Dear TU alumni,
We are almost at the halfway point in the fall semester, and The University of Tulsa is alive with students hurrying across campus to classes and labs. There are academic and athletic activities nearly every night, and many employees have adjusted their schedules to work with students into the evening hours. Even the Student Union is open 24/7 these days!
I hope to see many of you at Homecoming events later this month. There is a renewed energy and sense of pride that you can see and feel when you set foot on campus. My executive team, our excellent faculty, and the TU support staff have been hard at work for months to make your alma mater the best university imaginable.
I would like to take a moment to bring you up to speed on a few of the exciting announcements we have made in recent weeks.
- In August, The University of Tulsa welcomed its most diverse class ever, the largest transfer class ever, and one of the largest first-year classes in school history. TU easily beat OU and OSU for the largest percentage increase in first-year students for fall 2023 – just one more way we are staying ahead of the big state schools.
- TU has reinstated the following degree programs beginning in fall 2023: bachelor of arts in philosophy and religion; bachelor of music; doctorates in chemistry and physics; and master of jurisprudence in Native law. We will grow these programs into degrees of distinction, and they will advance our goal to be a top-tier research institution.
- The Oklahoma Center for the Humanities at TU announced the creation of a national festival of literature, music and ideas called Switchyard, to be held May 30 through June 4, 2023. This new annual event will feature more than 35 live musical performances, a literary festival, and keynote sessions designed to draw some of the world’s most innovative writers, thinkers, and artists to the heartland.
- Our Advancement and Athletics offices have ramped up the gameday experience to a whole new level. Our new Tulsa tailgate party features free food, live bands, carnival-style games and rides, DJs, and giveaways. Our grounds look gorgeous, our football games are more interactive, and the overall fan reaction has been outstanding. Wait until you see all that we have in store for TU Homecoming October 27-30!
- TU’s Collins College of Business is now a member at 36 Degrees North, a thriving collaborative support space for start-ups near downtown Tulsa. This move builds on Dean Kathy Taylor’s vision for a vibrant business school that nurtures entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership.
- We are getting the TU name in front of more high achievers through two new initiatives: First, we are offering full-ride scholarship packages to ALL National Merit Semifinalists beginning in fall 2023; Also, we formed the Second Book Institute to assist promising faculty from across the U.S. as they work to advance their careers in the humanities. Both programs will attract attention from the best and brightest scholars our country has to offer.
- We hired a new vice provost for global engagement, Vivian Wang, to return TU to a top destination for international students and expand our study-abroad opportunities for domestic students. Just last month, Vivian signed a partnership agreement with Hanoi University in Vietnam that allows both schools to explore international joint degree programs in business and technology-related areas.
- We increased the minimum wage for staff members to $15 per hour – or $31,200 per year for salaried employees. We also arranged salary bumps for faculty as they receive promotions on the tenure track. These raises coupled with excellent benefits solidify our university as one of the state’s top employers.
There is so much more to celebrate, including the 100th anniversary of the TU College of Law, the 50th anniversary of the School of Nursing, the 40th anniversary of University School, the 30th anniversary of Third Floor Design, and what would have been the 125th birthday of Alexandre Hogue. We were once again recognized with a national award for Higher Education Excellence in Diversity. New investments are rolling in to support groundbreaking research and state-of-the-art equipment. And alumni giving participation exceeded 15% last year; thank you to the more than 1,000 alumni that have already supported TU this academic year. What a great time to be a Golden Hurricane!
As always, I welcome your thoughts and questions as we work together to reinvigorate The University of Tulsa and make TU the absolute best place for higher education between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains.
Reign Cane!
Brad R. Carson
President