NOC Regents Appoint Diana Watkins Interim President

The Northern Oklahoma Board of Regents appointed Vice President for Academic Affairs Diana Watkins as the interim president for the college.(photo provided by NOC)

The Northern Oklahoma Board of Regents appointed Vice President for Academic Affairs Diana Watkins as the interim president for the college.

Watkins, a native of Perry, was appointed after an executive session at the meeting held Wednesday, Dec. 13.

Watkins came to NOC in 2005 as an instructor in the Language Arts Division and moved to administration in 2019 as the Vice President of the Stillwater campus which houses the NOC/OSU Gateway Program.

She is the ranking administrative officer at the NOC.

In other business, the regents approved changes to four academic service fees for the 2024-25 academic year.  Vice President for Financial Affairs Anita Simpson explained that three of the changes were for additional student fees in the fine arts division while the other is a records maintenance fee.

Also, regents approved an articulation agreement between NOC and Meridian Technology Centers’ Radiology Technologist program.

The regents also approved an exchange for service agreement between NOC and Making a Difference, Inc.  Vice President for NOC Enid Jeremy Hise said the agreement, set to begin Jan. 3, 2024, states that NOC will provide janitorial services and minor maintenance for the facility located on the Enid campus in exchange for student counseling services.  Making a Difference will provide a monthly report on services provided.

Simpson also provided the financial report to the regents including the purchase of two bus wraps and four van wraps at a cost of $36,606.00.  The vendor is Reaction Wraps in Ft. Gibson, Oklahoma.

In administrator updates, Interim President Diana Watkins reported potential changes to the Mass Communication program. The addition of a Podcasting Course will go to the curriculum committee in February in an attempt to attract more students to the program at Enid and Tonkawa.

Vice President for Community Relations & Development Sheri Snyder reported that a significant number of year-end gifts to the NOC Foundation have been received. She also reported that Scott Morris and Dr. Michelle Jeffries Keylon will be inducted as NOC Distinguished Alumni on April 6, 2024.  Snyder also said that NOC has selected First National Bank of Oklahoma as their business partner and will be working on the annual Business Partnership nomination for Spring 2024.

Vice President Simpson reported that the Oklahoma State Regents for higher education are requesting priorities for deferred maintenance projects to look at potential funding.

Vice President for Enrollment Management Dr. Rick Edgington provided a final enrollment report for Fall 2023 and for Spring 2024.  Dr. Edgington reported that Fall 2023 ended with a 4% decrease in credit hour production.  He said that Spring 2024 enrollment is currently at a 6% increase in student head count and credit hour production.

Jason Johnson, Vice President for Student Affairs reported that NOC has hired Jayden Miller and Bryan Kenney to lead the wrestling programs set to begin in Fall 2024.  Miller will lead the women’s program and Kenney will lead the men’s program.

Vice President Hise reported on the Enid Higher Education Council Annual Donor Recognition Luncheon where students told their stories about how the scholarships that they received changed their lives.  He said EHEC has provided over $1 million in scholarships over the past 20 years to Enid area students attending NOC Enid and NWOSU Enid.

The next meeting is set for Feb. 21, 2024 at NOC Tonkawa at 2 p.m.

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.