Correction: This story was corrected at 12:52 p.m. on June 24 to clarify the proposed 2025 housing and food service revenue would total $84 million. This story was also corrected at 10:32 a.m. to reflect the total nonresident tuition will be $1,059 per credit hour this year and was $1,028 per credit hour last year.
ARDMORE — The OU Board of Regents approved tuition and fee increases, changes to the student alcohol policy and changes to room rates and arrangements at Cross Village during its meeting Friday in Ardmore.
The board approved a 3% increase in tuition and mandatory fees for both undergraduate and graduate students on the Norman campus and College of Law that will be effective, according to the agenda.
The annual flat rate tuition and mandatory fees for students carrying 12 or more credit hours would be $4,943.25 for an undergraduate state resident and $13,733.25 for an out-of-state resident. Last year, the rates were $4,797.45 for an undergraduate state resident and $13,332.45 for an out-of-state resident.
For graduate students, the tuition charged by credit hour would be $382.25 for a resident and $698 for a nonresident. For law students, the total tuition charged by credit hour would be $583.50 for state residents and $1,059 for out-of-state nonresidents, compared to last year’s $566.50 for state residents and $1,028 for out-of-state nonresidents.
The increase will be effective fall 2024.
Over the past five years, tuition and fees have risen by 5.8% for undergraduate residents and 8.8% for undergraduate nonresidents.
Tuition waivers, scholarships and grants have increased significantly to enhance affordability, lowering the actual costs for students. According to the agenda, resident freshmen have seen a 28% reduction in their net tuition and fees, saving them $1,516 annually, while nonresident freshmen have benefited from a 4% reduction, saving $627 annually.
OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. said at the meeting the goal is to be a top tier research college and that, while tuition is increasing, need-based aid has also grown and, through these efforts, OU is helping students with financial needs.
“We can not lose focus on the mandate to make sure that we are absolutely available to every Oklahoma resident that has the talent and ability to do so. … That’s a promise, that’s our commitment,” Harroz said.
Other items that would see an increase include housing rates by 3-6% and meal plan rates by 8%. The proposed 2025 fiscal year budget would total $84 million in housing and food service revenues seeing an $8 million increase from last year’s budget.
This comes after the Oklahoma State University Board of Regents approved holding flat the costs of tuition and mandatory fees for the third consecutive year.
After the meeting, Harroz told OU Daily the university would receive $160 million from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to fund two buildings at OU, an engineering and a web laboratory, which is used for analyzing and testing drugs, chemicals and other types of biological matter.
These labs will be located on the Norman campus and are meant for undergraduate students enrolled in biology, chemistry and similar lab sciences.
The board also approved a new Cross Village residence hall room type.
Due to the high demand to live in Cross Village, OU Housing will replace the full-size beds in some of the two-bed and one-bath rooms with two extra large twin beds in each room, creating a four-bed and one-bath room. Storage would also be added to each space.
According to the agenda, the university obtained interim approval for the new room type and rate on April 23.
Including the new room arrangement, Cross Village would have a total bed count of 1,429. The room would cost $4,400 for each semester. The change will be effective fall 2024.
The board approved revisions of the university’s prevention of alcohol abuse and drug use policy.
According to the agenda, the Norman campus Student Alcohol Policy review committee began evaluating specific components of the policy with applicable offices to oversight the OU community and compare it to other SEC institutions.
Among the changes on the Policy and Procedure Manual is removing “Norman campus” to generalize to all students and organizations, on and off-campus, who are enrolled and/or pre-enrolled for subsequent semesters at OU.
The revised policy would cut details on the three strike policy implemented at OU as well as other alcohol-related sanctions. References to alcohol at fraternities, sororities and residence halls would also be cut.
During the meeting, the board approved the contracts for several new deans, including Anna Carpenter, new dean of the College of Law; Andrea Miller, new dean of Gaylord College; and John Antonio, new dean for Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy.
Carpenter will have a $400,000 contract for 12 months while Miller will have a $300,000 contract for 12 months. They are both set to start their respective positions on July 15.
Antonio will see an approximate $15,000 increase in salary, totaling $332,750 for 12 months after being promoted from interim to permanent dean of the college. He is set to start his position on July 1.
Dean of the Graduate College Randall Hewes would see an additional $70,941 to his salary for serving as the interim dean of the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences. He is set to start his position on Aug. 1.
On June 14, OU announced Price College of Business Dean Corey Phelps would be stepping down from his position and that Laku Chidambaram will serve as interim dean of Price College beginning July 13.
After the meeting, Harroz told OU Daily that search committees for new deans are done through a faculty process and that the university will start setting search committees for these colleges in August, as faculty members come back from the summer break.
Regent Anita Holloway made a motion to amend the administrative and professional personnel item to reflect amendments presented to the members on the board’s Thursday private session. This includes Harroz's and Senior Vice President and Provost André-Denis Wright's salaries.
According to the agenda, Wright would see a $47,897 increase to his salary, totaling $526,873 for 12 months.
While the agenda states Harroz’s salary would be up for consideration, Holloway said he was provided a bonus lump sum payment of $150,000 in recognition of his achievements.
The board approved the renaming of the Honors College to remove the names of Joe C. and Carole Kerr McClendon from the title.
The name of the college will revert to OU Honors College.
This story was copy edited by Riley McDaniel.
