Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education

The meeting includes an annual public hearing on tuition and mandatory fee limits for undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. Academic agenda items feature requests for new programs such as the Specialist in Education in School Psychology at Northeastern State University, the Master of Science in Automation, Data Analytics, and Sustainable Practices, and the Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education at Rogers State University. The board will consider program deletions, a legislative update, reports on the High School Indicators, investment management, and proposed revisions to the academic program approval policy.

The board meeting agenda focused on institutional updates and academic initiatives. Key topics included the potential approval of several new academic programs such as a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Cameron University, a Master of Education in English Education at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, an Associate in Applied Science in Medical Coding, an Associate in Applied Science in Speech Language Pathology Assistant, and an Associate in Applied Science in Simulation Technology at Rose State College. The agenda also addressed program deletions across various state institutions, revisions to academic policies, updates on legislative activities, state budget and revenue reports, tuition and fee information for the upcoming fiscal year, and various financial and administrative matters, including executive sessions.

The board meeting covered several key areas, including updates from the Governor on workforce development and higher education priorities, and a performance report on the investment portfolio. An institutional update was provided by Cameron University. Actions included the approval of several new academic programs, the deletion of several others, and the initial authorization for a new degree-granting institution. The board also addressed budget and revenue updates, allocations for health-related centers, grant approvals, and administrative policy revisions concerning the Free Speech Committee. Furthermore, updates on legislative activities were discussed, several administrative rules were adopted, and staff members were commended for their professional service.

The meeting included an institutional update from Tulsa Community College, the approval of several new academic programs across multiple state universities, and the processing of various program deletions. The Regents discussed the posting of revisions to several academic policies, state authorization requests for degree-granting institutions, and received a feasibility study report concerning 90-hour bachelor's degree programs. Additional agenda items covered a budget and revenue update, the posting of tuition and fee limits for the upcoming fiscal year, authorization for the Real Property Master Lease program, approval of EPSCoR matching funds, and updates on legislative activities and administrative rules.

The meeting, conducted as a State Regents Retreat, featured a presentation by Dr. Stephen Pruitt regarding the changing landscape of higher education, focusing on strategic planning, key national trends, and Oklahoma's ranking within the Southern Regional Education Board states. Discussion followed regarding challenges like declining birth rates, workforce demands, affordability, and best practices for admissions and performance funding. Subsequent discussions included an overview of the current Performance Funding Model by the Interim Vice Chancellor for Budget and Finance. The Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic & Student Affairs reviewed the State System's geographic service areas and institutional offerings, which led to a legal review by the General Counsel concerning relevant statutes. The meeting concluded with a detailed discussion to inform the Strategic Planning Committee on topics such as institutional plans, retention incentives, shared services, and relationships with CareerTech.