The National Education for Women’s Leadership program, or N.E.W. Leadership program, was launched in 2002, with the mission of equipping women to work in public service. The Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center at OU, which hosts the program, sent a letter to supporters Thursday and posted to social media Friday announcing the university could no longer host the program due to Stitt’s executive order.
The center’s director, Michael Crespin, wrote while OU has determined this will be the last year for it to host the N.E.W. Leadership program, “our plan is to find a way for … the Carl Albert Center faculty and staff to support the goals of N.E.W. Leadership in ways that are consistent with the executive order.” He welcomed feedback and ideas to make that happen.
As of publication, the university’s website for the N.E.W. Leadership program is no longer available. According to an archived version of the site accessed through the Wayback Machine, the program is an intensive, competitive, five-day experience designed for undergraduate women from higher education institutions across Oklahoma.
Program faculty includes more than 50 women leaders from public service. Experiences include workshops, a campaign simulation, a State Capitol networking day, a collaborative action project and panel discussions.
According to Crespin, more than 650 women from 42 colleges and universities are alumni of the program, many of whom have run for and held office or served as public servants in various capacities.
Stitt’s Dec. 13 executive order requires a review of all higher education and state agency programs, departments, activities, procedures and mandatory trainings related to DEI work. It also forbids state funds, property or resources from going to those programs “to the extent they grant preferential treatment based on one person’s particular race, color, ethnicity or national origin over another’s.”
The order instructs institutions to restructure and/or eliminate functions that are “not necessary for compliance, accreditation, or student and employee student services intended to support success broadly.”
Universities and agencies have until May 31 to submit the review report and a certificate of compliance with the order. If they fail to do so, they will end up on a list that goes to specific legislative appropriations and budget committees, implying a probable cut in funding.
The order does not prohibit institutions from applying for grants or complying with accreditation stipulations that require a statement highlighting its work in supporting first-generation college students, students from low-income families, students with unique abilities or “underserved student populations.”
The axing of the N.E.W. Leadership program follows similar moves from the university in response to Stitt’s EO. It recently shut down its Gender + Equality Center and is restructuring its DEI-focused Student Life programs to comply with the order.
Women leaders around the state have been responding to the elimination of the N.E.W. Leadership program. Former Norman Mayor Breea Clark posted the executive order is an “embarrassment” for the state.
“Oklahoma needs more women in office as it is, and losing this free, non-partisan training program will likely exacerbate this existing lack of representation,” Clark wrote. “NEW Leadership was an impactful and empowering experience for women all over our state, and we can now add its conclusion to the long list of data points that show Oklahoma is a bad state, if not the worst, for women.”
Democratic Leader Sen. Kay Floyd (D-Oklahoma City) issued a statement Friday condemning Stitt’s order and voicing concerns about its continuing fallout.
“Women bring perspectives and ideas to the table that would otherwise not be heard, something we need more of, not less, in government,” Floyd wrote. “The elimination of the NEW Leadership program is an example of the negative impact (the order) will have on our state, but I am deeply concerned there will be more.”
House Minority Leader Rep. Cyndi Munson (D-Oklahoma City) said in a statement issued Monday she was the first N.E.W. Leadership graduate elected to public office and noted the less-than-20% representation rate of women in the state’s legislature. She laments the loss of what was, for her, an “invaluable experience.”
“The elimination of this program is because of the Governor and the Republican supermajority pining for the elimination of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs. DEI has one main goal, which is to ensure the entire student body can be involved,” Munson wrote. “Institutions are now feeling pressure from Oklahoma Republicans to get rid of these programs and because of this, I am afraid the consequences of this executive order will only get worse.”
Asked for an official statement regarding the N.E.W. Leadership program closure, an OU spokesperson said in an email to StateImpact: “The University continues to review and make changes as appropriate to any activity, position or program that would violate the governor’s executive order.”
StateImpact Oklahoma is a partnership of Oklahoma’s public radio stations which relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond. Donate online.
