2006 - 2007 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 students succeed at SOU, we have devised individual advising plans that require at least one annual session with an advisor. Meeting with an advisor is one of the most important contacts in the student’s academic career. Advisors not only provide academic assistance, but also serve as mentors and resources in the student’s field of study.
Listed below are the things students need to do each year; they will require planning ahead. Annual academic plans must be prepared by and on file with the student’s major department or students 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 University Studies requirements, choosing a major, BA/BS requirements, and how to register for classes.
If you have questions regarding University Studies 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 Seminar instructor provides advising for all freshmen required to complete USEM 101, 102, and 103. This yearlong sequence of courses focuses on writing, speaking, and clarifying educational goals.
The Seminar 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 Seminar 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.
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.
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. In order to help students understand their scholastic strengths and weaknesses and improve their academic performance, Academic Support offers Jump Start! Study Skills workshops, as well as individual sessions by appointment. Academic Support coordinates mathematics tutoring and computerized mathematics placement testing and the University’s writing center.
Career Development and Community Partnerships
ACCESS Center541-552-6213
http://www.sou.edu/careers
A variety of career assistance options are 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 (career-info@sou.edu). 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 Center 117A541-552-6393
http://www.sou.edu/it/
In support of the academic mission of the University, the Information Technology (IT) Department provides technology and information resources for the entire campus community. Services are provided to assist students, faculty, and staff in the use of computer labs, technology equipped classrooms, courseware systems, administrative services, Web systems, and telecommunications.
Students have access to the campus network and a wide array of facilities and services. There are many Windows and Macintosh computer labs on campus. In the labs, students have access to word processing, spreadsheet, presentation graphics, statistical analysis, and database software, as well as a wide array of curriculum specific software and equipment. The largest computer lab on campus, the Main Computer Lab, houses more than 150 computers. Areas of the lab are used for classes with sections also 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. Students pay a fee for printing and copying. Almost 75 percent of the classrooms on campus have a computer, LCD projector, and other equipment to facilitate instruction. Internet access is available in all computer labs, the residence halls, and on the campus wireless network. All residence hall rooms have a data port for each student and in-room local dialing telephone service. Students may contract for long distance and voice-mail services.
There are a wide range of online services so that students can stay connected on or off campus. Using SISWeb, students may register for classes, evaluate academic progress, access grade information, and purchase campus goods and services. With Blackboard, students can access course materials and take classes online. Students are also provided with personal file storage and Web space on the campus network and automatically receive accounts to access network, email, SISWeb, and Blackboard systems.
International Programs
Stevenson Union 322541-552-6336
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 Union 322541-552-6660
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 Union 322541-552-8334
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 319,000 printed volumes in the general collection, with more than 2,000 journal, serial, and newspaper subscriptions. The large federal and state government collections total nearly 298,000 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 1,800 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-five million items held by thirty-two 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.