Area legislators said Friday that a proposal to create a university branch campus in Ardmore is unlikely to pass this legislative session.
“We still hold out hope, but it is going to be tough,” Rep. Greg Piatt said Friday at the biweekly Ardmore Chamber of Commerce’s legislative luncheon.
“I was told by the Senate Pro Tempore probably the bill is going to be dead,” Sen. Johnnie Crutchfield said. “Sometimes a good idea takes more than one session to accomplish.”
Ardmore leaders want to transition the Ardmore Higher Education Center into a branch campus of a state university. The new campus would be located on 30 acres of land in the Ardmore Regional Park.
Crutchfield said some of the bill’s supporters have created a perception problem in the legislature.
“What they are hearing is that there is not a consensus to provide a building for the Ardmore campus,” he said.
He added that other supporters have made disparaging remarks about the AHEC and its effectiveness. The AHEC, which offers courses from Murray State College, East Central University, Southeastern Oklahoma State University and Oklahoma State University at Oklahoma City, is the last of its kind in the state.
Rep. Terry Hyman said the proposal may have a better chance when the economy is stronger and other higher education institutions are less like to view an Ardmore branch campus as another competitor for limited educational funds. Gov. Brad Henry signed a $7.1 billion “standstill” budget for state government beginning in July. Crutchfield said the legislature has $72 million less to appropriate this year because of the effect of mandated tax cuts.
“We need to keep going and pushing toward that transition (to a branch campus),” the senator said. “All three of us are committed to that effort.”
“We’re not discouraged at all,” AHEC director and chief executive officer Dr. Steve Mills said Friday. “Sen. Crutchfield is right on target that we need to keep moving this forward.”
Mills said the next step is to start the process of building new higher education facilities in Ardmore. The AHEC averages about 1,300 students each semester.
“We don’t have any way to grow,” he said.
The City of Ardmore has pledged $4 million for a university branch campus, and AHEC trustees plan to begin a capital campaign later this year to raise approximately $16 million to get a facilities project of the ground. Initial plans call for a 65,000-square-foot building with infrastructure.
Steve Biehn, 221-6546
steve.biehn@ardmoreite.com
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Area legislators said Friday that a proposal to create a university branch campus in Ardmore is unlikely to pass this legislative session.
“We still hold out hope, but it is going to be tough,” Rep. Greg Piatt said Friday at the biweekly Ardmore Chamber of Commerce’s legislative luncheon.
“I was told by the Senate Pro Tempore probably the bill is going to be dead,” Sen. Johnnie Crutchfield said. “Sometimes a good idea takes more than one session to accomplish.”
Ardmore leaders want to transition the Ardmore Higher Education Center into a branch campus of a state university. The new campus would be located on 30 acres of land in the Ardmore Regional Park.
Crutchfield said some of the bill’s supporters have created a perception problem in the legislature.
“What they are hearing is that there is not a consensus to provide a building for the Ardmore campus,” he said.
He added that other supporters have made disparaging remarks about the AHEC and its effectiveness. The AHEC, which offers courses from Murray State College, East Central University, Southeastern Oklahoma State University and Oklahoma State University at Oklahoma City, is the last of its kind in the state.
Rep. Terry Hyman said the proposal may have a better chance when the economy is stronger and other higher education institutions are less like to view an Ardmore branch campus as another competitor for limited educational funds. Gov. Brad Henry signed a $7.1 billion “standstill” budget for state government beginning in July. Crutchfield said the legislature has $72 million less to appropriate this year because of the effect of mandated tax cuts.
“We need to keep going and pushing toward that transition (to a branch campus),” the senator said. “All three of us are committed to that effort.”
“We’re not discouraged at all,” AHEC director and chief executive officer Dr. Steve Mills said Friday. “Sen. Crutchfield is right on target that we need to keep moving this forward.”
Mills said the next step is to start the process of building new higher education facilities in Ardmore. The AHEC averages about 1,300 students each semester.
“We don’t have any way to grow,” he said.
The City of Ardmore has pledged $4 million for a university branch campus, and AHEC trustees plan to begin a capital campaign later this year to raise approximately $16 million to get a facilities project of the ground. Initial plans call for a 65,000-square-foot building with infrastructure.
Steve Biehn, 221-6546
steve.biehn@ardmoreite.com
