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SOU exceeds five of state's goals Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Students work Monday in a Southern Oregon University computer lab. The school graduated 59 students in computer sciences last year, exceeding a state goal by 12. SOU was the only school of seven in the higher education system to exceed goals in five "report card" areas tied to incentive funding. The monetary rewards for retaining freshmen and having more technology graduates may be cut off by the legislative ax By TONY BOOM Mail Tribune ASHLAND - There's good news and bad news for Southern Oregon University. SOU was the only one of seven Oregon University System schools in 2001 to exceed established goals in five performance areas that determine incentive funding to institutions. But the $1 million in funding has been cut in the latest version of proposed budget reductions made in response to declining state revenue. Retention of freshmen, number of degrees awarded, graduate "satisfaction," degrees awarded in technology areas and gift, grant and contract expenditures all showed increases that exceeded goals at SOU. Last year as a result of its improvements in 2000, SOU received $140,000 from the $1 million statewide award pool. It is not clear what it will receive this year if the money is awarded. "It gets to be a small amount of money, but we think it's a symbolic value to give to campuses that are making great strides in improving," said Nancy Goldschmidt, system associate vice chancellor for performance and planning. "We would hope that it would be restored." Oregon's Legislature approved a "report card" system in 1997 to gauge improvement in four overall categories: access, quality, employability of graduates and cost effectiveness. Schools attempt to meet or exceed goals in 12 categories, five of which have been tied to funding for the past two years. The state's Board of Higher Education sets the goals for each school. "It's the best year I've seen. I think it shows that in fact tracking your performance makes you more aware," said Mary Ellen Fleeger, SOU vice president for research and communication. "I think you choose strategies to actually make those goals. I think it makes you more accountable." SOU also exceeded goals in four of seven other areas that aren't accompanied by incentive funding. They include the number of newly admitted Oregon freshmen, bachelor's degree completion rates, foundation revenues and faculty compensation. The university fell below goals established for total enrollment, recent graduate "success" or employment and current fund balance. While freshmen retention - the number of students who return for the sophomore year - was down for the entire university system, SOU surpassed its target by 5.6 percent. "We can definitely attribute (that) to the freshman colloquium," said Fleeger. "The students are in the same class with the same instructor (for the entire year) and they get their advising from that person also." "Southern made incredible leaps forward in student retention because of a number of initiatives they had in place to track students and to support them," said Goldschmidt. Fleeger said the slowing economy may account for the university's decline in recent graduate success, essentially a measurement of employment. The current fund balance - a measure of money held from state, campus and foundation sources - "went down because we wrote the big check for the Center for the Visual Arts," said Fleeger. Total enrollment declined by 261 in the fall of 2000 to 5,511. The 2001 fall enrollment was down slightly at 5,469. Oregon's university system showed overall improvement against goals in graduate satisfaction, enrollment, degree completion, degrees in technology areas and gifts, grants and contracts. Systemwide declines were seen in graduate success and fund balances. Statistics for some areas have not been completed. Reach Ashland bureau reporter Tony Boom at 482-4651, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.