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47 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, March 23, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 18, 2005 RCC-SOU center gets high marks from Salem By DON JEPSEN for the Mail Tribune SALEM — Members of the Chamber of Medford/Jackson County got some good news Thursday from Jackson County legislators during a visit to the Capitol. The chamber’s top legislative priority, a $23.3 million education center in downtown Medford, has a good chance of being approved this session. Developed in partnership between Southern Oregon University and Rogue Community College, approximately one-third of the 93,000-square-foot complex would provide shared services, such as a center to assist students wishing to transfer from RCC to the Ashland institution. The two schools would divide up the remaining space for their own programs. Gov. Ted Kulongoski included the joint facility in his budget, but it must get through the Ways and Means Committee, which sets the state budget. Advertisement "The university and the community college have come together with a pretty good package," said Sen. Kurt Schrader, D-Canby, co-chair of the powerful budget panel. Sen. Alan Bates, D-Ashland, who also serves on Ways and Means, said the project threatened to derail during subcommittee hearings on community college spending. "The other community colleges started going into the (capital construction) trough to get their own projects funded," he said. "I think we headed that off today, and the RCC-SOU center is back on track." SOU’s portion of costs is $11.8 million — $5.4 million in scarce general fund dollars, $5.4 million in bond proceeds, and $500,000 in matching funds. Rogue is targeted for $11.5 million in state support and an as yet unspecified match. For SOU President Elisabeth Zinser, the building represents a visible presence in Medford. The current SOU programs in the county’s largest city operate in seven separate locations serving approximately 950 students. Rep. Dennis Richardson, R-Central Point, also serves on Ways and Means and is chairman of the subcommittee on Health and Human Services. He described how the subcommittees are setting priorities. Richardson said the massive $5 billion school appropriation — nearly half of the general fund — could pass early this year. It normally is one of the last budgets to clear the session, usually a few days before lawmakers adjourn. But Richardson didn’t appear too confident. "We’ll see," he said. "This is the Legislature after all." Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoo Advertisement s