Oakland City University: Difference between revisions

Oakland City University
Former names	Oakland City College (1885–1995)
Motto	Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve
Type	Private university
Established	1885 (details)
Religious affiliation	General Association of General Baptists
Endowment	Unreported
President	Ron D. Dempsey
Academic staff	200
Undergraduates	2,350
Location	Oakland City, Indiana, U.S.; 38°20′24″N 87°21′06″W / 38.3399°N 87.3518°W
Campus	Small town
Colors	Columbia Blue, Navy Blue & White;
Nickname	Mighty Oaks
Sporting affiliations	NAIA – River States
Website	www.oak.edu

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Oakland City University (OCU) is a private university affiliated with the General Baptist Church and located in Oakland City, Indiana. It is the only General Baptist Church-affiliated college or university in the United States. Founded in 1885, it has slowly grown to the present student enrollment of about 1,200 on the main campus and, counting all sites, about 2,000 total.

In addition to the institution's Oakland City main campus, the university has satellite campuses in Evansville, Indianapolis, Rockport and Bedford. The Bedford branch is housed in the former headquarters of the Indiana Limestone Company.^[2] These sites emphasizes experiential application over objectives and theory. Students from a wide age range attend OCU. Courses are provided in an accelerated pace and condensed format, much like how summer school operates in more traditional programs. Students may take one or two courses at a time and enroll as full-time.

History

In June 1885, the Educational Board of General Baptists organized and then gained a charter from the state of Indiana to operate a college at Oakland City. However, because of a lack of funds, the first building, a two-story brick structure housing the administration and classrooms, was not complete until 1891—the same year Oakland City College opened its doors for classes. In those early days, the school was called "the college on the hill."

By the mid-1920s, the school had reached a zenith for the first half of the century. There were several college buildings gracing the grounds, including an expanded administration building, Wheatley Hall, a women's dorm, a field house, Memorial Gym (which housed a library in the basement), Cronbach Hall, a building used for agricultural and industrial arts classes, and a two-story brick building called the president's house. Beside the normal, liberal arts and theological school, the college had added a large industrial and agricultural department to respond to the vocational needs of the rural area it served. The college offered several sports and clubs, and enrollment during this period often exceeded 1,000 students a semester.

The Great Depression hit the school hard, and faculty and staff often forwent paychecks to keep the school running. The end of World War II and the GI Bill saw a resurgence in enrollment and, by the mid-1960s, the "college on the hill" experienced an upswing comparable to the 1920s. Several new buildings were constructed on the campus including four dormitories, a new library, Brengle Hall, a science building, and Stinson Hall.

By the fall term of 1973, enrollment had dropped considerably. The sponsoring denomination, the General Baptists, made a successful effort to raise funds to keep the school open and hired James Murray as the college president. In the 1990s the college moved to university status under Murray's leadership. Presently the school has an enrollment of 2,000 and has seen the construction of six new buildings in the last few years. Today, the university stands fully accredited and offers five graduate degrees and over 40 undergraduate programs.

Academics

Oakland City University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and Association of Theological Schools. The business programs on the main campus are accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education.

Athletics

The Oakland City (OCU) athletic teams are called the Mighty Oaks. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the River States Conference (RSC; formerly known as the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) until after the 2015–16 school year) since the 2020–21 academic year; which they were a member on a previous stint from 1968–69 to 1974–75.^[1] They are also a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the Mid-East Region of the Division I level. The Mighty Oaks were previously an NCAA D-II Independent of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) until after the 2019–20 school year.

Oakland City competes in 16 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, sprint football, tennis and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading. Sprint football, a variant of American football that restricts player weights to 178 pounds (81 kg) and is governed outside of any national all-sports governing body, became the 17th varsity sport in 2023–24, competing in the Midwest Sprint Football League.^[3]

Schools and departments

School of Arts and Sciences
School of Education
Chapman Seminary
School of Business
School of Adult and Extended Learning
Chapman School of Religious Study

References

^ ^a ^b VSN Staff (31 March 2020). "NAIA Approves Five Institutions for Membership". Victory Sports Network. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
^ "Indiana State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD)" (Searchable database). Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. Retrieved 2016-05-01. Note: This includes Robert K. Poinsett and Craig Charron (January 1993). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Indiana Limestone Company Building" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-05-01. and Accompanying photographs.
^ "Mighty Oaks Announce the Addition of Sprint Football, Kicking Off In 2023" (Press release). Oakland City Mighty Oaks. July 19, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2023.

External links

[2020NAIAnewmembers-1] VSN Staff (31 March 2020). "NAIA Approves Five Institutions for Membership". Victory Sports Network. Retrieved 31 March 2020.

[SHAARD-2] "Indiana State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD)" (Searchable database). Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. Retrieved 2016-05-01. Note: This includes Robert K. Poinsett and Craig Charron (January 1993). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Indiana Limestone Company Building" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-05-01. and Accompanying photographs.

[3] "Mighty Oaks Announce the Addition of Sprint Football, Kicking Off In 2023" (Press release). Oakland City Mighty Oaks. July 19, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2023.

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[2]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Private university in Oakland City, Indiana, US}}
 {{distinguish|Oakland University}}
-{{Refimprove|date=July 2009}}
+{{More citations needed|date=July 2009}}
-{{advert|date=December 2011}}
 {{Infobox university
-|name           = Oakland City University
+| name = Oakland City University
-|image_name =Oakland City University logo.jpg
+| image = Oakland City University logo.jpg
-|motto          = Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve
+| motto = Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve
-|established    = 1885 ([[Oakland City University#History|details]])
+| established = 1885 ([[Oakland City University#History|details]])
-|type           = [[private university|private]] [[coeducational]]
+| type = [[Private university]]
-|affiliation    = [[General Association of General Baptists]]
+| religious_affiliation = [[General Association of General Baptists]]
-|endowment      = Unreported
+| endowment = Unreported
-|president      = [[Dr. Ray G. Barber]]
+| president = Ron D. Dempsey
-|city           = [[Oakland City, Indiana|Oakland City]]
+| city = [[Oakland City, Indiana|Oakland City]]
-|state          = [[Indiana]]
+| state = [[Indiana]]
-|country        = United States
+| country = U.S.
-|coor           = {{Coord|38.3399|-87.3518|scale:4000|display=inline,title}}
+| coor = {{Coord|38.3399|-87.3518|scale:4000|display=inline,title}}
-|undergrad      = 2,350
+| undergrad = 2,350
-|faculty        = 200
+| faculty = 200
-|campus         = Small town
+| campus = Small town
+| former_names = Oakland City College (1885–1995)
-|free_label     = Athletics
+| athletics_affiliations = [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]] – [[River States Conference|River States]]''<ref name ="2020NAIAnewmembers">{{cite news |last1=VSN Staff |title=NAIA Approves Five Institutions for Membership |url=http://www.victorysportsnetwork.com/Clip/news/naia-approves-five-institutions-for-membership.htm |access-date=31 March 2020 |publisher=Victory Sports Network |date=31 March 2020}}</ref>
-|free           = 21 [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] [[NCAA Division II|Division II]] [[NCAA Division II independent schools|Independent]] teams<ref>{{cite web | title=NCAA Member Schools Sorted By State: All Divisions | publisher=[[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] | accessdate=2006-01-24 | url=http://web1.ncaa.org/ssLists/orgInfo.do?orgID=177}}</ref>
-|nickname= Mighty Oaks
+| sports_nickname = Mighty Oaks
+| colors = Columbia Blue, Navy Blue & White<br>{{color box|#6baddf}}&nbsp;{{color box|#063479}}&nbsp;{{color box|white}}
-|colors         = [[White]] and [[Columbia Blue]]
-|mascot         =
+| mascot =
-|website        = [http://www.oak.edu/ www.oak.edu]
+| website = {{URL|www.oak.edu}}
 }}
-'''Oakland City University''' ('''OCU''') is a private university affiliated with the [[General Baptist]] Church and located in [[Oakland City, Indiana]]. It is the only General Baptist Church-affiliated college or university in the United States.  Founded in 1885, it has slowly grown to the present student enrollment of about 120 on the main campus and, counting all sites, about 2,000 total. OCU's teams, called the Oaks, play in the [[National Christian College Athletic Association]] (NCCAA) and [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] [[NCAA Division II|Division II]], where they have won many CCNIT national titles over the years.
+'''Oakland City University''' ('''OCU''') is a [[private university]] affiliated with the [[General Baptist]] Church and located in [[Oakland City, Indiana]]. It is the only General Baptist Church-affiliated college or university in the United States. Founded in 1885, it has slowly grown to the present student enrollment of about 1,200 on the main campus and, counting all sites, about 2,000 total.
-In addition to the institution's Oakland City Main Campus, the university has satellite campuses in Evansville, [[Indianapolis]], [[Rockport, Indiana|Rockport]] and [[Bedford, Indiana|Bedford]] where they hold classes for busy adults.  The Bedford branch is housed in the former headquarters of the [[Indiana Limestone Company Building|Indiana Limestone Company]].<ref name="SHAARD">{{cite web| url = https://secure.in.gov/apps/dnr/shaard/welcome.html| title = Indiana State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD) | publisher = Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology | format = Searchable database| accessdate = 2016-05-01}} ''Note:'' This includes {{cite web| url =https://secure.in.gov/apps/dnr/shaard/r/214e4/N/Indiana_Limestone_Company_Building_Lawrence_CO_Nom.pdf | title = National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Indiana Limestone Company Building| accessdate = 2016-05-01| author=Robert K. Poinsett and Craig Charron| format = PDF| date=January 1993}} and Accompanying photographs.</ref> These sites utilize the [[adult learning model]] that emphasizes experiential application to objectives and theory.  Students from a wide age range attend, learning from three sources: the texts, their instructors (who work in the field they teach), and from each other. Courses are provided in an accelerated pace and condensed format, much like how [[summer school]] operates in more traditional programs. Students may take one or two courses at a time and enroll as full-time. They focus on learning business techniques and communication skills which build stronger career skills that can easily be translated to working situations. Another program strength comes from flexibility to transfer credits from prior accredited learning.
+In addition to the institution's Oakland City main campus, the university has satellite campuses in [[Evansville, Indiana|Evansville]], [[Indianapolis]], [[Rockport, Indiana|Rockport]] and [[Bedford, Indiana|Bedford]]. The Bedford branch is housed in the former headquarters of the [[Indiana Limestone Company Building|Indiana Limestone Company]].<ref name="SHAARD">{{cite web| url = https://secure.in.gov/apps/dnr/shaard/welcome.html| title = Indiana State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD) | publisher = Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology | format = Searchable database| access-date = 2016-05-01}} ''Note:'' This includes {{cite web| url =https://secure.in.gov/apps/dnr/shaard/r/214e4/N/Indiana_Limestone_Company_Building_Lawrence_CO_Nom.pdf | title = National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Indiana Limestone Company Building| access-date = 2016-05-01| author=Robert K. Poinsett and Craig Charron| format = PDF| date=January 1993}} and Accompanying photographs.</ref> These sites emphasizes experiential application over objectives and theory. Students from a wide age range attend OCU. Courses are provided in an accelerated pace and condensed format, much like how [[summer school]] operates in more traditional programs. Students may take one or two courses at a time and enroll as full-time.
 ==History==
 In June 1885, the Educational Board of [[General Baptists]] organized and then gained a charter from the state of [[Indiana]] to operate a college at [[Oakland City, Indiana|Oakland City]]. However, because of a lack of funds, the first building, a two-story brick structure housing the administration and classrooms, was not complete until 1891&mdash;the same year Oakland City College opened its doors for classes. In those early days, the school was called "the college on the hill."
-By the mid-1920s, the school had reached a zenith for the first half of the century. There were several college buildings gracing the grounds, including an expanded administration building, Wheatley Hall, a women's dorm, a field house, Memorial Gym (which housed a library in the basement), Cronbach Hall, a building used for agricultural and industrial arts classes, and a two-story brick building called the president's house. Beside the normal, liberal arts and theological school, the college had added a large industrial and agricultural department to respond to the vocational needs of the rural area it served.
+By the mid-1920s, the school had reached a zenith for the first half of the century. There were several college buildings gracing the grounds, including an expanded administration building, Wheatley Hall, a women's dorm, a field house, Memorial Gym (which housed a library in the basement), Cronbach Hall, a building used for agricultural and industrial arts classes, and a two-story brick building called the president's house. Beside the normal, liberal arts and theological school, the college had added a large industrial and agricultural department to respond to the vocational needs of the rural area it served.  The college offered several sports and clubs, and enrollment during this period often exceeded 1,000 students a semester.
+The [[Great Depression]] hit the school hard, and faculty and staff often forwent paychecks to keep the school running. The end of World War II and the [[GI Bill]] saw a resurgence in enrollment and, by the mid-1960s, the "college on the hill" experienced an upswing comparable to the 1920s. Several new buildings were constructed on the campus including four dormitories, a new library, Brengle Hall, a science building, and Stinson Hall.
-Sports teams of the 1920s, included basketball, baseball, football, and track. Teams regularly played Indiana State University, Evansville College, [[University of Louisville]], and Ball State. By the mid-1920s a legion of clubs could also be found on campus. Among them were the [[YMCA]], [[Phi Alpha Literary Society]], [[Germanae Literacy Society]], [[Athenian Literacy]] and debating team, a standard debating team, the ETOSCA club, the Dramatic League, the French Club, the German Club, the Glee Club, the college orchestra, and the college band. Enrollment during these prosperous times often broached 1,000 students a semester.
+By the fall term of 1973, enrollment had dropped considerably.  The sponsoring denomination, the General Baptists, made a successful effort to raise funds to keep the school open and hired James Murray as the college president. In the 1990s the college moved to university status under Murray's leadership. Presently the school has an enrollment of 2,000 and has seen the construction of six new buildings in the last few years. Today, the university stands fully accredited and offers five graduate degrees and over 40 undergraduate programs.
-Sadly, this comfortable world came to a screeching halt in 1930 with the coming of the [[Great Depression]]. Grimly, the school held on with faculty and staff often forgoing paychecks to keep the school running. The end of World War II and the [[GI Bill]] saw a resurgence in enrollment and, by the mid-1960s, the "college on the hill" experienced an upswing comparable to the 1920s. Several new buildings now crowned the campus including four dormitories, a new library, Brengle Hall, a science building, and Stinson Hall, a classroom building containing an auditorium.
-The good times did not last. The winding down of the war in Vietnam wrought a substantial drop in enrollment. By the fall term of 1973, the college found itself with an abundance of empty dorm rooms.
-The sponsoring denomination, the General Baptist, rallied around the school by making an intense effort to raise funds to keep the school open. They also made the important decision of hiring a retiring Marine Colonel and General Baptist minister, James Murray, as the college president. Dr. Murray's success was nothing short of miraculous. In the 1990s the college moved to university status under Murray's leadership. Presently the school has an enrollment of 2,000 and has seen the construction of six new buildings in the last few years. Today, the university stands fully accredited and offers five graduate degrees and over 40 undergraduate programs.
 ==Academics==
+Oakland City University is accredited by the [[Higher Learning Commission]] and [[Association of Theological Schools]]. The business programs on the main campus are accredited by the [[International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education]].
-Oakland City University is accredited by the following:
-* The Higher Learning Commission
-* Higher Learning Commission Mark of Affiliation
-* International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (Main Campus Business programs)
-* The Association of Theological Schools
-OCU has historically been a strong teacher education institution in the state and has provided many of the teachers for schools in the surrounding area. The instructional staff has had many years of experience in the elementary, junior high/middle school and secondary schools &mdash; a prime requisite for approval of a teacher education program by the Indiana Department of Education.
-==Campus==
-While Oakland City itself does not have many restaurants and stores, it is only a 15-minute drive away from [[Princeton, Indiana|Princeton]] which has many restaurants and other services.  However, the school is close to popular student hangouts such as Monroe Pizza Company, Denny's, and during the summer, Junee Bee's. The student life center also houses Holy Grounds, which serves Starbucks products.
-The campus has 4 dorms: 2 female and 2 male.  Student Government along with student life host fun activities throughout the school year. Dorm Wars is the biggest ongoing event and many individual events contribute to the  dorms' overall points.
-Chapel service is every Wednesday at 11 AM, but students are not required to attend.  Student led worship occurs every Wednesday evening at 812.
 ==Athletics==
+The Oakland City (OCU) athletic teams are called the Mighty Oaks. The university is a member of the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics]] (NAIA), primarily competing in the [[River States Conference]] (RSC; formerly known as the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) until after the 2015–16 school year) since the 2020–21 academic year; which they were a member on a previous stint from 1968–69 to 1974–75.<ref name ="2020NAIAnewmembers"/> They are also a member of the [[National Christian College Athletic Association]] (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the Mid-East Region of the Division I level. The Mighty Oaks were previously an [[NCAA Division II independent schools|NCAA D-II Independent]] of the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA) until after the 2019–20 school year.
+Oakland City competes in 16 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, sprint football, tennis and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading. [[Sprint football]], a variant of American football that restricts player weights to {{convert|178|lb|kg}} and is governed outside of any national all-sports governing body, became the 17th varsity sport in 2023–24, competing in the Midwest Sprint Football League.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://gomightyoaks.com/news/2022/7/19/mighty-oaks-announce-the-addition-of-sprint-football-kicking-off-in-2023.aspx |title=Mighty Oaks Announce the Addition of Sprint Football, Kicking Off In 2023 |publisher=Oakland City Mighty Oaks |date=July 19, 2022 |access-date=February 16, 2023}}</ref>
-Oakland City teams participate as a member of the [[National Christian College Athletic Association]] (NCCAA) and of the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA)'s [[NCAA Division II|Division II]]. The Mighty Oaks are affiliated with no athletic conference; therefore, they're competing as an [[NCAA Division II independent schools|NCAA D-II Independent]]. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, golf, soccer and tennis; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, cheerleading, and volleyball.  The OCU PepBand performs at basketball games.
 ==Schools and departments==
@@ Line 70: / Line 54: @@
 *School of Adult and Extended Learning
 *Chapman School of Religious Study
-==Notable alumni==
-* [[Gary Barrett]] - Chair of [[Odum School of Ecology]] at [[University of Georgia]]
-* [[Gil Hodges]] - 2x World Series Champion player with the Dodgers, 1x World Series Champion manager of the [[New York Mets]]
-* [[Lindel Hume]] - [[Indiana State Senate]]
-* [[Wilbur Kitchener Jordan]] - President (1943–1960) of [[Radcliffe College]], a constituent of [[Harvard University]], and former general editor of the [[University of Chicago Press]]
-* [[Melba Phillips]] - American physicist and educator, and Professor Emeritus of the [[University of Chicago]]
-* [[Jerry Reynolds (basketball coach)|Jerry Reynolds]] - Head Coach, Broadcaster for the [[Sacramento Kings]]; Head Coach, Rockhurst University (MO) and Pittsburg St. (KS)
-* [[Jamie Teachenor]] - Multi-platinum Country Music singer/songwriter
 == References ==
@@ Line 84: / Line 59: @@
 == External links ==
-* [http://www.oak.edu/ Official website]
+* [http://www.oak.edu Official website]
+* [http://gomightyoaks.com Official athletics website]
-{{Oakland City University}}
 {{Gibson County, Indiana Points of Interest}}
 {{Colleges and Universities in Metropolitan Evansville}}
 {{Indiana Colleges and Universities}}
+{{Colleges and universities in metropolitan Indianapolis}}
-{{NCAA Division II independents navbox}}
+{{River States Conference navbox}}
 {{NCCAA Division I Mid-East navbox}}
+{{authority control}}
-[[Category:NCAA Division II independent schools]]
-[[Category:Universities and colleges in Indiana]]
+[[Category:River States Conference]]
+[[Category:Private universities and colleges in Indiana]]
 [[Category:Oakland City, Indiana]]
 [[Category:Bedford, Indiana]]
@@ Line 100: / Line 78: @@
 [[Category:Southwestern Indiana]]
 [[Category:Universities and colleges in Indianapolis]]
-[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1885]]
+[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1885]]
 [[Category:1885 establishments in Indiana]]
 [[Category:Education in Gibson County, Indiana]]
@@ Line 107: / Line 85: @@
 [[Category:Education in Vanderburgh County, Indiana]]
 [[Category:Education in Spencer County, Indiana]]
+[[Category:Baptist universities and colleges in the United States]]

v t e Colleges and universities in Metropolitan Evansville
NCAA Division I	University of Evansville University of Southern Indiana
NCAA Division II	Oakland City University
Vocational colleges & satellite campuses (NCAA) (NJCAA)	Indiana Ivy Tech Community College - Evansville Campus Ivy Tech Community College - Princeton Campus Oakland City University - Evansville Campus Vincennes University - Fort Branch Campus Indiana University School of Medicine - Evansville Kentucky Henderson Community College Murray State University - Henderson Campus

v t e Colleges and universities in the Indianapolis metropolitan area
Public institutions	Ball State University‡ Indiana University Indianapolis Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana (Central Indiana Region) Purdue Polytechnic‡ Purdue University Global‡ Purdue University in Indianapolis‡ Vincennes University‡
Private institutions	Anderson University Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary Butler University Christian Theological Seminary College of Biblical Studies DePauw University Franklin College Indiana Bible College Indiana Institute of Technology‡ Indiana Wesleyan University‡ Marian University Martin University Oakland City University‡ Trine University‡ Union Bible College University of Indianapolis
For-profit institutions	American College of Education Chamberlain University College of Nursing‡ Fortis College‡ International Business College Lincoln Tech‡ Salem University‡ South College‡
Defunct	Harrison College Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis ITT Technical Institute
Footnotes	The ‡ symbol denotes institutional branches whose main campuses are located outside the Indianapolis metropolitan area.

v t e River States Conference
Current members	Alice Lloyd Eagles Brescia Bearcats IU Columbus Crimson Pride IU East Red Wolves IU Kokomo Cougars IU Southeast Grenadiers Midway Eagles Oakland City Mighty Oaks Rio Grande RedStorm Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Pomeroys Shawnee State Bears West Virginia Tech Golden Bears
Future members	Kentucky Christian Knights (joining in 2025)