On her 85th day as president, Stacy Leeds outlined what she called a “new day” at The University of Tulsa during the Friends of Finance Executive Speaker Series, describing a future centered on affordability, innovation, growth and deeper partnerships with the Tulsa community.
Addressing a room full of business and community leaders at the Allen Chapman Student Union on Wednesday, Leeds reflected on the university’s recent momentum while making the case for a larger role for UTulsa in Tulsa’s economic development and long-term success.
“We are no longer a university that is inclined to play by the old playbook of higher ed,” she said.
Leeds highlighted several developments from her first months in office, including lowering annual undergraduate tuition and fees from more than $54,000 to $25,000 and UTulsa’s recent recognition by U.S. News as a Top 75 private research university and No. 1 best value in higher education among all universities in Oklahoma.
In a moment when families may question the return on investment of a college degree, Leeds (J.D. ’97) argued that affordability and outcomes must go hand in hand. “Access truly does meet excellence,” she said.
A central theme of the presentation was the university’s historical connection to the city. Leeds recounted how civic leaders recruited what was then Henry Kendall College to Tulsa in 1907, thereby establishing the institution that would become The University of Tulsa. Originally founded in Muskogee in 1882 as the Presbyterian School for Indian Girls, the institution evolved into Henry Kendall College in 1894 before relocating to Tulsa during the city’s early oil boom.
“The University of Tulsa is not a university that happens to be located in Tulsa,” Leeds said. “It is Tulsa’s university because Tulsa chose this university.”
She argued that universities play a critical role in economic development and said UTulsa is positioned to do the same for Tulsa.
Leeds highlighted strengths in energy, finance, healthcare, cybersecurity and aerospace, pointing to UTulsa’s nationally recognized cybersecurity programs, industry-sponsored research and longstanding ties to the energy sector. Leeds also noted that UTulsa alumni earn some of the highest starting salaries in Oklahoma in the first year after graduation, including salaries roughly 10% higher than University of Oklahoma alumni and 27% higher than Oklahoma State University alumni.
“The cities that thrive in this next generation are going to be the ones that attract opportunity,” she said.
Looking ahead, Leeds shared a goal of growing the university from just over 4,000 students today to 10,000 students within the next decade. Reaching that goal, she said, will require stronger partnerships with businesses, expanded workforce development efforts, increased philanthropic support and continued collaboration with institutions such as Tulsa Community College. She highlighted the strong transfer pipeline between TCC and UTulsa and said she sees opportunities to strengthen those partnerships even further, creating additional pathways for students to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Leeds then encouraged business executives and organization leaders to view UTulsa as a first-stop resource when facing workforce, research or innovation challenges.
“Never assume that we’re not interested,” she said. “Give us the right of first refusal. Let TU come first.”
Closing her remarks, Leeds returned to the university’s history and the partnership that brought it to Tulsa more than a century ago.
Discussing a time in the future, “there are going to be people who are in our universities and working for our companies who never hear our name,” she said. “Doesn’t matter. What matters is that we, one more time, decided as a city that the path forward for our economy goes through the local university.”
Registration is open for the Oct. 21 Friends of Finance luncheon, which will feature CEO and Chairman of Spinnaker Support Matt Stava. Friends of Finance directly supports UTulsa business students through scholarships and networking opportunities.
