OSU Proposes Merging Tulsa Campus With TCC

Students taking lower-level or transfer courses at OSU Tulsa or Tulsa Community College could see their programs and governance change if the merger advances.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Higher Education

OSU Proposes Merging Tulsa Campus With TCC

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Would you support merging a state university with a local community college?

Oklahoma State University president Jim Hess has proposed merging OSU's Tulsa campus with Tulsa Community College, a plan he publicly backed in September 2026. Tulsa Community College president Leigh Goodson opposes the proposal, calling it too risky.

Why it matters

The plan would change which board governs the Tulsa-area college students attend and how tuition dollars and ad valorem funding flow between the two schools. Students weighing OSU Tulsa or TCC for transfer or lower-level courses could see the programs and credit pathways they depend on reshaped.

The proposal would rename the college OSU Tulsa Community College and place it under the OSU A&M Board of Regents, with one president over both OSU Tulsa and OSU Tulsa Community College. The plan includes modifications intended to protect existing ad valorem revenue, though no dollar amounts or effective dates were reported.

The players

Oklahoma State University

A public land-grant university system with campuses across Oklahoma, including OSU Tulsa, whose board of regents would govern the proposed merged college.

Tulsa Community College

A public two-year community college in Tulsa that serves transfer and lower-level students and would be renamed under the merger proposal.

The details

Hess has circulated a detailed plan for months that would combine the two institutions under one leadership structure. Under the proposal, the Tulsa Community College would be renamed OSU Tulsa Community College and governed by the OSU A&M Board of Regents, with a single president overseeing both OSU Tulsa and the renamed college. Hess argues the arrangement eliminates duplicated lower-level courses offered by OSU Tulsa and TCC, which he says is a smarter use of tax dollars. Goodson opposes the plan, saying it could jeopardize critical funding for the college, and says TCC has become a stronger partner for transfer students.

Months before September 2026: Hess circulated the detailed merger plan.
September 2026: Hess publicly announced his support for the merger.

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Education Landscape

The proposal would bring a community college under the OSU A&M Board of Regents, extending that board's reach beyond the university campuses it currently oversees. It reflects the broader Oklahoma pattern of consolidating overlapping lower-level course offerings in Tulsa to manage public education spending.

Students currently planning to take lower-level courses at OSU Tulsa or Tulsa Community College should confirm with each school's admissions or advising office how the proposal would affect their courses and transfer credits. Ask the financial-aid office whether tuition and fee structures could change if the schools are combined.

The takeaway

A proposal to merge OSU Tulsa with Tulsa Community College would change who governs Tulsa's public two-year college and how its funding is protected. Students using either campus for transfer coursework should ask their school's advising office how any final plan would affect their credits.