OU President Calls for Bold Plan to Strengthen Oklahoma’s Future Through Strategic Investment

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OKLAHOMA CITY – At the University of Oklahoma’s Board of Regents meeting, OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. underscored the profound impact of state investment in its flagship university and outlined OU’s vision for continued partnership with the state. Harroz outlined a plan designed to accelerate Oklahoma’s path toward greater prosperity and health, seeking to build on OU’s achievements and set the stage for lasting economic and societal growth across the state.

Harroz reflected on the collaborative efforts between OU and state leaders, emphasizing the critical role of legislative support in advancing education, health care and economic prosperity. As the Oklahoma Legislature convenes next week for the 2025 regular session, OU is making a bold request for $75 million in state investment.

“When you look at those states we aspire to be, they’ve cracked the code: invest in high-performing public research universities,” Harroz said. “These investments drive health, research, new business and the prosperity of the population in the workforce that can help move you forward. Oklahoma is at a crossroads, but we know the path forward.”

OU’s $75 million request in additional state support would be used to recruit top-tier faculty, increase student scholarships and expand career and workforce-ready initiatives. This funding is essential to becoming the best value public research university in the country, Harroz said.

Thanking the legislature for their previous support, Harroz pointed to significant milestones achieved by the university in the past five years. Enrollment across OU’s three campuses has grown by nearly 6 percent, with a 20 percent increase in incoming freshmen on the Norman campus over the past two years. OU also has doubled its number of nursing graduates over the same time and expanded cancer care access to northeast Oklahoma, where a lack of access to NCI-designated cancer care was identified.

These efforts are bolstered by OU’s unprecedented research growth, including $411 million in annual research expenditures—a 12 percent increase that places OU among the top 8 percent of research universities nationwide and makes it the fourth-fastest-growing research institution in the country. Coupled with a 38 percent increase in need-based aid and a 28 percent reduction in net tuition and fees for Oklahoma students, OU is making higher education more accessible while driving innovation and economic impact across the state.

“Combining the highest-value public research university with excellence is the formula, and it works, but you have to do it, Harroz said. “Our request this year is to hit the gas pedal so that Oklahoma remains a land of opportunity, hope and promise for generations to come.”

Also during the meeting, the Regents took the following actions:

• Authorized the university to direct payments of non-allocated state funds to student-athletes for the use of their name, image, and likeness.

• Heard updates on the Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Master Plan that included authorizing the university to hire a construction manager and continue design and development work for the renovation of the west side of the stadium. This includes enhancements to the west lower seating bowl, upper deck and press box.

• Approved a plan to move the OU Polytechnic Institute into the Gallogly College of Engineering to further align OU’s educational and research capabilities with the workforce needs of the state. The realignment also will enhance operational efficiencies, foster research collaborations and expand OU’s academic pathways in the rapidly growing and dynamic technological field.

• Approved a new Master of Fine Arts in Drama in the Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts that will include a Directing option. The new degree program will now go before the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education for final approval.

• Approved the formation of a search committee for OU’s senior vice president and chief operating officer. This new position will drive continuous improvement and excellence in operational services while ensuring seamless integration and alignment across all three of OU’s campuses.

• Approved several academic and administrative appointments, including Stewart Berkinshaw as vice president and chief financial officer.

The Board is set to next meet in March.