Oklahoma higher education leader announces retirement • Oklahoma Voice

OKLAHOMA CITY – The head of Oklahoma’s higher education system announced Tuesday that she will step down after three years in the job.

Allison Garrett, chancellor of higher education, said her retirement will be effective in January. She was hired for the position in November 2021, succeeding Glen Johnson, who served as chancellor for 14 years.

She said she was looking forward to spending more time with her family in the coming months and “the chance to complete an international project in late fall, the crowning achievement of her career.”

“It has been an honor to serve the people of Oklahoma and work with our state councils, elected officials, campus staff, and our business and community partners to move this great state forward,” Garrett said in a press release.

The chancellor is the chief executive officer of the Oklahoma higher education system, which consists of 25 public colleges and universities and their local governing boards. In this role, he or she also provides statewide leadership in higher education policy, financing, tuition and fees, and courses and programs of study.

The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education have not yet outlined their plans to find Garrett’s successor. The nine-member council is the state’s highest authority over public colleges and universities. Each of its members is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.

Regents Chairman Dennis Casey listed several “key accomplishments” achieved during Garrett’s tenure, including an increase in the number of college graduates, the development of the system’s Blueprint 2030 strategic plan and updated policies to enable institutions to meet business needs more quickly, among others.

“We thank Chancellor Garrett for her tireless service and commitment to the Oklahoma higher education system,” Casey said in a statement. “… We respect her decision and the time she is giving us to develop and implement a succession plan.”

Originally from Neosho, Missouri, Garrett served as president of Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas, and held senior positions at other universities before accepting the chancellor’s position in Oklahoma. Before that, she served as vice president and general counsel at Walmart’s corporate headquarters for more than a decade.

She graduated from Oklahoma Christian University with a bachelor’s degree in English, received a law degree from the University of Tulsa, and earned a master of laws in securities regulation from Georgetown University.