NEWS
TULSA, OKLA. – The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents met in Tulsa today to approve the budget for fiscal year 2024, academic and administrative appointments, new degree offerings, facility renovations and other items.
During the meeting, the Regents approved the university’s fiscal year 2024 budget. Driven by the university’s ambition to continue realizing the vision of its Strategic Plan, the FY24 budget endeavors to position OU for even higher levels of excellence while balancing affordability and accessibility. To support this, the Regents approved a 3% increase in tuition and mandatory fees for undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in Norman campus programs. At the Health Sciences Center, eight professional programs and undergraduate and graduate programs will have tuition increases ranging from 1% to 7%.
“Three years ago this summer, we embarked on a transformative era of excellence at the University of Oklahoma by launching our Strategic Plan,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “Since that time, we have made foundational investments that are recalibrating our future in ways that will change lives in abundance for generations to come. We’re very proud of the progress we’ve made, but to maximize OU’s potential, together we must do much more. The new budget will provide the necessary resources to amplify the world-class experience our students seek when they come to OU.”
In his remarks, Harroz noted that the university continues its commitment to making an OU education available to all – a key tenet of the Strategic Plan.
“Asking students and families to contribute more is not something we take lightly, so we’ve taken deliberate steps in recent years to alleviate the impact as we continue to prioritize need-based aid,” he said, while noting that need-based aid at OU has grown 48% in the last five years, and that need-based aid is a major component of OU’s $2 billion fundraising campaign, which designates $500 million toward scholarships and student support.
Harroz also emphasized a number of significant achievements that are the byproduct of OU’s Strategic Plan, including record freshman classes two years running, historic levels in research and fundraising, key workforce initiatives to support Oklahoma’s future, excellence across athletics and academics, and more.
“These accomplishments are impressive by themselves, but when we step back and view all of them together, it is both rewarding and inspiring as we position OU to flourish for years to come,” Harroz said.
Also during the meeting, the Regents approved new degree offerings, including four accelerated dual degrees that will enable students to obtain a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology and Health Promotion Sciences along with one of two different bachelor’s degrees in community health. The Regents also approved an accelerated dual degree option for a Master of Business Administration and Doctor of Dental Surgery, as well as an online Master of Science in Applied Computing.
The proposed degree programs will now go before the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education for final approval.
Regents also approved several academic and administrative appointments, including:
The Regents approved several agenda items related to upgraded facilities, including the approval of design plans that will expand and improve the Sam Viersen Gymnastics Center, as well as the renovation of a space within Cross Village for a new esports facility. With more than 3,100 members, the OU Gaming Club is one of the largest student organizations at the university. When complete, the new facility will provide a state-of-the-art competitive gaming environment with recreational gaming stations and a production area for use by OU students.
The board is set to next meet in September.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information visit ou.edu.
