Cameron University is expanding its healthcare pipeline. The OU Board of Regents unanimously approved two new associate of applied science degrees in Occupational Therapy Assistant and Physical Therapy Assistant, programs aimed squarely at the workforce shortage hospitals across southwest Oklahoma keep talking about. President Shane Hunt said every hospital in the region has told him they will hire every graduate, and starting salaries for these roles land in the $67,000 to $70,000 range. The programs will be offered through an articulation agreement with Caddo Kiowa Technology Center in Fort Cobb, and no additional funding was requested to launch them.
The regents also approved construction contracts for two major campus projects. Howell Hall renovations are capped at $2.75 million, and Shepler Hall work is capped at $5 million. Shepler, built in 1969, will convert its double rooms to single occupancy across nine floors and modernize the bathrooms, a change that matters as enrollment growth puts pressure on campus housing. The projects are funded through state deferred maintenance allocations and a $10 million special legislative appropriation.
Not everything is growing. Cameron is phasing out its associate degree in Strategic Communication after it fell short of minimum productivity standards, with the ten students currently enrolled given until summer 2028 to complete their studies. Regents also approved the university’s updated strategic plan,“Go For Gold 2030,”which will guide Cameron’s priorities for the rest of the decade. Which of these changes matters most to your family?
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Local Lawton
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