Ready for the Spring semester?

We are excited to begin yet another semester of programming for OU-Tulsa students (and faculty and staff)!  This week we will begin planning for major events like Cultural Night, The Big Event, Graduation Gear-Up, the Bedlam Baseball game, and OU-Tulsa Convocation, in addition to all of our standard programming, events and services.

Also, construction is about one-third of the way complete on the new Founders Student Center.  The job is progressing nicely, and most of the new walls dividing the various spaces and offices have been framed in.  I will be posting construction photos soon to update everyone on the progress.

When you come back to campus you might notice some changes to the main SE parking lot between the main academic building and the Learning Center.  Large light poles are being added to the parking lot and an emergency "blue light" phone is being added as well in this area.  Additionally, a pedestrian crosswalk is being put it to connect the main building more directly with the Learning Center (and Library).  From the south security entrance/exit in the main academic building, you will now be able to walk on a wide pathway directly across the parking lot to the Learning Center.  Drivers will notice additional speed bumps and yield to pedestrians signs throughout the main parking lot, but improved accessibility and safety for pedestrians is our primary concern.

We look forward to welcoming students back to campus in just under two weeks, and hope our students have an excellent spring semester!

Boomer Sooner!

OU-Tulsa Student Affairs Highlight Video

Are you unsure about what we do in Student Affairs?!?  I encourage you to check out this link to see what you're missing!

OU-Tulsa Student Affairs YouTube video

Coffee with Clancy - Round 2

On Wednesday, November 9th, 7 current OU-Tulsa students joined OU-Tulsa President Gerry Clancy and myself to discuss student issues, concerns, ideas, and anything else (including recent earthquakes, of course).  The seven student attendees represented the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing, the College of Education, the Organizational Dynamics program, the College of Public Health and the Family Medicine/Psychiatry residency program.  The following bulleted list summarize the primary discussion points from the one-hour meeting:

• Improve awareness of all available academic programs at OU-Tulsa to all our students, which could serve to improve the interest and application pools for all OU-Tulsa academic programs
• Participating students reported that they were not aware of some of the academic programs that were represented in our session, much less all the other degree options on campus
• Several different options were discussed to address this issue:
• 20x20 presentations from each academic program at New Student Orientation sessions each fall
• Each program would present 20 PowerPoint slides, allowing 20 seconds per slide, to describe their program in a total of 6 minutes and 40 seconds
• Student Newsletter that features a different program (or programs) with each issue
• These could be distributed once/twice per semester to all OU-Tulsa students through a variety of communication outlets on campus
• Interdisciplinary Brown Bag sessions
• These could highlight a particular academic program's degrees, ongoing research, its faculty, or its students
• Utilized in much the same way as Coffee with Clancy to foster further discussions across campus with the intent to improve the overall student experience
• Increase overall school spirit/identity
• Hosting watch parties for OU athletics events
• Student Affairs (thanks two student requests/interest) is already looking into hosting watch parties for various OU sporting events in the coming months
• These would be open to students and their immediate families
• Possibly having an OU-Tulsa tailgate on the OU-Norman campus for 1 or more football home games next season
• Brand OU-Tulsa as a unique part of the University of Oklahoma system
• Make it clear around campus grounds and within buildings that this is OU
• Campus Yearbook
• Print or virtual/online options
• Students discussed the desire to have a yearbook recognizing their own programs, degrees and accomplishments on the OU-Tulsa campus
• Lockers for students to have option to store books that they do not need to take home each day
• A possible location discussed was the Perkins Lounge in Building 3
• Possibility of long-term reservations of lockers in Fitness Center locker rooms
• Student Affairs will consider allowing students to register with Student Affairs to use a locker on a semester basis
• Quiet study hours for new Founders Student Center
• Proposed quiet study hours from 1am-8am in the soon to be open Founders Student Center

As always, we would love to hear YOUR feedback!  Please feel free to add your comments below to let Student Affairs know what additional ideas, comments, concerns, or suggestions you may have.  Let us know what you think!

OUTSA November General Meeting

All OU-Tulsa students are invited and encouraged to attend the OU-Tulsa Student Association's (OUTSA) November General Meeting on Wednesday, November 2nd at 5:30pm in room LC231.  Food will be provided, while supplies last.

For the November General Meeting's Agenda, click here.

For the October General Meeting's Minutes, click here.

To be redirected to the OU-Tulsa Student Association's website, click here.

I would also like to remind students that OUTSA serves as the student liaison to the OU-Tulsa administration, and strives every day to support the needs of students on this campus.  If you have an issue, concern, new idea, or just want to meet students from other programs, then I would encourage you to join us this Wednesday at 5:30pm.

If you have any questions about OUTSA you can contact me at 918-660-3107 or by email.  Also, feel free to refer your questions to this year's OUTSA President, Emily Cook.  You can email her by clicking here.

Founders Student Center Construction

For the past 2-3 years, OU-Tulsa Student Affairs and OUTSA (OU-Tulsa Student Association) have been leading the effort for the OU-Tulsa campus to have a student union - a space available for students 24/7.  In May 2011 the OU-Tulsa Library moved into their beautiful new building, and turned over their old space to our students.  Construction began over the summer on student union, which has been named the "Founders Student Center" in recognition of our lead donor on the project.  Current construction estimates place our completion date in the March/April 2012 range, and we are excited to open the new space.  Founders Student Center will include the following features:

• Merkel Family Foundation Lounge - couches, study tables, & more
• Coffee Shop - made to order speciality drinks or coffee
• Game Room - pool table, ping-pong tables, TVs and video games
• Bookstore - 5-times the current space for our campus bookstore
• OU-Tulsa Student Affairs - improved student access to our office

Below is the architects most recent rendering of the space, and the layout of the different areas in the bullet list above:

The following pictures were taken just before demolition work began and again near the completion of demo.

The old view of the library stacks space.  The game room will
be located between the columnson the left and the wall
on the right.



The old view from the main double-door entrance
of the library.  The main entrance in Founders Student
Center will be open to hallway to be a welcoming space.

Looking from what was the library stacks and will be the new
bookstore space.  A glass wall will go up along the central
columns in this picture to divide the bookstore from the
game room, whilestill maintaining the open feel of the space.

View from the NW corner of what will be the Lounge space,
looking back to the east.  The boxed structure in the middle
of this space will have a electric fireplace on either side,
surrounded by couches, chairs and study tables.

View from the NW corner of what will be the Lounge space,
looking to the south.  Through the walkway to the left of the
equipment will be the game room and bookstore spaces.

View from the west side of the game room looking back to
the east/southeast into what will be the game room to the
left of the columns and the bookstore to the right, divided
by a glass wall, to carry on the openness of the space.

If you have any questions or comments about the Founders Student Union, please ask post them in the comments section below, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.  Or you can always stop by our current office in room 1C53.  We would be happy to answer any questions you may have!

OU-Tulsa Supported "Turn Tulsa Pink" Today!

Approximately 200 OU-Tulsa students, faculty and staff made a vibrant statement of support for the Turn Tulsa Pink initiative.  To learn more about Turn Tulsa Pink, please visit their website.

Walk-Up Flu Shot Clinics

Student Health and Student Affairs are providing free flu shots for OU-Tulsa students.  Flu season will likely be in full swing before we know it, so we want all of our students to have access to the flu vaccine.  Our next walk-up flu shot clinic will take place Tuesday, October 25th from 9am-11am in Founders Hall.  You do not need an appointment for this walk-up flu shot clinic.

Future walk-up flu shot clinics (all in Founders Hall):

• Thursday, November 3rd, 8-10am
• Tuesday, November 8th, 11am-1pm
• Tuesday, November 15th, 9-11am

If it is not possilbe to make it to one of these walk-up clinics, please call Student Health at 918-619-4565 to schedule your individual appointment.

In addition to providing free flu shots, Student Health also provides standard health services to all OU-Tulsa students.  To find out more about Student Health, visit their website here.