ConocoPhillips has provided a significant gift to Rogers State University, allowing the university to offer need-based scholarships to Bartlesville-area residents and strengthen academic programs at its Bartlesville campus.
The gift will enable the university to continue the ConocoPhillips Opportunity Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships to Bartlesville-area residents with financial need who wish to obtain a college education.
“Rogers State University plays an important role in Bartlesville both as a four-year university and to the broader community,” said Norman Towler, Manager of Enterprise Infrastructure Services for ConocoPhillips. “We are pleased to support the university’s valuable contributions to culture and education.”
A portion of the gift will also provide general support for the RSU campus in Bartlesville and will be utilized to enhance academic programs, improve campus facilities and recruit more highly qualified faculty members.
“This generous gift from ConocoPhillips will allow RSU to significantly expand educational opportunities for residents in the Bartlesville area,” said RSU President Dr. Joe Wiley. “The support of ConocoPhillips is an investment in the future of our students as well as the economic development of the region.”
Thirteen percent of RSU’s student body is enrolled at the Bartlesville campus. This spring, more than 400 students from Washington County are taking classes at RSU.
The ConocoPhillips Opportunity Scholarship Program provides need-based academic scholarships. Clients of Women and Children in Crisis of Bartlesville and area residents who have obtained their GED or high school diploma and wish to pursue a college education are encouraged to apply. Special consideration is also given to students whose children are currently attending Jane Phillips Elementary School.
“Since 1998 the ConocoPhillips Opportunity Scholarship Program has allowed the dream of a college education to be realized for many Bartlesville residents,” said Dr. Danette Boyle, RSU vice president for development. “The scholarships have enabled our students to obtain better jobs and increase the amount of income for their families.”
Kelly Diven, president and CEO of the 66 Federal Credit Union, in Bartlesville; and Ron Stanley, ConocoPhillips community relations manager, in Houston, Texas, currently serve on the RSU Foundation Board of Directors.
RSU is a regional university offering bachelor’s and associate’s degrees in a wide variety of disciplines. Students at the RSU campus in Bartlesville can earn any bachelor’s or associate’s degree through a combination of residential, online and compressed video classes. RSU is a national pioneer and leader in distance education, and was the first university in Oklahoma to allow students to complete all requirements for several bachelor’s and associate’s degrees entirely via the Internet.
ConocoPhillips is an international, integrated energy company and is the third largest integrated energy company in the United States, based on market capitalization, and oil and gas reserves and production. Worldwide it is the sixth largest publicly owned energy company, based on oil and gas reserves, and the fifth largest refiner. Headquartered in Houston, ConocoPhillips operates in 49 countries.
For more information on the ConocoPhillips Opportunity Scholarship Program, call the RSU campus in Bartlesville at (918) 335-3500.