RSU Kicks Off New School Year for Employees at Fall 2024 Convocation Aug. 15

Rogers State University employees from all three campuses assembled in the Dr. Carolyn Taylor Center Aug. 15 for updates and comments from university leaders at the Fall 2024 Convocation.

Interim RSU President Dr. Mark Rasor welcomed Convocation attendees before delivering his institutional update.

"It's good to have faculty back on campus and right now, we've got 150 Hillcampers on campus. You'll probably see them running around campus. They've got a lot of energy, and with the students and faculty returning, it's like the Hill is coming back to life again," Rasor said.

During his update, Rasor highlighted enrollment increases for two consecutive fall semesters - fall 2023 and 2024; salary increases in fiscal year 2024, with raised minimum salaries; a new record for private giving, including the $4 million gift from the Cherokee Nation to support the Center for Science and Technology; $10 million in-state support for the Center for Science and Technology; a five-year naming agreement through athletics with RCB Bank; and the university receiving national ranking recognition from Forbes and U.S. News and World Report.

Rasor also touched on the launch of the university's chemical engineering program and hiring of its lead professor, new graduate programs upcoming in the near future, and the university's alignment of its offerings and programs with workforce needs.

Rasor further remarked on the success of RSU's Esports teams and CyberCats cybersecurity team, the women's golf team and an individual male golfer competing at the NCAA championships, two student athletes earning All-American honors, RSU alumnus Spencer Bivins becoming the first Hillcat in Major League Baseball and student athletes earning a 3.39 cumulative grade point average.

"Probably one of the highlights of the year for me was seeing our retired president, (Dr.) Larry Rice, promoted to president emeritus status by our board - a well-deserved honor - and also, for him to be inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame on Nov. 4," Rasor said. "If you've seen that list of inductees, it's an illustrious one, but nobody deserves to be on it more than he does. We're very proud of that, and as a sidenote, he was also selected as Claremore's Citizen of the Year."

Looking forward, Rasor touched on the university's presidential search process, with the search committee to receive applications through Oct. 18 and Regents expected to name a new president in spring 2025.

Following Rasor's remarks, further updates were offered from Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Jerrett Phillips, Director of Admissions Fred Dietz, Faculty Senate Chair Dr. Lori O'Malley, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Mary Millikin, Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Richard Beck, and Registrar and Staff Advisory Council Chair Alaina Sprague, who awarded Staff Recognition Awards to Instructional Designer Troy Gerard, Graphic Designer Randy Riggs and Assistant Bursar Kimberly Garland.

Following the Convocation, professional development meetings were held throughout the afternoon.

Rogers State University's first day of classes for the fall 2024 semester is Monday, Aug. 19.

For more information, visit www.rsu/edu.

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