Sean Burrage is an American attorney and politician who is the Chancellor of the
Oklahoma State System of Higher Education
The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education is the state's legal structure for providing public education at the College Level Examination Program, collegiate level. It is a coordinated system of colleges and universities located throughout th ...
since 2024, and who served in the
Oklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.Choctaw Nation
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (Choctaw: ''Chahta Okla'') is a Native American reservation occupying portions of southeastern Oklahoma in the United States. At roughly , it is the second-largest reservation in area after the Navajo, exceeding t ...
, is the son of Michael Burrage, a former federal judge in Oklahoma and prominent
Choctaw
The Choctaw ( ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States, originally based in what is now Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The Choctaw language is a Western Muskogean language. Today, Choct ...
attorney.
In 2006, Burrage was elected to the
Oklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Southeastern Oklahoma State University (Southeastern or SE) is a public university in Durant, Oklahoma. It had a total enrollment of 5,376 in 2022.
History
On March 6, 1909, the Second Oklahoma State Legislature approved an act designating Du ...
in Durant, Oklahoma. He stayed in office until 2019 when he left to work in the
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...
's administration. In October 2024, Burrage was announced as the new chancellor of the
Oklahoma State System of Higher Education
The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education is the state's legal structure for providing public education at the College Level Examination Program, collegiate level. It is a coordinated system of colleges and universities located throughout th ...
effective December 2.
Early life, family and education
Sean Burrage was raised in
Antlers, Oklahoma
Antlers is a city in and the county seat of Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,221 as of the 2020 United States census. The town was named for a kind of tree that becomes festooned with antlers shed by deer, and ...
, in a
Choctaw
The Choctaw ( ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States, originally based in what is now Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The Choctaw language is a Western Muskogean language. Today, Choct ...
Choctaw Nation
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (Choctaw: ''Chahta Okla'') is a Native American reservation occupying portions of southeastern Oklahoma in the United States. At roughly , it is the second-largest reservation in area after the Navajo, exceeding t ...
's general counsel. Burrage earned a bachelor of business administration from the
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...
in 1990 and a
juris doctor
A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...
from the
University of Oklahoma College of Law
The University of Oklahoma College of Law is the law school of the University of Oklahoma. It is located on the University's campus in Norman, Oklahoma. The College of Law was founded in 1909 by a resolution of the OU Board of Regents.
Accordi ...
from 1990 through 1993.
After graduating, Burrage worked for the
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...
as the director of state and federal relations until 1996. That year, he joined Taylor, Burrage, Foster, Mallett, Downs, & Ramsey, a law firm based out of Claremore, Oklahoma. Burrage was named Tri-County CASA Attorney of the Year in 2001 in recognition for his pro-bono representation of minor children in the juvenile court system. He was a Litigation Counsel of America Fellow and an Aspen-Rodel Fellow in Public Leadership.
Burrage was co-lead counsel in the I-40 bridge cases in Oklahoma and has represented numerous corporate clients in defense matters in state and federal courts throughout Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Senate
In 2006, Burrage was elected to represent
Oklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.
During his tenure as a state senator, Burrage authored or co-authored over 50 bills that were enacted into law. He served on several legislative committees and task forces, including the 2008 legislative task force on Oklahoma’s Promise. In 2007, he was voted the Higher Education Alumni Council’s “Best Newcomer Legislator of the Year.” He was reelected in 2010 and served as the Senate Minority Floor Leader from 2012-2014. He did not run for reelection in 2014.
Higher education
In May 2014, he was named the 20th president of Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Under Burrage’s leadership, SE streamlined operations, including establishing a shared vice president position with Murray State College, and significantly increased both undergraduate and graduate enrollment.
Burrage served as Vice Chairman of the Legislative Affairs Committee of the Council of Presidents (Oklahoma). Burrage was appointed to Governor
Mary Fallin
Mary Fallin (; née Copeland; born December 9, 1954) is an American politician who served as the 27th governor of Oklahoma from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, she was elected in 2010 Oklahoma gub ...
's Education Advisory Committee in 2015 and the State Regents’ Task Force on the Future of Higher Education in 2017. He also served on the
Rogers State University
Rogers State University (RSU) is a public university in Claremore, Oklahoma, United States. It also has branch campuses in Bartlesville and Pryor Creek.
History
The institution that is now RSU has gone through several stages, from its founda ...
Foundation and the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.
In September 2019, Burrage announced his intention to step down as president of SEOSU and take a position as the Vice President for Executive Affairs at the
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...
.
On October 9, 2024, Burrage was named the 10th chancellor of the Oklahoma State System for Higher Education, which comprises 25 institutions with nearly four dozen campuses around the state. His first day as chancellor was December 2.