08/07/2026
As part of a planned leadership transition, Vice President Belinda Higgs Hyppolite has announced her planned resignation from the University of Oklahoma, effective in December. With this transition, the university will maintain and enhance the entire suite of services and programs currently housed within the Division of Access and Opportunity to realign them with Student Affairs and Academic Affairs beginning this fall.
We are committed to a thoughtful transition that maintains the high level of service our students expect. Below is a comprehensive list of services under the Division of Access and Opportunity and where the services and their staff will align.
Effective at the start of the Fall 2026 semester:
🔴 Division of Student Affairs will oversee the Military Connected and Veteran Student Success Center, the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center, and Testing Center services. ADRC and Testing Center services on the OU Health and OU-Tulsa campuses will continue to be administered through their respective Student Affairs offices.
🔴 Office of Academic Affairs (Norman campus) will oversee First-Generation Student Initiatives and TRIO programs, including Project Threshold, McNair Scholars Program, and Upward Bound.
🔴 Campus events that have been coordinated by the Division of Access and Opportunity, including Neighborhood Table and CommunitiTea, will continue and will be administered by the appropriate university departments.
Dr. Hyppolite will remain in her role through the end of the calendar year to oversee a thoughtful transition and ensure continuity for students, faculty, and staff. Additional operational information will be shared with employees and campus stakeholders as implementation continues.
