NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. — University of Oklahoma President Joseph Harroz Jr. spoke to OU faculty and staff this week about the state of the university, the goals and challenges ahead.
While celebrating four years of record growth in freshman enrollment – with a 20% increase over the past two years, Harroz noted how this bucks college enrollment trends seen in Oklahoma and nationwide. Compared to a decade ago, just under 60,000 Oklahoma students are forgoing higher education in our state alone; nationwide, college enrollment has declined by about 2 million over that same time frame.
For OU to continue to maintain this level of growth unique to national trends, Harroz said we must continue to ask: “What is our place? Who are we? What is our value proposition to families?”
Harroz mentioned two answers: for OU to be the highest value public research university in the country and to ensure that every Oklahoman has the opportunity to attend OU regardless of their financial background.
With these goals come the costs of growth – ensuring OU’s Strategic Plan continues to address the university’s most pressing needs, and the university’s ability to recruit and retain top faculty and staff talent, among others.
Harroz addressed big picture goals and progress toward record-shattering amounts of annual gifts and the university's aspirations to become a member of the American Association of Universities, or AAU.
“Four years ago, I couldn't tell you that AAU membership was anything more than a dream,” said Harroz. “Now we are in the conversation.”
The conversation includes continued integration and investment in OU Health Sciences, adapting and mitigating the national endemic of rising health care costs, continued iteration of merit-based salary increases, and continuing to ensure OU’s academic offerings remain the highest quality while affordable and accessible.
The entirety of Harroz’s State of the University Address to Staff is available here.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. OU was named the state’s highest-ranking university in U.S. News & World Report’s most recent Best Colleges list. For more information about the university, visit ou.edu.
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