SOU Student Conduct

The Office of the Dean of Students welcomes you to our community. We have created this page to ensure that you have information regarding COVID-19 and provide you with the resources found in the Code of Student Conduct – including guidance on guests/visitors, face covering/mask-wearing and social distancing. This webpage serves as a reminder of the university’s expectations related to the health and safety of our Southern Oregon University community.

We want to ensure the safety of our whole community. As such, we want to provide you with the following health and safety guidelines and policies:

• All students must abide by the COVID-19 Vaccination Policy in which students must attest and show proof of a COVID-19 vaccine card, or request an exemption for the COVID-19 vaccine and only approved exemption requests by the Student Health and Wellness Center will be valid, or be approved for deferment by the Student Health and Wellness Center.
• All students (regardless of vaccination status, and living on or off-campus) must adhere to the SOU Code of Student Conduct and the Face Covering policy.
  • Wear appropriate face coverings when inside any building on campus
  • Wear appropriate face coverings when you are with others outside
  • Social distancing is recommended
  • Wash your hands frequently and clean high-touch surfaces
  • Do not engage in gatherings that are inconsistent or in non-compliance with SOU policy
    • We encourage all students to be Upstanding Raiders
  • Report concerns through SOU Cares Note
• Students who live in University Housing Residence Halls:
  • Must follow COVID-19 Housing Policy, SOU Housing Lease/Contracts, and Guide to Community Living Policy.
    • Only SOU residential students assigned to the residence halls may be present in the halls (SOU students who live off campus or people who are not SOU-affiliated are not allowed in the residence halls).
    • Face coverings must be worn in all public areas such as: lobbies, hallways, laundry rooms, study rooms when with others, etc.
    • Face coverings are not required but are encouraged when students are in their rooms, and have other SOU residential students as guests.
  • Greensprings students: refer to the COVID-19 guidelines/policy sent to your SOU email.
• Students who live in Student Apartments and Family Housing:
  • Must follow all local, state and federal mandates regarding COVID-19 safety, their SOU Housing Lease/Contract, and SOU Student Apartments and Family Housing Policies and Procedures.
• For student clubs and organizations wishing to host or participate events or activities:
  • Please see the Student Life FAQ page relating to COVID-19 safety and events.
• For students wishing to attend Athletic events on campus:
  • All students must follow these COVID-19 Athletic Event Safety Procedures
• For students wishing to access the Student Recreation Center (SRC):
  • Please the SRC’s COVID-19 Reopening webpage
• For students who are student-athletes, are in a club sport, or are in intramural sports:
  • When students are in their coach approved athletic, sport, or intramural affiliated activities, students must additionally adhere to ​​the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) COVID-19 safety protocols.

Why do these policies exist?
As COVID-19 continues to impact public health and members of our university, we align to the principles noted in the Code of Student Conduct: “mutual respect, personal and academic integrity, civil discourse, and responsible decision-making” These principles enable us to create the safest possible environments for all members of our community. We expect our students to exemplify the university’s values regarding the well-being and success of all learners by holding each other accountable to following university and state guidelines to prevent further spread of COVID-19. While it might seem these daily and conscious actions go unnoticed, our individual and collective impact could save lives.

How can I comply with COVID-19 guidelines?
Stay informed. To better comply with guidelines moving forward, all Southern Oregon University community members should read communication sent by SOU with updated guidance that is informed by city, county, state and federal regulations. We know you get a lot of emails. Please read them; they will help keep you informed of the most current information we have at any given time. Sign up for SOU Alerts; you can access your SOU Alert Account on your InsideSOU account in the top, right-hand corner of the page (in the blue box).

What if I do not comply?
If you do not comply with university guidance, you will be held accountable to the Code of Student Conduct. As in other cases involving university policy, procedure or guideline violation(s), your non-compliance will be reported using the SOU Cares Report. From there, you will receive outreach to review and resolve the matter. See the SOU Code of Student Conduct for more information. Non-compliance can lead to University Probation and/or could lead to your removal from campus. For students living in University Housing, you could be removed from all of campus (including housing) and will be held to the financial terms of the contract.

At this time, face coverings are required in shared or common spaces and at all campus activities until the policy is rescinded. Face coverings are required in buildings and spaces on campus, including in outdoor spaces. No one is exempt from wearing a face covering. If you require an accommodation to this policy, please contact Disability Resources to explore a reasonable modification: dr@sou.edu .

Students in their residence hall rooms are not required to wear face coverings when they host SOU residential student guests. However, coverings must be worn in all common spaces of residence halls, including hallways, stairways, elevators, and meeting or recreational rooms.

Student employees who are on-campus and unable to wear a face-covering should contact Human Resources (Churchill Hall, Room 159, 541.552.8553 ; hrs@sou.edu ) and complete the SOU HR Accommodation Request Form. Students should contact Disability Resources ( 541.552.5213 , option 2; dr@sou.edu ).

While circumstances may be unique to each student, below are some reflection questions to support you in making choices that lead to the desired and positive impact on self and others:

1. When not following COVID-19 guidelines, what impact could I have on my community?
2. How can violating these guidelines impact those who are not in my immediate community?
3. What are steps I can take to be a better example for those around me?
4. If I could change my past behaviors, what would I have done differently?
5. How would I address another member of the community who I believe is violating COVID-19 guidelines?
6. What is my responsibility to safeguard myself and the Raider Community through filing an SOU Cares Report?

Where can I find out more information about COVID-19 and SOU?
Below are educational and informative resources to help students safely and successfully navigate university life and policies amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

General COVID-19 Information

1. Southern Oregon University COVID-19 Response: https://sou.edu/campus/notifications
   Sign up for SOU Alerts and Notifications here (scroll down, link on right side)
2. Jackson County COVID-19 Guidance & Updates: https://jacksoncountyor.org/hhs/COVID-19
3. Oregon State COVID-19 Guidance & Updates: https://govstatus.egov.com/OR-OHA-COVID-19
4. Center for Disease Control (CDC) COVID-19 Guidance & Updates: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

On & Off Campus Resources

1. Office of the Dean of Students: https://inside.sou.edu/dos
2. Student Health & Wellness Center: https://inside.sou.edu/health/index.html
3. Disability Resources: https://inside.sou.edu/dr/index.html
4. University Housing: https://inside.sou.edu/housing/covid.html
5. SOU Cares Report: https://inside.sou.edu/eg/reporting.html
6. The Disaster Distress Helpline can be reached at 1.800.985.5990 or through text by sending “TalkWithUs” to 66746

We ask students to take ownership of their choices and provide educational opportunities and resources that foster personal growth, repair harm, rebuild trust and strengthen each student’s relationship with the university.

Contact the Dean Of Students at dos@sou.edu for any questions.