JACKSON and JOSEPHINE COUNTIES, Ore. (Oct. 31, 2024) – Juliet Long, vice president of Student Learning and Success and chief academic officer at Rogue Community College (RCC), and Dr. Casey Shillam, executive vice president and provost at Southern Oregon University (SOU), have a shared history as former classmates and graduates of Grants Pass High School (GPHS). Now, as academic leaders at RCC and SOU, they’re collaborating to enhance student transfer opportunities and career pathways between the institutions.
“When I learned that Casey would be joining SOU, I was thrilled—not just to reconnect but to bring our shared passion for supporting students and our community into an impactful partnership,” Long said.
On Oct. 24, 2024, they hosted the RCC/SOU Summit at SOU, reimagining the event that has taken place for more than 15 years. The most recent changes were made to welcome a broad audience of faculty and staff from both institutions to engage in campus tours and build stronger connections across admissions, advising and transfer services.
The partnership continues Thursday, Nov. 7 with the launch of the Rogue Valley Behavioral Health Employment and Career Opportunity Network (BHEACON) at SOU. This event brings educational and industry leaders together from across the entire Rogue Valley to address the behavioral health worker shortage and shape the region’s future in meeting its rapidly increasing early childhood education and behavioral health needs.
Shillam noted the urgency of this initiative, “With a critical shortage in early childhood education and behavioral health professionals, our collaboration aims to bridge the education-employment gap and provide multiple pathways for students to become care providers.”
While the lack of early childhood and behavioral health care providers is a national crisis, multiple impacts must be addressed at the local level to have significant and sustained impact. The RCC-SOU partnership has resulted in two grant submissions, increased collaborative efforts and support for transfer students. There are currently more than 10 transfer pathways from associate degree programs into specific SOU programs, and SOU guarantees admission for all students with an associate degree from Oregon community colleges, fulfilling all general education requirements. These include:
- Business
- Computer Science
- Digital Cinema
- Early Childhood Development
- Education Studies
- Emerging Media and Digital Arts
- Health and Exercise Science
- Healthcare Administration (new in 2024)
- Human Services
- Outdoor Adventure Leadership
The rekindled childhood friendship between Long and Shillam has brought a new and exciting energy to the RCC-SOU partnership. They are committed to meeting the needs of the Rogue Valley and giving back to the community they call home. They’ve each individually cultivated successful academic careers, and now stand ready to leverage that success to make change, together.
For more information on the RCC-SOU partnership and associated transfer programs, contact RCC’s Assistant to the Vice President of Student Learning and Success Sally Snyder at 541-956-7187 or at SASnyder@roguecc.edu.
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For general media inquiries or to schedule an interview with RCC staff, please contact Director, Marketing & Communications/PIO Kelly Gonzales at 541-955-7525, kgonzales@roguecc.edu.