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Pillars

At the heart of our Strategic Plan are five pillars that define how we will fulfill our Purpose. Together, the pillars are our fundamental objectives, and they are carried out through the implementation of thoughtful and concrete strategies and tactics.

Pillar 1

Become a Top-Tier Public Research University

Pillar 2

Prepare Students for a Life of Success, Meaning, Service, and Positive Impact

Pillar 3

Make OU’s Excellence Affordable and Attainable

Pillar 4

Become a Place of Belonging and Emotional Growth for All Students, Faculty, Staff, and Alumni

Pillar 5

Enrich and Positively Impact Oklahoma, the Nation, and the World through Research and Creative Activity

Premise

Universities are a cornerstone of our economic and social prosperity and the key to realizing the American dream. A college degree is worth about $1.5 million more earned over a lifetime.

The period from 1945-1980 was a Golden Age of higher education, defined by rapidly growing enrollments and increased investment from states and the federal government (e.g., GI Bill). From 1980-2008 was a period of relentless public disinvestment and steadily increasing tuition. We are now in a new period that continues these trends and is further defined by worldwide competitive forces and consolidation due to demographic, fiscal, and technological factors.

Systemic concerns have developed over that same time period. These can be generally divided into fiscal concerns, changing demands for services, and a reliance on stopgap measures to confront a changing marketplace.

The Process

The President’s Academic Planning and Budget Advisory Committee’s 11-member group, co-chaired by Provost Harper and School of Music faculty member Dr. Sarah Ellis, was asked to begin exploring the establishment of our Plan. The Advisory Committee represents faculty of varying ranks and multiple disciplines. Between September and December 2019, The Advisory Committee collectively spent more than 900 hours working on the Plan and interacting with campus stakeholders, including the representative leadership of faculty, students, and staff.

How it Works

Our Strategic Plan consists of five elements:

  • Purpose
  • Pillars
  • Strategies
  • Tactics
  • Regular Assessment Performance Review
    (based on the Strategic Plan)

Defining a Purpose

Disciplined execution of our Strategic Plan will result in: providing affordable academic excellence for our students; promoting students’ intellectual, social, and emotional growth; and preparing students for a life of meaning and impact.

We will also: educate students committed to the pursuit of academic excellence regardless of background; serve and improve society through discovery, creativity, and innovation; and work in partnership with the public and private sectors to advance prosperity and well-being.

At the University of Oklahoma, our Purpose is elegant in its simplicity and profound in its depth:

WE CHANGE LIVES.

Read About Our Purpose

Recent 'Lead On' News

February 07, 2024

The University of Oklahoma Ranks Among Best Online Programs

The University of Oklahoma’s online programs are among the best in the nation, according to a recently released announcement from U.S. News and World Report. The 2024 Best Online Programs rankings analyzed more than 1,600 online bachelor’s and master’s degree programs using metrics specific to online learning. Of the regionally accredited institutions evaluated, OU claimed high marks in categories serving students who are military veterans.


January 23, 2024

OU Claims Tenth Davis Cup Win

For the 10th time in the past 11 years, the University of Oklahoma has been awarded the Davis Cup in recognition of its enrollment of Davis United World College international freshmen. A record 87 Davis UWC Scholars began their studies at OU last semester. The Davis UWC Scholars Program is the world’s largest privately funded international scholarship program.


January 19, 2024

Stephenson Cancer Center Researcher Leads Global Trial for Promising New Drug for Ovarian Cancer

Results of a global clinical trial published recently in The New England Journal of Medicine show that a new drug significantly improves survival in women with epithelial ovarian cancer, a deadly gynecologic cancer that often becomes resistant to chemotherapy. The lead author of the study is Kathleen Moore, M.D., associate director of clinical research at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center at OU Health Sciences and a professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the OU College of Medicine.