Adopt-A-Prof at the University of Oklahoma

The University of Oklahoma has a program called Adopt-A-Prof, which was developed in 1999 by President David Boren. This program was designed for student organizations and faculty members to get to know each other on more personal levels outside of the classroom setting.

Assistant Student Life Director and Adopt-A-Prof coordinator, Koby Harrington says “The relationship is totally up to the student and faculty member. They may go out and have pizza one night or they may invite a faculty member to a formal dinner inside their chapter house.” The program is very personal and allows students and faculty members to get to know each other and build lasting relationships that will continue all through their OU careers and possibly after.

In order to be involved with this program, your organization must sign up by the deadline specified. The chapter and the faculty member are paired based upon their common interests or they can request each other. Both the chapter and the faculty member are given 100 dollars to spend on gifts for one another or to take the other out for a fun activity or even just for a nice dinner.

One professor in particular personally loves this generation of students and happens to be my sorority’s adopted professor. His name is General Jerry Holmes and he is teaches in the College of Engineering. He is retired from the United States Air Force and now focuses on passing his knowledge on to this generation of students because he believes that we are the future. General Holmes says that this generation has the potential to make big changes and that it is definitely possible if we just put our minds to it. He says “When someone wants help, I help them.” He is a great candidate for this program because he wants to share his knowledge with his students and he exemplifies a true mentor. A former student of his, Sheriee Parnell, says that he cares more for others than himself and he is always willing to lend a hand when you need him.

The University of Iowa and San Diego State University have similar programs but they are more focused on academics as opposed to gaining personal relationships. What makes this program unique is that it is not common among many universities and it allows students to network and build actual relationships with professors.




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