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Degrees of Progress Summer 2020TONEY STRICKLIN NAMED STATE REGENT EMERITUSState Regent retired Gen. Toney Stricklinwas recognized as a state regent emeritusduring the State Regents’ April meeting.Stricklin was appointed by Gov. Mary Fallin toserve a nine-year term on the board, which hecompleted in May.Stricklin earned his Bachelor of Sciencein business administration from CameronUniversity and Master of Arts in internationalrelations from Newport College in RhodeIsland. He served for more than 32 yearsas a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army,which included a variety of command andstaff positions throughout the United States,Germany, Korea, and Vietnam.Stricklin held positions of increasingresponsibility and leadership in the U.S. Army,including serving as deputy commandinggeneral of the Army Field Artillery Centerand Fort Sill and commanding general ofFort Sill. He served a two-year term ascivilian aide to the Secretary of the Armyfor Oklahoma. He also served on the StateBoard for Career and Technology Education,as chair of the Information Technology Panelfor the Oklahoma Economic DevelopmentGenerating Enterprise initiative, and as amember of the Oklahoma congressionaldelegation that testified before the regionalBRAC commission regarding the relocation ofthe Air Defense Artillery School from Fort Blissto Fort Sill. Stricklin also served on the board ofdirectors for i2E, as president of the SouthwestOklahoma Advanced Technology Association,as vice chairman of military and governmentrelations for the Lawton-Fort Sill Chamberof Commerce, as chair of the Lawton-FortSill Chamber of Commerce Industry and aschairman of the Military Liaison Committee forthe State Chamber of Oklahoma, and as chairof the Lawton Airport Authority.Recognition for his dedicated public serviceincludes the Distinguished Service Award fromCameron University, Cameron University’sState Regent Emeritus Gen. Toney StricklinSchool of Business Distinguished AlumnusAward, and induction as an honorary memberof the Delta Mu Delta national business honorsociety. Stricklin is a Cameron UniversityDistinguished Alumnus and a member ofLeadership Oklahoma’s Class XVI, serving aschair of Leadership Oklahoma from 2012-13.CHANCELLOR JOHNSON APPOINTS OKLAHOMA REPRESENTATIVES TO SREBCOVID-19 POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION RECOVERY TASK FORCEIn his capacity as co-chair of the 16-statePostsecondary Education Recovery Task Forcerecently formed by the Southern RegionalEducation Board (SREB) in response toCOVID-19, Chancellor Glen D. Johnson hasappointed four college and university presidentsto represent Oklahoma on the task force.The task force is charged with addressing thechallenges facing colleges, universities andstudents from the disruption caused by theCOVID-19 pandemic.SREB invited state higher educationchancellors to appoint representatives fromboth two- and four-year institutions to serveon the task force, along with experts from thenational State Higher Education ExecutiveOfficers Association (SHEEO). ChancellorJohnson appointed the following individualsto represent Oklahoma on the task force:President Burns Hargis, Oklahoma StateUniversity; President Joe Harroz, Universityof Oklahoma; President John McArthur,Cameron University; and President JeanieWebb, Rose State College.The task force will encourage institutionsto work together to ensure a fully systemicapproach to higher education recovery inresponse to COVID-19, and will collaboratewith SREB’s new K-12 Education RecoveryTask Force, bringing together leaders fromall levels of education. Some of the centralissues the task force will consider include: Funding and costs: How states’ collegesand universities will find the resources toendure and provide quality teaching andsupport for each student. Safety and health: How institutions will reopen and maintain clean and safe campuses. Distance learning, technology,innovation: How institutions can improveonline teaching, and make broadband andtechnology more available to faculty, staffand students.655 Research Parkway, Suite 200, Oklahoma City, OK 73104 405.225.9100 www.okhighered.org Student and faculty/staff support: Howinstitutions will provide financial, academic,and personal support for students dealingwith the crisis.SREB works with member states to improvepublic education at every level, from earlychildhood through doctoral education. Anonprofit, nonpartisan organization basedin Atlanta, SREB was created in 1948 bySouthern governors and legislatures toadvance education and improve the socialand economic life of the region. Memberstates are Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware,Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana,Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina,Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee,Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.@okhighered3

Degrees of Progress Summer 2020STATE REGENTS’ COUNCIL FOR ONLINE LEARNING EXCELLENCE HONORSOUTSTANDING WORK OF FACULTY, STAFF, ADMINISTRATORSThe Council for Online Learning Excellence(COLE), an initiative of the State Regents’Online Education Task Force, recentlyrecognized a faculty member, an administratorand a university team for their outstandingwork. Kristi Karber, professor of mathematicsat the University of Central Oklahoma, washonored with the Oklahoma Online ExcellenceAward for Teaching. The Oklahoma OnlineExcellence Award for Innovation was presentedto the liberal arts division at Oklahoma StateUniversity-Oklahoma City. Tim Boatmun,vice president for enrollment managementat Southeastern Oklahoma State University,was presented with the Oklahoma OnlineExcellence Award for Individual Leadership.Karber is in her 15th year of teaching coursesranging from introductory math for generaleducation to calculus, and developed andhas taught two courses entirely online for thefirst time. She received the 2019 Oklahoma-Arkansas Mathematical Association ofAmerica Section Award for DistinguishedUniversity Teaching of Mathematics.The liberal arts division at OSU-OKC fostersengagement among online students andthe liberal arts. Collaborative innovation isdemonstrated in the efforts to offer teamtaught courses within the honors college. Theinterdisciplinary courses create intersectionsof faculty expertise focused on a singlesubject area, allowing students to gain thediverse perspectives necessary to gain a fullerunderstanding of global society.Boatmun was recognized for serving as achampion of high-quality online education ina variety of impactful capacities for the past20 years at Southeastern. Most recently heled the redesign of the Master of BusinessAdministration to better fit the needs of fullyonline students, resulting in a three-year growthof the program from 70 to 800 students. Healso has been instrumental in the formationof the Online Consortium of Oklahomaestablished by the State Regents in 2018.The State Regents created the Online EducationTask Force in 2012 to review the delivery ofonline education throughout the state systemand to determine the extent to which thedelivery of online education was accessible,efficient and effective. COLE, formed by thetask force in 2016, is comprised of faculty, staffand administrators representing each tier ofOklahoma’s public and private colleges anduniversities, as well as other entities connectedto online learning technologies.The 2020 Oklahoma Online Excellence Awardsnominations were submitted by peers andjudged by a committee of COLE members.Nominees were scored on the metrics ofleadership, innovation, collaboration and results.STATE REGENTS LAUNCH NEW WEBSITE TO HELP STUDENTS EARN COLLEGECREDIT FOR PRIOR LEARNINGThe State Regents recently launched anew website, ShowWhatYouKnowOK.org,targeting students who would like to earncollege credit for knowledge gained throughwork and life experiences, non-degreegranting institutions, military training or otherlearning environments.The new site consolidates the multiple optionsavailable to students and provides simple sitenavigation, a fresh visual look and feel, anda responsive design that is flexible betweenworkstations and mobile devices.4@okhighered“Oklahoma continues to be a leader inengaging students to return to college tocomplete their higher education degrees,”said Chancellor Johnson. This new websiteprovides options for any person looking forthe opportunity to turn prior learning intocollege credit, including those with industryexperience, students who took AP coursesin high school, those who have completedtraining at an Oklahoma career technologycenter, and members or former members ofthe armed services.The site outlines options for adults who haveearned previous college credits and areinterested in completing a degree program,those who have attended a career technologycenter or hold industry-recognized credentials,members or veterans of the armed serviceswho have completed military study andtraining, and high school graduates lookingto use advanced standing scores for collegecredit. The site also connects users tocomprehensive information about financialaid and the State Regents’ degree completioninitiative for adult learners, Reach Higher.The new website is supported by a grant fromLumina Foundation, an independent, privatefoundation in Indianapolis that is committedto making opportunities for learning beyondhigh school available to all. Lumina envisionsa system that is easy to navigate, deliversfair results, and meets the nation’s need fortalent through a broad range of credentials.The Foundation’s goal is to prepare peoplefor informed citizenship and for success in aglobal economy.655 Research Parkway, Suite 200, Oklahoma City, OK 73104 405.225.9100 www.okhighered.org

Degrees of Progress Summer 2020ONENET, TELECOMMUNICATIONS PROVIDERS MEET OKLAHOMANS’ INTERNETREQUIREMENTS DURING PANDEMICDuring the current global health crisis,it is critical that all Oklahomans haveaccess to adequate and affordable internetservices. Schools throughout the state havetransitioned to online coursework to completethe academic year. Health care facilities relyheavily on their telehealth programs to helpease the burden of patient care. Businessesare depending more on ecommerce toreach current and new customers. Anunprecedented percentage of Oklahomacitizens in the workforce depend on the abilityto telework for the foreseeable future.As the world moves to telework, distancelearning and virtual meetings, internetconnectivity is more vital than ever.Internet access is also critical to economicsustainability during a health crisis ascommerce transitions online and asbusinesses must find new ways to connectwith consumers. In response to these needs,OneNet is partnering with telecommunicationsproviders in communities throughout the stateto promote broadband availability during thecurrent health emergency.Oklahomans’ broadband needs have increaseddramatically during this time, and OneNet’stelecommunications partners are offeringsolutions. Some of these solutions includereduced internet service prices, expeditedbandwidth upgrades and more. When thestate began transitioning to telework anddistance learning, Sonja Wall, director ofOCAN and OneNet Services and the statebroadband coordinator, hosted a call with75 telecommunications representatives tocoordinate services and discuss how providerscan best meet customers’ new needs.As Oklahoma’s state broadband coordinator,Wall brings together a variety of public andprivate organizations to create a strategy foraddressing broadband needs in communitiesthroughout the state. This role is moreimportant than ever as Oklahoma citizensneed to connect not only within their owncommunities, but across the state andaround the globe.Public and private organizations are comingtogether in communities to meet citizens’needs. Libraries are offering public Wi-Fi intheir parking lots. Rural community electricco-ops are broadening their services tooffer internet in their communities. OneNetis partnering with the State Department ofEducation to develop a toolkit to help studentsobtain internet access. OneNet is also helpingfamilies and students who reach out to us byconnecting them to low-cost internet optionsfrom their local telecommunications providers.While OneNet has been working withcommunity partners to ensure all Oklahomansare equipped with internet access, ourcustomers are always our priority. OneNethas reached out to our customers to offerbandwidth increases to meet their new needswith telework, distance learning and virtualmeetings. OneNet has also expedited settingup Zoom video conferencing licenses forcustomers. Organizations utilizing OneNetZoom services include state agencies,municipalities, K-12 schools, colleges anduniversities, higher education boards andthe governor’s office. OneNet now manages26,000 Zoom licenses and has assisted withsetting up several large virtual public meetingsto ensure the state can provide continuity ofservices to citizens.learning. The State Regents, OneNet andseveral partnering agencies recently publishedthe Oklahomans Virtually Everywhere report.This report was developed in response tothe Oklahomans Virtually Everywhere Actof 2019 (House Bill 1921), which createda statewide initiative to make Oklahoma aleader in telepresence and virtual presence byallowing Oklahomans to provide their expertise,knowledge and instruction throughout the worldwithout leaving their communities.“The Virtually Everywhere Act helps to fostera robust technological structure that promotesa statewide telepresence and virtual presencenetwork, which is particularly vital right now,”says OneNet Executive Director Vonley Royal.“Developing this statewide network allows keystaff to work from home through telepresenceand virtual presence, thus keeping everyonesafe while still delivering state and localservices to citizens.”OneNet believes that now, more than ever, itsmission to further technology across the stateof Oklahoma is essential. We will continueto work with community partners to meet thestate’s ever-evolving needs.QuickFactSince the pandemic began, OneNethas issued 18,000 Zoom licenses tostate agencies, municipalities, K-12schools, colleges and universities,and higher education boards.The challenges of the current health crisishave also brought to the forefront the need forthe development of a statewide network thatsupports telework, telehealth and distance655 Research Parkway, Suite 200, Oklahoma City, OK 73104 405.225.9100 www.okhighered.org@okhighered5

Degrees of Progress Summer 2020OKCOLLEGESTART.ORG PROVIDES NEW VIRTUAL CAMPUS TOUR FEATUREWhile many in-person campus tours are onhold, Oklahoma colleges and universitiesare inviting students to visit their campusesvirtually. OKcollegestart.org, the StateRegents’ student portal for college planning,has gathered links to these tours in onelocation for easy access. Users do not haveto log in to their OKcollegestart.org account toaccess the information.“OKcollegestart.org intends to maintain thelist of virtual campus tours for as long as itis useful to those exploring postsecondaryeducation,” said Theresa Shaklee, studentportal coordinator for the Oklahoma CollegeAssistance Program. “We know nothingcan completely replace the experience ofvisiting a campus in person, but collegesand universities across the state have foundcreative and engaging ways to give studentsand families the opportunity to explore whatlife on campus really looks like.” Visit theOKcollegestart.org virtual tour list here.for Oklahoma educators to use in conjunctionwith OKcollegestart.org, allows counselorsto send transcripts from high school to highschool and from high school to college, trackstudent activities on OKcollegestart.org andcustomize academic plans for students.OKcollegestart.org provides free resourcesto help students and parents plan, prepareand pay for education and training beyondhigh school. The dynamic ProfessionalCenter, a website2020-21 COLLEGE PLANNING PUBLICATIONSThis fall, the State Regents will offer free online publications to help Oklahoma students plan and prepare for a college education. Thesepublications will be made available to counselors in a digital format that will allow them to assist with students’ college planning whether thestudent is in a traditional or online classroom.What’s Your Plan for College?These digital brochures for eighth- through 10th-grade and 11th- through 12th-grade studentsoutline the courses they must take in high school to be admitted to an Oklahoma public collegeor university, as well as financial aid information, estimated college costs, salary expectationsfor various jobs and information about campus comparison and selection.Counselors’ Resource Book:Oklahoma’s Colleges and UniversitiesThis online publication for high school counselors provides a profileof each college and university in Oklahoma and includes informationabout preparing for college, college costs and financial aid.High School Counselor ToolkitUCanGo2, a college access initiative of the Oklahoma College Assistance Program, isproducing an electronic kit to support educator outreach to students and parents. Eache-kit includes an Instructor’s Guide, a Plan of Action to help counselors make the most ofUCanGo2 materials throughout the year, student tools and FAFSA education resources.6@okhighered655 Research Parkway, Suite 200, Oklahoma City, OK 73104 405.225.9100 www.okhighered.org

Oklahoma State Regents for Higher EducationSecretaryMichael C. TurpenOklahoma CityJack SherryHoldenvilleChairmanAnn HollowayArdmoreVice ChairJeff W. HickmanFairviewAssistant SecretaryJustice Steven W. TaylorMcAlesterDennis CaseyMorrisonJay HelmTulsaDr. Ronald H. WhiteOklahoma CityChancellorGlen D. JohnsonOklahoma CityJoseph L. Parker, Jr.TulsaOklahoma State Regents for Higher Education655 Research Parkway, Suite 200Oklahoma City, OK 73104Phone: 800-858-1840 or edThe Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, in compliance with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of theEducation Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and other federal laws and regulations, do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, nationalorigin, sex, age, religion, handicap or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes, but is not limited to, admissions, employment,financial aid and educational services. This publication is issued by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, as authorized by 70 O.S. 2001, Section 3206.Copies have not been printed but are available through the agency website at www.okhighered.org. Two printout copies have been deposited with the PublicationsClearinghouse of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries.

OSU-OKC's recruiters presented information about campus academic programs. These presentations were the foundation for Amazon recognizing OSU-OKC as its designated Career Choice Partner in Oklahoma. The Career Choice program prepays 95% of tuition for Amazon employees who take courses related to high-demand fields. Throughout 2019, OSU-OKC .