Read: Why Higher Education is More Important than Ever

December 3, 2024 – President Bailey admits he’s biased toward higher education – and the value of a liberal arts education. But objectively, there are many advantages that can’t be overlooked: nearly a million extra dollars in lifetime earnings; higher rates of personal satisfaction and professional advancement; a better appreciation of everything around you that comes with “learning how to learn;” the marketplace of ideas found on university campuses; the intellectual flexibility that comes from a broad-based education; and the “soft skills” in communication, creativity, problem-solving and leadership that employers prize. President Bailey urges readers to consider the vitality of institutions such as SOU: “Take into account the resourcefulness of our graduates. And let’s recognize the critical contributions we will make to the future success of our communities and our state – a success we will all own and enjoy together.”

Read: Message to campus regarding Texas tragedy

May 25, 2022 – The unthinkable has happened again. Yesterday’s tragedy, nearly 2,000 miles away at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, touched us at SOU as if it had occurred next door. This tragedy, close behind two other mass shootings in recent weeks, reminds us of the fragile nature of life and of the mental health of those who would extinguish it.