Reposted from TU’s website:
Frequently Asked Questions about the Proposed TU/Gilcrease Partnership
Announcement:
Why is this agreement between TU and the City of Tulsa taking place?
The primary goal of the proposed TU and Gilcrease partnership is to consolidate management of the museum under a single entity in order to better preserve, enhance and strengthen the world class collection and legacy of Thomas Gilcrease.
Now that the museum trustees and TU have signed the agreement, does this mean that this proposed partnership is completed?
Completion of this proposal is conditioned on several items, including actions in support of the agreement by the Gilcrease Museum Association and Gilcrease Foundation. Additionally, TU officials will spend the coming months determining whether firm financial commitments for museum operations are available to support the initiative.
What role would TU take at Gilcrease?
The University of Tulsa will manage and operate the Gilcrease Museum property and the Gilcrease collection. Under this proposal, duties of TU would include:
- Hire and supervise all personnel, including the executive director;
- Payment of all operating expenses of the Gilcrease Museum and manage all finances, purchases and contracts;
- Manage, preserve, maintain and seek to expand the Gilcrease collection; and
- Fundraising and procurement of gifts, endowments and bequests
When will this agreement take effect?
The commencement date for the agreement is July 1, 2008. The management agreement has a term of 10 years, subject to renewal for successive 10-year periods unless the City or the University elects to terminate.
How does this agreement benefit the University?
The partnership between TU and the City of Tulsa will provide opportunities for the expansion of academic research of the collection. By doing so, this will bring both the museum and TU more international prominence. With TUs nationally recognized resources in western American history, art history, anthropology and archaeology, the university has considerable academic resources available to complement the Gilcrease museum. Through this partnership, TU would be able to create graduate and undergraduate research opportunities at the museum, as well as bring internationally recognized experts to study the collection and share their findings with the community.
How will the museum fit into the Universitys existing administrative chart?
Under the proposal, TU would perform a national search to hire a director to oversee the museum operations. That person also would hold a joint appointment at TU as vice president of museum affairs. As the proposed partnership comes closer to fruition, TU and the City of Tulsa will organize employee teams from both organizations to work together to ensure a smooth transition for museum operations.
Will the university use existing TU funds to pay for museum operations?
No. The proposal specifically outlines that the City of Tulsa is committed to providing the same level of funding (adjusted for inflation) to the museum each fiscal year to offset operating expenses. The balance would be funded through private commitments for financial support. Those fundraising efforts will be managed by TU. Completion of the proposal is dependent on TU officials determining if firm financial commitments are available to support museum operations in support of this initiative. While this partnership represents an enormous opportunity for TU and Gilcrease, TUs board and administration are very mindful of our responsibilities as stewards of university resources to ensure that this would not drain existing financial resources for the university.
Will TU own the museums collection and property?
No. The City of Tulsa will retain title to and ownership of the Gilcrease collection and the museum property
