Stitt Tenure Ban Hurts Faculty Recruiting at Oklahoma Regional Universities

Stitt Tenure Ban Hurts Faculty Recruiting at Oklahoma Regional Universities

The Stitt tenure ban is already creating recruiting problems for some of Oklahoma's regional universities, with university leaders reporting fewer applicants, rejected job offers and difficulty filling faculty positions.

Gov. Kevin Stitt issued an executive order in February prohibiting publicly funded regional universities and community colleges from granting tenure to newly hired faculty. The order does not apply to the University of Oklahoma or Oklahoma State University, a distinction that regional university leaders and some state lawmakers say puts rural campuses at a competitive disadvantage.

Stitt Tenure Ban Creates Recruiting Problems at East Central University

At East Central University in Ada, two of four vacant faculty positions remain unfilled after the university experienced fewer applications than usual and multiple candidates withdrew from consideration.

The vacancies are in history and criminal justice.

ECU also had to hire its second-choice candidate for a computer science position after the university's preferred applicant declined the offer because the school could no longer provide a tenure track.

ECU President Wendell Godwin disputes the argument that eliminating tenure is necessary to hold professors accountable. He said the university already has procedures for removing ineffective faculty members regardless of whether they have tenure.

Stitt's executive order limits new faculty at affected schools to fixed-term renewable contracts based on performance and alignment with workforce and Oklahoma economic needs.

The governor said the changes are intended to increase accountability and improve outcomes for students and taxpayers. The order and the administration's explanation of the policy are available through the Office of Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt.

Oklahoma Regional Universities Compete With OU and OSU for Faculty

The tenure restriction applies to the six universities in the Regional University System of Oklahoma, including East Central, Northeastern State, Northwestern Oklahoma State, Southeastern Oklahoma State, Southwestern Oklahoma State and the University of Central Oklahoma.

Those universities often serve smaller cities and rural areas where recruiting specialized faculty can already be difficult.

RUSO Regent Amy Anne Ford said adding the loss of tenure makes recruiting even more challenging in communities such as Ada and Alva, particularly when universities are competing nationally for highly qualified professors.

Across the six-school system, 661 of 1,287 full-time faculty members, or 51%, are tenured, while another 269 are currently on a tenure track. The RUSO Board of Regents has committed to allowing faculty members already on tenure tracks to complete that process.

As of July 24, the regional universities had hired 44 faculty members who would have been placed on tenure tracks before the executive order took effect.

Information about the regional university system and its institutions is available through the Regional University System of Oklahoma.

Lawmakers Question Whether Tenure Ban Should Continue

Some Oklahoma lawmakers representing communities served by regional universities are now pushing back against the policy.

State Sen. Kelly Hines, R-Oklahoma City, co-chair of the newly formed RUSO Caucus, argues that decisions about faculty tenure should remain under local control. He said regional universities provide critical educational opportunities for students from rural Oklahoma who may not attend OU or OSU.

State Rep. Ronny Johns, R-Ada, another caucus co-chair, has questioned why regional universities are subject to the restriction while OU and OSU are exempt.

The issue could also change after Stitt leaves office. His current term ends in January 2027, and the executive orders are expected to expire 90 days later unless the next governor renews them. The RUSO Caucus plans to advocate for ending the tenure restriction.

The executive order itself can be reviewed through the Oklahoma Secretary of State.

Supporters of changing tenure argue universities need greater flexibility and accountability when evaluating faculty performance. Regional university officials counter that they already have extensive faculty review procedures and that eliminating tenure for new hires removes one of the primary recruiting tools available to smaller schools.

For Oklahoma's regional universities, the immediate concern is competition. Schools in communities such as Ada, Alva, Durant and Weatherford must recruit professors against universities in other states, along with OU and OSU, where tenure opportunities remain available.

With faculty candidates already turning down positions, university leaders say the Stitt tenure ban is no longer a theoretical concern. It is beginning to affect who Oklahoma's regional universities can recruit and ultimately who will be teaching students across rural parts of the state.

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