Sarah Castleberry

The document describes the Oklahoma Creativity Project, an initiative aimed at fostering a statewide collaboration to empower Oklahomans and promote creativity and innovation across commerce, culture, and education. The project seeks to encourage diverse creative thinking, harness the state's capacities for new ideas and business opportunities, and enhance cultural provision, with the overarching goal of positioning Oklahoma as a significant player in the 21st century.

The Faculty Senate meeting included a Special Session where IT personnel briefed the body on the mandate requiring attendance tracking for 1000- and 2000-level courses starting in Spring 2026. The briefing detailed the pilot program for attendance tools integrated with D2L, the selection timeline, and planned faculty training, emphasizing the goal of integrating data into the student success module for retention efforts. A UCOSA representative presented an informational proposal regarding the potential establishment of a 'dead week' before finals, which generated faculty feedback expressing concerns about content compression and instructional flexibility. Reports from the Senate Executive Committee highlighted progress on the Digital Accessibility Compliance Plan and AI Policy recommendations, as well as discussions concerning potential 90-credit hour bachelor's degrees. The Personnel Policies/Adjunct Affairs Committee reported on researching adjunct pay competitiveness and the temporary suspension of a CFAD overload pay policy. The Research, Information Resources, and Technology Committee detailed the multi-step software approval process and provided an update on the DoJ DSS compliance timeline. The Core Curriculum Committee reported on the proposed addition of MCOM 1123 to the core curriculum.

The meeting featured a special session with President Lamb, who provided updates on new Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with police departments and the Chickasaw Nation, strengthening forensic science initiatives. The President also discussed his appointments to the boards of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) and AASCU, and highlighted UCO's leadership in micro-credentialing. A major focus was the progress toward R2 status, noting encouragement from State Regents to accelerate this goal, and the official approval for the renovation and reopening of St. Mary's building, funded by a legislative appropriation. Discussions also addressed the development strategy for doctoral programs, prioritizing research doctorates that count towards the R2 threshold, and faculty concerns regarding course load reductions for doctoral student supervision. Committee reports covered topics including the adequacy and allocation of faculty release time, challenges faced by adjunct faculty regarding scheduling and pay, cybersecurity threats including a recent Google Forms phishing campaign, and ongoing work within the Graduate Council on handbook revisions for doctoral programs.

Key discussions during the meeting included a special session with a consultant regarding changes to employee benefits, specifically switching the medical plan provider to Blue Cross and Blue Shield and adjustments to the Dental coverage. Another special session focused on the financial impact of new in-state tuition rule changes on undocumented students and the resources being gathered to support them. The R2 task force presented its report detailing the implications of pursuing an R2 research designation for the university, including changes in funding and perception, and review of current designation criteria. Committee reports covered progress on reviewing the Faculty Grievance Process, updates on adjunct access to the Wellness Center, analyzing faculty workload survey data, updates on the Graduate Council's review processes for program revisions, and ongoing work on an AI policy for research grants and student research.

The "Always Central Campaign" is a strategic initiative aimed at honoring the institution's past and investing in its future. The campaign focuses on fostering a spirit of philanthropy to build a sound financial future, recognizing the decline in public funding. It is structured around five interconnected pillars: faculty, students, programs, facilities, and future giving, all designed to create a strong and lasting foundation.