OK Freedom Caucus: OU’s war on Faith and Free Speech must end – or funding will

Oklahoma Freedom Caucus: OU’s War on Faith and Free Speech Must End – Or Funding Will

OKLAHOMA CITY – The University of Oklahoma has once again proven that radical woke ideology continues to control its campus. Last week, psychology junior Samantha Fulnecky received a zero on an assignment for citing the Bible while defending traditional gender roles. Her instructor branded the reference “highly offensive” and punished her for holding Christian beliefs. 

This is only the latest outrage. These events mirror prior Freedom Caucus warnings about OU's descent into radical activism. The university's leftist culture enables the destruction of conservative materials, fosters an unsafe environment for patriotic students, and prioritizes ideological conformity over education—turning campuses into echo chambers where conservative ideas are not debated but demolished. All while university leadership issues weak statements, refuses to meet with Conservative students, and imposes no serious discipline.

OCPA column: OU gets national attention — the wrong kind

OU gets national attention—the wrong kind

By Jonathan Small

The University of Oklahoma recently made national news—for the wrong reasons.

An investigation by The Wall Street Journal found that some of the United States’ best-known public universities “have been on an unfettered spending spree” with the bill “passed” on to students—and OU was identified as one of the worst offenders.

Between 2002 and 2022, the Journal found enrollment at OU increased 15 percent, but tuition increased by 36 percent even after adjusting for inflation. And, once student fees were included, the combined rate of growth was even more dramatic.

OCPA: No way to justify OU tuition increase

No way to justify OU tuition increase

By Jonathan Small

What if university leaders managed colleges like a business and treated students like valuable customers? It appears the board of regents at the University of Oklahoma may be taking that approach.

After former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels took the helm at Purdue University, officials froze tuition rates in 2013. They have not raised them since. Daniels’ leadership proves university officials can keep costs down and provide a quality education.

But it has been a different story at the University of Oklahoma, where OU President Joseph Harroz sought this week to increase student tuition by another 3 percent. That increase would have come on top of, and compounded, the impact of last year’s 2.75-percent tuition increase.

OCPA column: OU football coach’s hiring a model for other jobs

OU football coach’s hiring a model for other jobs

By Jonathan Small

New OU Football Coach Brent Venables may be the most fortunate man working in a prominent position in Oklahoma higher education.

Venables is blessed to have been hired based on merit, free from the “diversity, equity and inclusion” (DEI) mania imposed on applicants for nearly every other job at OU.

In 2019, OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. told the school’s student newspaper that the “absolute most important thing to me” is to “get it right around diversity and inclusion.”

“Race and ethnicity have to be—we have to get that right,” Harroz said. “If we don't get that right, nothing else matters. I mean, period.”

OU job postings indicate Harroz wasn’t kidding. A posting for an assistant professor in math education said applicants should contribute to “mathematics for equity and social justice.” Those applying for an assistant professor of performance position at the school of musical theatre were expected to equip students to “explore and expose oppressive structures and power dynamics within our culture.” The college of architecture issued a report calling for “an anonymous, online reporting mechanism” to “allow the documentation of faculty and staff practices that contribute to white supremacy” and said white students should be taught “cultural humility.”

Job applicants at OU, for a wide range of positions, are now required to submit a “diversity, equity and inclusion” statement along with their job qualifications.

Stitt names Michael Cawley to OU Board of Regents

GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF MICHAEL A. CAWLEY TO OU BOARD OF REGENTS

Oklahoma City, Okla. (Dec. 9, 2019) – Governor Kevin Stitt announced today the appointment of Michael A. Cawley to the University of Oklahoma (OU) Board of Regents, a position that requires Senate confirmation.

“Mr. Cawley is a successful businessman, attorney and OU alumni, with a career dedicated to serving rural Oklahoma,” Stitt said. “Mr. Cawley served for 20 years as president of The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, leading a team that raised funds to publish research advancing the agriculture industry in Oklahoma and nationwide. He will bring a wealth of experience and a strong network to support the OU Board and the University’s vision to continue growing as reputable national research institution.”   

“Governor Stitt has shared with me his desire for higher education excellence,” Cawley said. “I am honored to have the opportunity to work with the Board of Regents and university teams to bring that desire to fruition.”

“I was thrilled to learn that Governor Stitt appointed Michael Cawley to the OU Board of Regents,” said OU Interim President Joseph Harroz Jr. “He is a dedicated servant to our University having spent decades committed to our mission in a variety of roles. His appointment to the Board speaks to his interest in and advocacy for higher education in Oklahoma. The Board, and the institutions it governs, will be better for his leadership, counsel, and insight. We’re proud to have another OU alumnus serve as a member of this distinguished body and I look forward to working with him.”

Michael Cawley serves as a director of Noble Energy, Inc., an independent oil and gas exploration and production company. He served as President, CEO, and Trustee of The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc. from 1992 until his retirement in 2012. Prior to 1992, he practiced law for nearly 20 years following his service to the United States Army.

Cawley received undergraduate degrees in Economics and English Literature as well as a law degree from the University of Oklahoma. Cawley and his wife, Betty Jane, live in Ardmore, Oklahoma. They have two children and eight grandchildren.

Cawley serves on the boards of the Merrick Foundation, the Dean A. McGee Eye Institute, the Dean A. McGee Eye Institute Foundation, the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, and the State Fair of Oklahoma. He also serves on the Investment Committee of the Oklahoma Arts Institute.

Additionally, Cawley has assisted his alma mater as chairman of the Board of Trustees of the OU Foundation, chairman of the University of Oklahoma Associates Council, and chairman of the fundraising efforts for the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Course and the Charlie Coe Teaching Center. He also served on the search committee for the hiring of Joe Castiglione, the University’s Athletic Director. Cawley received the University of Oklahoma Regents’ Alumni Award in 1996.

The Oklahoma University Board of Regents is the official governing body of The University of Oklahoma, Cameron University, and Rogers State University. The board is composed of seven citizens appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the State Senate. Each Regent serves a seven-year term