Oklahoma State University
EN-13: Community Stakeholder Engagement

In OSU's strategic plan, community engagement is named as one of OSU’s three core goals and the intention to “Engage external individuals and organizations through collaboration, outreach, and extension that enhances the quality of life in Oklahoma, the nation, and the world by contributing to the human, economic, and cultural development of our citizens” is explicitly expressed. OSU was founded with a land-grant mission, and its identity and history connect it to serving stakeholders throughout the state of Oklahoma and beyond. OSU’s extension service, in which county extension agents interact with and provide services to each county in the state, celebrated its 100 anniversary last year.

OSU engages community stakeholders in a variety of ways, to include town hall meetings, advisory boards, professional organization interaction, surveys and research, social media, and consultation – to ascertain the needs of the partner, and the ways in which OSU and the partner may collaborate. As an example of one result of these efforts, OSU has created partnerships with all Oklahoma school districts on issues such as literacy and retention; many of these districts reflect underrepresented populations from rural, urban and economically challenged communities.

The Salvation Army, TCC Upward Bound TRIO Program, Resonance Center for Women Inc., Tulsa City-County Library System, Camp Fire USA Green Country Council, Counseling and Recovery Services of Oklahoma, YWCA Tulsa, Owasso Community Resources, Oklahoma Parents as Teachers, Oklahoma Afterschool Network, New Hope Camp Inc., Western Heights School District in Oklahoma City, Bishop Kelly school in Tulsa, Broken Arrow, OK School District, Stillwater, OK Public Schools, Osage County Interlocal Cooperative, State Department of Education, Oklahoma Association of Environmental Education, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Oklahoma Afterschool Network, Halliburton, Oklahoma Wondertorium, TABERC, Northwestern State University, University of Tulsa, Tulsa Technology Center, Oral Roberts University, Rogers State University, University of Oklahoma, Langston University, Tulsa Community College and Northeastern State University Advanced Manufacturing Office of the Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Economic Development Administration, U.S. Employment and Training Administration, National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Science Foundation, Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology, Small Business Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Oklahoma Gas and Electric, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, Grand River Dam Authority, Siemens and Loren Architects, 3M Company, Avery Dennison, Brady Corporation, Bruckner, DuPont Company, Goss International Inc., Kimberly-Clark, Procter & Gamble, Rockwell Automation, Kerr Foundation, National Science Foundation, Noble Foundation, Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science & Technology, Oklahoma State University Foundation, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Oklahoma Water Resources Research Institute and its Water Research Advisory Board, Oklahoma State Department of Tourism and Recreation, Oklahoma Restaurant Association, Oklahoma Hotel and Lodging Association, and the Oklahoma Travel Industry Association, Head Country Food Products, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Durant Industrial Authority, Curwood Inc., Clements Foods Co., Ralph's Packing Co., Dvorak Frams, Griffin Food Co., Unitherm Food Systems Inc., J-M Farms, Southwestern Technology Center, Lopez Foods, AdvancePierre Foods, Reasor's Inc., Chef's Requested Foods, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. (Note that is a partial list of identified community stakeholders.

OSU has earned 2015 Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation for its leadership and efforts that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement.