OU Online 2023 Impact Report

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