.
The Southern Oregon Digital Archives (SODA) comprise more than 1,600 books that have been scanned and are available on the Web. This information is fully searchable and covers the southern Oregon ecoregion and regional Native American tribes.
Students may use Hannon Library’s online catalog to find information about SOU collections or to link to Summit, a catalog of more than twenty-two million volumes held by twenty-six libraries in Oregon and Washington. The library’s Information Technology Center (ITC) provides access to desktop computing software and electronic information, with expert staff to assist patrons with using these technologies for research, writing, and presentation.
The University recently completed an extensive expansion and renovation of Hannon Library that nearly doubled the size of the building to 123,000 square feet. The project upgraded the library’s technological infrastructure and created a beautiful facility that is now the centerpiece of the campus. New spaces for materials, classrooms, studying, reading, meeting friends, and quiet contemplation invite students in, as does the coffee shop on the first floor.