The mission of Southwestern Oklahoma State University is to provide educational opportunities 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, 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.
- 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.
Sayre Campus
Southwestern Oklahoma State University is one of twenty-six 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. As an institution committed to social justice, Southwestern Oklahoma State
University at Sayre 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 at Sayre is to provide lower division programs and educational opportunities that meet the
needs of its student body, particularly in those areas that contribute to the career success of students and the needs of Oklahoma. Associate degree
programs, 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 following institutional functions have been approved by the Oklahoma State Regents for higher Education, and are considered essential
components of the mission:
- 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.