OU President Gallogly

[jonny d]

While I agree that the state cuts to higher education have been embarrassing and detrimental, OU's debt is still in line with peer institutions in other states. That's actually impressive considering those schools have better financial support. Maybe Boren should be commended for moving forward so many worthwhile projects during huge state cuts while keeping OU's debt in line with some peer universities in neighboring states.

Now how does OU stack up rankings-wise and even campus beauty we use with those schools? I would guess that is where OU falls behind. OU has high debt to try to keep up with the Jones's is my take. I could be wrong, though.

[mugofbeer]

While I agree that the state cuts to higher education have been embarrassing and detrimental, OU's debt is still in line with peer institutions in other states. That's actually impressive considering those schools have better financial support. Maybe Boren should be commended for moving forward so many worthwhile projects during huge state cuts while keeping OU's debt in line with some peer universities in neighboring states.

I love both the Norman and OKCHSC have beautiful and functional buildings and campuses but perhaps much of that money could have been spent on faculty, salaries and direct educational support for students (not fluff social engineering offices).

[dankrutka]

Now how does OU stack up rankings-wise and even campus beauty we use with those schools? I would guess that is where OU falls behind. OU has high debt to try to keep up with the Jones's is my take. I could be wrong, though.

I have traveled to almost every campus in the region. OU has one of the most beautiful and well maintained campus' anywhere. In that area, I would rank OU well above peer institutions and many institutions considered a notch above. As I've posted many times before, the U.S. News & World Report rankings are a sham. They have almost nothing to do with institutional quality. Of course, they affect real life perceptions so they matter. Having said that, OU moved up in the rankings throughout Boren's tenure and has done well. OU usually ranks around 100, which puts it right around peer institutions you would expect (e.g., Kansas, Iowa State...)*. So, I'd say OU, against all odds, is doing great in both those areas.

* There's been criticism some numbers were cooked, but I haven't researched it enough to know whether there's any merit to those claims. However, I do not expect OU to maintain their rankings under Gallogly as I the perception of OU has already shifted to a cost-cutting school. Even if it's a good move, the way Gallogly has made it his public mission was a terrible PR move.

[soonerheart]

The state is far too dependent on the gross production tax...When it suffers so do appropriations to OU. Several states put a portion of their states gross production tax into an endowment fund that among other things helps fund their states higher education system. Oklahoma needs a similar endowment. It should be collected on a progressive scale.

By doubling OU’s research in the next 5 years as Gallogly and the states leadership base wants it will help create spin off opportunities like we have seen near OU’s Health Sciences Center and the weather industry in Norman. This will improve many metrics of the university... but it also helps diversify our state economy and tax base. It would employ people in well-paying jobs. I read somewhere that since Gallogly has become OU's president that in only about 6 months OU has already increased its research by 20 %.

Redirecting more of OU’s limited resources toward those supportive degree programs and its research and away for programs such as the International Studies program and the National Merit scholars programs that sees a very high percentage of graduates leaving our state is a more responsible use of our states limited resources. This is better for Oklahoma high school graduates who want to stay in our state.

This effort would also provide existing Oklahoma businesses with a greater pool of talent. We need to keep more graduates and their innovative talents in our state after graduation.

[mugofbeer]

I agree. While it's nice to march all those National Merit Scholars onto the football playing field each year, I would imagine few of them stay in OK after graduation. It's a nice bragging point but I wager it's a bad investment.

[Rover]

Redirecting more of OU’s limited resources toward those supportive degree programs and its research and away for programs such as the International Studies program and the National Merit scholars programs that sees a very high percentage of graduates leaving our state is a more responsible use of our states limited resources. This is better for Oklahoma high school graduates who want to stay in our state.

This effort would also provide existing Oklahoma businesses with a greater pool of talent. We need to keep more graduates and their innovative talents in our state after graduation.

Well... there you have it.... the anti globalist, anti intellectualism play book. Only thing left is to advocate allowing hate speech on campus under the guise of “free speech”. This is part of a stated far right nationalist goal. People need to read about it and be aware of what is going on.

Our top students stay here when there are good paying jobs here, they don’t leave because they are smart or educated. They leave because of lack of commitment to educating their anticipated children. They leave because of lack of support for quality of life issues... art, culture, sharing of ideas and ideals. They leave because our legislature focuses on forcing conservative lifestyle on all, rather than giving us things like infrastructure, education, civil fairness, transparent govt. etc. they don’t leave because we don’t hire our students out and subsidize research for a few large corporations to get cheap taxpayer supported research.

[mugofbeer]

Well... there you have it.... the anti globalist, anti intellectualism play book. Only thing left is to advocate allowing hate speech on campus under the guise of “free speech”. This is part of a stated far right nationalist goal. People need to read about it and be aware of what is going on.

Our top students stay here when there are good paying jobs here, they don’t leave because they are smart or educated. They leave because of lack of commitment to educating their anticipated children. They leave because of lack of support for quality of life issues... art, culture, sharing of ideas and ideals. They leave because our legislature focuses on forcing conservative lifestyle on all, rather than giving us things like infrastructure, education, civil fairness, transparent govt. etc. they don’t leave because we don’t hire our students out and subsidize research for a few large corporations to get cheap taxpayer supported research.

Really? You're bordering on trolling Rover. Try being part of the conversation instead of flaming everyone. While I agree grads are going to go where the jobs are and education is poorly funded in OK, I doubt many are thinking about their future children's education. They are thinking about where the fun places to go are on weekends, lifestyle, etc.

I've lived in multiple states and OK's infrastructure is on par or better than other states. Yes, there is a conservative lifestyle but you all just passed medical pot and more liberal alcohol regulations. OKs government is no different than TX or CO in terms of transparency. Not sure what you are referring to by civil fairness.

And really, if you hate the conservative lifestyle of OK so much, then leave! Americans live an average of 13 different places over their lives.
Pack up, get in your car and go to California. Why live in a place you hate with such a passion. Try seeing how other states are and I think you'll find that while OK certainly has it's problems, you greatly misunderstand the quality of life there.

[Midtowner]

Well... there you have it.... the anti globalist, anti intellectualism play book. Only thing left is to advocate allowing hate speech on campus under the guise of “free speech”. This is part of a stated far right nationalist goal. People need to read about it and be aware of what is going on.

Our top students stay here when there are good paying jobs here, they don’t leave because they are smart or educated. They leave because of lack of commitment to educating their anticipated children. They leave because of lack of support for quality of life issues... art, culture, sharing of ideas and ideals. They leave because our legislature focuses on forcing conservative lifestyle on all, rather than giving us things like infrastructure, education, civil fairness, transparent govt. etc. they don’t leave because we don’t hire our students out and subsidize research for a few large corporations to get cheap taxpayer supported research.

Hate speech IS free speech. Far right nationalists have as much of a right to the microphone as anyone else. The cure is more speech, not censorship.

[mugofbeer]

Hate speech IS free speech. Far right nationalists have as much of a right to the microphone as anyone else. The cure is more speech, not censorship.

^^^^^

[RodH]

I agree. While it's nice to march all those National Merit Scholars onto the football playing field each year, I would imagine few of them stay in OK after graduation. It's a nice bragging point but I wager it's a bad investment.

Can we say the same for the football team too?

[jedicurt]

Can we say the same for the football team too?

actually no. i don't think we can... i know a lot of former players who still live in Oklahoma. i bet at a much higher percentage of Football players return to Oklahoma than National Merit Scholars. remember that a good chunk of them find their spouses and start families here... and so if they don't go to the NFL... they often end up staying here

[soonerheart]

The rate of return on our investment as a state is a very key point to remember.

We will not advance our state if we are not investing wisely in our own state in ways that help new and existing business grow with innovation. OU cannot be everything it needs to be for this state if we are wasting money on programs with poor rates of return with well paying jobs in our state. If we won’t make smart investments in ourselves why should we expect others to do the same...Look at what MAPS has done.

Fortunately for OU, our state and the OKC METRO area we now have leaders at OU (Gallogly & BOR backed by other very important people) who understand the need to diminish the role of underperforming assets at OU and redirect resources into programs that offer prospects of much greater returns for OU, our state, the business community and OU graduates... many of which if given the opportunity would stay in the greater OKC area or in our state.

OU leaders know that a university with teams of great researchers will produce many times more value and economic opportunity than OU’s athletic department could ever dream about. This is why Gallogly and OU leaders are trying to recruit and invest in human capital...This was one of Gallogly's most important task as a former CEO.

From a football point of view (our state too)....in 25 or so years...OU football will need a more diversified economic base of support as the state’s production of oil begins a slow decline.

[Rover]

Hate speech IS free speech. Far right nationalists have as much of a right to the microphone as anyone else. The cure is more speech, not censorship.

Folks...see what I mean? This kind of thought denies that the concept of free speech never included the right to create harm to other people. To promote this concept of "free speech" is not protected and never has been. Some people hide behind religion by misinterpreting and misrepresenting holy writings too, but it doesn't make what they are advocating holy, just an abomination.

[Rover]

The rate of return on our investment as a state is a very key point to remember.

We will not advance our state if we are not investing wisely in our own state in ways that help new and existing business grow with innovation. OU cannot be everything it needs to be for this state if we are wasting money on programs with poor rates of return with well paying jobs in our state. If we won’t make smart investments in ourselves why should we expect others to do the same...Look at what MAPS has done.

Fortunately for OU, our state and the OKC METRO area we now have leaders at OU (Gallogly & BOR backed by other very important people) who understand the need to diminish the role of underperforming assets at OU and redirect resources into programs that offer prospects of much greater returns for OU, our state, the business community and OU graduates... many of which if given the opportunity would stay in the greater OKC area or in our state.

OU leaders know that a university with teams of great researchers will produce many times more value and economic opportunity than OU’s athletic department could ever dream about. This is why Gallogly and OU leaders are trying to recruit and invest in human capital...This was one of Gallogly's most important task as a former CEO.

From a football point of view (our state too)....in 25 or so years...OU football will need a more diversified economic base of support as the state’s production of oil begins a slow decline.

This off the rail Trumpian love affair with promoting money over all is a sickness. The idea that accounting is the blueprint of good government and education shows a complete lack of understanding of the function of either. This is the fantasy of overpaid corporate CEO's and their sycophants.

[jerrywall]

dbl darnit

[jerrywall]

Folks...see what I mean?

You playing to an audience of one?

"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."

[jedicurt]

so back to OU and that debt and such....

[hoya]

Man, you know the thread has gone to hell when I end up agreeing with Midtownr.

Here's the way I see it.

--In the last several years, universities in general have taken a very hard slant to the extreme political left. This is not a good thing. Regardless of your personal politics, the idea that free speech should no longer be protected should scare the crap out of you.
--This move to the left has angered many conservatives.
--Fair or not, David Boren was seen as being sympathetic to the extreme leftist policies that we have been seeing at other schools.
--Jim Gallogly was brought in primarily to try and bust up Boren's legacy. He immediately started making very public statements about how poorly OU has been run, and he's done so in a way that is almost guaranteed to hurt OU's national perception.

Going against my own political party, hiring Gallogly was a dumb move. You can't fix national problems like this by making your university the statistical outlier. That's not how it works. Gallogly isn't helping OU at all by saying that everything Boren did was a disaster.

Going against the other party, you can't blame Gallogly for inaction when two idiot sorority girls post something racist and then withdraw from school. At that point there's nothing he can do about it.

[dankrutka]

^^^
So much of this is generated political narrative more than reality. I work at universities around plenty of conservatives. Humanities departments have always slanted left and science/business departments more right. Just like how entire industries like banking or real estate or energy slant right. None of this is new. Everyone has free speech on college campuses. However, there has been a surreptitious political movement and organizations that literally generate harassment towards "liberal" professors with the aim of creating this narrative that universities are being taken over by liberals. Of course, harassment is never okay. It's always okay to criticize, but targeted harassment is not okay. These politically-motivated groups more than anything have been succcessful (with conservative media as their mouth piece) in creating the perception that colleges are somehow unwelcome places for conservatives. The idea that you can't be conservative at OU is quite a claim. Some speech may be unpopular on certain issues, but that's how free speech works.

[mugofbeer]

Can we say the same for the football team too?

Not even close. The football team donates a significant amount of money to the school annually, provides great recognition for the school and yes, many former players do end up donating to the school.

[mugofbeer]

^^^
So much of this is generated political narrative more than reality. I work at universities around plenty of conservatives. Humanities departments have always slanted left and science/business departments more right. Just like how entire industries like banking or real estate or energy slant right. None of this is new. Everyone has free speech on college campuses. However, there has been a surreptitious political movement and organizations that literally generate harassment towards "liberal" professors with the aim of creating this narrative that universities are being taken over by liberals. Of course, harassment is never okay. It's always okay to criticize, but targeted harassment is not okay. These politically-motivated groups more than anything have been succcessful (with conservative media as their mouth piece) in creating the perception that colleges are somehow unwelcome places for conservatives. The idea that you can't be conservative at OU is quite a claim. Some speech may be unpopular on certain issues, but that's how free speech works.

When was the last time a liberal was prevented from speaking on a university campus? When was the last time a conservative mob of students rampaged, burned and threatened because liberals were giving presentations? When was the last time a conservative mob managed to stop liberal groups from organizing on campus, posting or distributing literature? When was the last time liberal speakers or educators were shouted down at sponsored events or during classes? When was the last time a conservative student mob took over a school administration, demand safe zones from certain ethnic groups, demand all people of certain ethnic groups get off campus for periods of time? ( yes, l know on the last couple of items but its been at least a couple of decades).

l'm sorry dantruka, l'm nit sure if you are sincere and just don't understand what you are talking about or are completely aware and just try to be a politician. l've seen you stereotype old white guys in a demeaning and offensive way then profess not to. Now, l have to call BS on this. I see daily examples of occurrences showing the opposite of what you are saying and have seen it with my own eyes here in CO.

[jonny d]

Not even close. The football team donates a significant amount of money to the school annually, provides great recognition for the school and yes, many former players do end up donating to the school.

Not to mention a lot of out of states come to OU because they want to be a part of an awesome football tradition, and the team is good, so cheering for them is fun.

[mugofbeer]

Not to mention a lot of out of states come to OU because they want to be a part of an awesome football tradition, and the team is good, so cheering for them is fun.

l have to admit being there to see a great game and 55 years of great memories with my Dad (RIP) and family and friends, l have looked around the stadium and thought that it is truly one of my happy places.

[PhiAlpha]

When was the last time a liberal was prevented from speaking on a university campus? When was the last time a conservative mob of students rampaged, burned and threatened because liberals were giving presentations? When was the last time a conservative mob managed to stop liberal groups from organizing on campus, posting or distributing literature? When was the last time liberal speakers or educators were shouted down at sponsored events or during classes? When was the last time a conservative student mob took over a school administration, demand safe zones from certain ethnic groups, demand all people of certain ethnic groups get off campus for periods of time? ( yes, l know on the last couple of items but its been at least a couple of decades).

l'm sorry dantruka, l'm nit sure if you are sincere and just don't understand what you are talking about or are completely aware and just try to be a politician. l've seen you stereotype old white guys in a demeaning and offensive way then profess not to. Now, l have to call BS on this. I see daily examples of occurrences showing the opposite of what you are saying and have seen it with my own eyes here in CO.

Agree 100%. There is an inherent liberal bias in the university environment, Dan is right in that business and engineering types slant right and the bus agaisnt conservatives isn’t nearly as bad at universities in the south but it is very much present elsewhere in the country, especially the coasts.

[PhiAlpha]

Folks...see what I mean? This kind of thought denies that the concept of free speech never included the right to create harm to other people. To promote this concept of "free speech" is not protected and never has been. Some people hide behind religion by misinterpreting and misrepresenting holy writings too, but it doesn't make what they are advocating holy, just an abomination.

Huh? There are multiple supreme court cases that specifically state that hate speech is protected speech under the first amendment. Hate speech is different than a direct threat of harm to another person.