RSU Graduate Earns Bachelor’s Degree After 30 Years

Tim Brown
B.S., Business Administration - Management, 2008

A native of northeastern Oklahoma, Tim Brown first came to the campus on the hill in 1978 to attend Rogers State University’s predecessor institution Claremore Junior College. After one semester he left school to work in the business world.

Brown embarked on a successful career and said he always planned to one day earn his bachelor’s degree – he just didn’t realize that one day would be 30 years later.

In the 1990s, Brown and his wife Pam attended Tulsa Junior College (now Tulsa Community College) and each earned their associate degrees.

His work as a contractor and supervisor for several energy efficiency firms took Brown to colleges and universities across the state. However, it was not until he started working at RSU that he was encouraged to complete his degree.

Brown said he was finishing a job in Dr. Bruce Garrison’s office when Dr. Garrison asked him about his education. Garrison, dean of RSU’s School of Business and Technology, encouraged Brown to finish his bachelor’s degree and said he hoped Brown would complete his degree at RSU.

By June of 2006, Brown was enrolled as a part-time RSU student. During the next two years he would complete more than 75 percent of his courses online.

“Taking classes online made it much easier to work a full-time job and attend college,” Brown said. “I have been to many college campuses and chose Rogers State University to be my alma mater.”

Brown said he was able to earn his bachelor’s of science degree at the university’s 96th commencement ceremony held on Saturday, May 10, 2008, with the support of his wife and the faculty at RSU.

He said he is excited to earn his degree and is the first person in his family to earn a bachelor’s degree.

“The campus has changed a lot in the past 30 years and I am proud to say I am a graduate of such a beautiful university,” Brown said.

About the RSU Online program

Each year, more than 1,000 students take classes through the RSU Online program. Some students take online and “in-person” classes simultaneously, while other students earn their degrees entirely via the Internet. Students may complete four associate degrees and three bachelor’s degrees entirely online at RSU. RSU Online students live as close as Claremore – and as far away as Colorado, California, and overseas. RSU was the first university in Oklahoma to offer online degrees and is a national pioneer in online education. For more information about the RSU Online program, call (918) 343-7548 or 1-800-256-7511.