Bill > SB244

This bill establishes the Program of American Civic Thought and Leadership at the University of Oklahoma (OU), with a comprehensive mission to educate students about American political principles, democratic institutions, and civic engagement. The program will create new academic courses and opportunities focused on political thought, American history, government, and free market economics, with an emphasis on Western civilization and its foundational principles. It will operate as an academic unit within OU, with a six-member advisory board appointed by the university's Board of Regents, and will have the ability to hire faculty, develop undergraduate and graduate programs, offer courses, provide internships, and host events. The program aims to create a diverse marketplace of ideas and will be required to submit annual strategic plans and reports to state leadership. Faculty can be awarded tenure, and if the program dissolves, they will be relocated within the university. The bill appropriates $3 million for implementation, with funding coming from state higher education allocations and charitable donations, and sets the effective date as July 1, 2025, with an emergency clause allowing immediate implementation. Initial course offerings are planned to begin in the fall semester of 2027, and the first comprehensive report will be due by September 1, 2027.

Budget and Finance, Education

http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=sb244&Session=2600