Weeks of Welcome
September 22 – October 26, 2023
Weeks of Welcome is the official beginning of your SOU story! Wow encompasses the first few weeks of each semester. The goal is to welcome new students to campus and welcome back returning students!
Weeks of Welcome programming encompasses key programs, key connections, and key resources – all of which new students will engage with during WOW this year! Community-building and engagement activities will take place throughout the week to connect new Raiders to their campus and the city of Ashland. The WOW schedule of events allows students to become familiar with campus, get involved, make new friends, and have fun as fall classes kick off!
The following goals and objectives will be met throughout the weeks’ events:
- Foster relationships between students and the broader SOU community.
- Promote belonging and inclusivity for new and returning students.
- Provide engaging events for students as they adjust to college life at Southern Oregon University.
- To connect new and returning SOU students with campus resources and student life.
Be sure to follow the following tags @soustudentlife, @souepic on Instagram.
Check back for more information on our new student engagement platform called Hawk NEST!
More Week of Welcome event updates are coming!
Friday, September 22, 2023: Move-In for New Students
- 10 am – 11 am: Student and Parent Session – Keep Calm and Ask the Dean (Arena – Stevenson Union)
- 11 am – 12 pm: Student and Parent Session – Maximizing Your SOU Experience (Arena – Stevenson Union)
- 2 pm – 3 pm: Student and Parent Session – Ask Me Anything: Mental Health and More (Arena – Stevenson Union)
Saturday, September 23, 2023: Move-In for New Students
- 10 – 11 am: Student and Parent Session – Ask Me Anything: Mental Health and More (323 – Stevenson Union)
- 10 – 11 am: Student and Parent Session – Productive Procrastination – DOS (Arena – Stevenson Union)
- 11 am – 12 pm: Student and Parent Session – Parents’ Keep Calm and Ask the Dean (Arena – Stevenson Union)
- 1 – 2 pm: Student and Parent Session – Maximizing Your SOU Experience (Arena – Stevenson Union)
- 2 pm: Student and Parent Session – Campus Tours (Stevenson Union Courtyard)
- 3 pm: Student and Parent Session – Campus Tours (Stevenson Union Courtyard)
- 7 – 10 pm: WoW Special Event – Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse (Raider Village)
Sunday, September 24, 2023: Move-In for Returning Students
- 10:30 – 11:30 am: WoW Session – Ask Me Anything: College and Adulthood (ASSOU Student Lounge – Stevenson Union)
- 2 pm: Campus Tours (Stevenson Union Courtyard)
- 2 – 6 pm: Target – Medford Shopping Day
- 3 pm: Campus Tours (Stevenson Union Courtyard)
- 8 – 9 pm: WoW Special Event – Magician Daniel Martin (Rogue River Room – Stevenson Union)
Monday, September 25, 2023: Convocation and Class Picture
- 9 am: Class Photo! – Meet at Raider Stadium for a group photo with your class of 2027 classmates. You’ll even receive a T-shirt before entering the field!
- 9:45 -11 am: Convocation (Lithia Motors Pavilion) – University Convocation is the traditional “calling together” of the university community as we start the new year and celebrate our new students. Parents and family members are welcome to attend.
- 2:30 – 3:30 pm: WoW Sessions – Meet your Majors (Various Locations – more information coming soon )
- TEM & Pre-professional Health Majors – Meet with Faculty and Staff from STEM, breakout rooms for individual majors (Science Center 151)
- Business – Please join faculty from the School of Business as we welcome you into the 2023-24 academic year! You will get to meet many of your Business faculty members as we discuss the exciting opportunities, and some of the challenges, you’ll get to experience here as you work towards your business degree! (Britt Hall 176)
- ESPS – Do you like working outside, watching plants or animals, studying how water moves across the landscape, or passionate about saving endangered species? Come meet your Environmental Science, Policy, and Sustainability faculty and learn about our programs, how we use nature as our classroom, and all the excellent opportunities you can have to work in the field and land an excellent job doing what you love (Science Center 066).
- Social Sciences – Meet with Faculty and Staff from School of Social Sciences, breakout rooms for individual majors (Taylor Hall 29/30)
- Undeclared Majors and Exploring Options – Career Connections will be on board to provide major exploration and provide self assessments, Undergrad Studies faculty on hand to provide assistance and answer questions. (Hannon Library 206)
- Health & Exercise Sci & Pre-PT – Stop by to meet your faculty and staff team, ask questions, hear their stories and advice, and take a tour of the Lithia Motors Pavilion. (Lithia Motors Pavilion 032)
- ACO New Student Orientation – Imagination, Creation, and Resolve – New students in the School of Arts & Communication will be introduced to the tenets of life as a creator, artist, and citizen of this world. They will learn how to persist with their chosen pathways forming at SOU and continuing throughout their existence. (Music Recital Hall 114)
- Education Studies – Meet with School of Education faculty, staff and current Ed Studies Seniors to ask questions, hear educator stories, take a tour of the Education/Psychology Building and learn how to make the most of the Education Studies program. (Education Psychology Building 195)
- Outdoor Adventure Leadership – Meet with OAL faculty and alumni to ask questions, hear stories from the field and find out how to make the most of the OAL program. (Lithia Motors Pavilion 032)
- English/Spanish Language & Culture – Please join your faculty advisors to ask questions, share stories and find out how to make the most of your program in the common area on the 2nd floor, Britt Hall.
- Psychology – Meet with Faculty and Staff from School of Social Sciences, indiv. breakout rooms for PSY majors (Taylor Hall 29/30)
- 7:15 – 9 pm: WoW Special Event – One College Nation (Rogue River Room – Stevenson Union)
- 9 pm: Ice Cream Social (Stevenson Union Courtyard)
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
- 9:30 am – 12 pm: Farmer’s Market Tour (Ashland Farmer’s Market) Let’s go and check out the Farmers Market! Join Raider Welcome Team members outside of the Hawk at 9:30am for a walkover together! Don’t forget a reusable shopping bag!
- 10 – 11 am: Disability Resources (DR): Open House (134 – Stevenson Union)
- 11 am – 12 pm: Student Health and Wellness Center: Open House (SHWC)
- 1:30 – 3 pm: WoW Special Event – The C-Word: Consent (Rogue River Room – Stevenson Union) The C-Word Consent: An interactive, educational program with researched information on how to break down walls and have a frank, difficult, but needed conversation about sex.
- 3 – 4 pm: Housing – All Hall Meetings (McLoughlin Hall – SU Arena and Shasta Hall – SU Rogue River Room)
Residents will meet the Residence Life staff within their building and learn about community safety & spaces, policies, roommate & suitemate agreements, community involvement, and upcoming events. All residents are strongly encouraged to attend the meeting for their community. Individual floor meetings will follow as needed.
- 4 – 5 pm: Housing – All Hall Meetings (Madrone Hall – SU Diversions)
Residents will meet the Residence Life staff within their building and learn about community safety & spaces, policies, roommate & suitemate agreements, community involvement, and upcoming events. All residents are strongly encouraged to attend the meeting for their community. Individual floor meetings will follow as needed.
- 6 – 9 pm: Speed Friending (Student Recreation Center)
Wednesday, September 27, 2023: First Day of Classes
- 11:00am – 2:00pm: Meet Ashland Day (Stevenson Union Courtyard)
- 12:00pm – 1:00pm: Financial Aid Wellness Check (Stevenson Union Foyer)
Thursday, September 28, 2023: Club Involvement Fair
11 am – 2 pm: Club Involvement Fair (Stevenson Union Courtyard) Come check out all of the awesome student organizations that you could join this year. SOU has over 40 student clubs and many of them will be present at this event to help you learn about how to get involved! The Club Involvement Fair runs Thursday, Sept 28th from 11am-2pm in the Stevenson Union Courtyard.
Friday, September 29, 2023: Glowfest
8 pm – 12 am: WoW Special Event: Glowfest (Rogue River Room – Stevenson Union) It’s time to party at our rave under the waves! Our Glowfest dance is the place to be Friday Night, Sept 29th! Join our EPIC Programming Board and DJ Tuff Shed for a colorful night of fun! RSVP early for a free glow t-shirt! We will provide glow paint and give-aways! The dance starts at 8pm in the Rogue River Room of the Stevenson Union and runs until midnight.
Saturday, September 30, 2023
1:00pm: Football vs. Montana Tech (Raider Stadium)
Monday, October 2, 2023:
11:30am: WoW Sessions – Identity Lunch: Women and Femme (308 – Stevenson Union)
Tuesday, October 3, 2023
- 11:30 am: WoW Sessions – Identity Lunch: Multicultural / Students of Color (308 – Stevenson Union)
- 3 – 5 pm: Library Open House (Hannon Library)
Wednesday, October 4, 2023:
11:30am: WoW Sessions – Identity Lunch: Military Connected (308 – Stevenson Union)
Thursday, October 5, 2023
- 11:30 am: WoW Sessions – Identity Lunch: Queer / LGBTQIA+ (308 – Stevenson Union)
- 5 – 6:30 pm: WoW Session – Speed Friending (ASSOU Lounge – Stevenson Union)
Friday, October 6, 2023
- 11 am – 1 pm: EPIC Chalkdown (Raider Village) Join EPIC Programming Board for some chill chalk art. Drop by to show your creativity on the sidewalk, learn about EPIC, and make new friends! Look for us outside around the Hawk or Raider Village on Friday, Oct 6th between 11 am – 1 pm.
- 5 – 8 pm: Community Event – First Friday Artwalk (Downtown Ashland)
Saturday, October 7, 2023
- 12 pm: Community Event – SO Pride Parade (Downtown Ashland) SO Pride Website
- 8 pm: Community Event – Rent (Angus Bowmer Theatre – Oregon Shakespeare Festival) Click here for more information about FREE tickets!
Thursday, October 8, 2023
- 12 pm: Men’s Soccer vs. Rocky Mountain (Raider Stadium)
- 2:30 pm: Women’s Soccer vs. Rocky Mountain (Raider Stadium)
Tuesday, October 10, 2023:
11:30am: WoW Sessions – Identity Lunch: Disability Resources (308 – Stevenson Union)
Thursday, October 20, 2023
8 pm – 12 am: Pajama Jammy Jam (Diversions – Stevenson Union) This Will Be the Party of the Year! Don’t miss the BSU’s Black Pajamas Pajama Jammy Jam DJ’d House Party. Come dressed to impress. All colors of PJ’s are welcome. We just happen to know PJ’s look better in Black!
Saturday, October 21, 2023
11:00am – 2:00pm: Mt. Ashland Day of Service (Mt. Ashland) Click here to sign up to volunteer on Mt. Ashland!
Thursday, October 26, 2023: Job & Internship Fair
11:00am – 2:00pm: Job & Internship Fair (Stevenson Union 2nd Floor)
Please feel free to explore our Student Handbook to become more familiar with SOU’s campus departments and resources.