President Bailey’s Video Update for September 2024

President Rick Bailey invites all members of SOU’s campus community to enjoy the promise and excitement of a new academic year that will begin later this month. He says it’s the “magical relationship between students, faculty and staff” that make SOU such a special place in higher education, and that those relationships will begin growing from the start of classes on Sept. 25. President Bailey discusses a recent trip to Taiwan with the presidents of some other public universities in Oregon, and the potential for new relationships with Taiwanese universities. He also points out that a nationwide delay in updating this year’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form – a key document for most forms of financial aid – will likely affect fall term enrollment numbers at SOU, and at other universities throughout the state and across the country. But he said SOU’s Financial Aid Office was the first in Oregon to roll this year’s financial aid packages out to students, and is continuing to work with new and returning students. “When we do face challenges, and when we come together as a campus community, there is no obstacle that we cannot overcome,” the president said.