Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
Encyclopedia
The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education is the agency
of the government of Oklahoma
that serves as the governing body of the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education
, which is the largest provider of higher education in the state of Oklahoma. The State System consists of all institutions of higher education in Oklahoma that are supported (wholly or in part) by direct legislative appropriations from the Oklahoma Legislature.
The State Regents are the statewide coordinating board of control for the state’s twenty-five colleges and universities, ten constituent agencies, and two higher education programs. The State Regents is a nine-member board, with the members are appointed by the Governor of Oklahoma
with approval of the Oklahoma Senate
. Each member serves a nine-year term, with one member's term expiring each year, and can be reappointed to continue in service.
The current Chancellor of the Higher Education System is Dr. Glen D. Johnson, Jr.
.
Together with the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, the State System forms the core of Oklahoma's public education system.
(which existed from 1890 to 1907) in Indian Territory
, and were started either by Indian tribes or by religious organizations for the benefit of Indian tribes.
The first higher education institution in the territory is what is now Northeastern State University
, which was founded on May 7, 1851 as the Cherokee National Female Seminary. On March 6, 1909, the State Legislature of Oklahoma passed an act providing for the creation and location of Northeastern State Normal School at Tahlequah, Oklahoma
(Capital of the Cherokee
Nation), and for the purchase form the Cherokee Tribal Government of the Cherokee Female Seminary.
St. Gregory's University
was originally founded in 1875 as Sacred Heart Mission, founded in Atoka, Oklahoma (the oldest Catholic parish in Indian Territory) by the Benedictine monks. In 1876, the mission relocated near Konawa, Oklahoma and became an abbey. Sacred Heart College was founded with the permission of the Vatican in 1877 and later gained approval from the territorial government in 1883. The institution was moved to Shawnee, Oklahoma
(near the capital of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation
as well as the Seminole
Nation) as the Catholic University of Oklahoma in 1910, and in 1922, the name was changed to St. Gregory's College.
Bacone College
was founded in 1880 as the Indian University in Muskogee, Oklahoma
(Capital of the Creek Nation) by Almon C. Bacone, and is the oldest continuously operated institution of higher education in Oklahoma. The college has strong historic ties to various tribal nations, including the Cherokee Nation
and the Muscogee Creek Nation, as well as the American Baptist
Churches of America.
What is now the University of Tulsa
was originally founded in Muskogee as the Presbyterian School for Indian Girls in 1882. The institution was rechartered as the Henry Kendall College in 1894 under the auspices of the Presbyterian Women's Board of Home Missions. In 1907 the college moved to its current site in Tulsa, Oklahoma
and became the University of Tulsa in 1920.
The first public universities in Oklahoma date back before Oklahoma's statehood in 1907. The first territorial legislature of Oklahoma Territory
, in accordance with the Oklahoma Territory Organic Act, enacted laws creating three institutions of higher education in 1890. The United States Congress
mandated that the Territory have access to three different types of colleges: a liberal arts
and professional education college, an agriculture and mechanical arts college to meet the provisions of the Morrill Act of 1862, and a normal school
college
On December 19 of 1890, the first Governor of Oklahoma Territory George Washington Steele
signed the bill that created the Oklahoma Territorial University at Norman
(now the University of Oklahoma), the institution designated to provide the liberal arts and professional education, as the first university in Oklahoma. Six days later, on Christmas Day, 1890, Governor Steele signed the bills creating the Oklahoma Territorial Agricultural and Mechanical College at Stillwater
as a land grant institution (now Oklahoma State University) and the Oklahoma Territorial Normal School at Edmond
(now University of Central Oklahoma) to provide training for public school teachers in the new territory.
The Territorial Normal School opened on November 1, 1891. Six weeks later, on December 14, Territorial A&M College opened. The Territorial University would not open until August 1892 with Dr. David Ross Boyd
as the University’s first president.
Later, the Territorial Legislature established four more higher education institutions: the Colored Agricultural and Normal University at Langston (now Langston University
) and the Normal School for Teachers at Alva (now Northwestern Oklahoma State University
) in 1897. and the Normal School for Teachers at Weatherford (now Southwestern Oklahoma State University
) and the Oklahoma University Preparatory School at Tonkawa (now Northern Oklahoma College
) in 1901.
and Indian Territories
moved towards statehood as the State of Oklahoma, talks began to establish public higher education institutions in the former Indian Terrority. The former Oklahoma Territory already had seven established public higher education institutions while there were no such public institutions in the Indian Territory. State leaders immediately set out to increase access to the new state's public higher education colleges and universities.
Under the leadership of the first Governor of Oklahoma
, Charles N. Haskell
, the first Oklahoma Legislature
created two collegiate-level schools in the former Indian Territory: the Industrial Institute and College for Girls at Chickasha
(now the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
) and the School of Mines and Metallurgy at Wilburton
(now Eastern Oklahoma State College
). The Legislature intended for the school at Wilburton to become the eastern duplicate of the now University of Oklahoma
at Norman.
Within two years, nine more colleges had been established throughout the state. Although no more state institutions were created for nearly 50 years, the names, functions or governing structures of the public colleges and universities was in almost constant change.
As early as 1913, the second Governor of Oklahoma, Lee Cruce
, pleaded with the Legislature for consolidation of institutional functions and the abolition of some of the smaller schools.
In 1929, Governor William J. Holloway recommended to that the Legislature reduce the number of institutional governing bodies and called for a central coordinating agency. The Legislature passed a bill providing for a board to consist of the Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction
, two members to be appointed by the Governor, and the presidents of five state institutions. Unfortunately, the two gubernatorial appointees were never named and the ex-officio members never met.
Early in 1933, Governor William H. Murray
, by executive order, created a nine-member committee to coordinate public higher education. Soon thereafter, the Legislature passed a bill the statutorily created a fifteen-member central board. Although Governor Murray signed the bill and appointed the board members, the board never received any legislative funding. Despite this, the board still met and adopted a set of guiding principles for the coordinating work of the board. However, by the time Governor Murray left office, the terms of all the board members ended. Governor E.W. Marland, Murry's successor, left the positions until and never made any new appointments during his four-year term of office.
named new members and the coordinating board resumed operations. The board recommended that the board be given constitutional authority to ensure it would continue to function. Working off the board's recommendation, the 1941 Legislature proposed an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution
establishing Article XIII-A. Following legislative approval of the proposed amendment, a special election was held on March 11, 1941, at which the amendment was adopted. The amendment created the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education as the system's governing body.
To maitain academic independence from state politics, the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education was created in 1941 through constitutional amendment (Article XIII-A), governed by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. The State Regents prescribe academic standards of all higher education in the state (for both public and private instututions). The State Regents also determine functions and courses of study at public colleges and universities, grant degrees, and recommend proposed fees within limits set by the Legislature. In general, the State Regents receive a single higher education appropriation from the legislature and have the constitutional responsibility to allocate those budget items to each Governing Board of Regents or Board of Trustees of a constutuent agency. Additional constutuent agencies of the State System of Higher Education include:
While the State Regents are the coordinating board of control for all higher education institutions in the State, governing boards of regents and boards of trustees are responsible for the operation and management of each State System institution or higher education program in Title 70 of Oklahoma Statutes.
Additionally, the Oklahoma Constitution establishes three Governing Boards of Regents to provide governance various institutions of higher education.
The current Chancellor of the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education is Dr. Glen D. Johnson, Jr.
. The Chancellor is the chief executive officer
of the State System and is appointed by the State Regents.
budget allocations for each college and university, and recommend proposed fees within limits set by the Legislature. The State Regents also manage 27 scholarship and special programs. In addition, in cooperation with the Oklahoma Office of State Finance
, the State Regents operate OneNet, the state’s information and telecommunications network for education and government. The regents also oversee the Oklahoma Guaranteed Student Loan Program, which guarantees loans made to students by the private sector.
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
of the government of Oklahoma
Government of Oklahoma
The government of the US State of Oklahoma, established by the Oklahoma Constitution, is a republican democracy modeled after the Federal government of the United States. The state government has three branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial...
that serves as the governing body of the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education
Oklahoma State System of Higher Education
The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education is the state’s legal structure for providing public education at the collegiate level. It is a coordinated system of colleges and universities located throughout the state.-State System Overview:...
, which is the largest provider of higher education in the state of Oklahoma. The State System consists of all institutions of higher education in Oklahoma that are supported (wholly or in part) by direct legislative appropriations from the Oklahoma Legislature.
The State Regents are the statewide coordinating board of control for the state’s twenty-five colleges and universities, ten constituent agencies, and two higher education programs. The State Regents is a nine-member board, with the members are appointed by the Governor of Oklahoma
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
with approval of the Oklahoma Senate
Oklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of Senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution....
. Each member serves a nine-year term, with one member's term expiring each year, and can be reappointed to continue in service.
The current Chancellor of the Higher Education System is Dr. Glen D. Johnson, Jr.
Glen D. Johnson, Jr.
Glen D. Johnson Jr. is the 8th and current Chancellor of the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, a state system comprising 25 state colleges and universities, 10 constituent agencies, one higher education center and independent colleges and universities coordinated with the state...
.
Together with the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, the State System forms the core of Oklahoma's public education system.
Pre-statehood
The history of higher education in the State of Oklahoma begins before the days of the Oklahoma TerritoryOklahoma Territory
The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as the State of Oklahoma.-Organization:Oklahoma Territory's...
(which existed from 1890 to 1907) in Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
, and were started either by Indian tribes or by religious organizations for the benefit of Indian tribes.
The first higher education institution in the territory is what is now Northeastern State University
Northeastern State University
Northeastern State University is a public university with its main campus located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, United States, at the foot of the Ozark Mountains. Northeastern's home, Tahlequah, is also the capital of the Cherokee nation of Oklahoma...
, which was founded on May 7, 1851 as the Cherokee National Female Seminary. On March 6, 1909, the State Legislature of Oklahoma passed an act providing for the creation and location of Northeastern State Normal School at Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Tahlequah is a city in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, United States located at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. It was founded as a capital of the original Cherokee Nation in 1838 to welcome those Cherokee forced west on the Trail of Tears. The city's population was 15,753 at the 2010 census. It...
(Capital of the Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
Nation), and for the purchase form the Cherokee Tribal Government of the Cherokee Female Seminary.
St. Gregory's University
St. Gregory's University
St. Gregory's University is a private, co-educational Catholic liberal arts university. It is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It has its main campus in Shawnee, and an additional campus in Tulsa.-History:St...
was originally founded in 1875 as Sacred Heart Mission, founded in Atoka, Oklahoma (the oldest Catholic parish in Indian Territory) by the Benedictine monks. In 1876, the mission relocated near Konawa, Oklahoma and became an abbey. Sacred Heart College was founded with the permission of the Vatican in 1877 and later gained approval from the territorial government in 1883. The institution was moved to Shawnee, Oklahoma
Shawnee, Oklahoma
Shawnee is a city in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 29,857 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the Oklahoma City-Shawnee Combined Statistical Area; it is also the county seat of Pottawatomie County and the principal city of the Shawnee Micropolitan Statistical...
(near the capital of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation
Citizen Potawatomi Nation
Citizen Potawatomi Nation are a federally recognized tribe of Potawatomi people located in Oklahoma. The Potawatomi are traditionally an Algonquian-speaking Eastern Woodlands tribe.-History:...
as well as the Seminole
Seminole
The Seminole are a Native American people originally of Florida, who now reside primarily in that state and Oklahoma. The Seminole nation emerged in a process of ethnogenesis out of groups of Native Americans, most significantly Creeks from what is now Georgia and Alabama, who settled in Florida in...
Nation) as the Catholic University of Oklahoma in 1910, and in 1922, the name was changed to St. Gregory's College.
Bacone College
Bacone College
Bacone College is a private four-year liberal arts college in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Founded in 1880 as the Indian University by Almon C. Bacone, Bacone College is the oldest continuously operated institution of higher education in Oklahoma...
was founded in 1880 as the Indian University in Muskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee is a city in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the county seat of Muskogee County, and home to Bacone College. The population was 38,310 at the 2000 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in Oklahoma....
(Capital of the Creek Nation) by Almon C. Bacone, and is the oldest continuously operated institution of higher education in Oklahoma. The college has strong historic ties to various tribal nations, including the Cherokee Nation
Cherokee Nation
The Cherokee Nation is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It was established in the 20th century, and includes people descended from members of the old Cherokee Nation who relocated voluntarily from the Southeast to Indian Territory and Cherokees who...
and the Muscogee Creek Nation, as well as the American Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Churches of America.
What is now the University of Tulsa
University of Tulsa
The University of Tulsa is a private university awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It is currently ranked 75th among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by...
was originally founded in Muskogee as the Presbyterian School for Indian Girls in 1882. The institution was rechartered as the Henry Kendall College in 1894 under the auspices of the Presbyterian Women's Board of Home Missions. In 1907 the college moved to its current site in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
and became the University of Tulsa in 1920.
The first public universities in Oklahoma date back before Oklahoma's statehood in 1907. The first territorial legislature of Oklahoma Territory
Oklahoma Territory
The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as the State of Oklahoma.-Organization:Oklahoma Territory's...
, in accordance with the Oklahoma Territory Organic Act, enacted laws creating three institutions of higher education in 1890. The United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
mandated that the Territory have access to three different types of colleges: a liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
and professional education college, an agriculture and mechanical arts college to meet the provisions of the Morrill Act of 1862, and a normal school
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
college
On December 19 of 1890, the first Governor of Oklahoma Territory George Washington Steele
George Washington Steele
George Washington Steele was an American lawyer, soldier, and politician who twice served as a Congressman for Indiana, from 1881 to 1889 and again from 1895 to 1903...
signed the bill that created the Oklahoma Territorial University at Norman
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
(now the University of Oklahoma), the institution designated to provide the liberal arts and professional education, as the first university in Oklahoma. Six days later, on Christmas Day, 1890, Governor Steele signed the bills creating the Oklahoma Territorial Agricultural and Mechanical College at Stillwater
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Stillwater is a city in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. 177 and State Highway 51. It is the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 45,688. Stillwater is the principal city of the Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical...
as a land grant institution (now Oklahoma State University) and the Oklahoma Territorial Normal School at Edmond
Edmond, Oklahoma
Edmond is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area in the central part of the state. As of the 2010 census, the population was 81,405, making it the sixth largest city in the state of Oklahoma....
(now University of Central Oklahoma) to provide training for public school teachers in the new territory.
The Territorial Normal School opened on November 1, 1891. Six weeks later, on December 14, Territorial A&M College opened. The Territorial University would not open until August 1892 with Dr. David Ross Boyd
David Ross Boyd
David Ross Boyd was an American educator and the first president of the University of Oklahoma.He was born in Coshocton, Ohio, and after obtaining a doctorate degree from the small Wooster University, where he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi Fraternity. He began his career early as a...
as the University’s first president.
Later, the Territorial Legislature established four more higher education institutions: the Colored Agricultural and Normal University at Langston (now Langston University
Langston University
Langston University is an institution of higher learning located in Langston, Oklahoma, USA. It is the only historically black college in the state, and the westernmost historically black college in the United States...
) and the Normal School for Teachers at Alva (now Northwestern Oklahoma State University
Northwestern Oklahoma State University
Northwestern Oklahoma State University, also known as NWOSU, is a university in Alva, Oklahoma, United States, with satellite campuses in Enid and Woodward. A state university, it offers both bachelor's and master's degrees.-Establishment:...
) in 1897. and the Normal School for Teachers at Weatherford (now Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Southwestern Oklahoma State University is a public university in Weatherford and Sayre, Oklahoma. It is one of seven state regional universities in the state of Oklahoma.The current president of SWOSU is Randy Beutler.-History:...
) and the Oklahoma University Preparatory School at Tonkawa (now Northern Oklahoma College
Northern Oklahoma College
Northern Oklahoma College is a community college located in Tonkawa, Oklahoma, with additional campuses located in Enid, Oklahoma and Stillwater, Oklahoma. Student enrollment is approximately 2,700.-History:...
) in 1901.
Statehood
As Oklahoma TerritoryOklahoma Territory
The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as the State of Oklahoma.-Organization:Oklahoma Territory's...
and Indian Territories
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
moved towards statehood as the State of Oklahoma, talks began to establish public higher education institutions in the former Indian Terrority. The former Oklahoma Territory already had seven established public higher education institutions while there were no such public institutions in the Indian Territory. State leaders immediately set out to increase access to the new state's public higher education colleges and universities.
Under the leadership of the first Governor of Oklahoma
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
, Charles N. Haskell
Charles N. Haskell
Charles Nathaniel Haskell was an American lawyer, oilman, and statesman who served as the first Governor of Oklahoma. Haskell played a crucial role in drafting the Oklahoma Constitution as well as Oklahoma's statehood and admission into the United States as the 46th state in 1907...
, the first Oklahoma Legislature
Oklahoma Legislature
The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the biennial meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma. It is bicameral, comprising the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Oklahoma Senate, with all members elected directly by the people. The House of Representatives has 101...
created two collegiate-level schools in the former Indian Territory: the Industrial Institute and College for Girls at Chickasha
Chickasha, Oklahoma
Chickasha is a city in and the county seat, business and employment center of Grady County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 15,850 at the 2000 census. Chickasha is home to the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma and hosts an annual Festival of Light celebration located at...
(now the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, or USAO, is a public liberal arts college located in Chickasha, Oklahoma. It is the only public college with a strictly liberal arts-focused curriculum in Oklahoma. It provides Bachelor's Degrees and many students move on to graduate schools across...
) and the School of Mines and Metallurgy at Wilburton
Wilburton, Oklahoma
Wilburton is a city in Latimer County, Oklahoma, United States. The city has a population of 2,972 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Latimer County.-Geography:Wilburton is located at ....
(now Eastern Oklahoma State College
Eastern Oklahoma State College
-External links:* *...
). The Legislature intended for the school at Wilburton to become the eastern duplicate of the now University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
at Norman.
Within two years, nine more colleges had been established throughout the state. Although no more state institutions were created for nearly 50 years, the names, functions or governing structures of the public colleges and universities was in almost constant change.
Early coordination
As the number of institutions grew so did the competition for legislative funding. Combinded with considerable political activity throughout institutional governance, many called for a state system to coordinate the various colleges and universities. In early statehood, university presidents (and faculty to a lesser degree) were viewed as political appointments; it would not be uncommon for a new crop of university presidents to be appointed each time a new governor took office.As early as 1913, the second Governor of Oklahoma, Lee Cruce
Lee Cruce
Lee Cruce was the second Governor of Oklahoma. Running against Charles N. Haskell in 1907 in the Democratic primaries, Lee would not receive the party's nomination for Oklahoma's first Governor...
, pleaded with the Legislature for consolidation of institutional functions and the abolition of some of the smaller schools.
In 1929, Governor William J. Holloway recommended to that the Legislature reduce the number of institutional governing bodies and called for a central coordinating agency. The Legislature passed a bill providing for a board to consist of the Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction
The Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction, sometimes called the Oklahoma State School Superintendent, is the chief executive officer for the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the President of the Oklahoma State Board of Education...
, two members to be appointed by the Governor, and the presidents of five state institutions. Unfortunately, the two gubernatorial appointees were never named and the ex-officio members never met.
Early in 1933, Governor William H. Murray
William H. Murray
William Henry Davis "Alfalfa Bill" Murray was an American teacher, lawyer, and politician who became active in Oklahoma before statehood as legal adviser to Governor Douglas H. Johnston of the Chickasaw Nation...
, by executive order, created a nine-member committee to coordinate public higher education. Soon thereafter, the Legislature passed a bill the statutorily created a fifteen-member central board. Although Governor Murray signed the bill and appointed the board members, the board never received any legislative funding. Despite this, the board still met and adopted a set of guiding principles for the coordinating work of the board. However, by the time Governor Murray left office, the terms of all the board members ended. Governor E.W. Marland, Murry's successor, left the positions until and never made any new appointments during his four-year term of office.
State system formed
In 1939, new Governor Leon C. PhillipsLeon C. Phillips
Leon Chase "Red" Phillips was the 11th Governor of Oklahoma.Phillips was born in Worth County, Missouri, and moved to Oklahoma at an early age. While a student at Epworth University in Oklahoma City, he studied for the ministry, but changed to law and received his LL.B. from the University of...
named new members and the coordinating board resumed operations. The board recommended that the board be given constitutional authority to ensure it would continue to function. Working off the board's recommendation, the 1941 Legislature proposed an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution
Oklahoma Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Oklahoma is the governing document of the U.S. State of Oklahoma. Adopted in 1907, Oklahoma ratified the United States Constitution on November 16, 1907, as the 46th US State. At its ratification, the Oklahoma Constitution was the longest governing document of any...
establishing Article XIII-A. Following legislative approval of the proposed amendment, a special election was held on March 11, 1941, at which the amendment was adopted. The amendment created the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education as the system's governing body.
To maitain academic independence from state politics, the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education was created in 1941 through constitutional amendment (Article XIII-A), governed by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. The State Regents prescribe academic standards of all higher education in the state (for both public and private instututions). The State Regents also determine functions and courses of study at public colleges and universities, grant degrees, and recommend proposed fees within limits set by the Legislature. In general, the State Regents receive a single higher education appropriation from the legislature and have the constitutional responsibility to allocate those budget items to each Governing Board of Regents or Board of Trustees of a constutuent agency. Additional constutuent agencies of the State System of Higher Education include:
- Quartz Mountain Resort Arts and Conference CenterQuartz Mountain Resort Arts and Conference CenterThe Quartz Mountain Resort Arts and Conference Center is a resort located 17 miles north of Altus in the Wichita Mountains of southwestern Oklahoma near the Texas border in the town of Lone Wolf, Oklahoma....
- Oklahoma Student Loan Authority and Oklahoma Higher Learning Access trust Funds
- George Nigh Rehabilitation Institute - Okmulgee
- OneNet (in cooperation with the Oklahoma Office of State Finance) Oklahoma state government’s telecommunication and information network
While the State Regents are the coordinating board of control for all higher education institutions in the State, governing boards of regents and boards of trustees are responsible for the operation and management of each State System institution or higher education program in Title 70 of Oklahoma Statutes.
Additionally, the Oklahoma Constitution establishes three Governing Boards of Regents to provide governance various institutions of higher education.
Members of the State Regents
As of October, 2010, the current State Regents for Higher Education are:| Name | Profession | Hometown | Term Expires | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill W. Burgess Jr. | Attorney | Lawton | 2011 | |
| Ronald H. White, M.D. | Medical Doctor | Oklahoma City | 2012 | |
| William Stuart Price | Businessman | Tulsa | 2013 | |
| Joseph L. Parker Jr. | Businessman | Tulsa | 2014 | Chair |
| Julie Carson | Attorney | Claremore | 2015 | Vice Chair |
| Marlin "Ike" Glass | Businessman | Newkirk | 2016 | Secretary |
| James D. "Jimmy" Harrel | Banker | Leedy | 2017 | Assistant Secretary |
| Mike Turpen Mike Turpen Michael C. "Mike" Turpen is an American lawyer and politician from Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party, Turpen served as the Chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party and as the Attorney General of Oklahoma from 1983 to 1987... |
Attorney | Oklahoma City | 2018 | |
| John Massey | Banker | Durant | 2019 |
The current Chancellor of the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education is Dr. Glen D. Johnson, Jr.
Glen D. Johnson, Jr.
Glen D. Johnson Jr. is the 8th and current Chancellor of the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, a state system comprising 25 state colleges and universities, 10 constituent agencies, one higher education center and independent colleges and universities coordinated with the state...
. The Chancellor is the chief executive officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of the State System and is appointed by the State Regents.
School Classification
The State Regentsuses a three tier classification system to establish a framework for overarching goals and objectives of the public institutions of higher education. Institutions of higher education can be categorized into one of three classifications:- Research University: "Also known as a "comprehensive university," a university that grants bachelor's, graduate and professional degrees and offers a wide variety of courses and degree programs. Along with instruction, research institutions also focus on research, extension and public service. Research universities usually have large student bodies and expansive campuses. Oklahoma's two public research universities are Oklahoma State University and the University of OklahomaUniversity of OklahomaThe University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
." Tulsa University, a private institution, is also classified as a Research University. Basic research, fundamental research (sometimes pure research), is research carried out to increase understanding of fundamental principles, to expand the body of a profession’s knowledge. A professor at a research university almost always has a terminal degree in their field of study, and is expected to bring in at least three times their salary in research grants to fund their endeavors to expand their profession’s body of knowledge. Because of the focus on research, graduate assistants (students working to achieve a terminal degree) often teach undergraduate classes; a form of a teaching apprentice program. At the graduate level, the focus is on typically on educating the student how to think, how to construct and destruct problems, the synthesis of ideas, and the development of new ideas, concepts, and theories.
- Teaching University: including the “Regional Universities” has a primary focus of teaching and a “responsibility for institutional and applied research...” Institutional research is the minimum a university professor needs to do assure they are constantly imparting the leading edge of knowedge to students. Applied research is using some part of the profession’s accumulated theories, knowledge, methods, and techniques, for a specific, often for governmental, commercial, or client driven purpose. A professor at a teaching university usually has a terminal degree (but may have a master’s degree) and has a primary focus on teaching. In Oklahoma, at least ½ of a professor’s time must be spent performing teaching related activities in order to be considered full time faculty. Applied and Institutional Research is typically funded through budgets and allocated through “release time” – obtaining an adjunct (or part time instructor) to cover the professor's teaching requirements that are re-allocated to research. A teaching university focuses on Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, although a few institutions may offer highly specialized terminal professional degrees. An undergraduate student at a Teaching University will typically be taught by a professor (as opposed to a graduate assistant) and have smaller class sizes than a typical undergraduate student at a Research University.
- Community College: A Community College will focus on offering certificate programs and two year associate degrees aimed at professional focused curriculum. Most colleges provide for open admissions (few, if any, prerequisites need to be met for enrollment.) Some Oklahoma Community Colleges have supplemental funding from an Ad valorem taxAd valorem taxAn ad valorem tax is a tax based on the value of real estate or personal property. It is more common than a specific duty, a tax based on the quantity of an item, such as cents per kilogram, regardless of price....
district. Community colleges typically focus on teaching students how to be successful in a profession. In general, the State Regents define the following functions for a coummunity college:- To provide general education for all students (typically the first two years of a four year degree; these “general education” courses are transferrable between any public higher education institution in the state)
- To provide education in several basic fields of study for those students who plan to transfer to a university and complete a baccalaureate degree.
- To provide one- and two-year programs of technical and occupational education to prepare individuals to enter the labor market
- To provide programs of remedial and developmental education for those whose previous education may not have prepared them for college.
- To provide both formal and informal programs of study especially designed for adults and out-of-school youth in order to serve the community generally with a continuing education opportunity.
- To carry out programs of institutional research designed to improve the institution’s efficiency and effectiveness of operation
- To participate in programs of economic development independently or with universities toward the end that the needs of each institution’s geographic service area are met.
Role of the State Regents
The State Regents prescribe academic standards of higher education, determine functions and courses of study at state colleges and universities, grant degrees, recommend to the Oklahoma LegislatureOklahoma Legislature
The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the biennial meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma. It is bicameral, comprising the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Oklahoma Senate, with all members elected directly by the people. The House of Representatives has 101...
budget allocations for each college and university, and recommend proposed fees within limits set by the Legislature. The State Regents also manage 27 scholarship and special programs. In addition, in cooperation with the Oklahoma Office of State Finance
Oklahoma Office of State Finance
The Oklahoma Office of State Finance is the Oklahoma state government agency that prepares the Governor of Oklahoma’s annual budget, analyzes the effectiveness of state management, manages the state’s budget system and makes appropriate allotments and transfers throughout the state government...
, the State Regents operate OneNet, the state’s information and telecommunications network for education and government. The regents also oversee the Oklahoma Guaranteed Student Loan Program, which guarantees loans made to students by the private sector.