A holistic education

Long gone are the days when a university education guaranteed graduates a job, let alone a long-term career. Therefore, in an increasingly competitive job market, the unique Whole Person Education offered by Oral Roberts University (ORU) is proving to be invaluable.

“Since its founding in 1965, ORU has had a unique focus on what is called Whole Person Education, helping inform not only the mind but also the body and the spirit – a wholly holistic approach to education,” explains Dr William Wilson, President of Oral Roberts University.

The results of the whole person-centric approach speak for themselves. Over the past five years, ORU has achieved a 99 percent job placement rate for its graduates, compared to an average rate of around 85 percent in the United States. It’s not just in its hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma, where graduates are hired – many are employed by companies across the world as soon as they graduate.

“We have an honor code, so our students don’t drink – or they’re not supposed to – and they don’t smoke. We have a real code of honor for telling the truth. Who wouldn’t want an employee that knows how to honor authority?” he says.

Diverse income streams

“I wear three hats as President of the ORU,” Wilson explains. “I wear a hat as an educator, a businessperson and a pastor because of the unique role of ORU and its Christian ethos.”

With a budget of over US$160 million a year, ORU counts on far more than just tuition fees. From operating its own television network to leasing out real estate and receiving funds from donors, Wilson and his leadership team oversee an expansive operation.

“One of my philosophies has been that several streams of income are important to run a university. Because if one stream were to trickle out or fade away, the university doesn’t go down because you have all these other streams of income going on,” he notes.

Thanks to a rigorous budget process, led by a skilled CFO, ORU is able to maintain financial solvency, despite the many challenges that face the higher education sector.

One of the secrets to the financial success of ORU, according to Wilson, is the five-year adaptive plan. Instead of a set strategic plan, the adaptive plan is reviewed and amended significantly each year.

“Five years from now, everything may have shifted completely. We’re changing our KPIs, looking at our environment and asking the big questions – it’s worked wonderfully well,” he says.

Unique partnerships

Like many other businesses, ORU has long-standing partnerships with suppliers in a variety of sectors, from catering to IT. However, the unique offering it provides to students means an equally diverse set of partners is required to ensure these services are delivered. For example, one of the core elements of the Fenimore & Fisher College of Business at ORU is the Market Trading Floor.

“The Market Trading Floor is connected directly to Wall Street. We had a donor give money, real money, to the university so our students can trade in real time. The students are set on making money by trading stocks, bonds, and so on, in the real market – they’re doing very well so far,” he adds.

Athletics and sports programs at ORU are also sponsored by businesses, leading to a win–win for both the firms and the university.

“It’s a big way for them to have visibility because we have pretty good crowds at our games, and they get to connect with the university,” Wilson says.

Thanks to a great deal of internal talent, Wilson and his team do try to limit outsourcing in most areas unless there is a genuine need for external expertise. For example, ORU is undergoing a major overhaul of the student enrollment process, with consultants being brought in to support the project. TCIX Rail, a leading provider of railcar leasing services based in Tulsa, is one partner that ORU trusts to benefit the entire university.

So with eight years left in his 10-year commitment, what does Wilson have his eyes set on next at the university?

“We’ve had pretty significant growth at ORU. I want that to continue when I leave the university; I want the positive trends at ORU to continue into the future,” he concludes.