Winds of Change - College 2017 - 60

Profiles

University of Oklahoma
Norman, Okla. * ou.edu
L

ocated just 20 miles from bustling
Oklahoma City - site of the 2018
AISES National Conference - is the
main campus of the University of
Oklahoma in Norman. The more than
21,000 undergraduates on campus can
choose from among over 170
majors (engineering and
programs in the health professions
are among the most popular).
Norman is home to all the
degree-granting programs of this
public research university except
those in health and medicine,
which are offered at the OU
Health Sciences Center in
Oklahoma City. One of only four
comprehensive academic health centers in
the country, the Health Sciences Center
houses seven professional colleges.
The University of Oklahoma was
founded in 1890, and today there's a lot
that sets it apart - like one of the world's
largest history of science collections at the
Bizzell Memorial Library. The school can
also claim a beautiful, walkable campus in
a friendly college town (it's the only Big 12
campus to be named one of the country's
25 most beautiful); an entrepreneurship
program nationally ranked in the top five;

an Honors College named one of the top 25
such programs at a public university; and
world-renowned research across departments. OU Norman is also the site of the
National Weather Center, a singular campus
resource where undergraduates in any
major may apply to conduct
research over the summer.
Academic departments based
at both the Norman and Oklahoma City campuses also offer
courses at the OU-Tulsa Schusterman Center, where students can
pursue more than 30 degree
programs. Students may also elect
to study abroad at OU international centers in Mexico, Italy, and Brazil.
OU may be a large, expansive university,
but it works hard to make every student feel
at home. For the second year in a row, the
University of Oklahoma has earned a
Higher Education Excellence in Diversity
(HEED) Award, recognizing the school as a
Diversity Champion. Institutions that merit
this honor have demonstrated visionary
leadership and successful strategies and
programs that have resulted in an inclusive
campus. The HEED Award is presented by
Insight into Diversity, the country's oldest
and largest magazine in this topic area.

60 WINDS OF CHANGE * 2017-2018 SPECIAL COLLEGE ISSUE

That inclusive atmosphere starts fresh
with each new student. At OU all incoming
students are required to attend a Freshman
Diversity Experience that introduces them
to the multicultural, cosmopolitan campus
and prepares them to make the most of
their new role as a member of the university community.
As you would expect at a major
university, school sports teams - and
school spirit - are an important part of
student life, and OU offers one of the top
athletics programs in the country. OU
teams compete in the NCAA Division 1 Big
12 Conference, and no matter what the
sport may be, game day is always exciting
for the OU Sooners and their "Boomer
Sooner" boosters.
If you aren't participating on the field or
cheering on your favorite team, you can
take part in any of 400 campus organizations - including an active AISES College
Chapter - or cultural activities like plays,
concerts, and dance performances (the
dance program is ranked among the top
three in the nation).
Other important facts about OU are
that freshmen are required to live on
campus, and about 25 percent of students
participate in Greek life. With a studentfaculty ratio of 17:1, almost half the classes
have 20 or fewer students. Eighty-six
percent of the freshman class elects to
continue at OU - a good indication of
student satisfaction - and the school's
four-year graduate rate is 40 percent.
aises.org

COURTESY OF TIFFANY D. SMITH, UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA (2); CREATIVE COMMONS/NICHOLAS BENSON (CAMPUS)

COLLEGE

http://www.ou.edu http://www.aises.org

Winds of Change - College 2017

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