NSU to celebrate 15th anniversary of the Broken Arrow campus

(Broken Arrow, Oklahoma)--Northeastern State University is celebrating a milestone for its Broken Arrow campus on Aug. 11. The university will commemorate the 15th anniversary of the campus from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Visitors Center Gallery within the Administrative Services Building. Remarks begin at 5:30 p.m. and light refreshments are available. The event is open to the public.

The foresight of the leaders of the city of Broken Arrow to embrace their role in providing access for students to earn a degree at NSU is inspirational, NSU President Steve Turner said.

The good people of Broken Arrow have dedicated their time, land and financial resources because they understand that college graduates have higher lifetime earnings, pay more taxes, and get involved in civic and community activities.

Building a future: Discussion to build the NSUBA campus began in the late 1990s when the Oklahoma legislature altered the University Center at Tulsa and opened the door for NSU to develop a new campus site within the Tulsa metropolitan area.

In 1997, the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce established a Higher Education Task Force to investigate potential university partners, and in 1998, the chair of that task force, Joe Robson, presented the case for a public vote for a $16 million bond and sales tax increase to support the establishment of the campus. On Dec. 8, 1998, Broken Arrow voters overwhelmingly approved the city sales tax to fund construction for Phase I of NSUBA. This phase funded the Administrative Services, Education and Business & Technology buildings.

While construction of Phase I of the Broken Arrow campus was underway, planning for Phase II began. Phase II included plans for constructing three additional buildings on the north side of campus: the Library, Liberal Arts, and Science & Health Professions buildings.

Again the city of Broken Arrow partnered with NSU and dedicated portions of the Vision 2025 money to support constructions of the Phase II buildings and in November of 2007, Phase II of the campus was dedicated.

Growing the possibilities: According to Dr. Mark Arant, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, the NSUBA campus is poised to be the cornerstone of innovation in Broken Arrow.

Partnerships with local industries will allow access to new and exciting degree and certificate offerings in the computer sciences, applied physics and advanced manufacturing, just to name a few. The inclusion of maker spaces and business incubator programs can draw the community to campus more frequently and in new ways, he said. The communitys presence on campus can also be seen in new partnerships with Tulsa Community College, enhanced concurrent enrollment activities, and key community members taking an active role in advising the campus on its future directions.

Broken Arrow's willingness to partner with NSU brought the campus into being; a stronger relationship will ensure a brilliant future for the students at NSU and Broken Arrow.

Expanding its focus: NSUBA offers many learning options: The Education and Business programs remain strong with an emphasis on course scheduling that supports the needs of transfer students and working adults and new programming endeavors that continue to create opportunities for students. The Masters in Education degree in Special Education-Autism Spectrum Disorders, the digital marketing option for the Bachelor of Business Administration degree, options for the Master in Business Administration in General Management, Managerial Accounting and Finance, and Native American Enterprises, as well as the bachelors programs in Cyber Security, Homeland Security and Legal Studies are just a few of the new programming areas.

Moving NSUBA forward: Looking towards the future, NSUBA will have an increased focus in programming in science and technology. NSUs new Applied Physics degree will prepare graduates with the technical expertise to support advanced manufacturing endeavors in Broken Arrow and the entire Tulsa metropolitan area.

Dr. Pamela Fly, associate vice president for Academic Affairs, explained that current research endeavors such as Dr. Kevin Wangs work in biotechnology and NSUs recent affiliation with Tulsa Research Partners and the Oklahoma Innovation Institute will foster increased collaborations and support Oklahomas workforce ecosystems in meaningful ways.

NSUBA has enjoyed a strong partnership with the Broken Arrow community for 15 years, and it is time to celebrate those accomplishments and plan even greater things for the future, Fly said.

As NSU looks to the future, Turner said, he is energized by what has been accomplished over the past 15 years and the spirit of the partnership between the city of Broken Arrow and NSU.

There is no limit to what can be accomplished in the years ahead and I have every confidence in the leadership ability of our new campus dean, Dr. Roy Wood.