In a recent “Hess Address” segment, Oklahoma State University President Dr. Jim Hess outlined the university’s ambitious strategic vision for 2031, major campus facility investments, and progress on a $2 billion comprehensive fundraising campaign that recently reached its $1 billion milestone.
From expanding lower-division course offerings in Tulsa to constructing state-of-the-art research and veterinary facilities, OSU is positioning itself for transformational growth while keeping student success and extension outreach at the forefront.
Strategic Vision and the Student Experience Trifecta
Approved by the board following a development process that began last November, OSU’s strategic plan incorporates input from several hundred participants across all system campuses, including Stillwater, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Okmulgee. Built around eight overarching goals, the plan establishes a five-year roadmap aimed at making OSU the premier land-grant institution by 2031.
“We wanted it to be a bottom-up, ground-level development of a strategic plan,” Dr. Hess said. “You kind of start off with the vision of what is it that we can do that will make OSU the best land-grant university that it can possibly be, and what would it look like in the year 2031.”
At the core of this strategy is a three-part support structure designed to ensure every student achieves long-term professional and personal success:
- Academic Counseling: Every student receives dedicated guidance to manage their academic degree path.
- Career Readiness Counseling: Counselors work directly with students to build professional, cultural, and communication skills—such as pitching concepts, making proposals, and adapting to different work environments—going far beyond simple resume preparation.
- Alumni Mentorship: OSU is leveraging its network of approximately 275,000 active alumni to pair students directly with working professionals in their desired fields, providing real-world guidance and career connections.
“What we want our employers to know is that when they hire an OSU grad, they know exactly what they’re getting,” Dr. Hess emphasized. “They get someone who has great technical skills and is academically prepared, but they also have professional and cultural skills to be able to adapt to the work environment and be successful.”
Dr. Hess also noted the value of outside perspective for college students:
“Sometimes students will listen to other people more often than they’ll listen to their parents,” Dr. Hess joked. “Sometimes a student will take advice from someone other than their parents that they really need to hear.”
Expanding Extension and Tulsa Campus Reach
Highlighting the land-grant university’s broad outreach footprint, Dr. Hess explained that Oklahoma State University’s statewide presence through OSU Extension remains a primary focus of the new five-year roadmap. “There’s one of the things that makes us unique as compared to other institutions is that we’re in all 77 counties of this state,” Dr. Hess stated. “We also are going to be focused greatly on expanding and enhancing our extension program.”
He noted that while collegiate sports frequently receive national visibility as a university’s main entrance, extension specialists provide the true daily connection to Oklahomans across every community. “Athletics is the front door of the university, but really from a practical matter, the truth is Extension is the front door to the university,” Dr. Hess said. “Because we are on the ground, on the frontline, every day in our Extension programs, and so we’re going to be focusing a lot of attention on Extension.”
Major Investments in Research and Veterinary Medicine
OSU is making substantial capital investments to strengthen its research infrastructure and land-grant mission:
- $50 Million Agronomy Discovery Center: Funded during the last legislative session, this new facility will support Dr. Brett Carver and his agronomy team. Dr. Hess highlighted the global impact of OSU’s turfgrass and wheat breeding programs, noting that OSU-developed turfgrass varieties have been utilized in major venues worldwide, including the Super Bowl and World Cup host venues featuring Tahoma 31 grass developed by Dr. Wu.
- $329 Million Veterinary Teaching Hospital: OSU is finalizing design plans for a new veterinary hospital facility.
- Veterinary College Leadership: Dr. Richard Prather, a Shattuck, Oklahoma native with over 35 years of rural veterinary experience, officially assumed the role of Dean of Veterinary Medicine on June 30 after being appointed in April. Under his leadership, the Animal Teaching Hospital recently recorded its best operational month in several years.
“Dr. Carver is such a humble guy that people forget that he’s world-renowned,” Dr. Hess remarked. “A lot of these major stadiums—the Super Bowl was played on OSU turfgrass… that agronomy research is really, really important to us.”
Regarding Dean Prather’s impact at the veterinary college, Dr. Hess added:
“He understands exactly the problems and the challenges of practicing rural veterinary medicine. He is a walking billboard for what OSU’s veterinary college should produce.”
Reaching the $1 Billion Campaign Milestone
OSU’s $2 billion comprehensive campaign crossed the $1 billion threshold in June. A primary focus of the remaining fundraising push is building a $500 million scholarship endowment.
“We have a two-billion-dollar goal in our comprehensive campaign, and we just crossed the one-billion-dollar mark in June,” Dr. Hess shared. “Mr. Pickens, when he was alive, wrote a book titled The First Billion is the Hardest. I would never disagree with Boone, but I must say that the second billion is going to be the hardest for us.”
He emphasized the drive behind the campaign’s scholarship initiative:
“We want every student who’s qualified and has a great work ethic to receive a scholarship to come to Oklahoma State University. Higher education is the best method of altering the trajectory of someone’s life, but sometimes the financing of that can be a challenge for families.”
Fall Semester Momentum, Football, and Cowboy Spirit
As students return to campus, OSU is preparing for a busy fall lineup across academics, performing arts at the McKnight Center, and sports programs.
“If you want to do something every day or every evening, Stillwater’s the place to be,” Dr. Hess said. “There is something going on every single day and every single night… It’s so invigorating to see the enthusiasm of these students when they arrive.”
The conversation closed on a high note of Cowboy pride as Dr. Hess shared his excitement for the upcoming athletic season after watching football practices firsthand, highlighting players like Drew Mestemaker and wide receiver Chris Barnes.
“I promise you that we’re going to have an exciting football season,” Dr. Hess said. “Now, we have a challenge ahead of us. Our home opener is with those sorry Ducks from Oregon, so we have some books to balance. I’m hoping that we can send the Ducks home with their wings clipped… We have such a loyal fan base that they deserve to have a great season.”
With high energy across academic and athletic programs alike, Dr. Hess signed off with a clear message for Cowboy Nation:
“Go Pokes!”
