Oakwood University will close for the Thanksgiving holiday on Wednesday, November 25 at noon. Offices will reopen and classes will resume on Monday, November 30. Have a happy and safe holiday.

Student Services Provides "Home Away from Home"

With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, there are a number of students who will be staying on campus during the holiday break. Because of this, the Division of Student Services has arranged for a Thanksgiving feast in the Student Dining Hall on Thanksgiving Day. "It's important to us that our students who will be staying in the residence halls know that they have a place to feast on Thanksgiving Day," said David Knight, vice president of Student Services. "Just because they aren't leaving the campus for the holiday doesn't mean they can't have a grand celebration!"

Giving Tuesday is December 1

The #oakwoodgivingtuesday campaign starts at midnight, Tuesday, December 1, and will end at 11:59 p.m. For just 24 hours on December 1, our goal is to raise $25,000 for Oakwood University in celebration of giving and generosity.

Before going shopping on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, plan to invest your resources in the mission of Oakwood University. Whether $10,000, $1,000, $100, or $25, your gift is valuable at any level and will help us reach our December 1st goal of $25,000 in one day.

We are especially reaching out to our GOLD - that's "Graduates Of the Last Decade." All of our alumni from the classes of 2005 to 2015 are challenged to give a collective minimum of $5,000 to your alma mater.

It's simple:

Go to www.ougiving.com.
Enter your donation amount.
Select a campaign, any campaign you like. Scroll down and you choose.
Complete required fields. Be sure to enter your class year if you are an alum.
Make a comment, such as, "I designate my gift to the Business Department."
Spread the word. Invite 10 of your friends and family to join you in #oakwoodgivingtuesday

You can also text your donation. Text "OAKS" to 56512.

Both one-time gifts and reccurring gifts count towards our Giving Tuesday goal.

For more information, please call (256) 726-7201.

Save the Date: Ford Hall and Media Center Dedication

The Administration of Oakwood University invites you to the Dedication Ceremony of H.E. Ford Hall and the Leroy and Lois Peters Media Center on Sunday, December 6 at 10:00 a.m. Ford Hall is the home of the Communication Department. Both the Communication Department and Oakwood University Broadcasting Network share space in the Lois and Leroy Peters Media Center to help educate students studying communication as well as produce programming for and from Oakwood University.

Department of Social Work UNICEF Club Celebrates Thanksgiving with Boys & Girls Club

(L-R) George Myers, Regina Gray, Liz Clemons - director of the James A. Lane Boys and Girls Club, Ashley Gordon and Janette Clarke.

The Department of Social Work UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) Club visited the James A. Lane Boys and Girls Club on November 17, 2015. UNICEF engaged with young people ages five to 16 in a Thanksgiving-related activity to help make a difference in their lives. Part of the mission of the UNICEF club is to bring more awareness around issues and challenges confronting vulnerable children. The Social Work Department hopes that through the work of UNICEF more attention will be paid to the plight of child suffering.

Alumni Notes

Delbert W. Baker, Ph.D., '75, has recently accepted the invitation to become the vice chancellor of the Adventist University of Africa (AUA), located outside of Nairobi, Kenya. AUA is a General Conference educational institution that offers graduate programs for persons interested in ministerial, leadership, and selected health care graduate degrees. It primarily serves the three African Divisions: East-Central Africa, Southern Africa-India Ocean and West-Central Africa. "I have personally assured the Bakers that they have our prayers, best wishes, and full support as they take up this important responsibility," said Dr. Leslie Pollard, Ph.D., president of Oakwood University.

Morgan McGhee, MPH,

RDN, '10, and her associates in the dietetics department of the Riverside, California, school district, have been instrumental in changing the students' eating habits. In Riverside, seven out of ten children are at risk of hunger. Things are changing in the school district, however, where Riverside's nutrition services creates delicious healthy meals while also stimulating the local economy. More than 42,000 students, ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade, now have a chance to make the healthier choices. MORE

Would you like to share Alumni news with us? Please send to pr@oakwood.edu.

The officers of the Oakwood University Alumni Association are preparing for the 2016 Homecoming weekend. Featured speakers will be Carlton Byrd, Jerome Hurst, and Wintley Phipps. Did you know that the Association is also planning a spectacular Banquet Feast? Individuals from all the Honored Classes will be our guests and all of our alumni are invited to take part.

Please contact the class representatives for details:

Class of 1966: Fred Pullins - 256-726-8278 | fpullins@oakwood.edu

Class of 1976: Freda James - 256-722-2671 | fredajames.ouaa@gmail.com

Class of 1986: Joseph Follette - 256-690-6260 | joefollette@gmail.com

Class of 1991: Sam Cort, Jr. - 770-656-6639 | U9125@gmail.com

Picture of the Week

Once again, Oakwood is sharing school spirit with the Huntsville community by participating in this year's "Tinsel Trail," a display of live Christmas trees in Downtown Huntsville during the month of December. Two hundred fifty trees are decorating Big Spring Park for the holiday season. This includes large flagship trees and the City of Huntsville tree located at the main entrance of the trail. Trees for Oakwood and Edible Arrangements are a part of this holiday display.

An Edible Arrangements fruit bouquet is a delightful addition to your holiday table, and a perfect way to share love and support students. No matter where you are geographically located, call our stores at (844) FRUIT-OU to place an order. Profits from orders received at Oakwood's store (call or walk-ins) are directed toward scholarships at Oakwood University.

About Oakwood

The mission of Oakwood University, a historically black, Seventh-day Adventist institution, is to transform students through biblically-based education for service to God and humanity.