A reception for Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Chancellor Sean Burrage was held last week in the Southeastern Hallie McKinney Ballroom. Chancellor Burrage is a former president of Southeastern.
Before being named chancellor, Burrage served as vice president for executive affairs and chief of staff at the University of Oklahoma.
Burrage served as the 20th president of Southeastern from 2014-2019 and he was selected as chancellor in October and sworn in last month. He is the fourth Oklahoma chancellor with ties to Southeastern. The first chancellor, M.A. Nash, taught at Southeastern. The second chancellor, E.T. Dunlap, graduated from Southeastern, and the eighth Chancellor, Glen D. Johnson, served as president of Southeastern from 19972006.
Southeastern President Thomas Newsom, who became the university’s 21st president on April 30, 2020, recalled the challenges of that time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Because of the pandemic, I did not have an inauguration or a formal investiture and it’s my deep regret that we weren’t able to have that ceremony because I had not had the formal opportunity to publicly thank Sean Burrage for the state that he left this university in when he left Southeastern Oklahoma State University as my predecessor,” Newsom said.
Newsom said that Burrage made decisions that re- sulted in Southeastern becoming the fastest growing and the most innovative in the state.
“It’s a university now that’s positioned well for the future success of our students, our faculty, our staff and community,” Newsom said. “Before we start tonight, I want to publicly thank President Burrage for his service to Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
“When his appointment as Chancellor of Higher Education was announced, it was certainly a great day for me as I immediately knew that someone who knows Southeastern is now in a position which we can directly and positively affect the future of our students, our community and our university. Welcome back to campus, Chancellor Burrage, the 10th chancellor of the Oklahoma State System for Higher Education.”
Burrage thanked Newsom and said it was so good to be back at Southeastern.
“Thank you so much and thank you for what you’ve done in the last five years at this university,” Burrage said.
Burrage recognized family members and other people in the community.
“Chief (Gary) Batton, you and Greg Massey, when I first got here 10 years ago, you all were not going to let me fail,” Burrage said. “You told me I couldn’t fail. The two of you were instrumental in all of the successes I had here in leadership, and our lunches we had together when times were tough. When I got here, we had financial problems at the university.”
Burrage said a budget was formed and he recognized those who helped in that process.
“I’m here tonight because I told President Newsom I wanted to come back here and talk about how this place is special to me,” Burrage said.
Among reasons Southeastern is special to Burrage is because Durant is where he was born and his family is here.
“When people talk about the State of Oklahoma, they talk about Oklahoma City to Tulsa and then they talk about rural Oklahoma with the exception of Bryan County because things are different in Bryan County,” Burrage said. “The Choctaw Nation, Chief Batton, Southeastern, it’s the moving of north Texas. This place is different. People know it’s growing. You’re on the map.
“People know this is where things are happening and more importantly, the world that I live in right now, when people talk about higher education in the State of Oklahoma, they look at the last 10 years and there’s been dips in enrollment statewide. Some universities are down 35 and 40 percent in their enrollment. They’re in crisis.
“They talk about higher education in Oklahoma … you talk about all of the other universities and the peril that they’re in except for Southeastern. Every discussion they have to extract Southeastern from when it comes to how higher education is doing and I know a lot of us had a small part in getting that started. But President Newsom, these last five years have just been outstanding under your leadership.”
According to Burrage, the final headcount for the fall was 6,030 students and when he arrived in 2014, there were 3,000 students.
“Just at this last regents meeting, I was so proud,” Burrage said. “It’s my first meeting as chancellor and I was sworn in. I took the oath of office that was given to me by my father, a Southeastern graduate, and on that agenda, Southeastern was approved that they’re going to have their first doctoral program.”
He spoke of the new Legacy Plaza on campus, artist Janie Umsted’s “The Two Brothers” sculpture and the Semple Family Museum of Native American Art.
“There are so many things happening here that you all you should be so proud of,” Burrage said.
He said he really likes the chancellor job and that it fits him well, however, the most meaningful work of his life was on the Southeastern campus which is what he said when interviewed for the chancellor position.
“They asked me what my favorite job was and I said it wasn’t the easiest, but the most meaningful work of my life was on this campus for those five years,” Burrage said. “I think so in large part to some of the challenges we had, that we had to overcome, and I don’t think that’s going to change and I love my new job. This will be my last job of public service, but this (Southeastern president) job, these five years, is the most beautiful work I’ve ever done and I know that and that makes me proud. I’m so proud that you all were part of that and I’m proud to be from southeast Oklahoma.”
Newsom presented Burrage with a proclamation stating that Burrage has served the public sector for almost 20 years which included being a state senator.
“Southeastern Oklahoma State University celebrates Sean Burrage’s accomplishments and legacy and looks forward to the great things he will will accomplish as chancellor,” Newsom said, reading from the proclamation. “Now, therefore, I, Dr. Thomas Newsom, the 21st president of Southeastern Oklahoma State University, do hereby proclaim this day, Monday, January 6, 2025, as a day to honor and celebrate the outstanding leadership, dedication and contributions of Chancellor Sean Burrage to Southeastern Oklahoma State University, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and to the State of Oklahoma as a whole.”
