Senator Robinson warns Southern Oregon University will cut ACS chemistry, math degrees

Senator Robinson told colleagues that Southern Oregon University (SOU) plans to eliminate its American Chemical Society–certified chemistry degree and its math degree. "Southern Oregon University plans to eliminate their American Chemical Society certified chemistry degree program, as well as their math degree," he said on the Senate floor, and described his own experience as an SOU graduate who later was accepted to Caltech.

Robinson praised SOU's faculty and recounted that when he entered SOU he had limited advanced-placement credits but the department arranged an overlapping schedule that allowed him to graduate in two years. He said those programs "which were the reason my family and many others attended SOU will be gone," and called the elimination an error. He argued that difficulties recruiting students stem in part from K–12 preparation in Oregon and urged that the state "must fix K through 12 education."

The transcript records Robinson's remarks as a remonstrance; no formal floor action to prevent the program changes was recorded in the transcript. The floor discussion did not include a response from SOU officials or a staff report on enrollment or budget impacts during this session.