Sen. Dahm files legislation to improve higher education accountability

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, has filed multiple pieces of legislation aimed at improving higher education in Oklahoma.

“As university students return to school this week, we must do everything we can to protect them from rising costs due to administrative bloat and ensure our state universities provide an education worthy of the cost,” Dahm said.

Senate Bill 114 would prohibit universities from raising their tuition, fees, or fines after the 2022-2023 school year, freezing the current rates.

“Over the past twenty years, the cost of a college education has skyrocketed,” Dahm said. “Stoked by increased government subsidies and the ready availability of student loans, tuition and fees increase every single year. My bill will put a stop to these yearly increases.”

SCR 1 would require the Board of Regents to submit a report to the Legislature detailing information such as total faculty/teaching staff at each institution, courses and hours taught by said staff, the tenure policy of each institution, and the total number of tenured faculty at each institution.

“This is a basic transparency measure to ensure that we as the Legislature have the information we need to make policy and appropriations decisions,” Dahm said.

SB 111 prohibits institutions of higher education in the state of Oklahoma from accepting funds from individuals or entities affiliated or associated with the Chinese government.

“Despite the closure of the ‘Confucius Institute’ on the University of Oklahoma campus, the Chinese government still maintains ties to OU,” Dahm said.  “This bill is an attempt to rid our universities of their influence.”

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For more information, contact: Sen. Nathan Dahm at 405-521-5551 or email Nathan.Dahm@oksenate.gov.