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SENATE FLOOR VERSION
February 25, 2025
AS AMENDED
SENATE BILL NO. 244 By: Pugh
[ higher education - school - advisory board - vice
president - vacancy - search - director - tenure -
funds - report - severability - codification -
effective date -
emergency ]
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3319 of Title 70, unless there
is created a duplication in numbering, re ads as follows:
A. There is hereby established the School of American Civic
Thought and Leadership at the University of Oklahoma. The purpose
of the school shall be to:
1. Educate students in the principles, ideals, and institutions
of the American poli tical order including the character traits and
durable habits necessary to sustain that order;
2. Educate students in the philosophical foundations of
responsible leadership and informed citizenship;
3. Promote and provide programming related to civic ed ucation,
engagement, and discourse;
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4. Enhance education in the fields of political thought and
science, American history and government, free market economics, and
other related fields as appropriate, with a focus on the foundations
of Western and Americ an civilization including its great books, the
rights and responsibilities of American citizenship, fundamental
democratic principles and mores, and the ways in which those
principles and mores are expressed in and through mediating
institutions at the fed eral, state, and local levels;
5. Provide viewpoint and ideologically diverse resources to
students, faculty, state government agencies and actors, educators,
and the general public regarding civic affairs; and
6. Assist in ensuring that the University o f Oklahoma serve as
a robust marketplace of ideas for all students and faculty.
B. To carry out the purposes set forth in subsection A of this
section, the school is authorized to:
1. Enroll students;
2. Hire tenure-track and non-tenured faculty and sup porting
staff;
3. Develop and offer in -person courses and online instruction
in new graduate and undergraduate major and minor programs;
4. Develop an undergraduate American institutions and civic
knowledge course in anticipation of a future mandate requ iring all
University of Oklahoma students to complete such a course to
graduate;
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5. Offer general education and honors courses including courses
intended for incoming freshman students;
6. Offer concurrent enrollment;
7. Provide and facilitate internshi ps and other relevant
experiences for students and the general public;
8. Hold events; and
9. Take other actions as appropriate subject to the supervision
of the school’s director and the general supervision of the
President of the University of Oklahoma .
C. Upon its establishment, the school may be physically housed
on the University of Oklahoma ’s Norman campus.
D. The school shall operate as an academic unit within the
University of Oklahoma.
E. The school and its director shall be advised by an advi sory
board on matters related to the school including, but not limited
to, staffing, curriculum, policy, and programming in accordance with
the policies and procedures of the University of Oklahoma.
1. The advisory board shall be comprised of nine (9) mem bers to
be appointed as follows:
a. three members, one of whom shall be an active or
retired academic or administrative employee of an
institution of higher education accredited by an
accrediting agency that is recognized by the Secretary
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of Education of the United States Department of
Education, appointed by the Governor,
b. three members, one of whom shall be an active or
retired academic or administrative employee of an
institution of higher education accredited by an
accrediting agency that is recognize d by the Secretary
of Education of the United States Department of
Education, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of
the Senate, and
c. three members, one of whom shall be an active or
retired academic or administrative employee of an
institution of higher education accredited by an
accrediting agency that is recognized by the Secretary
of Education of the United States Department of
Education, appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
2. Initial appointments shall be made by December 31 , 2025.
The terms of office of initial members shall be:
a. one member appointed pursuant to subparagraphs a, b,
and c of paragraph 1 of this subsection shall serve an
initial term of two (2) years,
b. one member appointed pursuant to subparagraphs a, b,
and c of paragraph 1 of this subsection shall serve an
initial term of four (4) years, and
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c. one member appointed pursuant to subparagraphs a, b,
and c of paragraph 1 of this subsection shall serve an
initial term of six (6) years.
3. Initial appointment s made pursuant to this subsection shall
expire on May 31 of the final year of the term of office. Terms of
office for subsequent appointments shall be six (6) years. Members
shall serve until their successors are duly appointed. Members
shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority. Vacancies
shall be filled by the appointing authority.
4. a. The President of the University of Oklahoma shall
appoint a Vice President of Civic Thought and
Leadership by December 31, 2025, who shall serve at
the pleasure of the president. The vice president
shall serve as chair of the advisory board created
pursuant to this subsection, convene an initial
meeting of the advisory board, receive appointment
notifications, and serve as an ex officio member of
the advisory board.
b. If a vacancy in the position of Vice President of
Civic Thought and Leadership occurs, it shall be
filled by the President of the University of Oklahoma .
During the term of the vacancy, the advisory board may
elect from its membership an i nterim chair to serve
until the vacancy is filled.
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F. By March 31, 2026, the advisory board created pursuant to
subsection E of this section, or a committee appointed by the board,
shall conduct a national search and transmit to the President of the
University of Oklahoma a list of finalists for the position of
director of the school. The President of the University of Oklahoma
shall provide all necessary administrative support for the search.
The President of the University of Oklahoma shall appoint the
director from the list of finalists provided by the advisory board.
If the position of director becomes vacant, the provisions of this
subsection shall govern appointment of a new director. During the
term of the vacancy, the President of the University of Oklahoma may
designate a member of the school ’s faculty to serve as interim
director until the vacancy is filled. The President of the
University of Oklahoma may remove the director of the school in
accordance with policies and procedures of the Unive rsity of
Oklahoma. The director shall:
1. Report to the Vice President of Civic Thought and
Leadership;
2. Except for his or her own appointment, make all faculty and
staff hiring decisions for the school;
3. Operate the school in accordance with polic ies and
procedures of the University of Oklahoma; and
4. By March 1, 2027, and by each March 1 thereafter, develop
and provide an annual strategic plan for the school to the President
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of the University of Oklahoma , the Vice President of Civic Thought
and Leadership, and the advisory board.
G. Faculty of the school may be awarded tenure subject to the
tenure policies of the University of Oklahoma as adopted by the
Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma and shall not be
required to gain joint appoin tment in another division of the
University of Oklahoma. If a faculty member is awarded tenure and
the school later dissolves, the faculty member shall be relocated
within another academic unit of the University of Oklahoma.
H. The Board of Regents of th e University of Oklahoma may use
funds allocated to it by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education and charitable donations to fund the school. Funds
allocated pursuant to this subsection shall not supplant any
existing state funding or charitable donations to the University of
Oklahoma. Allocated and donated funds shall only be used for the
direct operation of the school.
I. By September 1, 2027, and by each September 1 thereafter,
the President of the University of Oklahoma , in consultation with
the director of the school, the school ’s advisory board, and the
Vice President of Civic Thought and Leadership , shall electronically
submit a report to the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the
Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, an d the chairs
of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the House of
Representatives Appropriations and Budget Committee. The initial
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report shall contain all relevant data from the founding of the
school through September 1, 2027, including the following :
1. The total amount of funding received by the school in the
previous fiscal year;
2. A description of the current faculty positions and the names
and qualifications of the faculty members holding such positions;
3. The names and titles of the members of the advisory board
created pursuant to subsection E of this section;
4. The number of students enrolled in the school ’s graduate and
undergraduate degree programs and in concurrent enrollment;
5. A description of the courses and degrees offered by th e
school;
6. A description of significant community events, initiatives,
and publications provided by the school during the previous fiscal
year;
7. A description of programs at the University of Oklahoma
supported by the school; and
8. A copy of the sc hool’s most recently approved strategic
plan.
J. The provisions of this section are severable and if any part
or provision shall be held void, the decision of the court so
holding shall not affect or impair any of the remaining parts or
provisions of this section.
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
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SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
February 25, 2025 - DO PASS AS AMENDED