Oral Roberts University


Oral Roberts University is a private evangelical university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Founded in 1963, the university is named after its founder, Charismatic Christian preacher Oral Roberts.
Sitting on a campus, ORU offers over 70 undergraduate degree programs along with 20 graduate programs across six colleges. ORU is classified among "Master's Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs". The university enrolls approximately 5,000 students.

History

Foundation and early years

Ground was officially broken for Oral Roberts University in 1962 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The university received its charter the following year from the State of Oklahoma and Oral Roberts University officially opened in 1965 with an enrollment of 300 students and seven major completed buildings. The university was founded by Oral Roberts "as a result of the evangelist Oral Roberts' obeying God's mandate to build a university on God's authority and the Holy Spirit. God's commission to Oral Roberts was to 'Raise up your students to hear My voice, to go where My light is dim, where My voice is heard small, and My healing power is not known, even to the uttermost bounds of the earth. Their work will exceed yours, and in this I am well pleased'." Roberts placed special importance on the Prayer Tower, even though the concept of a building specifically dedicated to prayer at the center of the campus caused considerable tension, as some academic leaders were afraid the school would be unable to receive accreditation with such a building. But the tower, designed by architect Frank Wallace, was completed in 1967 at a cost of $2 million, a further source of contention. After its completion, Roberts called for a three-day period of prayer and fasting. At the university's dedication ceremony in 1967, the evangelist Billy Graham was the keynote speaker.
The first partial graduation took place in 1968 and the first full graduation in 1969. In 1971, Oral Roberts University was accredited by the North Central Association.
ORU was accredited in 1971 by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. It is also accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada.
During the first decade of the school's existence many of the campus's iconic structures were completed, such as the Howard Auditorium, the Graduate Center, the Mabee Center, and Christ's Chapel.
The O. W. Coburn School of Law opened in 1979. In 1986 the university "shut down its ailing law school and sent its library to Pat Robertson's Bible-based college in Virginia", which subsequently founded the Regent University School of Law.

Campus expansion and later years

The university built the City of Faith Medical and Research Center hospital in 1981 and started the Oral Roberts University School of Medicine in 1978. Severe financial difficulties with both of these institutions led to their closure in 1989. Oral Roberts's son Richard was named president in 1993.
In January 1996, Golden Eagle Broadcasting, a small digital satellite Christian and family programming television network owned and operated by Oral Roberts University, was founded.
On February 5, 1997, several ORU students reportedly disrupted services at a mosque near the University of Tulsa. The students mistakenly thought it was the 27th night of Ramadan when it was actually the 28th day of Ramadan. A university spokesman indicated that the students would not be disciplined and that university officials were discussing with the students their accounts of the events, which differed from what those attending services at the mosque reported. On February 7, 1997, the Islamic Society of Tulsa received a formal apology from Reverend Bill Shuler, who led religious services on campus.
Due to alleged discrimination against LGBT students at ORU, Soulforce placed the university on its 2006 Equality Ride route, with a rally taking place on March 20, 2006. Soulforce members objected to the university's honor code pledge's ban on homosexual activity. All students are required to sign and abide by the honor code which places the same restriction on all sexual activity outside "traditional marriage of one man and one woman."
In February 2007, ORU announced that it would offer new art degrees.

In 2010, ORU teamed up with the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference to open a bilingual Hispanic Center on campus. The goals of this partnership include targeting a 25% Hispanic population within the student body and to reduce the approximately 50% high school dropout rate among Hispanic students.
ORU was granted an exception to Title IX in 2017 which allows it to legally discriminate against LGBT students for religious reasons. It is ranked among the "Absolute Worst Campuses for LGBTQ Youth" by Campus Pride.
ORU and G12 Vision announced in 2019 they had reached an agreement over a partnership. It was hoped that the agreement would make ORU's theological education more accessible worldwide.
ORU moved to virtual classes for the remainder of the 2020 spring semester after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. In fall 2020, students were required to get tested for COVID-19 before moving into the dorms. All students and staff were required to wear masks on campus at all times. The university also rearranged class schedules in order for the semester to end early.
In 2021, the university expanded its campus through the addition of 3 new buildings: a welcome center, Media Arts Center, and library. The expansion was part of ORU's $75 million campaign, which allocated $60 million to these new structures with the remainder going towards student scholarships. ORU also announced in April 2021 the development of the Mike Carter Athletic Center, which is expected to be over 40,000 square feet, and renovation of the Mabee Center.

Resignation of Richard Roberts

In October 2007, three former professors filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against ORU in Tulsa County. The professors also alleged university president Richard Roberts misused university assets and illegally ordered the university to participate in Republican candidate Randi Miller's political campaign for Tulsa mayor.
Lindsay Roberts, the wife of Richard Roberts, was accused of spending university funds on clothes, awarding nonacademic scholarships to the children of family friends and sending text messages on university-issued cell phones to "underage males." The lawsuit also alleged a longtime maintenance employee was fired for the purpose of giving the job to an underage male friend of Lindsay Roberts.
The plaintiffs filed an amended lawsuit adding the university's Board of Regents to the suit and alleged that Roberts fired the university's financial comptroller and "voluminous materials and documents were shredded and destroyed, constituting spoliation of evidence." The filing also alleged Lindsay Roberts had spent nights in the ORU guest house with a 16-year-old male who also was allowed to live in the Roberts family residence on campus.
On October 17, 2007, Richard Roberts announced a "temporary leave of absence" as president of the university, citing the "toll" the lawsuit and attendant allegations had taken on him and his family. Billy Joe Daugherty became Executive Regent of the Board of Regents and Interim President. Chairman of the Board George Pearsons noted the temporary resignation was not an admission of guilt.
In November 2007, the tenured faculty of Oral Roberts University approved by a simple majority a non-binding vote of no confidence in Richard Roberts. Roberts tendered his letter of resignation to the board of regents on November 23. Pearsons said the university planned to separate its finances and leadership from the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association, to the apparent relief of many students and faculty members. On January 10, 2008, ORU settled with plaintiff John Swails, who was reinstated to his previous teaching position. The school also announced a formal search committee for a new president, to be headed by board of regents member and Tulsa resident Glenda Payas.
Tulsa evangelist Billy Joe Daugherty was named interim President and executive regent. The same month, the school was reportedly "struggling financially" with over $50 million in debt.

Finances

ORU's operating budget for 2007–08 was over $82 million. On January 14, 2008, ORU's board of regents voted unanimously to accept $62 million from the Mart Green family, the owners of Oklahoma City-based Hobby Lobby, Mardel educational, and various Christian supply stores, an offer which included changes to the university's governing board. In October of that year, an ORU spokesman said the university was still $52.5 million in debt. The school accepted an additional $8 million from the Greens in November. Of the $82 million given to Oral Roberts University, approximately half went toward eliminating its debt. The remaining half was allocated to "campus renovations, technology upgrades, academic enhancement, financial aid for new and returning students, marketing and operations", according to the university website. In February 2008, the Renewing the Vision campaign was initiated in an effort to erase this debt. To free the university from its burgeoning debt, the board of trustees announced plans for a $25 million matching campaign, in which the board agreed to match dollar-for-dollar all donations. In addition to eliminating debt, funds from the Renewing the Vision campaign contributed to the 2008 summer campus renovations, as well as scholarships provided by the university. During the summer of 2008, $10 million went to campus upgrades and deferred maintenance. Many dormitories were extensively renovated and most other buildings received restoration and upgrades. In January 2009, the university's presidential search committee recommended Mark Rutland, President of Southeastern University of the Assemblies of God in Florida, to succeed Richard Roberts, which the trustees approved. On January 14, Rutland confirmed that he had been offered the position and intended to accept it. The university began to implement the employment reduction plans, laying off 53 employees and cutting about 40 unfilled positions. On January 29, 2009, the Green family committed $10.4 million to additional campus renovations and upgrades to take place during summer 2009. Following Mart Green's contribution, the university's debt was reduced to $25 million.
On April 15, 2009, Chairman of the Armand Hammer Foundation and university trustee Michael Armand Hammer made a $1 million donation to the school's Whole Person Scholarship. As of June 3, 2009, donations and pledges had reduced the university's debt to $720,000. On September 23, 2009, it was announced at the end of the university's chapel service that the school was debt-free. The announcement was made two days before Rutland's September 25, 2009 inauguration ceremony, held at the Mabee Center.
In December 2010, ORU announced that the Green family would make another $10 million gift in 2011, to be used for renovations and technology improvements. The gift raised the Greens' total donations to $110 million.