Oakwood Participates in Global Youth Day

On March 15, 8 million Adventist youth will leave their pews and engage in a day of active service. Sponsored by the Youth Depatment of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Global Youth Day is dedicated to spending time as the "hands and the feet of Jesus" in serving others.

Oakwood University students and employees will participate in this worldwide event by helping out in the greater Huntsville community under the theme "Global Youth Day 4HIM."

"We are very excited to be a part of this global initiative," said Howard Weems, OU special assistant to the president for spiritual life and senior chaplain. Events planned by the Office of Spiritual Life include clothing and food distribution in three of Huntsville's urban housing communities as well as visitation with nursing home residents.

The General Conference's Youth Department plans to air all of the Global Youth Day activities on Hope Church Channel. You can view Oakwood's one-hour special at 7:00 p.m. CDT, Saturday, March 15.

Oakwood Partners with Wiley College, Florida Memorial University and Lumen Learning to Offer Online Education

Oakwood University and Florida Memorial University have joined with The Center for Excellence in Distance Learning at Wiley College and Lumen Learning to offer online courses in high-demand subjects using the Center's collaborative process for developing open education resources (OER) based courses.

"This partnership is highly beneficial in helping HBCUs deliver distance education through an affordable platform," said Dr. Leslie Pollard, '78, president of Oakwood University.

"In the end, this is all about encouraging student success," said Dr. Kim Cliett Long, '82, Director of The Center for Excellence in Distance Learning at Wiley College. "Many students lack the technology and information literacy they need to succeed in both online courses and the workplace. Using OER, we are designing online courses and programs to help them develop and apply these skills as an integral part of the education we provide." (MORE)

As part of this joint venture, the following classes at Oakwood University will be presented in two, six-week "mini-mesters:"

Mini-mester 1: May 12 - June 20

BI101 Life Science
EN112 Freshman Composition II
SP101 Beginning Spanish
MA211 Applied Calculus
MU200 Music Appreciation
HI103 World Civilization I
PY101 Principles of Psychology
BA310 Principles of Management
AC220 Principles of Accounting I
IS120 Microcomputer applications
EC282 Principles of Microeconomics
PH101 Physical Sciences

Mini-mester 2: June 23 - August 1

SP102 Beginning Spanish
MA171 Calculus I
PE211 Health Principles
AC221 Principles of Accounting II
MK301 Principles of Marketing
FN311 Principles of Finance
IS120 Microcomputer Applications
BA302 Business Communications
EC283 Principles of Macroeconomics
CH100 Chemistry in Society
MA101 Fundamental Concepts in Math
HI211 US History I

Prices for this summer's online courses provided by Oakwood are at a discounted (sale) rate of $200 (normally $249) per credit hour plus a $50 technology fee. Registration for the summer courses begins March 31.

Are You Voting, Oakwood Nation?

Your votes helped Oakwood win the 2013 competition to construct this outdoor pavilion.

From now until April 14, we need you to vote for Oakwood University's campus improvement project in the Home Depot Retool Your School Campaign. "We need everyone's support to help Oakwood win this grant," said Kisha Norris, executive director for advancement and development for Oakwood. Oakwood is only Seventh-day Adventist university in the competition.

The winning school of the Campus Pride Grant will be selected by a combination of the applicant's social media activity and voting score. The three applicants with the highest votes and most social media activity, as determined by the sponsor during the voting period, will be awarded with the Campus Pride Grants.

Oakwood University had the most votes last year! Let's do it again. Vote as often as possible - and from all of your personal computers and devices. You can also Tweet about the competition using #OakwoodTHDRYS

VOTE NOW and be sure to tell your family and friends to do the same.

Oakwood LEs Campaign in Birmingham during Spring Break

By Aisha Allsop, LETC Mission Coordinator

Aisha Alsop (center) reviews the day's activities during the Spring Break campaign in Birmingham, Ala.

During Spring Break, 13 Literature Evangelists (LEs) from Oakwood University were able to distribute more than seven boxes of literature in three different communities in Birmingham, Ala.

"I'm so grateful for what the Lord is doing with Oakwood's LEs," said Aisha Alsop, LETC Mission Coordinator. The students also partnered with the youth at the Ephesus Seventh-day Adventist Church to give the mission spotlight during Sabbath School on March 8, where they shared a 4HIM mission report.

The literature evangelists also led out in an afternoon program which was immediately followed by an LE book sale. "We were asked by the Ephesus Church pastor to return in March, to bring another 4HIM presentation and set up an additional LE book sale," said Alsop.

Oakwood Student Accepted at Harvard University Law School

The Department of History and Political Science is proud to announce that

Antoine Southern has been accepted into the Harvard University School of Law. Southern is one of 75 HBCU All-Stars recently announced by the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Oakwood Appears in USA Today Special Edition

Check out the Black History Month Special Edition of USA TODAY. On page 41, Oakwood's ad portrays the six Oakwood students participating in the Civil Rights March from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. To read the entire issue of USA TODAY, click here.

OU is in Search of Mentors

The Youth Mentoring Task Force is in search of mentors for students of Oakwood University. Please join YMTF leadership on Wednesday, April 16, for a one-day conference to see if you are able to help at least one Oakwood student. Note: This training session will happen during the 2014 Alumni Weekend. For more information please contact Sonia Paul at (256) 726-7134 or email.

This date has been chosen specifically for Oakwood alumni so that you can include this activity in your itinerary for the 2014 Alumni Homecoming.

Faculty and Staff News

Music professor Dr. Eurydice V. Osterman has released her newest book, From Praise Him to Praise Hymn. This book examines the transition from traditional worship to "praise worship," what's behind it, what God has to say about it, and how this transition plays a vital role in the establishment of the new world order and its future impact on Protestantism. Osterman's distinguished music ministry and composition was recently recognized at the Festival of Spirituals VIII, held at the Oakwood University Church on February 23.

Dr. Prudence LaBeach Pollard, '78, vice president of Research and Employee Services, and author of Raise a Leader, God's Way, answers the questions, "Can we develop leadership in our children? If so, then how?" on this week's edition of WAAY Channel 31's "Ask the Expert." Click here to view the segment.

Note: Proceeds from Raise a Leader, God's Way helps to support scholarships for students at Oakwood University. Buy your copy today!

Alumni Notes

Margo (Cooper) Bagley, '85, international patient law expert and co-editor of Patient Law in Global Perspective, attended the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Intergovernmental Committee on Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore talks in February, in Geneva, Switzerland.

During a working dinner, she met H.E. Pedro Comiss�rio, Mozambique's ambassador to the United Nations Office at Geneva (UN European Headquarters). "After learning of my expertise in the area of international patent law and policy, and more recently my report on the Nagoya Protocol, the ambassador requested my assistance," Bagley said. MORE

"Congratulations on receiving the MLK Drum Major for Service Award," wrote President Barack Obama, to Oakwood University Board of Trustees member Dr. Cynthia Powell-Hicks, '76, and

Tina Robinson, '63. President Obama thanked these Oakwood alumnae for their devotion to service to their communities and working with at risk youth. These ladies are both lifetime members of the California Chapter of the Oakwood University Alumni Association, and are OU Alumni Association Living Legends.

Note: If you are an OU alum and would like to share news about yourself, please send them to us.

OU Picture of the Week

Led by Associate Chaplain

Kimberly

Pearson, '05, 18 students and two staff members (Raymond King, '02, Director of Student Activities and recruiter

Richard Hodnett, '05,) participated in last week's mission trip to New Orleans, La.

The group worked in the 9th Ward to help build two homes with Habitat for Humanity, and to help clear debris at St. Roch Park. OU students had the opportunity to work with other students from various cultures and backgrounds. Pictured here are students from Oakwood and the Julliard School of the Arts (New York). (Photo by Richard Hodnett)

About Oakwood

Oakwood University, a historically black, Seventh-day Adventist institution in Huntsville, Alabama, has as its mission to transform students through biblically-based education for service to God and humanity.