Plans to create a collegiate recovery program to offer resources to OU students struggling with addiction have been halted, according to an employee in the office of the university committee.
Jess Eddy, director of strategic initiatives in the Office of University Community, said he was instructed to stop work on plans to create a collegiate recovery program by Jane Irungu, interim vice president of the office. He said he received this directive after a Sept. 10 OU Daily story about United Students in Service, a student recovery group Eddy advises.
Eddy made the announcement in a Sept. 10 Facebook post.
The collegiate recovery program was to be modeled after other top programs in the country that help students with addiction, such as the one at Texas Tech that offers nutrition seminars, academic advising, sober activities, mentorship and a recovery community center.
This program would differ from the recovery club, which is still in operation, because it would provide more advanced university resources for students.
Eddy said the instruction to stop his work on this program was sudden. He said he had originally submitted a proposal for the program to President James Gallogly, Provost Kyle Harper, and Anil Gollahalli, vice president and general counsel, in early August, and to Irungu around her first day working in the Office of University Community on Aug. 20.
Eddy said that based on preliminary research he has done, approximately 450 OU students are actively seeking help for addiction-related issues, and that approximately 1,800 students meet the criteria for substance dependency.
“This program, it’s a win-win," Eddy said. "It helps students succeed, it helps save students’ lives and it also, by helping students to stay at the university, for the administration it increases revenue. So I’m really confused as to why this program hasn’t received support to go forward.”
When asked to confirm if Eddy had been instructed to stop work on the program, Irungu said she had no comment.
Interim Vice President for Public Affairs Erin Yarbrough has not yet responded for comment.
