This Spring, at the Schusterman Learning Center, OU-Tulsa Admissions & Recruitment held its first Open House, an opportunity for prospective students and their guests to learn more about the programs, experiences, and amenities here on the OU-Tulsa campus.
The event kicked off with a welcome from Susan Bynum, Vice President of OU-Tulsa. “OU-Tulsa is such an incredible place,” she said. “It’s a hidden gem in Tulsa. The Sooner Nation is an incredible place to be a part of. And we are a part of Sooner Nation—we are one OU.”
The seminar featured a group panel of current OU-Tulsa faculty, staff, and students, moderated by Megan Hagar, the Director of OU-Tulsa Admissions & Recruitment. They spoke about all the unique facets of OU-Tulsa and the many ways in which the institution supports its students.
“Many of our students on this campus are working, in the midst of their career,” said Lauren Condry, Assistant Director of OU-Tulsa Student Affairs. “Others are trying to start out in a new one, or start out for the first time. We have a wide scale of where our students are in life. And we have found that we have to meet students where they are to help them be the most successful.”
With this being a smaller campus totaling just shy of 1000 students, the panelists highlighted the benefits of the more intimate setting. “Class sizes are small enough right now to where you can get a lot of one-on-one support from your professors if needed,” said Alexandrya Tahdooahnippah, a Cybersecurity scholar and student ambassador.
Fellow Cybersecurity student Sanaa Byron went on to say that “it’s very very close-knit, and we are literally going through each class together…you get so much time with each and every professor. You get to know their personalities, and they each have a very unique industry experience.”
On the topic of student support, Condry made sure to mention Career Services within the Office of Student Affairs. She stated that "we can help you with your resume or your cover letter, we can walk through job interviews with you, and we do several programs throughout the year to help prepare students for employment."
Hagar drove the point home with the following: “I hope that if you take one thing from today, it’s that everybody is talking about support. We want you to succeed and be successful.”
After the seminar, students were taken on a guided tour of campus for a personal look at where many of them will soon complete their studies. They were shown the many facilities designed to support students, including the Merkel Café, 24-hour gym, Schusterman Library, and multitudes of study areas.
The event concluded in breakout rooms where students met with representatives from each of their respective programs of interest. Faculty and staff offered a focused and individualized look into specific majors where students could have their questions answered. All attendees left with a wealth of information on OU-Tulsa, along with a merch bag full of OU gear.
Overall, the OU-Tulsa Open House proved to be a major win for prospective students—some even found out they were admitted right on the spot.
Instructor and Field Education Coordinator Austin McCoy had this to say about the Social Work program, but truly, it encompasses the OU-Tulsa student experience as a whole: “We’re going to challenge you. We’re going to support you. And we’re going to prepare you to be a professional worker here in Oklahoma.”
The OU-Tulsa undergraduate degree-completion application is now open. Students interested in social work are encouraged to apply by the June 1 deadline for Fall 2026.
