OU announced a three-year, $10 million plan to replace its current aircraft fleet on Monday, double its enrollment in the OU School of Aviation Studies programs and construct a multifunction center.
OU Aviation will replace its current aging fleet of 19 aircraft, while increasing it to 28 aircraft, with the first nine expected to arrive in December 2023, according to an OU press release.
“As a comprehensive public research institution, it is our duty to contribute our expertise toward the betterment of our state and its people,” OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. said in the release. “We have an incredible opportunity to expand the excellence of our No. 1 ranked university-based aviation program to meet the growing demand for aviation professionals in Oklahoma and across the nation.”
OU also plans to increase its enrollment in School of Aviation Studies programs from 250 total students to potentially 600 students over the next four years, according to the release. OU’s goal is to potentially triple the number of first-year aviation flying-option students from 50 to 150 for the upcoming freshman class.
According to the release, OU Aviation will construct a multifunction Center of Aviation Excellence, with a “state-of-the-art” hangar, classroom, lab and office spaces.
“With this important workforce initiative, OU remains committed to the highest academic standards for admission into our aviation program,” OU Senior Vice President and Provost André-Denis Wright said in the release. “OU will continue to produce the most qualified, passionate, exceptional pilots, air traffic controllers and industry leaders who intimately understand the industry they’re entering.”
The OU School of Aviation Studies will also purchase air traffic control simulators to address Oklahoma’s shortage of air traffic controllers, according to the release. The simulators will allow for an expansion of the air traffic management major.
According to the release, OU is committed to raising $30 million toward OU Aviation over the next five years as part of the university’s recently announced $2 billion “Lead On” fundraising campaign.
“With four undergraduate degree concentrations, the School of Aviation Studies offers students the chance to not only become experts in their chosen area of study, but to learn the business behind the industry – an essential area of focus that has earned us national recognition,” OU’s College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences Dean Berrien Moore said in the release. “We are eager to continue this excellence and look forward to expanding our efforts to support the workforce needs for Oklahoma’s growing aviation and aerospace industry.”
