[1] On March 6, 1909, the Second Oklahoma State Legislature approved an act designating Durant as the location for a normal school to serve the following 12-county region: Atoka, Bryan, Carter, Choctaw, Latimer, LeFlore, Love, Marshall, McCurtain, McIntosh, Pittsburg, and Pushmataha.

The first sessions of the school were held in temporary quarters pending completion of Morrison Hall in January, 1911, long known as the Administration Building.

[2] On May 27, 1968, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education designated Southeastern as an Area Community College.

While retaining previous functions, the college moved in the direction of providing greater post-secondary educational opportunities by expanding its curriculum to include new programs in areas such as business, technology, aviation, and conservation.

Controversy occurred after football player Justin Pitrucha was suspended following felony charges of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute within 2,000 feet of a school.

Dr. Glen D. Johnson served Southeastern for 9 years then in 2007 assumed the duties of Chancellor of the Oklahoma State System for Higher Education.

He announced his resignation June 2009, and Regents named Dr. Larry Minks as interim then permanent president.

The committee, whose positive recommendations for tenure were routinely approved by the Administration, was overruled by Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Douglas McMillan, who had previously inquired of the university's Human Resources Department whether Dr. Tudor could be terminated because her lifestyle "offends his Baptist beliefs."

Dr. Tudor, who had not worked at SE since May 2011, brought her case to the Oklahoma Human Rights Commission, the U.S. Department of Education, and the EEOC.

[12] SE generated media attention in 2013 when the NAACP[13] and Reverends Marshall Hatch and Ira Acree of the National Action Network[14] spoke on behalf of five African-American college football students attending Southeastern, one of whom was from Chicago, regarding an incident which occurred on April 2, 2013.

According to Durant Police, several people reported that masked men came to their residences and demanded money and cell phones.

[15] Arlene Barnum of the NAACP contested their suspensions from SE under grounds of denial of the right to an attorney during disciplinary proceedings.

[18] The top five most popular majors for new students in the Fall of 2018 in order were Biology, Aviation, Occupational Safety and Health, Elementary Education, and General Business.

In Fall 2018, the university welcomed its biggest freshman class in six years, with a total enrollment of 600 students.

[23][22] Southeastern received a B-minus safety rating in the American School Search College Factual 2014.