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June 24, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels February 13, 2004 AuCoin resigns from Southern Oregon University By Bill Choy Ashland Daily Tidings Former U.S. Congressman and current Southern Oregon University Political Science Professor Les AuCoin will retire from the university in June. AuCoin, 61, said this morning he wanted to devote more time to finish a political thriller he's been working on and to travel more with his wife, Sue. "I just felt the time had come," he said. "It's not easy to leave, but I felt it was a good time to go for this dream of writing... I've got a bit of work done on it and I've got other ideas. I don't know if it will be published, but it makes me happy to write." AuCoin served as a congressman from Oregon from 1975 to 1993. He came to SOU in 1998. At the university, AuCoin taught courses drawing on his experience and contacts in Congress and his interest in environmental issues. Classes he has taught include Northwest Salmon Crisis: Science, Politics and Policy, Forest Policy and Politics and Public Administration and the Environment. For AuCoin, teaching students and working with his fellow faculty has been one of the best experiences of his career. "Next to Congress, this has been the best job of my life," he said. "The greatest thing about teaching is seeing that light bulb snap with students... and later when they tell you that you made a difference in their lives - that's goose flesh stuff." Eric Dittmer, associate professor of geology and environmental studies at SOU, always recommended that his students take AuCoin's Northwest salmon crisis class. He said the class gave students an in-depth approach to the salmon crisis. Dittmer said AuCoin brought perspectives of those that are being affected such as Klamath Basin farmers. A common response Dittmer heard from students about the class was "there is way too much work in class but I love it," he said. " You can't beat that if you're an educator." AuCoin said he plans to continue to live in Ashland and to do commentaries for Jefferson Public Radio and write columns that run in four Oregon papers including the Mail Tribune in Medford. He also plans to continue to lecture a few days each year at the National Security Project at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Government. At SOU, AuCoin also started the AuCoin Institute for Environmental, Economic and Civic Studies. In a letter to SOU faculty, University President Elisabeth Zinser and Provost Earl Potter thanked AuCoin for his contributions to the school. "He has contributed generously of his time and influence to secure resources for environmental studies, to teach scores of students, to collaborate with faculty colleagues, and to partner with local agencies," the letter said. " Moreover, he has been a wonderful citizen of the university in advising us about many matters of significance, just as he did for his predecessors." DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams