N. Greenwood Ave. — Site Of Proposed Expanded Degree Pathway
The central question in OSU President Jim Hess’s Tulsa proposal is whether closer coordination between OSU-Tulsa and Tulsa Community College could help more students complete bachelor’s degrees without changing TCC’s local role. Hess has described a shared admissions entry point, governance and instruction for students attending either OSU-Tulsa or a renamed OSU Tulsa Community College. The proposal has prompted concern at the state’s largest community college system.
Hess discussed the plan on Nov. 3 and said he had shared it with TCC leaders, state higher-education boards, Gov. Kevin Stitt, lawmakers and other groups before it became public, according to Oklahoma Watch. He has said the proposal is not a merger and would let students start and finish their education at the same institution, rather than move between separate schools, Tulsa World reports. Separately, OSU presented its new five-year strategic plan, focused on student success, workforce preparation and coordination across the OSU system, at a kickoff event at OSU-Oklahoma City on Oct. 30.
Why TCC’s Property-Tax Base Is Central to the Debate
At the heart of the concern is money. TCC’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget includes $58.5 million from local property taxes, nearly 43% of its revenue, per the Oklahoma Watch report. Tulsa voters approved the property-tax collections that support the community college, and under Hess’s proposal, OSU-Tulsa local property tax funding would remain in Tulsa County for adult and technical education under the oversight of TCC regents. Hess has said he wants taxpayer dollars used efficiently to produce more Tulsa graduates with bachelor’s degrees, and that without an agreement, OSU would simply continue to grow organically in Tulsa anyway…