Oklahoma's six public regional universities - like every college across the country - are prepping to be hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
These smaller schools have about 40,000 students combined and it’s a mystery what college will look like for them next fall. But, the university presidents have been asked by the governor’s office to project a three percent budget cut.
During the regents' meeting on Friday, each institution's president discussed what they were doing to combat COVID-19. Generally, that’s through actions like moving classes online and having employees work remotely. The future, though, is harder to predict.
However, Southwestern Oklahoma State University President Randy Beutler said that when the pandemic is over, it's likely that the work of these schools will help move the state's economy forward.
"Because we’re going to be the ones to primarily turn out the professionals that we need.," Beutler said.
It’s unclear what enrollment will be like for colleges moving forward. However, a sharp decline that's projected nationwide would mean another loss in revenue on top of state budget cuts in Oklahoma.
