For a decade, Oklahoma’s colleges and university endured steep budget cuts, shoving higher costs onto students and driving up student loan debt. Now, higher ed is the targets of statehouse Republicans’ Culture Wars, pilloried over Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs and academic freedoms threatened. All at a time Oklahoma businesses complain they can’t find enough qualified workers. For this week’s Observercast – Aiming At Higher Ed – Norman Rep. Jared Deck joins us to discuss how we got here, what needs to be done to reverse course and why higher ed’s future will help determine Oklahoma’s future.

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