I think this is why places like Cincinnati that started years ago with their apprenticeship programs, internship and job placement success are in much better shape than us. The western world is in a birth rate spiral. This coupled with us being located in a part of the country that isn't growing and has a plethora of higher education institutions because of our history (The Northwest Territory's role in building Higher Ed institutions etc)
We have many factors working against us so it is vitally important that the new President hits the ground running with a plan for success.
I think this is going to be an uphill battle for OU.
Schools in urban areas have a huge leg-up when it comes to internships, Co-ops, and job placement because there's a diverse range of employers that are local. Columbus and Cincinnati offer something Athens can't match in that regard.