Consumer Information

Privacy of Student Records – Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

• The Family Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) afford eligible students certain rights with respect to their educational records. SOU is required to annually notify students of their FERPA rights. More information about these rights is available on the website of the Office of the Registrar. The full text of SOU’s Student Records Policy – Rights and Responsibilities is available on the Student Affairs Policies website. For further question please contact Dr. Matt Stillman at stillmam@sou.edu .

Facilities and Services for Students with Disabilities

• The Disability Resource Center is here to ensure equal access for students with disabilities to all of SOU’s classes and programs. They provide academic accommodations for students with documented disabilities and information and resources for all segments of SOU. For information about resources and services available to students with disabilities please contact the Disability Resource Center at 541.552.6213 or dr@sou.edu .

Student Body Diversity

• Information about student body diversity, including the percentage of enrolled, full-time students in the following categories: male; female; Federal Pell Grant recipients; and self-identified members of a major racial or ethnic group is available by visiting the Office of Institutional Research website. For further questions please contact the Office of Institutional Research at stanek@sou.edu .

Cost of Attendance

• The Cost of Attendance are estimated costs of being a Full-Time Undergraduate or Graduate student at SOU. The Financial Aid Office publishes estimated costs of tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses. Actual expenses can vary depending on a number of factors, including but not limited to: number of credits being taken, degree program, housing arrangements, residency, and lifestyle choices. For actual tuition and fee charges please visit the Raider Student Services website or they can be contacted at 541.552.6600 or registrar@sou.edu . If you have further questions concerning cost of attendance please contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@sou.edu .

Net Price Calculator

• Net Price is the amount that a student pays to attend an institution in a single academic year AFTER subtracting scholarships and grants the student receives. A Net Price Calculator is available on the Office of Admissions website, under the Calculating Costs section on their website, and it allows prospective students to enter information about themselves to find out what students like them paid to attend the institution, after taking grants and scholarships into account. Net price results from the calculator are estimates and are not final or binding and may change. Please note a student must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be eligible for federal student aid funds. For questions please contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@sou.edu .

Refund Policy

• To be eligible for a refund, you must withdraw during the refund period as noted in the academic calendar. Your withdrawal date is the date you drop your class or classes or the date the Raider Student Services receives your official notification via email; you are liable for tuition for the class or classes until that date. Any monetary credit to your account that results from your withdrawal is calculated from the date of receipt of the withdrawal, not from the date you stopped attending class or classes. More information about the University’s refund policy, including the refund schedule, can be found on this website. For further questions please contact the Raider Student Services at 541.552.6600 or finaid@sou.edu .

Requirements for Withdrawal

• Students wishing to drop all of their classes from the University should initiate the request through the InsideSOU portal. For questions about the process please contact the Raider Student Services at 541.552.6600 . *Note: this may have an impact on your financial aid (see next section).

Return of Federal Financial Aid

• If you withdraw from the University and have received financial aid, funds may need to be returned to the appropriate financial aid programs, possibly creating a bill on your student billing account. Financial aid is “earned” for each day that a student participates in class. You may be expected to repay the “unearned” portion of your financial aid if you withdraw from school or receive non-passing grades in your classes. Since non-passing grades do not confirm participation, the Financial Aid Office will verify with the professor that a student participated in the course. More information about Return of Federal Financial Aid can be found on this webpage. For questions please contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@sou.edu .

Textbook Information

• Students can find various information concerning required textbooks including retail price for their courses on the website of SOU Bookstore. Students can also find information on textbook rentals and selling back their books. For further assistance please contact the Bookstore at 541.552.6178 .

Academic Programs

• SOU has many degree programs available. Information related to current degree programs and other educational and training programs can be found on this website or by contacting SOU at 541.552.7672 .
• Information related to research being conducted at the University can be found on this website or by contacting Southern Oregon University Resource Center (SOURCE) at 541.552.6278 .
• Information related to facilities in regards to academic programs can be found on this website or by contacting Facilities Management and Planning at 541.552.6231 or ppinput@sou.edu .
• Information related to Academic Affairs personnel can be found on this website or by contacting Academic Affairs at 541.552.6114 or stubbinsp@sou.edu .
• Information related to academic planning and improvement can be found on Strategic Planning website or by calling 541.552.7672 .

Transfer of Credit Policies and Articulation Agreements

• The determination of the transferability of courses occurs within the Registration and Records Office. The Articulation and Coordinator determines appropriate levels and equivalencies for courses from fully-accredited post-secondary institutions. For some institutions, a full articulation agreement exists; i.e., a comprehensive collection of an entire course catalog is articulated, and equivalencies can be viewed on the Registrar’s Transfer Credit Equivalencies website. Course transfer will be determined upon receipt of an official transcript for a student who has submitted an application for admission. SOU participates in a dual enrollment program in which students can take courses at two schools at once. Articulation Agreements can be found on Admission website. For more information on Dual Enrollment please contact Financial Aid at finaid@sou.edu or for transfer credit equivalencies please contact the Transfer Articulation Specialist at transferarticulation@sou.edu .

Accreditation of Institution

• The Southern Oregon University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Accreditation of an institution of higher education by the NWCCU indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality evaluated through a peer review process. An accredited college or university is one which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation. For obtaining or reviewing documents describing institutional accreditation of Southern Oregon University please visit this website or email deneuid@sou.edu .

Copyright Infringement – Policies and Sanctions (Including Computer Use and File Sharing)

• Sharing files without the permission of the copyright owner puts you at risk of a criminal and/or civil lawsuit. If you are found to have violated Federal copyright law, you may be liable for damages up to $30,000 for each work infringed and, if willful infringement can be proven, then damages can go as high as $150,000 for each work infringed. For more information see the “Copyright Infringement and Remedies” documents maintained by the U.S. Copyright Office. Unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material also violates the university’s Acceptable Use of Computer Resources Policy. Violation of these policies will be reported to the appropriate area for possible disciplinary action. An individual’s access to computer resources may be suspended immediately upon the discovery of a possible violation of these policies. Penalties may be imposed under one or more of the following: Southern Oregon University regulations, Oregon law, or the laws of the United States. Questions regarding unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material, including unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing, may be answered by SOU Information Technology at 541.552.6900 or helpdesk@sou.edu .

Complaints

• Southern Oregon University is committed to resolving all student concerns in a timely and effective manner. To that end, resources at Southern Oregon University are available to current and prospective students for the resolving of complaints. While the University encourages students to work through internal university processes for resolution of their concerns, students may also file external complaints with certain agencies. For more detailed information on filing an external complaint against SOU please visit Student Support and Intervention. Questions about this policy can be addressed by Student Support and Intervention at 541.552.6223 or vathc@sou.edu .

Prohibited Discrimination and Harassment

• Southern Oregon University affirms its commitment to promote the goals of fairness and equity in all aspects of the educational enterprise. All policies are subject to resolution using the SOU Equity Grievance Process. The Equity Grievance Process is applicable regardless of the status of the parties involved, who may be members or non-members of the campus community, students, student organizations, faculty, administrators or staff. Students and employees who feel they have encountered any form of discrimination or harassment may inquire with the Director of Equity Grievance/Title IX Coordinator at 541.552.7079 for information on their rights, options, and resources.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

• The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after you have made 120 qualifying payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer. This program is administered by Federal Student Aid and additional information can be found on this website. SOU is a qualifying employer for the program. For more information call Federal Student Aid at 800-433-3243 or your federal loan servicer.

Institution Cohort Default Rate

• The Institution publicizes the Cohort Default rate as provided by the Department of Education. Please visit this link to view the most updated CDR. Currently, for 2020- SOU’s CDR is at 0.0%

Gainful Employment

• In order for a non-degree (i.e. certificate), stand-alone program to be eligible for federal financial aid, among other things, the non-degree program must prepare students in that program for gainful employment in a specific recognized occupation. Southern Oregon University has 10 non-degree stand-alone programs currently eligible for federal financial aid and accepting new students. The programs include Accounting, Applied Finance and Economics, Cultural Resource Management, Interactive Marketing and E-Commerce, Management of Human Resources, Wine Business, Sustainability Leadership, Nonprofit Management, Internet Marketing and E-Commerce, Management of Human Resources. Certain information about these programs are disclosed to prospective students. Such information includes: the occupations the program prepares students to enter; program length; on-time graduation rate; tuition and fees charged for completing the program within the normal time; typical costs for books and supplies; job placement rate; median loan debt incurred by students completing the program. Disclosures for these programs are listed on the website for each certificate. For further information about these programs please contact the department directly.

Constitution Day

• Each educational institution that receives Federal funds for a fiscal year shall hold an educational program on the United States Constitution on September 17 of such year for the students served by the educational institution, commemorating the September 17, 1787 signing of the Constitution. If September 17 falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, Constitution Day shall be held during the preceding or following week. SOU fulfills this requirement annually by distributing copies of the Constitution on campus.

*Note: SOU does not place students or guarantee job placement upon program completion or graduation; and SOU does not publish placement rates as a means of recruiting students. Visit the Career Connections website for more information about their services. The Office of Career Connections can also be contacted at 541.552.6131 or careerconnections@sou.edu .

Teacher Preparation Program Report

• Each year the School of Education provides a report to the state of Oregon and the U.S. Department of Education in relation to preparing teachers for initial state certification or licensure. The report includes: goals, assurances, pass rates and scaled scores, program information, among other information. The Title II Oregon report is available on this website. For further information or to request a copy of the college’s report please contact the School of Education.

Authorization for Out-of-State Course Delivery

• Southern Oregon University participates in the national State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement, making it possible for students from every state except Massachusetts to enroll in online courses offered by SOU. In compliance with USDOE regulations, current and prospective students can find information about state authorization and complaint processes on the SOU State Authorization page. To determine whether programs in Education meet requirements for licensure in other states, contact the teacher licensing board in the appropriate state.