The OU Polytechnic Institute has hired Susan Thompson as the inaugural student success administrator. In this role, Thompson will be responsible for admissions, monitoring academic progress, retention coaching, financial aid and scholarships, military support services, career services, academic support services, and experiential learning services.
A native Oklahoman, Thompson brings more than 13 years of experience working in higher education with a technology focus. Most recently, she was the program director for Engineering and STEM Initiatives at Houston Community College. Prior to that, she served as the founding director of the Tulsa Alliance for Engineering, which is now the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance. She has extensive experience working with technology students and developing programs to meet the needs of industry.
“I am thrilled to have Susan on the OUPI team. She has a proven track record of program growth and student development while focusing on industry needs,” said OUPI Director Dr. Teri Reed. “Her knowledge of and connections in the Tulsa technology market will benefit OUPI students. Her leadership will ensure our students’ success.”
In this role, Thompson will focus on eliminating barriers to student success, overseeing student retention and academic progress as well as facilitating seamless integration for students in all OUPI programs. She will also ensure that OUPI faculty and staff members understand promising practices for non-traditional learners and learners coming from non-traditional pathways.
OUPI at OU-Tulsa is focused on high-demand, advanced and applied technology-based education. OUPI prepares graduates to transform industries in Oklahoma by offering innovative programs meeting growing demands in Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, Software Development & Integration, Digital Manufacturing and Health Information Systems. The first OUPI degree program, a bachelor of science degree completion program in Cybersecurity, will begin classes in Fall 2024.
