Dean's Welcome

Those of us fortunate to be part of Gaylord College come to work in a position of strength every day because of blessings that we don’t take for granted.

Among the blessings:

• A magnificent building of 100,000 square feet, a marketing tool in its own right for prospective students and their families as they shop for a college home. The gifts from Edward L. Gaylord and his sister, Edith Kinney Gaylord, that provided the bulk of funding for the building mean we have a strong, foundational home for decades to come.
• Good technology. Some graduates return and tell us it was better than what was available in their first job.
• External support, starting with the regents, president and provost, as well as our alumni and donor base. Believe me, nothing else really matters without such support.
• Most importantly, the people: faculty, staff and students.

Instinctively we know that people make the place. But it’s nice when others see, feel and acknowledge it.

The most recent validation came in November, when a team of external reviewers came to Gaylord as part of our national re-accreditation. It’s an arduous exercise conducted every six years; included in the many requirements of the process is a visit from a site team. While a couple more steps await before the process is completed, we are in good shape at this point.

Of Gaylord’s strengths, the site team wrote:

“The college is a vibrant community built around a strong brand. Students overwhelmingly report a strong affinity with and pride around the ‘Gaylord’ brand, and ‘family’ was a word used by faculty, staff and students alike to describe the ethos.”

Are there challenges? Sure. OU has weathered COVID and its many waves in relatively good shape financially. But the business model of higher education was pressured before the pandemic, and with a looming downturn in college enrollment, the stresses will increase on every unit on campus.

In Gaylord College, we are challenged more than ever to send graduates prepared to enter the worlds of journalism, media and communication that constantly are evolving while still providing the conceptual fundamentals that turn young people into educated citizens.

But I believe – and I say this as both a dean and an alum – the opportunities that allow us to thrive going forward stem from the blessings that make Gaylord College a most special place.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Ed Kelley, Dean
Class of 1975