At their meeting today, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education approved an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) that will resolve a complaint related to program offerings and funding for the Tulsa branch campus of Langston University (LU). LU is designated as the state’s Historically Black College or University (HBCU), with campus locations in Langston, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The complaint alleged that program duplication by other Tulsa-area state system institutions negatively impacted LU-Tulsa’s programs, and that LU-Tulsa was not funded adequately.
The resolution agreement, which concludes OCR’s review of the complaint, issued no findings of discrimination and made no determination of liability on the part of the State Regents.
“Langston University has a historic and vibrant footprint in Oklahoma higher education,” said State Regents Chair Ann Holloway. “We are pleased to announce our approval of this resolution agreement, which will create new pathways for Langston’s continued growth and success.”
The State Regents will continue to carry out their responsibilities to ensure that state system academic offerings in the Tulsa area meet workforce needs. Under the terms of the resolution agreement, the State Regents will provide supplemental funding to LU totaling $750,000 within a three-year period following approval of the resolution agreement.
“As Oklahoma’s only HBCU and a nationally recognized leader in goat research and production, Langston University has an important role and is an integral part of our state system of higher education,” said Chancellor Glen D. Johnson. “At the center of this collaborative agreement with OCR is a desire to continue supporting Langston University’s focus on providing excellent academic and student services.”