I came to Oklahoma City University because I believed that I would have the opportunity to “Create, Lead, and Serve.” I truly believed that by choosing OCU, I was going to be at a university that valued its students for more than just their tuition dollars — where I would be in a close community of people, all learning and growing together. However, in recent weeks I have had growing concerns about the university and their value in students’ voices.
It was announced on Aug. 3 that President Martha Burger would be retiring from our university effective June 30, 2021. I was saddened to hear this, but excited for the next direction our university would be headed under the leadership of a new president. Four weeks later, the Board of Trustees announced who would be serving on the Presidential Search Committee. I was in awe when I learned that the names of students and staff members were not included on that list.
OCU prides itself on the community they have created through their vision of “providing a student-focused learning environment and an inclusive, values-centered culture that engages the community and the world.” How can a university be “student-focused” when they have excluded two of our largest stakeholder populations from the table, during one of our universities most crucial decisions? Our campus would not be what it is without the hard work of our staff members and community of passionate students.
I have seen firsthand the trust issues that our students have with our university’s administration, their concerns with the administration’s ability to effectively and efficiently communicate. Throughout my time at OCU, I have given the university grace at times. I have understood that a thoughtful response can take time. But how will students have genuine trust in an institution that has given its students a reason to question whether or not their opinions are being taken into consideration?
I appreciate that the Presidential Search Committee has offered forums for both students and staff to voice their opinions on the decision of the next president of our university. However, all members of our campus community will be impacted in some way by the next president of our university. How can we, the student body, be certain that those in power will take our concerns to heart if we haven’t been offered a seat at the table?
My life has been directly impacted by the compassion and leadership shown by President Burger in the past three years. My hope is that this Presidential Search Committee will be able to choose a president who is willing to help raise the next generation of leaders in our world. A president who is willing to give up attending a Thunder game on a Saturday night to let my President’s Leadership Class tape her to a wall to raise money for Miracle Marathon. A president that will continue to embody servant leadership in the same way President Burger has.
My vision is that the next president of Oklahoma City University is chosen because of their ability to care for and invest in students. That they will be committed to continuing the path of making our school the best that it can be. A president that is eager to step into a vibrant community, where passionate students are studying to become the next Broadway star, doctor, Rockette, and maybe even the president of the United States.
I know that my time at OCU is short — that I am only a student here for four years. But no matter where I am in life, I will always be an OCU Star. The needs within higher education will always be changing.
It is my hope that Oklahoma City University will begin to value the input of their student body while making adjustments to these needs. If OCU is able to do this, I believe that it will continue to be an institution which prides itself in being a diverse and inclusive culture preparing its students to make an impact around the world.
Reid Powell
SGA Vice President
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