Oakwood University Board Meeting Summary

On October 18, members of the Oakwood University Board of Trustees met to discuss and receive reports concerning the growth of the 120-year-old educational institution at its fall Board Meeting. Chaired by Dan Jackson, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America, the Board of Trustees meets twice per year, and includes leadership from the Seventh-day Adventist Church's World Headquarters, local conferences and unions, as well as lay members.

Devotional: The meeting began with a devotional message by Dedrick Blue, D.Min., dean of the School of Religion, who based his remarks on II Timothy 4, emphasizing the call to engaged action for board members in their deliberations.

Recognitions: The Board also recognized several individuals who are leaving the Board because of various reasons:

Dana Edmond, former president, South Central Conference
Don King, former president, Atlantic Union Conference
Hubert Morel, former president, Southeastern Conference
Max Torkelson, former president, North Pacific Union

The Board welcomed the following new members:

Benjamin Jones, president, South Central Conference
G. Earl Knight, president, Atlantic Union Conference
Gregory Mack, president, Southeastern Conference

The Board also welcomed the following institutional representatives:

Victoria Joiner, Ed.D., faculty member, Communication
Trevor Fraser, D.Min., faculty member, Religion & Theology
Lewis Jones, staff member, Advancement & Development

President's Report

Leslie N. Pollard, Ph.D., D.Min., MBA, president of Oakwood University, shared the President's Report. Highlights included:

2016 Oakwood University Graduation - On May 7, Oakwood University conferred degrees to 403 graduates.

2016-2017 Enrollment saw an increase in FTE (full time equivalent) and headcount this year.

The Biblical Foundations Institute was discussed along with its primary goals and explanation of how this transformational program will assist our faculty in making sure our mission of the delivery of biblically-based education is fulfilled.

Return to Industry - The president spoke to the board regarding the return to our roots and industry. A video was shared that shows a sister HBCU uses a farm industry to assist students in paying for their education. The president expressed the administration's desire to explore this possibility for the Oakwood campus.

Plans were presented for the 120th Anniversary Celebration, scheduled for November 9-12, 2016.

Updates on the Healthy Campus 2020 initiative, the Community Action Clinic, and the Health and Wellness Center, and their timelines for implementation and completion, were given.

Academic Administration Subcommittee

Karen Benn-Marshall, Ed.D., Vice President

Academic Administration welcomed 12 new faculty members for the 2016-2017 academic year. There were also 15 retirements.
The official census for the 2016-2017 school year reports 1,797 students.
Board of Trustees voted approval of new programs for the University: a Master's in Public Health, a Master's in Business Administration with two tracks in leadership and management, and various certificate programs: phlebotomy technician, certified nursing assistant, pharmacy technician, medical assisting, dental assisting and medical coding.

Financial Administration Subcommittee

Sabrina Cotton, M.Acc., CPA, Vice President

Reviewed and approved the Draft Audited Financial Statements June 30, 2016. For the past 20 years, Oakwood has received an unqualified report and maintained its status as a low-risk auditee.
The Finance Subcommittee is recommending a 0% increase for tuition for the 2017-2018 school year.
Oakwood's endowment is on track for $20M by the year 2020.
Revenue from government subcontracting has increased significantly over the past five years, to approximately $3.1M.

Research & Faculty Development Subcommittee

Prudence Pollard, Ph.D., MPH, RD, PHR, Vice President

Career Pathways Grant - The 3-phase Logic Model was presented to familiarize the Board with the main areas of coverage for the plan on our new proposed career pathways in conjunction with the UNCF grant. Oakwood is partnering with Tougaloo College and Talladega College on the submission of a "cluster" grant.

Advancement & Development Subcommittee

Kisha Norris, M.Ed., CFRE, Executive Director

The fundraising amounts for the past few years was reviewed and explained.
The next editions of "Oakwood on the Road" are scheduled for later this year in Houston, Texas, and the Bahamas.
WJOU 90.1 FM has increased fundraising efforts and will soon be transitioning to a new digital transmitter. Partnering with Good Samaritan Hospice, WJOU 90.1 FM is hosting its fourth annual Community Health Fair on October 28, at the Millet Activity Center.
Oakwood Magazine was recently named best HBCU alumni publication by HBCU Digest

Student Services Subcommittee

David Knight, M.A., Vice President

Discussed student services policies and the need to update them on a periodic basis to accommodate the needs of our students.
The accommodations and comfort of our students with disabilities has also been a concern to the Student Services division. They have partnered with Georgia Tech to address any issues of concern on the campus.

Spiritual Life Subcommittee

Howard Weems, Ph.D., Senior Chaplain

Biblical Foundations Summer Workshop took place this summer to equip and empower the faculty with tools to make the Oakwood University education a well-rounded, biblically- based education.
Service Learning activities for the year were outlined and reviewed through the pictures and description of past events that have taken place already this year.

Information Technology Subcommittee

K. Richmond Nugent, CIO

Update on Cyber Security efforts and the implications for our campus and enhancements to the campus communication infrastructure.
OUBN has had some significant exposure over the past year with the installment of their production, "My Oakwood Story" and their assistance with the local ABC affiliate's community town hall meeting this summer.

WJOU to Produce 4th Annual Community Health Fair

Oakwood University's Praise Station WJOU 90.1 FM, and Good Samaritan Hospice, are hosting the fourth Annual Community Health Fair on Thursday, October 27 from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. The event will take place at the Millet Activity Center on the campus of Oakwood University.

More than 70 vendors will be present to provide diabetes screening, BMI Testing, dental consultation, flu shots, healthy product presentations, voter registration, other health screenings, affordable care act counseling, senior citizens info, home health care services, and healthy cooking demonstrations.

"This health fair event is our gift to the community," said Reginald Hicks, general manager and director of WJOU. "It's very important to know about your health and how healthy you are," he added.

During the health fair, at approximately 1:15 p.m., the WJOU-FM/Good Samaritan Hospice Health Fair Community Award will be presented to Artis and Edna Sidney, owners of Garden Cove Produce, and Cathy Miller, Community Impact Director for the United Way of Madison County.

Organizers will also provide three scholarships to Oakwood University students in the areas of communication, allied health and nursing. "Not only do we want to make sure we let the community know about health, we want to help students out as well who are looking into going into these health and communication-related fields," said Hicks.

The presenting sponsors for this year's health fair include Saria Services Group, Inc., Breath of Life Television Ministries, and the Oakwood University Church.

Join the Oakwood Family - Employment Opportunities

Oakwood continues to build the quality of personnel that will serve our students and constituents in the best possible way. The Department of Communication is currently looking to fill the position of Assistant/Associate Professor. This position is ideal for someone with university teaching experience, and/or a minimum of 10 years professional experience in the broadcast industry.

HOW TO APPLY:

Persons interested in this position, and any other positions listed, must submit an Oakwood University Employment Application (online at oakwood.edu under Human Resources), along with a resume, copy of transcript(s)/diploma(s) to Human Resource Management. Application and supporting documents may be emailed, mailed, faxed, etc.

Click here to see the listed positions.

Thank you for your interest in Oakwood University.

Picture of the Week

On October 15, 2016, freshman senior social work majors volunteered at the House of the Harvest, and distributed food to low-income families. Pictured are students from the Social Work Club, the Phi Alpha Club, and the UNICEF Club.

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.