10 Talking Points About USAO
Every potential advocate for USAO has a unique perspective from which he or she has experienced the university. A student who graduates to become an alum only to come back to work for the university in some capacity may have three different understandings of the university that must be reconciled in order to share a coherent picture with someone else. In order that all of our advocates have a common ground from which to share the university's story, we've compiled this list of 10 Talking Points about USAO that anyone can use. We'll actually be returning to each of these points in greater depth later on but it seemed like having the unexpanded version first might be helpful.
IT TAKES A COLLEGE—10 TALKING POINTS
1. USAO OFFERS A BROAD EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE
As Oklahoma’s only public liberal arts university, USAO provides students a broad educational experience, grounded in the sciences and humanities, that reinforces communication, critical thinking, and problem solving.
2. COURSEWORK IS BUILT AROUND A UNIQUE INTERDISCIPLINARY CORE
USAO’s Interdisciplinary Studies program maintains a 50 year tradition of integrating knowledge from multiple disciplines and is required of all students who begin their college work at USAO.
3. PIONEERED THE HIGHLY INNOVATIVE TEAM-TEACHING APPROACH
Team-teaching in the IDS program is an innovative approach that puts two or more professors from different disciplines into the classroom, offering students differing perspectives and approaches to the same material.
4. OUR MISSION ATTRACTS HIGHLY QUALIFIED FACULTY
Nearly 90% of USAO’s faculty members have terminal degrees in their field and no classes are taught by teaching assistants. Faculty members come from prestigious graduate schools from across the country.
5. THE SMALL CAMPUS ENVIRONMENT FOSTERS RELATIONSHIPS
Enrollment caps contribute to USAO having a student to faculty ratio of 13:1, creating an environment where students have access to faculty and know one another.
6. CURIOSITY IS ENCOURAGED AND NURTURED
USAO fosters an environment where curiosity is at the heart of the academic experience and excellence and creativity is the norm, not the exception.
7. STUDENTS STAY AND GRADUATE
USAO attracts curious-minded students who thrive in this kind of environment and tend to graduate at rates higher than most public universities of its size.
8. GRADUATES SUCCEED IN POST-GRADUATE STUDY AND BECOME LEADERS IN THEIR FIELD
USAO students succeed in graduate school and rise to positions of leadership in their chosen field.
9. COUNTERS THE COMMON PERCEPTION THAT QUALITY IS NOT AFFORDABLE
USAO is nationally recognized for its affordability (Kiplinger’s, US News), upward social mobility (Washington Monthly), as well as the rigor of its academic program and approach (thebestschools.org, ACTA).
10. FILLS AN UNDUPLICATED ROLE IN THE STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM
As Oklahoma’s only public liberal arts university, USAO serves a unique purpose with an educational mission that is unduplicated in the state system of higher education.