Diana Morris Watkins’ Northern Oklahoma College presidency was made official as the 15th President for NOC.
Watkins has served as president since May 2024 when she was appointed president by NOC regents but Tuesday, she was officially inaugurated as the NOC president with an investiture ceremony at the Kinzer Performing Arts Center on the Tonkawa campus.
Watkins explained her vision for NOC in her presidential address.
“When I met with the NOC Board of Regents about the possibility of continuing to serve as president beyond the interim period, she said. “I presented them with a document that outlined my vision for the future of Northern Oklahoma College, building on previous successes of the college and pointing to a pathway for future successes. I broke apart our mission statement and outlined what I thought it truly meant for this institution and for my role as president, confident that if given the opportunity I could lead our extremely capable executive team as we take a look at our processes and procedures searching for ways to create the most efficient and effective path forward for our students.”
“I think it’s pretty cool to have spent the past twenty years of my life working at the state’s first public community college,” she added. “Its rich history is beautifully showcased in the AD Buck museum. I’m also excited for all of you to get a chance to see that some of the rich history showcased through stories of our outstanding alumni which are displayed here in the hallways of the Kinzer Performing Arts Center as Faces of NOC and through the Distinguished Alumni showcased out front in the Eleanor Hayes Gallery.”
“Being a multi-campus institution allows us to provide some unique programming in different areas,” she said. “As your President, I pledged to have a regular presence on each of NOC’s three campuses and in each of the four communities where we offer coursework. I hope those of you who are active in the Tonkawa, Enid, Stillwater and Ponca City communities have already recognized that is a priority for me. The partnerships with the local chambers in these communities, with workforce and economic development leaders, with Autry, Meridian, and Pioneer Technology Centers, with the University Center in Ponca City, Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, and Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Enid are vitally important to the successes of Northern Oklahoma College, and I will continue to foster relationships with each of those groups throughout my tenure.”
“Providing “high-quality, accessible and affordable educational opportunities and services” requires a strong emphasis on professional development and a strong focus on continuous improvement,” she said. “Accessibility is a current strength for NOC through online and Online live course offerings but we can improve how we serve students with diverse needs. replicated in other communities and are currently working to create in more.”
NOC President’s Emeritus Dr. Cheryl Evans and Dr. Joe Kinzer and the NOC Board of Regents presented the Symbols of the Office to Watkins.
In introducing Watkins, Dr. Evans said she asked those that worked her to sum her up in one word.
Those descriptive words for Watkins include “driven, authentic, optimistic, visionary, energetic, smart, engaged, witty, approachable, capable, genuine, rational, objective, passionate, purpose-driven, wise, astute, sharp, and resilient.”
“These words describe the impact that she has already made on the NOC community and what kind of a team player she is,” Evans said.
Tonkawa’s Kevin Ditmore and Enid’s Bob Mackie each spoke about the Tonkawa and Enid communities and NOC’s value in those communities.
Dennis Casey, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, spoke regarding NOC’s mission in the education community.
- L. Walker, the Executive Director of Standing Bear Foundation and the Northern Oklahoma College Tribal Institute, gave Watkins a Native American Blessing.
The NOC Choir and Concert Band performed the Pledge of Allegiance, ‘For Good, and the NOC Alma Mater.
The event was followed by a reception at the Renfro Center.
Watkins served NOC as a language arts instructor at NOC Stillwater, later as the Vice President for NOC Stillwater, and then as Vice President for Academic Affairs before taking over as interim president in January 2024.
Northern Oklahoma College, the state’s first public two-year community college, is a multi-campus, land-grant institution that provides high quality, accessible, and affordable educational opportunities and services.
NOC serves nearly 4,000 students through the home campus in Tonkawa, branch in Enid, and NOC/OSU Gateway Program in Stillwater. Of these students about 80% receive financial aid and/or scholarships. 75% of NOC students complete their degree with zero debt.
The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offers associate degrees in three general areas: Arts, Science and Applied Science; the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs; and the Accreditation Commission for Education and Nursing.
For more information about Northern Oklahoma College please call (580) 628-6208 or visit the NOC website at www.noc.edu
