SOU earns high marks

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Southern Oregon University recently recorded two higher-education victories, with announcements that it had recorded a 5.1 percent increase in enrollment and that its students gave the school high marks in several areas.

Credit for the turnaround goes both to the staff at SOU and to state officials, who finally seemed to "get it" about the importance of higher education.

The boost in enrollment had two big drivers: a new Higher Education Center that opened in Medford and a significant increase in financial aid from the state made available to Oregon students.

While those factors played a role, no one should discount the efforts made by the SOU staff, efforts that were recognized in the annual National Survey of Student Engagement, which received responses from 380,000 college freshmen and senior nationwide.

In the survey, students rated SOU at or above the national average in areas ranging from interaction with faculty to collaborative learning and academic challenges.

SOU officials were particularly pleased with the high rating given by freshmen for the amount of interaction they have with faculty. Freshman retention has been a key part of the school's efforts to improve its enrollment and the study suggests those efforts are paying off.

Enrollment numbers released last week support that conclusion, with SOU topping the 5,000 mark, a significant boost after five years of declines. A key, at SOU as well as other state schools, was the significant increase in state funding for Oregon Opportunities grants. The number of grants given to Oregon students increased from fewer than 8,500 to more than 15,400, with annual award amounts jumping from $13.4 million in 2007 to $33.8 million this year.

That's 7,000 more Oregonians who will be given a chance to improve their lives and their opportunities for success through a college education. That's a great outcome for them, their families and the state that will benefit from their knowledge and skills.

SOU's enrollment jump also was fueled by the opening of the sparkling Higher Education Center in Medford, a joint venture of the college and Rogue Community College. Between the two schools, more than 3,000 students are now taking classes in Medford. Again, a wise investment by the state already is paying off for Oregon students.

Now the challenge will be to keep the momentum in the face of a looming budget crisis and not turn back to the days in which Oregon's support for higher education was an embarrassment. Higher education is not a frill — it's a necessity for students and for the state if they hope to compete successfully in the world economy. The governor and Legislature seemed to get that in 2007; let's hope it is a lesson not quickly forgotten.

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