The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents met in Oklahoma City at their annual December meeting. OU President James L. Gallogly addressed several topics related to the university’s goals, including increasing Norman faculty pay; providing additional scholarships for students; increasing research; and presenting an update on the university’s efforts to improve efficiency.
Gallogly highlighted recent news from the university in regards to research awards being up almost 28 percent year-to-date, mentioning the recent GeoCarb and K20 GEARUP grants as examples of sizeable, multi-year, high-impact projects. He added, charitable giving is also up almost $20 million from the prior year and $31 million in ongoing savings have been identified as efficiency work continues.
The university also presented a proposal to modify the Board of Regents Policy Section 6.2.8 that will recognize the contributions of all veterans and active duty military each year. The home football game held closest to Veteran’s Day will be dedicated to honoring those that protect our freedom. The board recognized Lt .Col. Joshua Mau, commander of the OU Army ROTC, Capt. Lyle Hall, U.S. Navy and Major Daniel Snodgrass, U.S. Air Force at the meeting. The Regents also approved the remodel of the existing ROTC Armory thanks to a gift from Jim and Miriam Mulva of Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Additionally, the Board of Regents approved several items including:
- Implementation of the Norman faculty compensation program beginning Jan. 1, 2019
- Selection of new executive officers Ken Rowe, Charles Wright, Lauren Brookey and John Woods
- Hiring Dr. Jed Friedman as the director of the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center, the first major hire following a major gift from The Harold Hamm Foundation with a goal of ending diabetes
- Additional personnel actions including naming David Horton as Interim CIO while the university wide search for a permanent CIO continues.
The next OU Board of Regents meeting is set for Jan. 29-30.
Established in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a doctoral degree-granting university and leader in research, healthcare, and academic activity impacting the state of Oklahoma and global community. The Norman campus enrolls more than 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students, the Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City enrolls more than 3,000 students and the OU-Tulsa campus enrolls more than 1,000. Of the 4,385 incoming freshmen in 2018, the average ACT score is 26.2 and is one of the most diverse and inclusive groups of incoming students in university history. OU began a new focus in 2018 to double research efforts in the next five years, promote OU Medicine as the healthcare provider of choice in the State of Oklahoma, and grow the university in northeastern Oklahoma.
