Starting on Friday, Aug. 1, and per his own request to the Southern Oregon University Board of Trustees, SOU’s President Rick Bailey will take a 20% or $53,000 reduction to his $290,000 salary over the remainder of the fiscal year, following a unanimous virtual vote by SOU Trustees Wednesday afternoon.
In the face of looming $6 million cuts to the $66.7 million university budget and nearly 10% drop in fall freshman enrollment, Southern Oregon University President Rick Bailey is preparing to cut his annual salary by 20%.
Ashland City Councilors unanimously approved increasing taller buildings at SOU, making way for a plan to build a five-story building for seniors.
A project proposal by St. Louis-based firm McCormack Baron Salazar aimed at outlining a proposed housing development for senior independent living near the southeast corner of the Southern Oregon University campus could cost upwards of $64 million, pending selection by an evaluation committee and a finalized project plan.
An estimated 120 to 150 attendees trickled into Southern Oregon University’s Recital Hall on Wednesday to learn more about the Rogue Valley Manor’s parent company Pacific Retirement Services and its pitch to operate a senior living housing development proposed for the Ashland campus. Another company will talk about its plans on Friday afternoon.
Officials from the cities of Ashland and Guanajuato renewed their 55-year-old Sister City relationship during a breakfast gathering Thursday in the Rogue River Room of Stevenson Union at Southern Oregon University.
The owners of Rogue Valley Manor in Medford are among two finalists to become an official partner to build and operate a senior living and educational facility on Southern Oregon University’s Ashland campus. Pacific Retirement Services, will make its on-campus presentation from 9 to 9:50 a.m. Wednesday, July 9. McCormack Baron Salazar makes its presentation from 1:30 to 2:20 p.m. Friday, July 11.
Southern Oregon University’s Board of Trustees has tasked SOU President Rick Bailey with recommending $5 million in budget cuts by the next board meeting on July 31 — $1.8 million more than previously anticipated to account for significantly low reserves in its $84 million budget for fiscal year 2025-26.
During a special dinner on Wednesday, June 11, SOU held its 22nd annual Lavender Graduation for LGBTQ+ students. Sweets Underwood, the event organizer for the Lavender Graduation, talked about the importance of creating spaces and bridging the gap for LGBTQ+ — lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer and/or questioning, plus other sexual and gender minorities — students in the community.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek surprised Southern Oregon University graduates on a sunny Saturday morning at the school’s 99th commencement ceremony. Kotek, who congratulated each graduate on the stage during the more than two-hour event, described the tumultuous times facing the class of 2025.
The 54th annual Talent Harvest Festival — the city’s biggest event of the year — kicks off at 10 a.m. Saturday, featuring live music across six stages, family-friendly activities, and a “Wheely Fun Parade.”
Ashland city leaders on Tuesday will revisit an amendment to an ordinance that aims to streamline the ability to ban repeat offenders from business corridors. The proposed amendment is up for a second reading after a 4-2 vote in favor of approval.
Southern Oregon University will have three new trustees at the table at their upcoming Oct. 16 and 17 board meetings, following new appointments by Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek this week.
Herbert Rothschild: I didn’t get a good read on whether my classmates acknowledge how pervasive the effects of racism still are and the imperative to address them.
Ashland is slated to host a first-of-its-kind voluntary evacuation drill on Saturday, Oct. 11, giving people the opportunity to practice wildfire evacuation procedures in real time. Registration closes on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
Time is getting short to see and experience Crater Lake up close. The Cleetwood Cove Trail, which provides the only access to the lake, is open but will be closing for up to three years for reconstruction.
(It’s free)
