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Frequently Asked Questions

OU in 2010 will be the culmination of more than a decade of hard work and commitment to a clear and shared vision.

It all began five years ago with the launch of a 10-year Strategic Plan - a blueprint for positioning Oakland University for national recognition in selected fields of excellence.

Today, more than 2,300 initiatives have been undertaken to make Oakland University a premier university of the 21st century.

But the process of putting the plan together was largely internal. And there are many examples of such plans at other universities failing - of literally gathering dust on the shelf.

We knew we needed to get perspective and buy-in about our vision from the community. To that end, we launched the Creating the Future initiative and nine task forces to gather the talents and ideas of business, industry, community and university leaders.

These task forces presented 500 recommendations for moving forward. We boiled these down to 20 urgent ideas, many of which we already have set in motion.

But five years from now, this phase of Oakland's development should reach its climax. We are preparing for that eventuality now by developing the next phase of Oakland's transformation - a vision for 2010.

We seek your feedback on our ideas. And once we have it, we will seek external verification from an outside consulting group. They will test our vision about the university's focus and future both in the community and in the marketplace.

So, how do we bring focus to our vision? How will Oakland University differentiate itself in 2010? What will we be known for?

To answer these questions, several task forces made up of faculty and staff have engaged in dialog. And senior management, including cabinet officers, deans and academic administrators, have had several retreats over the past year to come up with a university profile we would like to see in 10 years. We want to share the components of that profile with you and ask your opinions and feedback on them.
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A Growing University
A common thread throughout our year of visioning has been the idea that growth offers opportunities - opportunities for program enhancement, expansion of student services and corporate and community outreach.

Our most recent Enrollment Planning Committee report projects:

Oakland has continued to keep pace with growth by providing new and advanced academic, research and support facilities, such as:

We have added 27 new degree programs the past four years to strengthen our educational offerings.

A Campus Master Plan, to be finalized and released this year, addresses this growth and includes:

Quality of First-Year Students
As enrollment grows and programs and services advance, we expect to become the first choice of many more high-achieving students.

The Enrollment Planning report projects an all-time high average freshman ACT composite score of 25 by 2010 - that's three points higher than in 2000.

Plans are under way to expand recruiting efforts, not only in Michigan, but in Ohio and Illinois.
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Central Mission
Oakland views undergraduate education as central to its mission and will ensure an enriched learning environment in order to educate a diverse body of students to be productive, contributing members of society - so states Strategy 1 of the OU Strategic Plan.

The Enrollment Planning report anticipates that Oakland will "capture a niche" as the choice in Michigan for high-ability students and predicts record enrollment in an enhanced and restructured Honors College.

Based on CTF urgent recommendations, the university is:

Integrating Liberal and Professional Studies
By 2010, Oakland University will have celebrated its 50th anniversary as an institution of higher education built on, and fiercely committed to, the liberal arts.

OU also is driven to provide the best in professional studies and to prepare graduates to take superior critical thinking and communication skills, as well as expertise in their chosen field, into society and the workplace of the future.
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General Education Program
The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools recommended in its 2000 review of OU:

Even before the NCA evaluation, Oakland had begun the process of examining the future of its General Education program.

A General Education task force was appointed to:

Focus groups from business and industry have provided input on the recommended learning outcomes. This year, a second task force will be appointed and charged with reviewing the current General Education curriculum and recommending needed and desired changes in our General Education program.

By 2010, Oakland's new General Education curriculum will blend the essential knowledge and values that all educated people should possess in order to lead reflective, satisfying and contributory lives with the practical skills that are required for success in the 21st-century workplace.
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Technological Enhancements
Oakland University is dedicated to enhancing education through the use of contemporary and emerging technologies.

The CTF Task Forces noted these two "urgent recommendations":

Since 1995, Oakland has committed millions of dollars to technology enhancements, including:

The provost created the position of associate provost for strategic initiatives, a full-time academic administrator dedicated to exploring and developing information technologies that are essential to Oakland's mission in the 21st century.

Oakland will continue to extend its educational outreach through the use of technology and distributed learning. One exciting change close to home is the new $13-million Engineering and Technology Center at the University Center at Macomb Community College.

Through a partnership with Macomb, Oakland professors designed the state-of-the art facility and now deliver engineering courses to more students wanting access to an OU degree.
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The OU Learning Experience
Experiential learning through innovative community and corporate partnerships adds value to an Oakland education.

The 2000 NCA evaluation identified partnerships as a key Oakland University strength, saying: "The university is well-positioned to capitalize on its unique location within a rapidly developing region…Collaborative corporate, business and community partnerships are an important part of the university's service mission."

Yet, the CTF Task Forces noted these "urgent recommendations":

By 2010, the university intends to build on the success of established models, such as:

Oakland also will:

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Dedicated Teacher/Scholars
The 2000 NCA evaluation told us something we already knew - that "the support of committed faculty" is a key university strength.

Oakland has some of the most talented and productive faculty in higher education. Extensively consulted, published and funded, these teacher/scholars will continue to advance the university's reputation for excellence and bring it international recognition.

In the classroom, they bring commitment and innovation to the learning experience, engaging students actively in the process.
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Expanding Graduate Program
The Enrollment Planning Committee projects a graduate student population representing 20 percent of the total enrollment by 2010.

Seventy-five percent of the graduate student population will be part-time students and full-time working adults enrolled in programs that will prepare them for leadership roles in their professions - programs that, by 2010, will have achieved regional and national acclaim. Many of those students will "commute" via the Internet.

Yet the NCA evaluation states:
"The university does not yet have the resources to match planned growth as a "graduate intensive" institution.

In the coming decade, the recently reorganized Office for Research and Graduate Study will develop the administrative infrastructure for a high-quality, graduate-intensive institution and work to secure the resources necessary for success.
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Applied Research
Oakland University has a number of research centers and institutes that have earned substantial recognition.

The NCA evaluation identified Oakland's Eye Research Institute and Center for Biomedical Research as two distinctive programs that bring national recognition to OU and serve as regional resources.

The university also is fortunate to have noted researchers in the areas of gravitational physics, electromagnetic compatibility, cardiovascular disease and cancer, among many others.

By 2010, applied research at Oakland will include major contributions from a Research and Development Park. A business incubator will link great minds from OU and the business world to develop ideas that will affect the future of business.
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Cultural and Performing Arts
In the next decade, Oakland University's dominance in the arts will move beyond local boundaries to secure a place of prominence in the region.

Already, the Meadow Brooks have earned a reputation for taking artistic risks, developing gifted artists, nurturing arts partnerships and achieving new heights of quality and professionalism.

Meadow Brook Hall, a world-class historic house-museum, attracts thousands of visitors to campus each year. By 2010, interpretation of its outstanding collections and new educational programs tied to the College of Arts and Sciences will set the hall ahead of its peers.

Meadow Brook Art Gallery, now housed in the Department of Art and Art History, continues to garner critical acclaim for the quality and scope of its exhibitions.

Meadow Brook Theatre, Michigan's largest professional theatre company, has inspired audiences and has won awards for 35 years. In 10 years, both the gallery and theatre will have a new state-of-the-art home and will not only be an invaluable resource to the community but a national model for collaboration with the academic enterprise.
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Community Outreach
This year, for the first time in university history, an Oakland athlete has won an Olympic gold medal. We are proud of Political Science Senior, Anita Rapp, and thrilled by her victory with the Norwegian soccer team.

Achievements like hers and by last year's Golden Grizzlies women's soccer team and the men's and women's swimming and diving and basketball teams - all Mid-Continent Conference champions - provide invaluable community outreach and generate tremendous interest in OU - interest that is sure to impact enrollment and support by 2010.
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Campus Setting and Services
The CTF Task Forces noted the following "urgent recommendation":

In 2000, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for a new Student Services Center to be created in a renovated North Foundation Hall - a one-stop shop for student administrative needs.

Other recent service improvements include:

Oakland University also now has a full-time director for disability support services and a full-time director for international students and scholars, helping students surmount barriers to success.

Oakland is determined to maintain a low student-to-faculty ratio, and, by 2010, we expect to improve it from 19:1 to 17:1.

An outstanding university attracting the best and most motivated students, educating them to be the leaders of tomorrow - that's Oakland University in 2010.

By the end of the decade, we want people to have at the top of their minds, the Oakland University profile. A final component of that profile will be certain distinguishing characteristics that set OU apart. Over the past few months, we have come up with several potential characteristics:

Imagine OU leveraging such resources as the Meadow Brook Health Enhancement Institute, the Eye Research Institute and the Center for Biomedical Research and to expand established excellence in health, wellness and biomedical research.

Picture Oakland utilizing the Product Development and Manufacturing Center to further interdisciplinary programs and industry partnerships.

Envision an Oakland University that is recognized for art that informs, inspires and changes the world.

OU in 2010. It's not a dream. But a reality yet to come.

At this time, we invite your comments and any questions you might have.

Your questions and our answers will be recorded, so that we might return to them later as a resource to help refine our efforts.

If we can't answer your questions today, we will make sure the answers are communicated to you.

Also, you can send your comments through Oakland's website. We will post questions and answers there as we engage other members of the university community in this dialog.

Feel free to make comments now or forward them to us later. We are particularly interested in your ideas about the four distinguishing characteristics noted.

Remember, in the year 2010, we would like one or more of these characteristics to distinguish OU in the marketplace.
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