Senate Education Committee Approves OSU-Okmulgee Name Change

The Senate Education unanimously approved a bill Monday that would change the name of Oklahoma State University’s Technical Branch campus in Okmulgee.

Senate Bill 1442, authored by State Senator Roger Ballenger, D-Okmulgee, would change the school’s name to Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology-Okmulgee. The bill now goes to the full Senate for consideration.

Dr. Bob Klabenes, president of the Okmulgee school, said the name change will serve as a key marketing tool for the campus.

“The Okmulgee campus prepares technical professionals for employment in high performance companies that use advancing technologies to compete in the global market place,” Klabenes said. “Oklahoma along with most of the United States is facing a critical shortage of skilled workers due to advancing technology, retirements, and growth. Clearly, more Oklahomans must earn technologically-oriented college degrees to meet this critical shortage of skilled employees. This move will help address this important issue.”

Senator Ballenger said a national marketing firm recently recommended the name change to help with student recruitment and broadening the student base.

“The name change helps to modernize the school and make it more contemporary and attractive to potential students,” Ballenger said. “It better showcases what this crown jewel in Oklahoma’s higher education system has to offer.”