Meeting students where they are
The Regional University System of Oklahoma celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. In 1948, RUSO was formed as a constitutional entity to preserve the autonomy of state colleges and universities in Oklahoma. Each year nearly 40,000 students enroll in our system’s six universities: Northeastern State University, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, East Central University, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Northwestern Oklahoma State University and the University of Central Oklahoma.
By 2020, 72 percent of the jobs in Oklahoma are expected to require college education. Increasing investment in education is the way forward to provide for the educational and economic needs for Oklahoma’s future generations. We continue to face this challenging climate with grit, tenacity, and above all, flexibility.
Like my fellow regents, I’m pleased that our campuses have or are in the process of placing nearly 80 complete degree programs online. These include bachelor’s programs crucial to Oklahoma’s needs in areas like nursing, cyber-security, business administration, criminal justice, computer sciences, career and technology education, health sciences and PK-12 education.
Many of these same academic programs are available online as master’s degrees — with others in specialized areas, like criminal justice administration at UCO and autism spectrum disorders education at NSU, and often in accelerated programs. These unique programs meet the needs of place-bound professionals whose work responsibilities and family obligations prevent them from pursuing traditional learning settings.
As examples: At Southeastern, nearly 1,500 students have enrolled in its MBA online programs in recent years. Northwestern’s nursing program has grown 45 percent in the past few years, with 93 percent job placement. Southwestern’s program bridging from registered nurse to bachelor of science in nursing, followed by a master of science in nursing, is highly popular. Non-degree seeking professionals also have access to a wide array of educational advancement opportunities. East Central offers online certification programs in treasury management, managerial accounting, and personal financial planning.
We meet our students where they are, especially those facing challenges. Many of our students are the first in their family to attend college, or may be financially at-risk, are underprepared academically, or are returning adults who haven’t been in a classroom for years. RUSO maintains a versatility that allows us to help our students excel regardless of adverse circumstances. We believe that it is our obligation to provide the opportunities for all students to attain an excellent education.
Flexibility also means meeting workforce needs in innovative ways. Employers seek critical thinkers who can solve difficult problems, who can take direction and work in teams, can articulate a position, and appreciate diversity and globalization. Our institutions emphasize this skill-development throughout their curricula.
In fact, UCO’s excellence at teaching transformative learning skills has think tanks like the Gates Foundation regularly consulting with UCO. More than a dozen institutions are adopting UCO’s methods, and some have taken the extraordinary step of declaring their intent to earn institution reaccreditation using UCO’s practices.
Meeting students where they are means we must be responsive to their needs. Flexibility and nimbleness are core values at our RUSO universities.