Attracting and Retaining a Good Student Base

Dear. Mr. Doe,
I am firmly aware that both you and I understand how advanced and prestigious that the University of Tulsa happens to be. Even with that, it is important to make sure that we are keeping pace with the universities that are comparable to us in terms of size and program offerings.
With the above being said, the following are three ideas of what could or should be improved when it comes to the University of Tulsa itself and how it is presented to the outside world, including to prospective applicants. The latter, of course, would include the website that is in place for the university.
According to US News & World Report, the colleges that are in most direct competition with Tulsa in terms of applicants and that are not larger colleges would be Rice, Texas Christian and Southern Methodist University. Oklahoma is among the competition but they are a larger university.
With that established, the three ideas that are on the table in terms of improvements that could be made to the university or its presentation to the public are as follows:
· Tulsa does not do a good enough job of “tooting its own horn” on its homepage. For example, Rice has a very similar aesthetic and approach to their homepage. However, they have a section called “Quick Facts” that has some rather impressive statistics. The Princeton Review section on our page is a good start. However, we need to expand the size and footprint of the goods things to say about our university. There is a good amount of this on other pages on the site. However, the homepage needs to make a strong impression.
· Tulsa needs to make a strong commitment to diversity. Oklahoma as a state, unfortunately, is the butt of many jokes. Many of those jokes are unfair. Tulsa should do its part to show that things are different than they are portrayed. Rice also has a strong section about that on the website and on it campus. We need to find ways to meet or exceed what they and other colleges are doing.
· Tulsa should take advantage of the fact that we have a private and advanced learning system. The religious basis of schools like Texas Christian and Sothern Methodist are, by nature, going to be more exclusionary than Tulsa (or Rice, for that matter). We need to welcome people of all ideas and backgrounds, provided that they are not hateful or exclusionary.
Rationale
In summary, the first reason that the above is a good way to go is that we should show what a great university that Tulsa is in terms of accomplishments and status. Second, we need to show that Tulsa is a university that excepts all races, backgrounds, religious beliefs (including agnostic/atheist) and so forth. Finally, we need to show that people of all races and ethnic backgrounds are welcome here.
Implementation
We need to back all of that up by putting forth robust but rational policies. We must enforce those policies. We should generally follow the same approach across the board. However, we should also make exceptions when the situation calls for it. We should make the school a “safe space” for all but we should not allow the mass chaos that occurs at places like Berkeley and Missouri to take hold. There is an issue with people being intolerant of other ideas and of other people. That has no place at Tulsa and should not be allowed to rear its head. Unless a presence is so repugnant or vile that it cannot be allowed to speak, everyone should be allowed to speak. For example, African-Americans and white people (or others) that seek better race relations should be allowed to have a full and unfettered dialog. On the other hand, white nationalists and other bigots should be expelled from the university. The school is private rather than public. As such, we are not as bound by following the First Amendment as other schools. However, we should not abuse that privilege or pick and choose who gets to speak unless there is a good reason why they should be silenced (e.g. bigotry, bullying, etc.).
Conclusion
In closing, I would like to state that I feel the above is a full and proper approach to the situation. There needs to be the proper balance between free speech and keeping things civil and devoid of hate and intolerance. It is only through the open and good faith discussions of what challenges us that we can solve the problems of society and educate the people of tomorrow. This is truly what will change the path and pattern of the United States and the world. I hope you agree and that we can put the proper changes in motion.


No citations asked for, but here are the sources…

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/university-of-tulsa-3185

https://futureowls.rice.edu/futureowls/Diversity.asp

https://www.princetonreview.com/schools/1023709/college/rice-university

https://utulsa.edu/