Higher education chancellor visits southeast Oklahoma to present legislative agenda
January 17, 2012
Office of Communications and Marketing

WILBURTON, OK (Jan. 17, 2012) – With fall enrollment at Oklahoma’s public colleges and universities remaining at record levels for the fifth consecutive semester, Oklahoma higher education Chancellor Glen D. Johnson presented the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education’s FY 2013 legislative agenda to southeastern Oklahoma lawmakers and educators on Tuesday.

The Chancellor’s presentation at Pete’s Place in Krebs was one of a series of regional meetings across the state. Nearly 100 legislators, educators and community leaders gathered for the annual meeting to hear the Chancellor address issues including higher education funding and cost saving efforts, enrollment growth, the Complete College America project, and the opposition to legislation allowing concealed weapons on college campuses.   

College presidents and representatives from Eastern Oklahoma State College, Connors State College, Carl Albert State College, Murray State College, Seminole State College, Southeastern Oklahoma State University and East Central University were in attendance.

The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education recently voted to request a 3.7 percent appropriation increase for next year.

“Oklahoma’s system of higher education continues to cut costs and tighten its belt while enrollment is at record levels and the number of college degrees earned increases each year,” Johnson said. “There is no better investment for our state than higher education. After three years of budget cuts, we continue to provide a top-quality educational product to our students at a very affordable cost as we produce an educated workforce to meet the demands of our global marketplace.”

Johnson explained that a total $347.3 million of actual and projected cost savings has been identified from 2009-13. These savings come from several areas, including energy conservation and conversion, changes and elimination of positions, and reductions in supplies. Savings in technology costs amount to $40 million annually.

To continue providing an affordable, high-quality education for Oklahomans, the state’s public higher education institutions are requesting $27.8 million in operating funds to address ongoing obligations, such as increases in health insurance premiums and retirement costs. Library expenses, instructional materials, information technology replacements and scholarships are also expected to increase.

Increased financial aid funding will also be a priority for the State Regents in the upcoming legislative session in order to reduce the financial barriers that prevent students from attending college. The State Regents seek to increase funding by $1.6 million for the concurrent enrollment program, which allows high school juniors and seniors to take credit-earning college courses.

The State Regents will also propose a series of bond issues over the next five years to eliminate the $271 million backlog in the Endowed Chairs Program. Since inception of the program in 1988, the state has matched 772 total accounts at 21 institutions.

The total appropriation request for next year is $980 million, a $34.7 million increase.

###

Eastern Oklahoma State College sophomores Curtis Citty of Haworth, and Kathryn McDurman of Spokane, WA, attended Chancellor Glen D. Johnson’s presentation of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education’s legislative agenda on Tuesday. Johnson addressed issues including higher education funding and cost saving efforts, enrollment growth, the Complete College America project, and the opposition to legislation allowing concealed weapons on college campuses.