Cutline: Northern Oklahoma College and Oklahoma State University celebrated the 20-Year Anniversary of the Gateway Program at NOC Stillwater on Thursday. The celebration was held at the NOC Classroom Building. Front Row (L-R): NOC President Emeritus Dr. Cheryl Evans, Vice President for Development & Community Relations Sheri Snyder, OSU Vice Provost Dr. Chris Francisco, NOC Interim President Diana Watkins, Former NOC/OSU Gateway Student Maritza Jireh Leon Cartagena, Vice President for Financial Affairs Anita Simpson, Vice President for Student Affairs Jason Johnson, Vice President for Enid Jeremy Hise. Back Row (L-R): Vice President for Enrollment Management Dr. Rick Edgington, Dr. Uwe Gordon, Superintendent Stillwater Public Schools, Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce, Vice President for Stillwater Dr. Marsh Howard, NOC Regent Brad Fox, NOC Regent Mike Loftis. (photo by Shiloh Martin/Northern Oklahoma College)
NOC, OSU celebrate Gateway 20th Anniversary
Northern Oklahoma College and Oklahoma State University celebrated the 20-Year Anniversary of the Gateway Program at NOC Stillwater on Thursday.
The celebration was held at the NOC Classroom Building and featured remarks from NOC Interim President Diana Watkins, Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce, Vice President for Stillwater Dr. Marsh Howard, NOC Vice President for Development & Community Relations Sheri Snyder, Former NOC/OSU Gateway Student Maritza Jireh Leon Cartagena, and OSU Vice Provost Dr. Chris Francisco.
Snyder provided a brief history of the program.
“The Gateway program formally began in August 2003 when Northern Oklahoma College and Oklahoma State University launched an educational partnership with the goal of providing greater access to higher education for Oklahoma’s college-bound students. Realizing the need for community college open access for students in the Stillwater area who are not admissible to Oklahoma State, both institutions worked together to develop the guidelines necessary for a successful program – this started in a strip mall which we made work. 15 years later, we were excited to be in our own NOC Stillwater Classroom Building, which opened in August 2018 bringing together classes formerly offered at Cowboy Mall and the North Classroom Building on the OSU campus, as well as Nursing classes previously offered at Fountain Square. Over the past 5 years, we have continued all of these programs and offerings in our NOC Stillwater Classroom Building as well as transitioned our child development program to this site, which was previously offered off-campus on Perkins Road.”
“What started as serving a little over 500 students that first fall semester,” she added. “NOC Stillwater today serves about 1,900 students a year with about 450 of those as full-time students and the others taking one or more courses. I would like to be the first to thank everyone who played an integral part in the success of our NOC/OSU Gateway Program – this has truly been a successful higher educational partnership in Oklahoma!”
Cartagena, in giving her testimonial of the program said, “NOC was the right choice for me, they were so welcoming to me. NOC provided a high-quality education with teachers who really cared about my education. I have patterned my own teaching philosophy from what I experienced here as a student. I will always be proud to say that I am a Northern Oklahoma College alumn.”
Dr. Francisco spoke of the OSU-NOC relationship over the last 20 years.
“I am so excited to celebrate this partnership between our great institutions,” he said. “This program is one of the best ways we have to offer students access to higher education. Not only are our two institutions close together in location but our two institutions share the same values. This program works because the faculty at both institutions have the same ideas for curriculum and expectations in the courses we teach.”
He also praised the City of Stillwater and Stillwater Public Schools for their support of education.
Watkins added to the program history.
“The collaborative partnership between NOC and OSU has proven beneficial because today more students have access to higher education in Stillwater,” she said. “As we celebrate the 20-year anniversary of working together, we continue to promote college access and degree completion, ultimately increasing the number of Cowboys who graduate from OSU, thus strengthening the state’s workforce and economy.”
“The Gateway program was the vision of two previous presidents, Dr. James Halligan and Dr. Joe Kinzer,” she added. “Thanks to their vision and leadership along with other great presidents in the past 20 years such as OSU President Emeritus Burns Hargis and NOC President Emeritus Cheryl Evans, this partnership for Oklahoma has benefited thousands of students each academic year who have completed one or more courses toward their higher education goals at NOC and then transferred credits seamlessly to OSU right here in Stillwater.”
Mayor Joyce read a proclamation for the partnership between the two educational institutions celebrating the 20 years of the program.
Northern Oklahoma College’s Gateway Program, which provides a relatively seamless transition for students transferring to Oklahoma State University, was highlighted as a Oklahoma’s best partnership for promoting transfer students’ graduation.