Oklahoma Higher education chancellor retires

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Paul Risser took over Monday as Oklahoma chancellor for higher education, succeeding Hans Brisch, who has held the job for 15 years. <br><br>During that time, Brisch has seen the percentage

Monday, January 6th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Paul Risser took over Monday as Oklahoma chancellor for higher education, succeeding Hans Brisch, who has held the job for 15 years.

During that time, Brisch has seen the percentage of college graduates with bachelor's degrees increase from about 17.8 percent to 20.4 percent, compared to about 25 percent nationally.

Also, graduation rates at the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University have increased from 42 percent to 56 percent and the number of degrees awarded to Oklahomans increased 23 percent, from 19,596 in 1987 to 24,043 in 2001.

``Oklahoma is definitely moving upward,'' Brisch said. ``But we've got a long ways to go.''

Brisch announced a year ago his intentions to retire, and regents hired Risser, who has been serving as president of Oregon State University, to succeed him.

During Brisch's tenure, Oklahoma instituted the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program that provides free tuition to students whose families earn $50,000 or less provided they maintain a 2.5 grade point average in high school.

He said he wants to urge state leaders to provide the necessary money _ it will cost about $5 million more next school year _ because parents and high school students have been promised the free tuition.

``As an immigrant, I'm dedicated to this program because I, as a child, didn't have access to higher education,'' Brisch said. ``To me, the feeling in my gut is I want the doors to higher education to continue to be enhanced.''

Brisch came to Kansas from Germany in 1957 at the age of 17.

He went to Park College in Kansas City and the University of Kansas.

He won a Fulbright scholarship and studied abroad, then returned to the Midwest.

He ended up at the University of Nebraska, first as an assistant vice president for academic affairs. He took a leave of absence to run the campaign of Kay Orr, who became Nebraska's first female governor.

She named Brisch her chief of staff, the position he held when the State Regents for Higher Education tapped him to be Oklahoma's chancellor in 1988.

State regent Joe Mayer, a Guymon rancher, praised Brisch's work.

``Being chancellor is a very tough job; you've got to deal with all these college presidents, the Legislature, governor and regents. To be able to survive that for 15 years and keep your eye focused on your goals is a great accomplishment.

``Hans' goal always has been to make education more available and affordable for students, and to make the system accountable.''

Jim Tolbert, president of First Oklahoma Corp. and chairman of a state education task force under former Gov. George Nigh, said Brisch was key ``in recognizing that ultimately the future of Oklahoma is going to depend on increasing the number and quality of college graduates that live here.''