Chancellor Sean Burrage is the chief executive officer for the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education. Burrage leads a state system comprised of 25 state colleges and universities, 10 constituent agencies, one university center, and independent colleges and universities coordinated with the state system. He reports to a board whose nine members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.
Burrage provides leadership on matters relating to standards for Oklahoma higher education, courses and programs of study, budget allocations for institutions, fees and tuition, and strategic planning. As Chancellor, he leads OneNet, which is Oklahoma’s most advanced technology network designed to provide the infrastructure to support high-speed broadband services, as well as the Oklahoma College Assistance Program.
Burrage directs 20 statewide scholarship programs, including Oklahoma's Promise, and statewide GEAR UP efforts. He represents Oklahoma public higher education as a member of several professional, state and national organizations, including the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO).
Background
Burrage is a past president of Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, where he streamlined operations and significantly increased enrollment and annual giving. Prior to his institutional presidency, he served two terms in the Oklahoma State Senate, representing Rogers and Mayes counties, during which he served as Minority Floor Leader from 2011 to 2014. He was also a managing partner with the Taylor Burrage Law Firm in Claremore.
Burrage has been a member of numerous boards, councils and committees, including the State Regents’ Blueprint 2030 Strategic Planning Committee and the 2017 Task Force on the Future of Higher Education; Gov. Mary Fallin’s Education Advisory Committee; the Rogers State University Foundation; and the University Hospitals Authority and Trust.
Born in Durant and raised in Antlers, Burrage is a member of the Choctaw Nation and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a juris doctorate from the University of Oklahoma.
Bio (PDF, 176k)
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