Higher Learning Commission

University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma has spent five years learning from HLC’s academies and is a new graduate of the Student Success Academy. Now the institution is on a mission to make the experience of its students the best it can be.    

University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma is small, semi-rural and committed to the idea that sense of belonging can drive student success.  

This liberal arts institution with just under 1,000 students, located between Oklahoma City and Lawton in Chickasha, is uniquely situated on the edge of a rural and urban area.    

With a reputation for affordability and accessibility, leaders at the university used data and assessment tools developed during HLC’s multi-year academy experience to focus in on appealing to students who can be more comfortable/engaged in a small community rather than at one of the region’s large institutions where it can be easy to get lost.  

“We always knew the university had a large population of students who are the first in their families to go to college,” said Misty Steele, associate vice president of student success at University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.   

“What we didn’t have was the data to be able to identify and target the group for services and attention,” she said. 

The university first began collecting and assessing institutional data in 2015 through HLC’s Assessment Academy. It became committed to continuing on with assessment and data collection as a means for improvement after receiving its reaffirmation of accreditation by HLC in 2020.  The university then joined HLC’s Student Success Academy in the fall of 2020, becoming in 2023 one of 20 U.S. colleges and universities to graduate from the data-driven, three-year program.   

With help from mentors and scholars in HLC’s data-driven Student Success Academy program, the institution’s team of administrators and faculty deans revised its intake process for incoming students to include a question and data point that identifies those who are first-generation.  

The team then developed a strategy for reaching out, introducing centralized First-Year advisement, a mentoring program and special events where students are celebrated and have the opportunity to get to know staff and support services.  

Next step will be for the institution to formalize and finalize a student success blueprint for the future.   

“HLC’s academies have a guided process that has truly been a gift to the institution,” said Steele. “They have kept our momentum going and we’re not done yet.”  

Barbara Gellman-Danley, president of HLC, applauded the institution for putting students who may need more attention for college success first.   

“The work done over the years by the University of Arts and Sciences of Oklahoma takes determination, enthusiasm and motivation. I look forward to seeing the institution’s continuing commitment as well as the results of its efforts,” she said.   

Learn more about HLC’s academies experience.