Southern Oregon University is the second campus to close this week in Southern Oregon due to alleged threats of violence on campus. Earlier this week Rogue Community College cancelled classes at its Grants Pass and downtown Medford campuses due to a reported threat. This comes in the wake of last week’s mass shooting on the Umpqua Community College campus in Roseburg which left nine dead.
Southern Oregon University’s main campus in Ashland will remain closed throughout the day Wednesday. All classes and activities scheduled to take place on campus have been cancelled. According to a news release from Southern Oregon University, “Forensic evidence collected from the location where the threat was found Tuesday evening has been sent for processing. However, at this time there is no estimate for when it will be processed or when details will be available.”
The news release continued, “A search of University facilities conducted jointly between Ashland Police Department and SOU found no additional threat to the campus. SOU administration continues to assess the situation working closely with APD. SOU Campus Public Safety and APD will maintain an increased presence on campus.”
Because campus is closed today The Siskiyou has not been able to reach officials from SOU for further comment. Campus activities such as “Active shooter training” scheduled for today has been cancelled. Classes are scheduled to resume Thursday morning at 5 a.m.. In a letter from administrators faculty are encouraged to allow flexibility for students and referral to a counselor should recent events cause stress and pressure to students.
