Oklahoma Christian University, originally named Central Christian College, was founded in 1950 by members of the Churches of Christ. It opened as a two-year college with 97 students in Bartlesville on the 152 acres (62ha) former estate of Henry Vernon Foster, a prominent oil businessman. L.R. Wilson, who founded Florida Christian College four years before, was the college's first president. Harold Fletcher, who became an OC emeritus professor of music, was the first faculty member hired for the new college. James O. Baird became the school's second president in 1954.
Soon after, plans were made to move the campus to Oklahoma City. Groundbreaking occurred on 200 acres (81ha) the far north edge of Oklahoma City in 1957 and the university was relocated in 1958. It was renamed Oklahoma Christian College in 1959 and began offering bachelor's degrees, with its first senior class graduating in 1962. Full accreditation was obtained from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools in 1965.
In the 1990s, the school restructured its academic departments into separate colleges and the name of the institution was changed initially to Oklahoma Christian University of Science and Arts in 1990, before being truncated to Oklahoma Christian University in 1996. In 1981, OC became the sponsor of The Christian Chronicle. In 2014, OC began their Ethos spiritual development program[4] which encourages students to attend any of 26 small chapels.[5][6]
Technology
In August 2001, OC provided campus-wide wireless Internet service and a personal laptop computer to every full-time student.[7] In 2008, Oklahoma Christian University began providing Apple'sMacBook to all full-time students and faculty, alongside the choice of an iPhone or an iPod Touch. Beginning with the fall 2010 semester, students also had the option of choosing an iPad for an additional charge. OC now provides information technology support for a "Bring Your Own Device" model. In 2013, OC's mobile computing program was honored as an Apple Distinguished Program.[8]
Academics
All bachelor's degrees at OC require the completion of at least 126 semester hours. Not less than 30 hours must be earned in courses numbered 3000 or above, including at least 10 hours in the major field. Bachelor's degrees require completion of a core curriculum of 60 semester hours consisting of "basic skills" (14 hours), Bible (16 hours), "basic perspectives" (27 hours) and a 3-hour senior philosophy seminar[9]
The university also offers an honors program; participants are selected by interview.
OC employs 94 full-time faculty members, more than 70 percent of whom hold a terminal degree in their respective fields. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is 13-to-1. 83 percent of classes contain fewer than 30 students.[10]
OC competes in 15 intercollegiate varsity sports: men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, track & field and volleyball. Club sports include men's and women's bowling, cheerleading,[12] men's and women's disc golf, dance, esports and ultimate frisbee.
Oklahoma Christian University is situated approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) west of U.S. Interstate 35, just south of the north Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond. The campus spans 240 acres (97 ha) and is bordered by East Memorial Road to the south, Smiling Hills Boulevard to the north, S. Boulevard/N. Eastern Avenue to the west, and Benson Road and N. Bryant Road to the east. The campus features over 30 major buildings, primarily designed in an International and Mid-Century modern architectural style, showcasing red brick and light-colored stone ornamentations.
The main entrance leads to the center of the campus, where the Williams-Branch Center for Biblical Studies (1987) is located, housing Scott Chapel. Adjacent to Scott Chapel is the Mabee Learning Center (1966), which houses the Tom & Ada Beam Library.[13] The Thelma Gaylord Forum (1987), an amphitheatre, is situated between the Williams-Branch Center and the library's front entrance.
To the east of the Mabee Learning Center are OC's earliest buildings, dating from 1959, including Benson Hall (the main administrative building), Cogswell-Alexander Hall (housing the registrar's office and information technology offices), Gaylord Hall (site of the admissions and financial aid offices), and Vose Hall (containing science laboratories and classrooms). These buildings are centered around the university's original quadrangle.
North of the original quadrangle is the Davisson American Heritage (DAH) Building (1970), followed by the Noble Science Wing (2011), Herold Science Hall (housing OC's student undergraduate research program), and the Prince Engineering Center (1988).
Moving eastward from the main entrance, one finds the Baugh Auditorium, which serves as the primary campus venue for performances and convocations. The McIntosh Conservatory, an open meeting and performance space, connects Baugh Auditorium with the Garvey Center (1978), consisting of Mabee Hall and Kresge Hall. The Garvey Center also houses Judd Theatre for thrust or proscenium theatre productions and Adams Recital Hall. Further east is the Harvey Business Center (1980).
The west side of the campus is primarily dedicated to student residences and recreation. The Gaylord University Center (1976/1997) houses the cafeteria, a snack bar, bookstore, health center, recreation areas, and the Student Life and Student Government Association offices. Adjacent to this center is the Payne Athletic Center (1970), which includes a campus fitness facility, Olympic-size swimming pool, and the Eagles' Nest gymnasium, recognized as one of the top-100 athletic venues in state history by The Oklahoman in 2007.
Recent additions to the campus are situated between these buildings and the dormitories on the west. Lawson Commons features McGraw Pavilion, a covered outdoor event space, and the Freede Centennial Tower, a 100-foot-tall (30 m) clock tower commemorating the 2007 Oklahoma state centennial. Additionally, in 2009, the campus received a gift of more than 1,300 trees from a partnership between the Tree Bank Foundation and the Apache Foundation, resulting in a green and vibrant landscape.
In 2013, OC introduced the Boker-Wedel Eagle Trail, a 5 km path encircling the campus.[14] This trail, composed of side-by-side asphalt and crushed granite running paths, spans a distance of 3.1 miles and is equipped with lighting, landscaping, and security phones.[15] It also connects with the Edmond running trails system.
In April 2016, the university unveiled Hartman Place, a scripture garden and waterfall. Hartman Place contains a space designated for students to write, using chalk on slate, remembrances of loved ones they have lost.
OC provides almost 1,800 on-campus living spaces in 11 residence halls and nine apartment complexes. Dormitories are located on the western end of the campus. Apartment complexes, available to upper-class and married students, are located across Benson Road on the east end of campus.
The northernmost portions of the campus contain outdoor venues for soccer, softball (Tom Heath Field at Lawson Plaza), track and field (Vaughn Track), baseball (Dobson Field) and intramural sports.
OC policies
OC maintains a commitment to traditional biblical principles as "derived from the Bible".[9][16]
OC officially recognizes that it “is not the church.”[17] Attendance at OC is open to all students, regardless of religious affiliation, who agree to abide by OC's ideals.[18] Full-time faculty and staff are required to be active members of a Church of Christ.[9] Attendance at daily chapel services is mandatory for all full-time students.[16] OC has an exemption from Title IX regulations prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation.[19]
In January of 2024, after a year of ongoing litigation, Oklahoma Christian University invoked the ecclesiastical (i.e., "relating to the Christian Church or its clergy")[20]abstention doctrine in the case of Michael O'Keefe v. OC. O'Keefe is suing OC over his firing as a tenured professor with 40 years of service to the university. OC announced its intention to use the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine to motion the Court to dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction. [21] The Court has yet to rule on the issue. Kevin Jacobs, former OC president, is one of the lawyers representing Michael O'Keefe in his suit against OC. This follows a similar case involving a similar school, Florida College; filed by Roy Byers in 2016 over his firing as a tenured professor. After 5 years of ongoing litigation in that case, Florida College invoked the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine. That case was shortly thereafter dismissed without the Court having reached the merits of issue.[22]
Cascade College
OC operated Cascade College, a branch campus in Portland, Oregon, from 1994 until it closed in May 2009.[23] Like OC, Cascade's full-time faculty and the majority of its students were members of Churches of Christ. In 1992, the Oklahoma Christian University Board of Trustees assumed the operation of the former Columbia Christian College after it suffered serious financial difficulties and lost accreditation. A year after Columbia closed, the new branch campus opened in 1994 as Cascade College.[24] The North Central Association agreed that the accreditation of Oklahoma Christian, Oklahoma City, could extend to Cascade if close ties and supervision were maintained. In October 2008, the OC Board of Trustees announced that Cascade College would close after the spring 2009 semester. Bill Goad was the last president of Cascade and is now a professor of business at OC. [25]
Notable alumni
This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article AND are alumni, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations.(August 2018)
Molefi Kete Asante (under his birth name, Arthur Lee Smith, Jr.; 1964)[27] – scholar of African studies and African American studies at Temple University; founder of the first Ph.D. program in African-American studies
Greenville University is a private university in Greenville, Illinois. It is affiliated with the Free Methodist Church. Established as Greenville College in 1892, the institution was renamed Greenville University in 2017.
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a 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 state of Oklahoma. In Fall 2023, the university had 32,676 students enrolled, most at its main campus in Norman. Employing nearly 4,000 faculty members, the university offers 174 baccalaureate programs, 199 master's programs, 101 doctoral programs, and 88 certificate programs.
Rockhurst University is a private Jesuit university in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 as Rockhurst College, Rockhurst University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It enrolled 2,980 students in 2019.
Oral Roberts University (ORU) is a private evangelical university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Founded in 1963, the university is named after its founder, Charismatic Christian preacher Oral Roberts.
Brigham Young University–Idaho is a private college in Rexburg, Idaho. Founded 136 years ago in 1888, the college is owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Previously known as Ricks College, it transitioned from a junior college to a baccalaureate institution in 2001.
Union Commonwealth University is a private university in Barbourville, Kentucky. The college was founded in 1879 and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Union's approximately 825 undergraduate students represent 27 states and 9 countries.
Union University is a private Baptist university in Jackson, Tennessee, with additional campuses in Germantown and Hendersonville. The university is affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention. It is a union of several different schools: West Tennessee College, formerly known as Jackson Male Academy; Union University of Murfreesboro; Southwestern Baptist University; and Hall-Moody Junior College of Martin, Tennessee.
Oklahoma City University (OCU) is a private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
John Brown University (JBU) is a private interdenominational Christian university in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Founded in 1919, JBU enrolls 2,343 students from 33 states and 45 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online, and concurrent education programs. JBU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and competes athletically in the Sooner Athletic Conference.
Cascade College was a private, four-year, liberal arts college associated with the Churches of Christ. Located in Portland, Oregon, United States, it was a branch campus of Oklahoma Christian University. Its mission was to emphasize spiritual growth and career preparation. Oklahoma Christian University closed Cascade at the end of the 2009 academic year due to financial problems.
Lubbock Christian University (LCU) is a private Christian university associated with the Churches of Christ and located in Lubbock, Texas. Chartered originally as part of a grade school called Lubbock Christian School in 1954, the institution branched off as a junior college – Lubbock Christian College – in 1957. LCC became a senior college in 1972, then advanced to university status in fall of 1987. LCU has 65 undergraduate degrees. A fall 2015 count showed 1,958 students enrolled at Lubbock Christian University, of which 462 were graduate students.
Southern Nazarene University (SNU) is a private Nazarene university in Bethany, Oklahoma.
Mid-Atlantic Christian University (MACU) is a private Christian university in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. It is supported by Christian churches and churches of Christ, which is part of the Restoration Movement. MACU awards bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, and certificates. MACU started as Roanoke Bible College with the primary goal of preacher training to serve the Church of Christ/Christian Churches of eastern North Carolina and Virginia.
Midway University is a private Christian university in Midway, Kentucky. Related by covenant to the Christian Church, it enrolls approximately 1,900 students earning two-year and four-year degrees as well as master's degrees. Midway was the only women's college in Kentucky until 2016 when it began admitting male undergraduate students.
Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) is a private Baptist university in Shawnee, Oklahoma. It was established in 1910 under the original name of The Baptist University of Oklahoma. OBU is owned and was founded by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma.
St. Gregory's University was a private Catholic university. It was one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It had its main campus in Shawnee and an additional campus in Tulsa. The university closed its operations at the end of the fall 2017 semester.
Colorado Christian University (CCU) is a private Christian university in Lakewood, Colorado. CCU was founded by Clifton Fowler in 1914 as the Denver Bible Institute.
GEB Network is a digital satellite television network, which airs primarily Christian and family programming. Oral Roberts founded it in 1996. GEB is owned by Oral Roberts University and is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Corban University is a private Christian university in Salem, Oregon. There are about 1,000 full-time students enrolled on the Salem campus and 2,800 worldwide. Athletically, it is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics competing in the Cascade Collegiate Conference.
Ohio Christian University (OCU) is a private Christian college in Circleville, Ohio. It is denominationally affiliated with the Churches of Christ in Christian Union.
↑ Patricia Reid-Merritt. "Molefi Kete Asante", Encyclopedia of African American History, Leslie M. Alexander and Walter C. Rucker, Eds., ABC-CLIO, 2010, pp. 617–618. - Edward J. Robinson, Show us how you do it: Marshall Keeble and the rise of Black Churches of Christ in the United States, 1914–1968, University of Alabama Press, 2008, pp. 164–165.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
