May 20, 2019

P R E S I D E N T I A L T R A N S I T I O N E D I T I O N | M AY 2 0 , 2 0 19 | O U D A I LY. C O M

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GALLOGLY GONE. HARROZ INTERIM. FULL COVERAGE INSIDE

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• May 20, 2019

“He is a proven administrator, a visionary leader, an advocate for academic freedom, and a firm believer in teaching, research and public service.”

PROFESSOR EMERITUS GEORGE HENDERSON

2 a.m., take two

Law Dean Joseph Harroz named interim president

BLAKE DOUGLAS News editor

The OU Board of Regents named OU College of Law Dean Joseph Harroz interim OU president May 17 at a special meeting following former OU President James Gallogly’s announcement of his intent to retire.

Harroz, current dean of the OU College of Law and director of the Law Center, will serve as president until a permanent president is selected.

The board voted for Harroz to be interim president for at least 15 months and voted for Harroz to be made eligible for consideration as permanent president.

Harroz’s selection came after the regents met in an executive session that began minutes after the meeting started at 8:15 p.m. on May 16 and ended just before 2 a.m. on May 17.

Harroz has long-standing ties to the university — he is an OU graduate and an Oklahoma native, and he was selected as OU’s vice president for executive affairs in 1994, according to the OU College of Law website.

Regent Leslie Rainbolt-Forbes gave a statement to the media after nearly six hours in executive session.

“On behalf of the Board

of Regents, I am pleased to announce tonight that Dean Joseph Harroz Jr. has been appointed as interim president of the University of Oklahoma,” Rainbolt-Forbes said. “His nationally recognized leadership of the OU College of Law and his many years of service as Vice President of Executive Affairs and General Counsel give him an unequalled understanding of OU.” Harroz served as the chief legal counsel to the university and the Board of Regents for 12 years beginning in 1996, the longest tenure in the position in OU history, according to the OU College of Law website.

Rainbolt-Forbes said Harroz has distinguished himself as an “effective leader and administrator” during his time at the OU College of Law. During his tenure there, the college has been named a best value law school and a top-20 moot court program nationally in recent years, and the college also has achieved the highest U.S. News & World Report ranking ever by an Oklahoma law school, according to the OU College of Law website.

Harroz earned his bachelor’s degree from OU and his juris doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center, according to the site, and he was an associate editor of the Journal of Law and Policy in International Business.

According to the website, Harroz served

as legislative director and legal counsel to former OU President David Boren during Boren’s time as a U.S. senator.

Additional experience includes Harroz’s time as president of a publicly traded health care company from 2008 to 2010.

He also was a founding member of the Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, and he is a current board member of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.

Some who know Harroz were pleased with his selection.

Professor Emeritus George Henderson, who nominated Harroz for the presidency in the previous search, shared with The Daily his December 2017 nomination letter, in which he said Harroz possessed all the characteristics of a good candidate.

“He is a proven administrator, a visionary leader, an advocate for academic freedom, and a firm believer in excellence in teaching, research and public service,” Henderson said in the letter. “He also understands and supports the University’s commitment to being an equal opportunity institution.”

Henderson said in the letter that Harroz has displayed dedication to diversity during his time as dean of the OU College of Law. “Dean Harroz has been a forceful advocate for and leader of racial and cultural diversity initiatives within the College of Law,” Hen-

KATHRYN STACY/THE DAILY

Leslie Rainbolt-Forbes, chair of the OU Board of Regents, announces at 2 a.m. Friday the selection of Joseph Harroz as the interim president , immediately succeeding former OU President James Gallogly.

derson said in the letter.

Others have voiced concerns with the secrecy of the regents, particularly regarding the selection of presidents and the management of the Jones Day investigation into allegations against former OU President David Boren and former administrator Tripp Hall.

Jess Eddy, a former OU student and employee who has accused Boren of sexual harassment, said Harroz’s appointment was inappropriate during the ongoing investigation of Boren, given Harroz’s past as a member of former Sen. Boren’s legal team and as OU’s general counsel for 12 years under Boren’s administration.

“While the regents

appear to be legally able to appoint him for 15 months without any input or say from the community,” Eddy said, “I think that it was entirely inappropriate and disrespectful of the victims and what we’ve been asking for.”

Eddy said people who worked as closely with Boren as Harroz once did likely knew of Boren’s alleged sexual misconduct, and Harroz’s appointment presents a conflict of interest.

“Speaking on behalf of myself and the other victims, we all know how close (Harroz) is to David Boren and we know, for those of us who’ve been around David Boren for any amount of time, that everybody knew of his mis-

conduct, and that includes (Harroz),” Eddy said. “He was his attorney and, as his attorney, kept him safe and kept him from being held accountable.”

Rainbolt-Forbes said Harroz would not be involved in the ongoing Boren investigation during a statement to media at the regents’ meeting.

In his nomination letter, Henderson expressed confidence Harroz would serve the university first despite connections to Boren.

“Dean Harroz is a close friend of President Boren,” Henderson said in the letter, “but, more important, he is an independent thinker whose loyalty is first and foremost to the University. He is his own man.”

‘Board of Regents, I reject you’ May 20, 2019 •

OU community seeks transparency in presidential searches SCOTT KIRKER, Editor-in-chief

Fifteen OU community members spoke in front of Evans Hall the morning of May 15, calling on the university and the Board of Regents to act with transparency and embrace diversity.

After the May 12 announcement of OU President James Gallogly’s retirement, the regents scheduled a meeting for May 16 to select Gallogly’s successor — where they would go on to select interim OU President Joseph Harroz behind closed doors. The day before, 15 speakers had come together with hopes to effect change from the regents and OU administration.

With roughly 40 people gathered near Evans Hall, the speakers challenged the Board of Regents, addressing what many speakers said has been a long-standing pattern of secrecy and injustice.

“Board of Regents, I reject you,” said Jess Eddy, an OU alumnus who has accused former administrators of sexual harassment.

Speakers said this time

of transition presents an opportunity for change.

Garland Pruitt, OU alumnus and president of the Oklahoma City branch of NAACP, said everyone speaking out on the steps of Evans Hall was there because they care.

“We care about the university. We ain’t here to tear it down. We’re here asking for inclusion.

Asking for transparency.

Asking for diversity.”

Many speakers urged the Board of Regents to be transparent on the selection of Gallogly’s replacement and seek fuller transparency moving forward.

Levi Hilliard, current OU staff and one of two known former OU students accusing former administrators of sexual harassment, emphasized the importance of the regents in presidential selection and OU’s overall operations.

“The Board of Regents can’t use (Gallogly) as a scapegoat for the university’s problems,” Hilliard said. “They are in the highest position at the university, and the greatest burden for all of this falls on their shoulders. They can’t hide behind their privilege, they can’t hide behind closed doors with armed guards to keep any of us out and exclude us from the selection process, and to obscure the truth in the shadows of their

wealth and prestige.”

Hilliard called on the Board of Regents to make the Jones Day report public, to “denounce the notion” of using a private search firm to find OU’s next president.

Speakers focused on transparency not only related to the investigation into allegations against former OU President David Boren and former OU Vice President Tripp Hall, but also to a more expansive atmosphere of secrecy at OU in the past.

Suzette Grillot, OU professor and former dean, discussed an open letter she and colleagues wrote to the Board of Regents Feb. 5, 2018, asking for transparency in the presidential search that resulted in the regents’ selection of Gallogly. Grillot has been an outspoken critic of both the regents and Gallogly ‘s administration.

“This is not about Gallogly versus Boren — because we asked for openness because of President Boren. Despite how bright and shiny the OU existence appears on the surface, there was and continues to be a dark underbelly at this university that too many of us have endured for far too long.”

Grillot said that under the surface of the administration, “racism, sexism, discrimination, harassment, intimidation,” and

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other abuses had existed under Boren’s administration.

Former OU employee Daniel Dukes also called on the regents to be transparent.

“Regents: you’ve been given a rare do-over,” Dukes said. “Gallogly’s departure is your chance to get it right. You can thank him for that. When looking for the next president, might I make some humble suggestions — be transparent. Let us know who the candidates are. Be intentional. Look for someone who will best serve the students.”

Speakers discussed issues of diversity and inclusion as well, encouraging OU to reach out to students of color, LGBTQ students, international students and other marginalized people.

Tatenda Dzvimbo, OU student and vice president of internal affairs for the International Advisory committee, said while she respects the efforts made by the administration to address issues of inclusion and diversity, OU must increase its efforts to accept and encourage all parts of its diverse student body.

“This past year has been a challenge for a majority of students and people of color like me, who’ve felt side-tracked and neglected,” Dzvimbo said. “This is a system of underlying rac-

ism, gender discrimination and misogyny that we feel has always been at OU.” Dzvimbo said this is the time to make a change to OU attitudes and structures.

“I speak not to disgrace, but to speak truth so we may all reckon with our past mistakes and not repeat them, so we can build a better tomorrow at our institution,” Dzvimbo said.

After discussing specific challenges that transgender students at OU and members of the LGBTQ community face — such as limited gender-neutral restrooms, experience and fear of assault and harassment and other difficulties OU student Sawyer Stephenson said the university must focus on adequately serving the LGBTQ community.

“This problem with the treatment of LGBTQ issues on campus isn’t just one person. It’s systemic,” Stephenson said.

Sara Bana, public advocate for Eddy and Hilliard — the accusers of Boren and Hall — said the regents must foster public transparency and inclusion to adequately serve the OU community.

“The systemic and institutionalized forms of oppression, suppression, exploitation, corruption, racism, deceit and the evidenced pattern of lawlessness on behalf of

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those in power is no longer acceptable,” Bana said.

Despite calls for transparency and inclusion in the presidential selection process, the Board of Regents met in a closed executive session for nearly six hours the night of May 16. Other candidates the regents may have considered are unknown to the public.

Harroz will serve as interim president for at least 15 months. It remains to be seen whether the regents will meet the demands for transparency.

Harroz will have to contend with those in OU’s community who are dissatisfied with the selection process and the secrecy that the regents and administration have maintained.

As Harroz’s presidency begins, he will preside over a community that was often disappointed by the administrative response to racist incidents and other ethical challenges under President Gallogly.

Eddy remains disappointed after Harroz’s selection, given the ongoing investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Boren and Hall.

“There’s no change. The regents aren’t showing any respect to the victims’ desire for some change at OU, the students’ desire for some inclusion in the process,” Eddy said.

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• May 20, 2019

‘Students will feel like he is there to serve them’

Students, ex-law dean believe Harroz can succeed in top role SCOTT KIRKER Editor-in-chief

As interim OU President Joseph Harroz begins his minimum 15-month tenure in office, members of the OU law community said they are confident in Harroz’s ability to deal with the university’s challenges and serve OU’s diverse student body.

Harroz, whom the OU Board of Regents selected to begin as interim president immediately following the regents’ six-hour deliberation that lasted from late May 16 to early May 17, has served as dean of the OU College of Law since July 2010.

Students and a former dean of the OU College of Law said that based on their experience with Harroz, they believe the regents made a good choice.

Cameron Burleson, former SGA vice president and an OU law student, said as an undergraduate he reached out to Harroz when Burleson couldn’t decide whether law school was for him. Despite Harroz’s busy schedule as dean, Burleson said, Harroz took 45 minutes and sat down with him to talk.

“From that moment,” Burleson said, “I knew that (Harroz) was someone who genuinely cared about not just his students that he was tasked with serving, but just the OU community as a whole ... I really have the utmost respect for him.”

Nick Marr, an OU law student, said from the time Harroz reached out to him about attending OU Law to now, it was clear to him that Harroz cared about students.

“He’s just such a likable guy,” Marr said.

“All of the students, I think, at the law school would agree with that. He’s very personable, he’s very approachable. He’s often hanging around with the students, talking to the students ... I think that students will feel like he is there to serve them and represent them.”

Burleson said he is confident in Harroz’s

ability to be independent and to keep the students’ interests first, despite his previous employment under former OU President David Boren.

Community activists have raised concerns about Harroz’s relationship with Boren, who is under investigation for allegations of sexual misconduct, as Harroz enters the presidency. Harroz served as a member of Boren’s legal team when Boren was a U.S. senator and as OU’s general counsel for 12 years under Boren’s presidency.

Burleson said the way Harroz addressed the September 2018 controversy surrounding the published views of Brian McCall, former OU College of Law associate dean, showed Harroz’s commitment to students.

Following the conclusion of an independent investigation, Harroz issued a statement detailing his views and the steps OU Law had taken and would take to ensure inclusivity and student safety.

“Throughout that process, Dean Harroz always had student interests first. And the people who brought those worries and frustrations to him, he had their interests at heart always,” Burleson said. “So the way that he handled that situation is the way that I think the OU community wants a president to handle the situation. He took swift action after due process was served.”

Burleson said Harroz also held a forum to give members of the community an opportunity to share their views about the situation.

“Every single law student was given the opportunity to attend, and not only did (Harroz) speak, but students were given the opportunity to speak,” Burleson said. “And many students stood up and offered harsh criticism to the way OU Law had maybe handled situations such as this in the past.

And Dean Harroz listened to it and made the necessary changes in order to better accommodate the students at OU Law.”

Students gather at the University Club on Friday with new interim President Joseph Harro

Dean Emeritus Andrew Coats, who was dean of the College of Law until Harroz began in 2010, said Harroz is well-prepared for the presidency.

Coats said Harroz has done a good job of keeping the law school in a solid financial position despite repeated higher education cuts in the Oklahoma state budget.

“I think (Harroz) is an excellent selection to be interim president,” Coats said. “He has a good understanding of the fiscal responsibilities and fiscal problems facing the university.

I also think he’s a person who can come in

and go forward with th discrimination of any k Marr said Harroz’s expe College of Law should p for the interim presiden

“I think the good th the law school, I think, dean of arts and scienc on-campus colleges,” M like being president of in the university, so I th pared to handle the eth come up, that he’s goin

May 20, 2019 •

oz (center) hours after he was appointed. Dean of Students David Surratt, who was in Italy, joined the gathering by video conference on the laptop students are holding.

he idea that we have no kind on our campus.” erience as dean of the prepare Harroz well ncy.

hing is, being dean of is different than being ces or one of the more Marr said. “It’s almost a mini university withhink that he’s well-prehical issues that will ng to inherit by no fault

of his own.”

Marr and Burleson both said, based on their experience, Harroz is a person of integrity.

“I think he’ll do what’s right — whether that ultimately is a good thing or a bad thing for the Boren legacy,” Marr said.

“Those who may be victims in any investigation deserve due process,” Burleson said, “and I just truly believe that will happen and they will get the justice that they deserve if justice is so required. I know that a lot of people are worried about that.”

Burleson said Harroz has created an open

KATHRYN STACY/THE DAILY

culture at the law school that can be brought to the university as a whole.

here, and for faculty and staff to feel that way as well.”

“I would implore (people) ... to look into the way that Dean Harroz has handled situations such as this in the past and how effectively he has been able to develop an open, honest and transparent culture at the law school,” Burleson said. “When you look at that culture at the law school, you will see that that is a culture that can be translated to the University of Oklahoma that will be conducive for all students to feel like they can belong here — to feel like they can succeed

Coats said Harroz could succeed in the position long-term.

“In my judgment,” Coats said, “(Harroz) would make not only a fine interim president, but a good president.”

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• May 20, 2019

Harroz addresses concerns Interim president discusses transparency, inclusion

BLAKE DOUGLAS News editor Interim OU President Joseph Harroz held a meet-and-greet Friday afternoon after he was selected as president early Friday morning by the OU Board of Regents.

Dozens of students packed into the University Club at the Oklahoma Memorial Union, crowding around Harroz as he paced the floor and fielded questions from the crowd.

Students at the event raised questions about administrative transparency and student inclusion in making university decisions. Some said they felt absent from those discussions during former OU President James Gallogly’s tenure and the secretive search that led to his hiring.

Harroz’s selection came less than 48 hours after a group of OU students, faculty and activists held an event May 15 outside Evans Hall to voice their discontent with the university and demand the regents increase transparency in a potential presidential search.

“Student voices — not only is it essential, it’s the fun behind this,” Harroz said. “It’s the joy every one of us should get from being in a university. The

first and last question should be, ‘Is it good for our students?’”

Students also asked how the university would respond to racist incidents, such as the ones that occurred on campus in the spring semester, during his time as president.

“Any time there is racism that takes place ... we have to be clear in our values and who we are,” Harroz said, “so that when it happens, we don’t simply sit back and then say, ‘We’re against that.’”

During Gallogly’s presidency, some members of the OU community criticized the rhetoric Gallogly used when responding to racism on campus, saying it was not firm enough to deter further incidents.

“If you don’t name things the way they should be named, people are going to think that offensive things are just a joke, just a flaw that they had,” international area studies junior Eduardo Campbell told The Daily in April.

“My issue was the fact that I didn’t feel any commitment in those responses. I didn’t feel like things were taken seriously.”

Harroz said he would like to see the university start each year with training for students and faculty regarding racial issues and how to respond to them, though he did not give specifics on what type of program he may implement.

It is important for the university to make its stance on racism apparent even before incidents occur,

Harroz said.

“We have to be able to create a culture and a community with students leading it,” Harroz said.

After Harroz was named OU’s interim president, Jess Eddy, former OU student and employee who has accused former OU President David Boren of sexual harassment, expressed concern for the future of the ongoing investigation into the allegations against Boren.

“I’m in disbelief. I cannot believe the regents think it’s okay to appoint (Harroz) as interim president at a time like this, when they’re investigating David Boren for sexual misconduct,” Eddy said. “To put a man who legally represented Boren for decades in that position, which will oversee the Title IX appeals process, is just beyond me.”

Harroz said he would do what he could to remove himself from the ongoing investigation.

“It’s a very important question, and one thing the (regents) made very clear last night is that I will not be involved with anything going on with that investigation,” Harroz said. “The simple answer is to stay out of it — the board is going to handle this, and (I’m) not going to be a part of it.”

AMANDA KUTNOCK/THE DAILY

Then-Law Dean Joseph Harraz speaks at the Unity Symposium on Nov. 1, 2017.

As dean, Harroz elevated OU Law Harroz’s time as dean of OU Law may help university grow NICK HAZELRIGG The Daily

Nine years before he would be appointed interim OU president, Joseph Harroz returned to the university to accept a position as dean of the OU College of Law. During those nine years, Harroz presided over a period of growth and stability at OU Law — a track record the Board of Regents hopes he can bring to a tumultuous university when he takes office in Evans Hall.

Harroz was widely considered by observers to be a top potential candidate to replace former OU President David Boren in 2018, but the board opted for James Gallogly instead. With Gallogly’s sudden departure from the university, Harroz is set to serve as interim president for longer than Gallogly served as president.

Within three years of Harroz’s arrival at OU, the law school had climbed 14 spots in U.S. News & World Report’s ranked list of national law schools to No. 68. During Harroz’s tenure, the law school has remained within three or four spots of that ranking.

According to the law school information-aggregating website Law

School Transparency, OU Law has also increased its employment score during Harroz’s time as dean.

The employment score, according to Law School Transparency, is based on a law school’s reports of the percentage of students who found work as lawyers after graduating.

Between 2011 and 2018, OU Law’s employment rose by 15 percent from 60 percent to 75 percent, according to Law School Transparency.

OU Law’s moot court program has also grown into a prestigious, nationally recognized program during Harroz’s tenure. In 2018, OU Law was also listed in the top 10 best value law schools in the National Jurist magazine.

May 20, 2019 •

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A whirlwind year A timeline of the tenure of James Gallogly, OU’s 14th president SCOTT KIRKER Editor-in-chief

Less than one year into his administration, former OU President James Gallogly announced May 12 that he planned to retire once a transition was in place for his successor.

After a May 16 special meeting where the Board of Regents named OU College of Law Dean Joseph Harroz interim OU president effective immediately, Gallogly’s presidency came to an abrupt end.

Gallogly faced many unexpected challenges after his appointment in March 2018. As the brief Gallogly era concludes, this timeline looks back on the events of Gallogly’s presidency.

March 26, 2018: The Board of Regents appointed James Gallogly as the 14th president of the University of Oklahoma, ending David Boren’s nearly 24-year tenure as president. Gallogly’s selection as president followed a months-long search involving the regents and a search committee that took place mostly behind closed doors. Though Gallogly’s selection drew mixed reactions from students and faculty, Boren expressed great confidence in the new president’s abilities.

June 19, 2018: Though not yet sworn in as president, Gallogly performed the duties of president at the Board of Regents’ meeting, in which he gave a scathing report about OU’s financial status and revealed OU’s debt was nearly $1 billion. Gallogly said at the meeting he

would not increase tuition and did not plan to do so in the immediate future.

July 2, 2018: On Gallogly’s second official day as OU president, he announced a major administrative restructuring plan with the aim of increasing efficiency on the Norman campus. The plan resulted in the termination of a several longtime employees of the university, including the university’s chief financial officer.

Aug. 16, 2018: Gallogly was officially inaugurated as OU’s president. During his speech, Gallogly explained his plans to stabilize university finances, double graduate research, increase compensation for faculty members and hold tuition flat.

Nov. 1, 2018: Gallogly announced a multitude of staff layoffs aimed at saving money on the Norman campus. The layoffs mainly affected employees in the undergraduate research office, the landscaping department and the One University Store. Several leaders within the OU department of development were also terminated.

Dec. 10, 2018: The Daily reported OU hired law firm Jones Day to investigate misreporting of financial data that may have occurred under Boren.

The next day, Gallogly confirmed that Jones Day conducted a review, the university responded accordingly and no legal action would be taken.

Dec. 11, 2018: Gallogly denied a report from The

Norman Transcript stating he had threatened Boren following an op-ed published by Boren criticizing Gallogly’s depiction of OU’s finances as dire. The Transcript reported Gallogly told a senior OU official to tell Boren: “You tell him that I am the meanest son of a bitch he has ever seen, and if he ever crosses me again, I will destroy him.”

2019 Jan. 18, 2019: Following a racist video in which two OU students used blackface and one used a racial slur, Gallogly released a statement condemning their actions and saying “the negative impact of such conduct cannot be estimated,” but acknowledging their First Amendment rights.

Jan. 21, 2019: Gallogly addressed the OU community during a press conference following social media circulation of the racist video. During the conference, Gallogly said his administration would prioritize minority issues on campus, and that the two students involved in the video had withdrawn from the university. Gallogly also said it may have been an oversight to not call the video racist in the university’s initial statement.

Jan. 22, 2019: Gallogly attended the Rally to Stop Racism following the racist video, during which students criticized his leadership following the incident.

An OU dean recently terminated by Gallogly also called for his resignation during the rally. Gallogly said many individuals

ZHENG QU/THE DAILY

Former OU President James Gallogly gestures during commencement exercises on May 10 in Lloyd Noble Center. He announced his intent to retire on May 12 and was replaced by May 17.

there had hatred for him and wanted him to fail.

Feb. 7, 2019: Gallogly announced the second major round of layoffs during his administration, this time affecting members of the OU IT department and the landscaping department at the OU Health Sciences Center.

Feb. 12, 2019: Students marched in protest of a change the Gallogly administration had made that prevented students with outstanding bursar balances from enrolling.

At the time of the march, 12 international students had holds on their bursar and could not enroll. As a result of being unable to enroll, the international students could have faced deportation.

Feb. 13, 2019: The Oklahoman reported the Jones Day law firm would investigate whether Boren sexually harassed male aides.

March 13, 2019: Gallogly announced at the Board of Regents’ meeting that “actual financials” for the university had become positive for both the Norman campus and the Health Sciences Center following cost-savings measures taken by his administration.

April 9, 2019: The Jones Day law firm, hired by the university to investigate “allegations of possible inappropriate conduct,” briefed Gallogly and the Board of Regents on its investigation for the first

time in a special meeting.

The briefing lasted six hours, all of which was conducted in executive session.

May 12, 2019: Gallogly announced his plans to retire as soon as the Board of Regents had a plan in place to select his successor.

May 17, 2019: After meeting in a closed executive session for nearly six hours, the Board of Regents named Joseph Harroz interim OU president effective immediately, bringing Gallogly’s short presidency to an end.

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• May 20, 2019

OU interim President Joseph Harroz shares a laugh with student Stephen Cromwell during a reception at the University Club on Friday afternoon.

KATHRYN STACY/THE DAILY

A letter from the interim president

Dear OU family, I am honored to have this new opportunity to serve the institution we love. Together, we can unite the OU family to build the OU of the future. Together, we can rally behind the institution and build on our tradition of excellence to make OU better than ever.

Our mission is sacred. There is nothing more noble than creating opportunity for the next generation, passing down and discovering new knowledge, and inspiring an ethic of service and civic responsibility. What makes OU great is the dedication of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni in the pursuit of this mission. What makes OU such a special place are the shared val-

ues that let us dream and achieve together: love and respect for all, and a relentless commitment to excellence.

We all know that we have been in the midst of a challenging transition and that we still face challenges. There is still work to be done. We will be resolute in seeing it through. We are committed to building a far more diverse and inclusive OU; nothing else we do will succeed unless we accomplish real change, together. We have to continue building a culture of integrity. We have to be good stewards of our resources so that we can focus on our mission. I am confident that we can overcome all of the challenges we face — together.

We already have a collective

sense of the priorities we have to address: • Thoughtfully and decisively solve the institution’s financial challenges so that we can move forward with a positive focus on our mission and remain affordable and accessible; •Make diversity and inclusion a strength of OU, facing head-on the challenges we have around race and ethnicity and ensuring that each and every individual is valued; • Continue to define and pursue a new level of excellence and impact in research and creative activity; • Invest in our Health Sciences Center to make OU the provider of choice for health care in Oklahoma; and

• Expand educational opportunities and the OU brand across Oklahoma and the world.

Leaders change, but the mission never does. We are here to create a culture of excellence and opportunity for our students. We aspire to increase the impact of our research and creative activity. We strive to be the standard of excellence in medical care for the state of Oklahoma. We are dedicated to helping Oklahoma thrive. In so many ways, we have great momentum. Make no mistake: we are going to continue moving forward, boldly and decisively, and with a sense of joy and optimism.

You are the heart and soul of this great institution. I look forward to working with our tal-

ented and dedicated staff. I look forward to supporting our worldclass faculty. I look forward to empowering our amazing students, both undergraduate and graduate. I look forward to partnering with the most generous, caring, and loyal alumni family in the world. I am asking for your support and for the opportunity to earn your trust in this new phase of my service at OU. I promise to listen, and I promise to give everything I have to our mission. We are going to accomplish great things. Please look forward to great news in the weeks ahead, and I am excited to work together.

Sincerely, Joseph Harroz, Jr.