Oklahoma A&M Board of Regents Accepts OSU President Kayse Shrum’s Resignation

Oklahoma State University is in search of a new president, as the Oklahoma A&M Board of Regents on Wednesday morning announced it has accepted Kayse Shrum’s resignation.

News of Shrum’s resignation started to slip out on Tuesday evening, when political reporter Reese Gorman reported Shrum was expected to resign. Then the regents made that official with this statement on Wednesday:

“We extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Shrum for her dedicated leadership, unwavering commitment to students, and significant contributions to the OSU System.

“Dr. Shrum has led with passion and vision, championing key initiatives in academics, research and innovation while advancing OSU’s land-grant mission. During her tenure, Oklahoma State University has experienced record enrollment, student retention rates, research funding, and philanthropic support setting the stage for a bright future. From the outset of her presidency, she was thrust into a critical role of navigating the disruption within the Big 12 Conference. Dr. Shrum worked tirelessly to help stabilize the league and protect OSU’s athletic programs, ensuring the university remained competitive on the national stage.

“Under her leadership, OSU has strengthened its impact in health care and STEM education while expanding access to higher education – ensuring that students of all backgrounds can find opportunities and a home at OSU.

“The Board will begin the process of identifying the next leader for Oklahoma State University and will provide updates as that process moves forward. In the meantime, we are committed to ensuring a smooth transition and maintaining the momentum of OSU’s mission to serve the state of Oklahoma and beyond.

“We thank Dr. Shrum for her service and wish her the very best in her future endeavors.”

Shrum became OSU’s 19th president back in 2021, becoming the first woman to lead a research institution in the state of Oklahoma. She was an OSU grad, graduating with a doctorate degree in osteopathic medicine from the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. She was also regularly at OSU athletic events and had an athletic background, playing softball at Connors State College.

Shrum was tasked with leading OSU through the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty surrounding the latest batch of conference realignment. Under Shrum’s leadership, OSU has set multiple enrollment records, including the highest undergraduate enrollment and largest first-time freshman class.

As of writing, the reason for Shrum’s resignation is unknown, and Shrum herself has yet to make a public comment.

This adds to what’s been a busy few months for the board of regents. In early December, the board had a meeting that Shrum and athletic director Chad Weiberg attended. That meeting was conducted almost entirely under executive session, but the fallout from it was a reworked contract for OSU football coach Mike Gundy after the Cowboys’ 3-9 season. There were reports of a “standoff” between Gundy and OSU after that board meeting. Gundy has since met with reporters saying some of the drama surrounding those few weeks was “blown out of proportion,” and that his commitment to OSU is “stronger every year.”