SOU President Rick Bailey August 2023 Video Message Learn More

Watch: SOU President Rick Bailey’s August 2023 Update

August 14, 2023 – SOU President, Rick Bailey says in his August video message to campus that the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action and LGBTQ+ rights should have a little direct effect on SOU, but the university must assure that everyone not only feels welcome, but also knows that they belong. Student loan debt “is not a behemoth” at SOU, as it is at some institutions, he says, but the university must be mindful, make hard decisions when necessary and be resourceful to keep students’ expenses and debts manageable.

Raider Up with President Rick Podcast at Southern Oregon University Ashland Cover

Listen: Raider Up with President Rick, Episode 6

May 30, 2023 – SOU President Rick Bailey is back for another Raider Up podcast, answering students’ questions about what tuition pays for, the state of housing in Ashland, the Theatre Program, accessibility on campus, how decisions are made about adding academic programs and more.

Watch SOU President Rick Baileys May 2023 Video Update cover

Watch: SOU President Rick Bailey’s May 2023 Update

May 19, 2023 – SOU President Rick Bailey focuses on two thoughts – a paradigm shift and our commitment to who we are – in his May video message to campus and community members. He says it’s time to “stop just playing defense” and look ahead to what the university should look like in 10, 20 or 50 years. And following a recent visit to campus by agitators seeking division – and the civil, pitch-perfect response by students and employees – he urges a daily commitment by the SOU community to “respect for and belief in the fundamental dignity of all people.”

SOU President Bailey March 2023 Video Update Cover

Watch: SOU President Rick Bailey’s April 2023 Update

March 29, 2023 – SOU President Rick Bailey circles back to something he mentioned over a year ago in his first video message to campus and community members: that with kindness and unity as a foundation, the university can do anything. He acknowledges that there is turbulence and anxiety, but also opportunity as SOU proceeds with its fiscal realignment. And he thanks campus and the community for their support through all of their connections with SOU.

SOU Raider Up Podcast with Angelina Caldera Listen

Listen: Raider Up with President Rick, Episode 5

February 20, 2022 – SOU President Rick Bailey returns to the Raider Up podcast with answers to students’ questions about what SOU has to offer for out-of-state students, parking availability for students, how students may be affected by SOU’s financial realignment and more.

Watch SOU President Rick Bailey February 2023 Update See Post

Watch: SOU President Rick Bailey’s February 2023 Update

February 3, 2023 – SOU President Rick Bailey updates the fiscal stability plan and thanks the campus community for thoughtful feedback ahead of the Feb. 16 town hall meeting, where details will be shared. Cost management is one of our for planks, and the other three – reimagining grants, leveraging philanthropy and diversifying revenue – are also keys to SOU’s future. He closes with an African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”

SOU President Rick Bailey Jr. Holiday Message

A Holiday Message from SOU President Rick Bailey Jr.

December 13, 2022 – SOU President Rick Bailey wishes happy holidays for all, regardless of your traditions or how you celebrate the winter season. The pause between fall and winter terms is a time for celebration and reflection – and a reminder that for everyone from Reading to Roseburg, SOU is your hometown public university.

Watch: SOU President Rick Bailey’s December 2022 Update

December 6, 2022 – SOU President Rick Bailey talks with students and employees about the university’s pending fiscal and programmatic realignment in his December video message to campus. President Bailey says he is “pleading with” all members of the campus community to play a role in what he acknowledges will be a painful process of determining the things SOU should stop doing. He promises an open, inclusive and compassionate process that ultimately will strengthen the university’s fiscal foundation and will make SOU a model for universities nationwide to reposition for the future.

Dr. Rick Bailey SOU September Message Fall 2022 on Facebook

Watch: SOU President Rick Bailey’s September 2022 Update

September 27, 2022 – SOU President Rick Bailey welcomes students and employees to fall term 2022, in his September video message to campus. President Bailey also lays out the plan to escape a periodic cycle of financial crises that are common at public higher education institutions across the country by reducing reliance on state funding and tuition revenue, and creating new income streams for the university by installing four planks: sustainable energy production, a senior living community, a campus business district and replacement of SOU’s core information system.

Nash Bennet SOU Student Podcast with President Rick Bailey Jr.

Listen: Raider Up with President Rick, Episode #4

July 26, 2022 – SOU president Rick Bailey uses episode #4 of his podcast to answer student questions about SOU’s commitment to students from rural areas, whether he may at some point teach military history or other courses, his musical preferences and some favorite moments from his first academic year at SOU.