University of Central Oklahoma

[ljbab728]

This sounds insignificant compare to similar effort at OU or OSU but I'm thrilled they accomplished this.

University of Central Oklahoma surpasses $40 million fundraising goal | NewsOK.com

My daughter graduated from here last year and they do a great job of accommodating what their students need.

[Pete]

UCO just named Todd Lamb as their new president.

Lamb had also applied to be the dean at OCU Law but David Holt got that job.

Lamb started college at Lousiana Tech before transferring to OSU where he received his degree. He got his JD at OCU.

[MagzOK]

This is a great hire for the University!

[Midtowner]

UCO just named Todd Lamb as their new president.

Lamb had also applied to be the dean at OCU Law but David Holt got that job.

Lamb started college at Lousiana Tech before transferring to OSU where he received his degree. He got his JD at OCU.

It'd sure be nice to see UCO get some doctoral level programs. Hopefully, Lamb has some more sway with the regents.

And as large as UCO is and with some alums now giving serious money, maybe a step up to FCS isn't out of the question?

[FighttheGoodFight]

He will have a lot on his plate getting UCO back to growing enrollment. I hope he can turn it around. UCO is a great place.

[Jersey Boss]

This is a great hire for the University!

Curious as to why you feel this is a great hire? His professional life has solely been as a politician. Fundraising potential?

[Rover]

Curious as to why you feel this is a great hire? His professional life has solely been as a politician. Fundraising potential?

And he hasn't been that great as a public servant.

[Rover]

Guess this follows in their tradition of rewarding politicians. George Nigh is another past president of UCO

[Pete]

Paycom founder, top donor to UCO, objects to former Oklahoma LG's hiring as UCO president

Paycom CEO Chad Richison sent a letter to UCO’s governing board on Friday, alleging former Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb was hired as president because of political connections to board members and is unqualified to lead the university.

Richison and his foundation have donated $25 million to the Edmond-based university.

[scottk]

Guess this follows in their tradition of rewarding politicians. George Nigh is another past president of UCO

Gov Nigh was there a short time and did massive amounts of fundraising to transform the University and new construction or renovations of the academic buildings. During his tenure there was split support from faculty due to him having a stronger political background versus education, and split support from students who dealt with a handful of years of walking across a campus in mud and plywood as most of it was under construction. His political background probably helped in the fundraising endeavors and potentially getting more money from the legislature.

[Rover]

Guess this follows in their tradition of rewarding politicians. George Nigh is another past president of UCO

Looks like Chad agrees with me.

[Rover]

Gov Nigh was there a short time and did massive amounts of fundraising to transform the University and new construction or renovations of the academic buildings. During his tenure there was split support from faculty due to him having a stronger political background versus education, and split support from students who dealt with a handful of years of walking across a campus in mud and plywood as most of it was under construction. His political background probably helped in the fundraising endeavors and potentially getting more money from the legislature.

I kinda knew Gov Nigh and liked him. Todd Lamb is no George Nigh.

[Pete]

Yeesh, I didn't realize there had been such a sharp downward trend in enrollment.

Almost a 30% reduction in incoming freshmen in just 5 years:

[scottk]

This is a great hire for the University!

For clarification, this is not a university hire. The President of UCO, or any directional school in Oklahoma is appointed directly by the Regents of the Regional University System of Oklahoma (RUSO). The RUSO Regents are appointed by the Governor of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma State and OU and their schools in their systems appoint their Presidents in a similar fashion selected through their respected regent governing bodies.

[MagzOK]

Curious as to why you feel this is a great hire? His professional life has solely been as a politician. Fundraising potential?

Well among many things, he's proven to be effective in fundraising of which the university is in desperate need. Also from what I understand politically speaking, the university has been waning from legislative support and he can bridge some of those issues and strengthen relationships within state leadership. The decline can be seen across the board including declining enrollment over the past decade.

This is a step in the right direction.

[Rover]

Well among many things, he's proven to be effective in fundraising of which the university is in desperate need. Also from what I understand politically speaking, the university has been waning from legislative support and he can bridge some of those issues and strengthen relationships within state leadership. The decline can be seen across the board including declining enrollment over the past decade.

This is a step in the right direction.

Lol. He’s already losing a major donor in Richeson. His fund raising experience is for political causes…elections. He’s known more for political ambition than leadership. Nothing about him indicates he can be appealing to high school students. He has no academic management or leadership background, and one can argue that by his political affiliations is actually anti-academic. So what about him screams “I know how to lead a university and its students into the next decade”?

[Pete]

Not only has Richison given UCO $25 million to date, but Paycom also hires a ton of UCO graduates.

Richison had been asked by the regents for his feedback and had already told them he thought Lamb was wildly unqualified.

You could argue a big donor should not be this involved, but that's not the reality in Oklahoma: see Boone Pickens and how he not only hand-picked the football coach but also the AD and the university president.

Also, when you specifically ask for input and then completely ignore it, you have invited big problems with your own actions.


Whether Lamb will be successful or not is a big unknown but it's pretty clear the regents completely screwed things up and it appears they have now alienated the single biggest asset of the university at a time when their enrollment and finances are in steep decline.

[MagzOK]

Lol. He’s already losing a major donor in Richeson. His fund raising experience is for political causes…elections. He’s known more for political ambition than leadership. Nothing about him indicates he can be appealing to high school students. He has no academic management or leadership background, and one can argue that by his political affiliations is actually anti-academic. So what about him screams “I know how to lead a university and its students into the next decade”?

Time will tell, Rover. Have a good day.

[Midtowner]

Lol. He’s already losing a major donor in Richeson. His fund raising experience is for political causes…elections. He’s known more for political ambition than leadership. Nothing about him indicates he can be appealing to high school students. He has no academic management or leadership background, and one can argue that by his political affiliations is actually anti-academic. So what about him screams “I know how to lead a university and its students into the next decade”?

The nice? thing about UCO is that it has historically been a dead end job. For its past presidents, its been their last job prior to full retirement. So if he wants a bigger job, he has to absolutely knock it out of the park. As a candidate, I couldn't stand Lamb. He seemed to feel entitled ot be the governor of the State. He's a career politician, even a nepo baby as the heir of a multigenerational political family.

But the guy is reasonably well connected. He may even be connected enough to increase UCO's standing among regional universities, and we can dream.. he could even push for it to become a comprehensive university, although I would expect Tulsa to get a comprehensive university campus before Edmond.

I could also see him making a push to D-1 sports for UCO. Even with its shrunken enrollment, it is larger than a lot of D1 schools.

[Rover]

Time will tell, Rover. Have a good day.

So, I guess that should be the answer for every time politics gets in the way of good judgement or appropriate performance….”oh well, time will tell”. When people get actually fed up with the good ole boy political machine in Oklahoma maybe we can progress as we should and elect good stewards of the public realm.

[LakeEffect]

Yeesh, I didn't realize there had been such a sharp downward trend in enrollment.

Almost a 30% reduction in incoming freshmen in just 5 years:

My understanding is that much of the enrollment drop was related to international student enrollment tanking in the last 5 years nationally... but they also could have been using that as an excuse to mask the real problems going on? We'll see! College enrollment across the board had taken a hit during the pandemic too...

https://www.iie.org/news/us-sees-str...ment-rebounds/

https://www.kosu.org/education/2022-...ne-in-oklahoma

[Pete]

My understanding is that much of the enrollment drop was related to international student enrollment tanking in the last 5 years nationally... but they also could have been using that as an excuse to mask the real problems going on? We'll see! College enrollment across the board had taken a hit during the pandemic too...

https://www.iie.org/news/us-sees-str...ment-rebounds/

https://www.kosu.org/education/2022-...ne-in-oklahoma

During the same period that UCO lost 30%, OU actually increased every year.

Since they are located so close together and subject to the same state funding and local economy, that should tell you something is very wrong at UCO.

[Rover]

I think many are way too quick to play the victim. UCO and its puppeteers can choose to actively strive for excellence, or they can just try to exist. We the citizens hire the puppeteers. Who do we want in office controlling these things?

I believe it is time for Oklahomans to quit thinking of education as a commodity and to realize that prosperity comes to those that are willing to work and create exceptional opportunities. We all need survival skills, but we also need growth skills.

UCO has an infrastructure that could greatly benefit OKC with delivering persons into the work force at all levels prepared to compete in a global economy with new ideas and skills to get the dreams accomplished. It needs to prepare more Chad Richisons to start and develop companies that grow a whole economic sector in our area..... not alienate them.

[April in the Plaza]

I could be wrong, but McAfee seems like one of those firms that would be reasonably selective about its personnel -- even with respect to politically connected former LGs.

[MagzOK]

So, I guess that should be the answer for every time politics gets in the way of good judgement or appropriate performance….”oh well, time will tell”. When people get actually fed up with the good ole boy political machine in Oklahoma maybe we can progress as we should and elect good stewards of the public realm.

No, I just am not here to get into a political discussion. However, obviously the majority of the state is fine with its elected leaders as evidenced by nothing ever changing.