| Southeastern Oklahoma State University | |
|---|---|
| Motto | A Century of Building Futures |
| Established | 1909 |
| Type | Public |
| President | Dr. Larry Minks |
| All campus enrollment | 4,229 |
| Academic staff | 237 |
| Location | Durant, Oklahoma, USA |
| Campus | Rural 269 acres (1.09 km2) |
| Colors | blue and gold |
| Nickname | The Campus of a Thousand Magnolias |
| Mascot | Savage Storm |
| Website | www.se.edu |
Southeastern Oklahoma State University, often referred to as Southeastern and abbreviated as SE, or SOSU, is a public university located in Durant, Oklahoma, with an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 4,229 as of 2009.[1]
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On March 6, 1909, the Second Oklahoma State Legislature approved an act designating Durant as the location for a normal school to serve the following 12-county region: Atoka, Bryan, Carter, Choctaw, Latimer, LeFlore, Love, Marshall, McCurtain, McIntosh, Pittsburg, and Pushmataha. Southeastern Oklahoma State University first opened its doors to students on June 14, 1909,[2] as Southeastern State Normal School. The early program of instruction consisted of four years of high school and the freshman and sophomore college years. The first sessions of the school were held in temporary quarters pending completion of Morrison Hall in January, 1911, long known as the Administration Building.
The original purpose of Southeastern was the education of teachers for the public schools of Oklahoma. The two-year graduates were awarded life teaching certificates. In 1921, the institution became a four-year college and was renamed Southeastern State Teachers College. Construction on the college's library, now the Henry G. Bennett Memorial Library, was completed in 1928. The primary function remained that of teacher education and the degrees of Bachelor of Arts in Education and Bachelor of Science in Education were authorized.
The purpose of the college was expanded in 1939. Courses leading to two newly authorized non-education degrees - Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science - were added. At this time, the college was renamed Southeastern State College. In 1954, the curriculum was enlarged by the addition of a graduate program leading to the Master of Teaching degree. In 1969, the name of the degree was changed to Master of Education.
On May 27, 1968, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education designated Southeastern as an Area Community College. While retaining previous functions, the college moved in the direction of providing greater post-secondary educational opportunities by expanding its curriculum to include new programs in areas such as business, technology, aviation, and conservation.
In 1971, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education requested that the state supported institutions of higher education review and evaluate their functions as members of the State System of Higher Education. Upon completion of the review, a comprehensive “Plan for the Seventies” was prepared by each institution and submitted to the Regents. On June 1, 1972, Southeastern submitted its plan to the Regents which was, subsequently, approved on March 29, 1973. The Master of Education degree was changed to the Master of Behavioral Studies and, subsequently, the University was approved to offer a graduate program in business which culminated in the degree of Master of Administrative Studies. Four options of the Master of Behavioral Studies degree were renamed Master of Education in August, 1979. The Master of Administrative Studies degree was revised and renamed Master of Business Administration in August, 1996.
On August 15, 1974, the name of Southeastern State College was changed to Southeastern Oklahoma State University by an act of the Oklahoma State Legislature. Since 1974, Southeastern, through institutional reorganizations, has continued to diversify, so that, presently, there are three academic schools: Arts and Sciences, Business, and Education and Behavioral Science.
After the long 20 year tenure of President Leon Hibbs, Dr. Larry Williams served ten years as Southeastern's President. Dr. Glen D. Johnson served Southeastern for 9 years then in 2007 assumed the duties of Chancellor of the Oklahoma State System for Higher Education. Dr. Jesse Snowden succeeded Johnson as interim president. Dr. Michael Turner was selected as SE president in 2008 and inaugurated in January 2009. He announced his resignation June 2009, and Regents named Dr. Larry Minks as interim president.
It has been 100 years since Southeastern first opened its doors. The 20 acres (81,000 m2) and no buildings of 1909 have expanded to approximately 161 acres (0.65 km2) and 62 buildings. The 39 faculty members and 324 students have increased to approximately 160 faculty members and 4,000 students. The total assets of the University have grown from less than $1,000 in 1909 to over $57,900,000.
The college is now undergoing a tremendous makeover, with more dorms being constructed, a new and completed student union plaza, a new basketball arena, and the recently renovated Paul Laird football field.
The University is linked by tradition to the geographic region of southeastern Oklahoma and north central Texas. Although new programs have produced many changes in the geographic origin and the ethnic backgrounds of the student body, they are still primarily products of small towns and rural communities in Oklahoma and Texas. The present student body numbers approximately 4,000 representing 31 states and 20 foreign countries.
The University is 15 miles (24 km) from the Oklahoma-Texas border; 90 miles (140 km) north of Dallas, Texas; 160 miles (260 km) southeast of Oklahoma City; and 15 miles (24 km) east of Lake Texoma (one of the largest man-made lakes in the world with approximately 580 miles (930 km) of shoreline).
SOSU offers associate's, bachelor's, and master's degree in a variety of disciplines. The university is a leader in education, aviation, and business administration studies, and is the only university in Oklahoma to offer a Master of Science in Aviation.
Students have access to more than 411 computers in 8 labs/classrooms across campus. The campus also has wireless access in each building. Residential halls have high-speed Ethernet connections. Many courses are available online and students have access to enroll and perform other administrative functions online.
64% of their classes have fewer than 30 students; less than three percent of classes have more than 50 students.
The student to faculty ratio is 20:1.
In April 2011, Dr. Rachel Tudor, an Assistant Professor of English, Humanities and Literature was denied tenure despite having been recommended for promotion and tenure twice in the last two years by the Faculty Tenure and Promotion Committee, based on the university's criteria of teaching, scholarship and service. The Committee, whose positive recommendations for tenure routinely approved by the Administration was overruled by the vice president of academic affairs Dr. Douglas McMillan, who had previously inquired with the university's Human Resources Department whether Dr. Tudor could be terminated because her lifestyle "offends his Baptist beliefs." Justifying the tenure denial, McMillan has claimed that Tudor was unqualified, despite the original Tenure and Promotion Committee's findings, those of the Faculty Appeals Committee, and a resolution by the Faculty Senate in support of Tudor's application. Dr. Tudor has brought her case to the Oklahoma Human Rights Commission, the US Department of Education, and the EEOC. [3] [4] [5]
SOSU currently has threefraternities and two sororities on campus.
Fraternities: Lambda Chi Alpha, Sigma Tau Gamma, and Tau Kappa Epsilon
Sororities: Alpha Sigma Tau and Sigma Sigma Sigma
SOSU is currently a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference, North Division.
The Savage Storm participate in baseball, men's and women's basketball, football, men's and women's tennis, rodeo, women's cross country, softball, cheerleading and women's volleyball.
SOSU was one of the many schools named by the NCAA regarding the use of a Native American nickname, Savages. The school has since changed its athletic nickname to the "Savage Storm". Its mascot is now a superhero instead of a Native American symbol.
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