The Office of Academic and Student Affairs: Streamlining Processes, Enhancing Recruitment, and Building a Stronger College Community

The Office of Academic and Student Affairs has undergone significant changes to operate more efficiently and effectively for the College of Allied Health. A more centralized approach is being utilized under the leadership of Mark Britton, Pharm.D., M.Div., FASHP, who serves as associate dean of the office. OASA's primary goal is to coordinate similar efforts by the colleges' many academic programs to achieve common objectives. For example, OASA is providing an interprofessional approach to the orientation of new students that combines the efforts of programs and introduces students to health professional relationships important in practice.

Several data management processes are being developed and/or updated, including systems to verify compliance of students with university requirements (e.g., vaccinations, screenings, etc. ) and to manage official student records. Additionally, the scholarship process has been simplified, with one online application allowing students to be eligible for all available awards.

The recruitment process is being restructured to reach a wider and more diverse student population to keep up with increased competition in the market. The applicant pool across the country is shrinking, and OASA aims to be at the forefront of reaching out to these populations.Finally, OU is also undergoing branding changes, and OASA is following the guidelines that have been put in place to ensure consistency across all marketing materials and social media channels. This will maintain consistency and serve as a guide for building the brand.Overall, these changes are exciting and are intended to provide a sense of community and development for college attendees. OASA is committed to making these efforts and unifying them in order to achieve a common goal for everyone. More details to come.