Mission and Purposes
Southwestern Oklahoma State University is one of twenty-five institutions
in the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education (Oklahoma Constitution,
Article XIII-A, Section 1). The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
is the legal structure for public education at the collegiate level and
is the coordinating board of all state institutions for higher education.
Southwestern is one of six state supported regional universities governed
by the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges. Southwestern Oklahoma State
University provides access to higher education for all individuals without
discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, gender, or disability
status.
The mission of Southwestern Oklahoma State University is to provide
educational opportunities in higher education that meet the needs of
the state and region; contribute to the educational, economic, and cultural
environment; and support scholarly activity. Major areas of study on
the Weatherford campus, associate degree programs on the Sayre campus,
the general education curriculum, and participation in student activities/organizations
provide opportunities for students to obtain skills, knowledge, and cultural
appreciation that lead to productive lives and effective citizenship.
The mission is manifest and the purposes of the University are accomplished
through the following:
- insuring quality education, the University recruits
qualified faculty without regard to national origin,
race, gender, disability, age or religion. Faculty
growth opportunities are provided through an organized
faculty development program. Excellence in teaching,
scholarship, and service are encouraged and recognized.
An organizational and intellectual environment is
provided that insures freedom of individual expression
and inquiry, provides representative governance for
all members of the University community, and promotes
student/faculty interaction. An assessment program
provides the basis for continuous evaluation and
program improvement.
- meeting its commitment to student development,
the University recruits qualified students without
regard to national origin, race, gender, disability,
age, or religion and provides a community that encourages
participation in intellectual and physical activities
and leadership development. A curriculum is provided
that develops communication and analytical skills;
a comprehension of the arts, humanities, and cultural
diversity; and knowledge of the scientific/technological
world and of our historical heritage. Student orientation,
advisement, enrichment, and participation in organizations
and activities contribute to student growth and development.
- fulfilling its role as a cultural and educational
resource for western Oklahoma, the University provides
distance learning opportunities, continuing education
associated with career enhancement, personal development,
and cultural growth. Performances, exhibitions, and
research that enhance knowledge and enrich society
are supported and services to communities are provided
through academic departments and other university
agencies.
Southwestern Oklahoma State University at Sayre enables the university
to focus its mission on that campus to provide lower division programs
and educational opportunities in higher education that meet the needs
of the Sayre campus student body.
The following institutional functions have been approved by the Oklahoma
State Regents for Higher Education, and are considered essential components
of the mission on the Sayre campus:
- to provide a lower division program of higher education
for traditional and non-traditional students in Western
Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle.
- to provide a general education that enables students
to become informed responsible citizens.
- to provide programs of education in the liberal
arts and sciences leading to the Associate in Science
degree through campus-based and distance learning.
- to provide career and technical programs to enable
students to seek employment in various job fields,
with completion of such programs culminating in the
awarding of the Associate in Applied Science degree
or an appropriate certificate.
- to provide transfer programs which include liberal
arts, sciences, and pre-professional subjects, thus
enabling students to pursue completion of baccalaureate
or professional degrees at four-year colleges and
universities.
- to provide courses, services, and programs in remedial
education for individuals who require such assistance
in order to function effectively at the collegiate
level.
- to provide guidance services and a program of student
activities for the promotion of personal development
and effective citizenship.
The University's academic organization includes schools of Arts and
Sciences, Business, Education, Health Sciences, Graduate Studies, and
a two-year branch campus at Sayre. Each of these entities and their subdivisions
establish specific objectives that contribute to the achievement of University
objectives.
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