Chancellor meets with
lawmakers, newsmakers

Lawmakers and regents
State Sen. Sean Burrage of Claremore visits with University of Oklahoma Regent Jon Stuart of Tulsa when Chancellor Glen Johnson met with lawmakers and northeastern Oklahoma college officials for a luncheon meeting at Will Rogers Memorial Museum.

Talking education
Tom Clark (left), chairman of the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents, visits with State Rep. Tad Jones of Claremore, chairman of the Oklahoma House education committee and head of the education appropriations committee.

Education leaders
Jeff Hale (left), former Southeastern State University president, now with the Chancellor’s office, talks with State Rep. Tad Jones, chairman of the Oklahoma House education committee and head of the education appropriations committee, at a luncheon of lawmakers, educators, businessmen and journalists at Will Rogers Memorial Museum.

Chancellor visits
Chancellor Glen Johnson, Oklahoma State Regents of Higher Education, met in Claremore with northeastern Oklahoma college presidents. Meeting at Will Rogers Memorial Museum were Dr. Glenn Mayle, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Miami; Kim Cherry, interim president Northeastern State University, Tahlequah; Johnson; and Dr. Joe Wiley, Rogers State University, Claremore.

Chancellor Glen Johnson, Oklahoma State Regents of Higher Education, met in Claremore with lawmakers from northeastern Oklahoma. 

“This is the second of 16 meetings in two months,” Chancellor Johnson said of plans to take college needs to lawmakers before the legislative session begins.

College officials from Rogers State University, Northeastern State University and Northeastern Oklahoma A& M in Miami lunched at Will Rogers Memorial Museum in the “family room” gallery, surrounded by photos and artifacts of the Will Rogers family. The Claremore University is named for Rogers. About 75 people, including representatives of area newspapers and businesses, attended the luncheon meeting.

Johnson said primary goals of the state Regents of Higher Education are to:

•Increase accessibility

•Increase number of graduates

•Prepare graduates to meet the needs of a global environment.

To meet those goals, colleges must be prepared to make changes, he said.

High education initiatives to meet those goals are:

•Cooperative alliance with career-tech institutions

•Adult degree-completion program

•Concurrent enrollment

•Student portal (technology)

•Financial aid

•Workforce and economic development (match programs with business needs, i.e. nursing shortage).

He used the opportunity to make a pitch for continued support from lawmakers and was speaking to a captive audience including Rep. Tad Jones, Claremore, chair of the House education and education appropriations commissions.

“Today’s goal is to localize the message,” he said.

State. Sen. John Ford of Bartlesville of Bartlesville and Sen. Sean Burrage of Claremore represented the area of RSU with satellite campuses in Bartlesville and Pryor.

Joining Oklahoma University’s governing board, (which oversees RSU) Chairman Tom Clark and Jon Stuart were Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges Chairman Belva Howard and Regent Jan Gordon.

College presidents and hosts were Dr. Joe Wiley, RSU; Dr. Glenn Mayle, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Miami; and Kim Cherry, acting president Northeastern State University.

Dr. Wiley mentioned the proposal of a merger with Will Rogers Memorial Museums and he and Johnson invited visiting lawmakers to tour the Museum and RSU campus before leaving town.

Johnson called attention to RSU’s fast-growing enrollment, their continued accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission of North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Joining the group were area businessmen Dave Faulkner, Rogers County Abstract; Brett Lessley, Claremore Nursing Home-Brookfield Assisted Living Center; and Preston Doerflinger.