2023
IMPACT REPORT
OU ONLINE MISSION STATEMENT OU ONLINE ASPIRES TO CREATE INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY LEADERS BY INCREASING ACCESS TO UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA DEGREES THROUGH INNOVATIVE ONLINE INSTRUCTION. BY UTILIZING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY, FLEXIBILITY AND EXPERTISE, OUR STUDENT-CENTERED APPROACH PROVIDES A PATHWAY FOR A DIVERSE GROUP OF LEARNERS TO ACHIEVE ACADEMIC AND CAREER SUCCESS.
A MESSAGE FROM
THE VICE PRESIDENT OF ONLINE LEARNING In 2019, OU Online set out to broaden the University of Oklahoma’s ability to reach students by offering high-quality, affordable graduate degrees no matter where they are. What started as a portfolio of 24 online graduate degrees has now grown to encompass more than 50 fully online programs. This semester alone, more than 1,000 new students have enrolled in OU Online’s graduate programs, drawn to the exceptional quality of education and the convenience and flexibility offered by online learning. In addition to our graduate degrees, earlier this year we expanded our accessibility to include undergraduate students. This fall, we welcomed 130 new undergraduate students who are determined to finish their bachelor's degrees online. Our degree completion program offers five in-demand majors for students at least 25 years of age with some college credit. These life-changing programs allow students to finish their degrees prepared to immediately enter the workforce in areas of critical need. As we continue to add relevant degrees and certificates, OU Online plays an increasingly vital role within the university. By providing a more accessible path to world-class learning, we are bettering lives while contributing to economic growth. Although we take pride in our achievements, we know our work is not finished. Going forward, we remain more committed than ever to bringing a world-class OU education to students worldwide and fully supporting them along the way.
50 + FULLY ONLINE PROGRAMS
15 COLLEGES WITH OU ONLINE DEGREES
LAUNCHED 3 NEW GRADUATE DEGREES
4,017 2,629
83% 72%
AVERAGE TERM-TO-TERM
AVERAGE YEAR-TO-YEAR
GRADUATE PROGRAM RETENTION RATES
238 COURSES IN FALL 2023
218 INSTRUCTORS IN FALL 2023
TOTAL ADMISSIONS FOR FALL 2022, SPRING 2023 AND SUMMER 2023
5
46
UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES
39% RESIDENTS 61% NON-RESIDENTS
ONLINE APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2022, SPRING 2023 AND SUMMER 2023
GRADUATE DEGREES
3,000+
ACTIVE STUDENTS
1,082
463
DEGREES AWARDED DURING 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR
NUMBER OF ONLINE COURSES CREATED
447
TOTAL INSTRUCTORS
TRANSFORMING STUDENT SUPPORT
M I LITARY LI F E POSE S MANY U NCE RTAI NTI E S AN D BE I NG ABLE TO COLL ABOR ATE WITH
As a leader in nontraditional learning for more than 60 years, our goal is to continue offering the best online educational experience for our students. We are committed to offering students the opportunity to change their lives and communities by making relevant degrees accessible to students wherever they are in the world.
OTH E RS I N THAT SPACE HAS BE E N A TH E R APE UTIC AN D R E WAR DI NG
This student-first approach is the foundation of everything we do – from course design to online classroom environment to student support services.
E XPE R I E NCE . My goal for
Our Office of Digital Learning (ODL) continues to broaden our ability to reach students in the classroom by partnering with faculty to integrate the most advanced digital technologies into online courses and programs.
cultivate a safe and
With help from a team of experienced instructional designers, and working with 447 instructors across the university, ODL assisted in creating 463 online courses over the past year. In Fall 2023, 238 courses were running, and 218 instructors were teaching in an online capacity.
this group is really to welcoming space where everyone is free to be their authentic self. Going back to school is challenging enough, and having a group that
In addition to giving students an engaging, experiential online learning experience, our support extends beyond the classroom. Our Student Support Services team has worked to create a robust system that fully supports students from application to graduation.
understands you helps relieve
Students have access to library, technology and accessibility services, as well as recently added tutoring and mental health counseling services. Realizing that a sense of community is key in a successful online learning environment, nine affinity groups are available for the following populations:
life's responsibilities.
• • • • •
to vent about assignments,
Women LGBTQ+ BIPOC International First-Generation
• • • •
Military-Connected Persons with Disabilities Student-Parents 55+
some of the daily stress that comes with balancing all of Through casual Zoom meet-ups, this group is able share stories, past and present, and get in a few laughs all while building
Other opportunities include an Online Student Association and an online Career Development Center where students can:
valuable connections."
• • • •
E LLI E WALKE R,
Explore career paths Build career skills Take LinkedIn Learning courses Explore labor market insights
Master’s in Human Relations: Diversity, Equity and Strategic Impact
Military-Connected Affinity Group
OU ONLINE | 2023 IMPACT REPORT | 3
121K+ WEBSITE USERS
INCREASING ACCESS FOR ALL In March, OU Online launched an Adult Degree Completion program for students ages 25 and older with at least 60 hours of college credit. The program features five workforce-relevant online undergraduate degrees offered through the OU College of Professional and Continuing Studies, and each program can be completed in as few as 12 months. The program fills a critical need in Oklahoma, where by 2030, over half of the top 100 critical occupations in Oklahoma will require a college degree.
66%
GROWTH IN ORGANIC VISITS
680K+
TOTAL PAGEVIEWS
Furthermore, research by Reach Higher, an adult degree completion initiative led by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, shows that 69,000 Oklahomans have attended college for at least two years but do not have a bachelor’s degree. At OU alone, since 2002, more than 21,700 students have stopped taking courses before completing their degree, and over 11,700 of those former OU students had more than 75 credit hours when they stopped taking classes.
In Fall 2023, more than 130 students began working toward their online bachelor's degrees through the degree completion program. Five new faculty members – each with online teaching and industry experience – were hired to lead each of the five programs. Our programs team continues to develop additional degree programs for this group of students, and we are excited about continuing to find ways to eliminate barriers and forge pathways that allow students to improve their lives by finishing the degrees they started.
5
DEGREES LAUNCHED
3
BACHELOR OF ARTS in Integrative Studies
IT HAD BE E N 20 YE ARS
BACHELOR OF ARTS
SI NCE I'D TAKE N
in Interdisciplinary Studies Healthcare Management
COLLE GE CL ASSE S,
BACHELOR OF ARTS
DE GR E E WAS SOM ETH I NG
in Interdisciplinary Studies Organizational Leadership
I THOUGHT WASN'T I N
BACHELOR OF ARTS
U NTI L I H E AR D ABOUT
in Interdisciplinary Studies Criminal Justice Leadership
TH IS PROGR AM .
BACHELOR OF ARTS
completion program for
in Interdisciplinary Studies Business Administration
its flexibility and reputable
SO F I N ISH I NG MY
TH E CAR DS FOR M E
I chose OU's online degree
curriculum. The program has already equipped me with practical skills that I've directly applied to my
NEW DEGREE COMPLETION OPTIONS
current role. I believe completing this degree will significantly enhance my career prospects by providing a comprehensive foundation in organizational leadership."
COMING IN FALL 2024
DAVI D MANAUGH, Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies: Organizational Leadership
ACADEMIC RESTART SCHOLARSHIP
Created to support former OU students who had a bursar hold on their account.
AWARDED TO 7 STUDENTS (AVG $1,136) to bring their Bursar balance to $0 so they can re-enroll.
OU ONLINE | 2023 IMPACT REPORT | 5
I WANT TO MAKE TH IS E XPE R I E NCE AS E NGAGI NG AS POSSI BLE . WITH OU R ASYNCH RONOUS COU RSE S, I POST AN NOU NCE M E NTS EVE RY DAY, J UST AS I WOU LD I N A CL ASSROOM .
I tell my students that we tend to operate within blinders, like a horse would wear, and those blinders come from our past experiences. That’s how we understand the world. But our job as educators is to push those blinders farther and farther away, to give them more experiences so they have a bigger perspective of the world. That’s my goal with all my classes – to increase their understanding of the world and the people we share this planet with and interact with every day. COLE MAN PATTE RSON, Associate Professor, Interdisciplinary Studies program
MEETING OKLAHOMA’S LABOR MARKET NEEDS With an expected 9% growth in management occupations and a 32.5% growth in medical and health services manager positions (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) by 2030, OU Online is in a prime place to make an impact on the state’s workforce by offering students degrees in areas of critical need. Since launch, OU Online has focused on offering degree programs that support critical state and regional labor market needs. Each OU Online program is backed by thorough research and independent analysis to help state and regional economies. In addition to our undergraduate degree completion programs that serve the state’s most immediate workforce needs, our graduate programs also prepare students for career advancement in the following high-demand areas:
•
BUSINESS
•
ENERGY
•
ENGINEERING
•
LAW ENFORCEMENT
•
HEALTH SCIENCES
Because our degrees are flexible, affordable and teach practical skill sets, they attract students seeking an affordable degree from a top-tier university. Although many of our students are from Oklahoma, our students represent 49 states, the District of Columbia, Canada and military bases worldwide.
With enrollments nearing 4,000, OU Online has surpassed University of Tulsa, Cameron University, East Central University, Rogers State University, Northern Oklahoma College and Oklahoma City University in enrollment numbers.
OKLAHOMA'S HIGHER LEARNING ENROLLMENT UNIVERSITY/CAMPUS
ENROLLMENT
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus
28,308
Oklahoma State University Main Campus
25,372
University of Central Oklahoma
12,250
Northeastern State University
6,702
Southeastern Oklahoma State University
5,479
Oral Roberts University
5,051
Southwestern Oklahoma State University
4,777
OU ONLINE
3,803
University of Tulsa
3,769
Cameron University
3,418
East Central University
3,376
University of Oklahoma – Health Sciences Center
3,235
Rogers State University
3,155
Northern Oklahoma College
2,997
Oklahoma City University
2,550
FUTURE IMPACT INCREASE ONLINE ENROLLMENTS TO
7,000
FOCUS ON
INDUSTRY PARTNERS
BY 2028
REDUCE
FINANCIAL BURDEN:
• Corporate partnerships • Scholarships • OSRHE programs like Direct Complete
SOLUTIONS FOR
ENROLLING STUDENTS WHO HAVE PREVIOUS DEBT OU ONLINE | 2023 IMPACT REPORT | 7
GRADUATE OUTCOMES SURVEY
80%
WERE HIRED 6 MONTHS OR LESS AFTER GRADUATION
89%
OF THOSE GRADUATES ARE STILL EMPLOYED
POST GRADUATE SALARY STATISTICS
19%
18%
26%
$125,000 OR MORE
$100,000-$124,999
$75,000-$99,999
25%
11%
1%
$50,000-$74,999
$25,000-$49,999
$24,999 OR LESS
67% 87% 78%
Respondents said obtaining a degree from OU assisted in changing their career trajectory or receiving a promotion that they desired.
Respondents said they were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with their career trajectory after completing an OU Online degree.
Respondents feel the skills gained through their OU Online program made them more competitive in their career fields.
ONLINE.OU.EDU | ONLINE@OU.EDU
The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo