OU’s Board of Regents will hold its September meeting on Thursday, with agenda items including a proposal to merge the graduate colleges for Norman and Tulsa campuses into one, a proposal to rank management firms for construction management on Jacobson Hall and a request to name the Center of Russian Studies.
OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. asked the regents to approve the realignment of the graduate colleges for the Norman and Tulsa campuses into one graduate college, to be called the OU Graduate College.
According to the meeting agenda, Harroz hopes to consolidate the administration of the graduate colleges with James Sluss, current dean of the Tulsa Graduate College and vice president of academic affairs for the OU-Tulsa campus, to fill the role as interim president of the OU-Tulsa campus once the merger is complete.
The agenda reads the proposed merger will not result in a “loss or reduction of staff in Tulsa” and will not affect the faculty or students as the policies, procedures and deadlines will remain the same on the Norman campus.
According to the agenda, the estimated total construction cost for Jacobson Hall, which currently houses the OU Visitor’s Center, is $15 million. The project will include updates to the life safety and HVAC system, restroom renovations and additions, accessibility improvements and interior and exterior renovations.
Harroz recommends the regents rank management firms for construction on Jacobson Hall, authorize the OU administration to negotiate the terms of an agreement fee, and allow the OU president or his designee to execute the construction management contract.
In the agenda, Harroz also recommended the regents approve the naming of the Center for Russian Studies in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences in recognition of a gift commitment to the OU Foundation.
The OU administration desires the new name remain confidential until the announcement is made, according to the agenda.
Also in the agenda, Harroz proposed changes to the 2023 health plan rates for active employees younger than 65 and retirees older than 65. The changes include added employee contribution rates and added retiree premium increases for Medicare-eligible medical and pharmacy plans.
The agenda also reported 13 gifts and commitments received by the OU Foundation, including a $15,958,333 gift from an anonymous donor for endowed scholarships benefiting students of visual arts and art history, mathematics and arts and sciences. The agenda also reported a $10 million gift from an anonymous donor, which was split into two gifts of $4 million to the Inspiring Champions Fund and $6 million to Athletic Capital.
Greg Graham, associate professor of African and African-American studies, will be given the title of Chair of the Clara Luper Department of African and African-American studies. The current chair of the department, Karlos Hill, will continue in his roles as regents’ associate professor of African and African-American studies, adviser to the president for community engagement and faculty fellow in Dunham College with no change to his salary.
Mark Morvant, professor of chemistry and biochemistry and vice provost for instruction and student success, will become the senior vice provost pending the regents’ approval. Morvant came under fire in 2020 after a Medium article alleged he used Twitter to “bully and silence” critics of OU’s response to the pandemic.
Raymond Orr, associate professor and chair of the department of Native American studies, left the university to take a new role at Dartmouth as an associate professor, according to the agenda. Orr became chair of the department in December 2020 with an expected term of four years. At this time, there is no one listed on the agenda to replace him.
The regents will meet at 8 a.m. Sept. 15 in the Faculty and Staff Lounge of the OU Schusterman Center at the OU-Tulsa campus for its executive session. The public meeting will begin at 2 p.m. Follow the Daily’s live coverage on Twitter @OUDaily.
