Rose State College and OCCC Announce Partnership Published May 23, 2018

As Oklahoma colleges and universities continue to look for opportunities to make higher education more affordable, Rose State College and Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) are announcing a partnership to combine fiscal and educational resources. This new partnership will create better services for students, and will alleviate some of the budget issues facing many colleges and universities across the country. The presidents of the two colleges signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to confirm the partnership agreement in a signing ceremony in the Governor’s Conference Room at the Oklahoma State Capitol Building on Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018.

The first initiative includes OCCC and Rose State working toward issuing a joint request for proposal (RFP) for campus food services. The request will include not only cafeteria services, but also catering and event servicing. This request will evaluate possible efficiencies and costs savings associated with both institutions contracting with the same vendor.

“Food services are a significant expense to our colleges, mostly due to the labor costs,” said OCCC President Jerry Steward. “Combining both OCCC and Rose State into the same service contract will lower these costs and at the same time, allow for better services to our students.”

In addition to services, the two colleges are also jointly bidding on various goods and supplies, such as cleaning and paper products as well as hardware. The combined efforts allow for volume discounts, creating substantial cost savings.

“Cost reductions are critical for all institutions as we constantly assess our business models,” said Rose State President Jeanie Webb. “I am excited to step out in this proactive approach with our partner to address challenges and creatively identify ways to better serve our students while serving the state of Oklahoma.”

In addition to resource consolidation, an exchange partnership has been established to offer French and Russian language courses for students at both campuses. Students needing language credit hours in French or Russian are now able to take these courses without the need to transfer colleges.

“Higher education stands in a prominent position to influence the state of Oklahoma. Our institutions hold the future workforce leadership right here in our hands. So, when we talk about this we really believe it’s our responsibility to safeguard the monies that we receive and find ways to work together for our students,” said President Webb.

Rose State College and OCCC are both urban, two-year institutions in the Oklahoma City -metropolitan area.

In February 2018, the Task Force on the Future of Higher Education released its report on the future of higher education in Oklahoma, a systematic review of higher education. One recommendation included the consolidation of administrative structures and functions.

Two-year colleges like Rose State and OCCC offer degree programs that prepare students to transfer to a four-year college or university or immediately enter the workforce upon degree completion. For more information about enrolling in classes offered in this exchange program, contact the office of Academic Advising at OCCC at 405-682-7535, or the Academic Advisement office at Rose State College at 405-733-7408.
Rose State College welcomes more than 13,000 students each year for academic credit courses. Another 9,000 students are served through non-credit offerings annually. Rose State provides more than 60 different degree programs, small class size with a 20:1 student-to-faculty ratio, on-campus student housing, athletics and student clubs. For more information about Rose State College, visit www.rose.edu.

OCCC enrolls more than 20,000 students annually. OCCC offers a full range of associate degree programs that prepare students to transfer to baccalaureate institutions while other degree and certificate programs prepare students for immediate employment. At OCCC, students receive a quality education with small class sizes, dedicated professors and leadership opportunities. Students can choose from more than 60 major fields of study and participate in any of the 40+ clubs and organizations. For more information about OCCC, visit www.occc.edu.