vcboy2000 Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 Oral Roberts University will take another step toward economic vitality by rightsizing the university staff. This initiative will affect approximately 50 positions. “The university has made excellent strides financially and these upcoming changes are necessary to continue on this road to economic vitality,” said Mark Rutland, president of ORU. “This progress is crucial to ensuring the mission of this great institution for generations to come.” Full Story: http://www.oru.edu/news/oru_news/20100215_takes_another_step.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vcboy2000 Posted February 16, 2010 Author Share Posted February 16, 2010 Oral Roberts University announces layoffs By SARA PLUMMER World Staff Writer Published: 2/15/2010 2:36 PM Last Modified: 2/15/2010 3:42 PM Oral Robert University announced Monday that it would lay off 50 people from departments throughout the university. In a news release Monday, the layoffs were referred to as "rightsizing." No faculty positions will be affected. The reduction will allow ORU to be more closely aligned with staffing levels of similar-sized universities and help balance the colleges budget, the release states. Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article. ... alRo806483 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vcboy2000 Posted February 16, 2010 Author Share Posted February 16, 2010 I had no idea this was actually in the works when I asked that question last week, but it makes sense if we are still trying to fight the dragon of deficit spending. We can't just wait on people to give scholarships and see an increase in enrollment to get us where we need to be. Sad for the folks that were notified. Hopeful that this will mean something better in their lives. Not sure what the issue was, but hopefully ALL departments understand that overspending is no longer an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUTerry Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 I agree. This will be hard for those that are affected, but ORU must live within its means - and Dr. Rutland made it clear this weekend that he would make this happen. It is a new ORU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OKC Eagle Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 Waiting until after Homecoming kept this announcement from dampening festivities and allowed Rutland to explain the need for the cuts to the insiders before announcing the actual cuts. He made a convincing case that deficit will bring the debt and deferred maintenance back to life which leads to more declining enrollment. The TW comments have the usual trolls, but there are also several positive comments from people who do not appear to be ORU insiders. When you say what you will do and do what you say, and the actions are logical, people will respect you. ORU must tighten its belt to survive now and to thrive later. I wish government understood this concept. No faculty are being terminated, but I understand that some faculty positions are not being replaced. Hopefully, those in the administration are not too distracted by the finances (or too busy preparing sermons) to make sure that academics do not suffer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUTerry Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 We (Alumni Board) were told that early indications (inquiries, applications, etc) are that enrollment will see an increase in the Fall. Some of the numbers were pretty dramatic, but they are not counting on anything until the students show up on campus. I also think I caught some vague hints that we might hear about a building campaign (new student center?) sometime in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vcboy2000 Posted February 16, 2010 Author Share Posted February 16, 2010 A significant increase in enrollment at a private, Christian university in the midst of a recession would be nothing short of a miracle. People are either saving up to pay cash or simply going to cheaper schools like TCC. Nobody wants to borrow lots of money right now. Pulling all of those students in will take a lot of work and a little help from donors like you and me to the Whole Person Scholarship. Money is speaking louder than almost anything else as people make decisions. If we can make that less of an issue for potential students, then we'd be doing the University a huge favor. Now more than ever is the time to add ORU to your regular charitable giving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUTerry Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 I agree.... it is time for all alumni to pitch in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vcboy2000 Posted February 16, 2010 Author Share Posted February 16, 2010 Also, a new building would be great for student morale right now. Dr. Rutland seemed to have mastered the building campaign process while he was at Southeastern. ORU hasn't had a brand new facility for students for almost 30 years. No doubt it would really help with recruitment as well. I'm sure it will probably be something that we see after we get this dragon of Deficit Spending slayed. GIVE! GIVE! GIVE! GIVE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OKC Eagle Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Terry has better connections than me so a new building is news to me. I think it is premature until the deficit is under control. I also disagree with Rutland about debt and think we should pay cash for any new projects going forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUTerry Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 It is strictly conjecture on my part. I think if they do move forward on a building project, it would a year or two (minimum) before anything would be announced. They have to take care of the deficit and get the ship going in the right direction first. If they do move forward with a building project, I suspect that a portion will be covered by grant and/or foundation (Mabee/Chapman/Kaiser/Warren/etc) funds. The rest will be matched by Alumni and friends of the university. At least that is how I would do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vcboy2000 Posted February 17, 2010 Author Share Posted February 17, 2010 OKC, I agree that "debt" is a word that Alumni and Friends of ORU are still very squeemish about. I'd be interested in hearing Dr. Rutland's reasoning behind using debt. I understand that newer facilities can go a long way in attracting new students and retaining current ones. Those things can be very impressive to parents and students visiting the campus. It might take a little longer, but I think Terry's idea of just paying for everything one time is best. I also seriously doubt they would consider announcing any building projects before 2012. Does anyone know how the board of Trustees feels about debt in ORU's future? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OKC Eagle Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 One reason to take on debt is if a foundation offers to pay a significant portion if ORU comes up with the rest and the foundation's offer is limited in time. ORU could borrow the money for its share of the new building and then fund raise to pay off the debt. I would want the foundation to pay at least half under those circumstances. If it could be shown that a new student center would significantly boost recruitment, that would be another reason to do it quickly with some debt, but I am not convinced that a student center would be a deciding factor for many students. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORU Eli Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 One reason to take on debt is if a foundation offers to pay a significant portion if ORU comes up with the rest and the foundation's offer is limited in time. ORU could borrow the money for its share of the new building and then fund raise to pay off the debt. I would want the foundation to pay at least half under those circumstances. If it could be shown that a new student center would significantly boost recruitment, that would be another reason to do it quickly with some debt, but I am not convinced that a student center would be a deciding factor for many students. I have to disagree. I don't think a student center would be the tipping point for THAT many students to come that were previously undecided. However, I do think it could be a large factor in student retention. A few of my good friends left ORU and among their biggest complaints was that campus life was almost null and void. Besides giving couples a new place to spend time with each other rather than dorm lobbies, oncampus Chick-Fil-A, and the temptation of the backseat of their Corollas, it'd be a fantastic place to go hang out, study, eat, meet people etc. ORU desperately needs something like this to help with the atmosphere on campus. Call me crazy but I think something like this brings people together. When you bring students together you gain a bigger sense of community. When you gain a bigger sense of community, you gain school pride. When you gain school pride...perhaps you put more butts in seats at the Mabee and JL Johnson? Far fetched perhaps but I think if the university can get the funds together, a student center should be one of their top priorities and I would be happy to make out a check to them a couple times a year with Student Center on the memo line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vcboy2000 Posted February 19, 2010 Author Share Posted February 19, 2010 While I don't know any student who's #1 deciding factor for the college they will attend is the Student Center on that university's campus, I think that it would be a huge mishap to minimalize the significance it could have on getting ORU to the proverbial "decision making table" for a broader audience of student. I agree that it would help tremendously with retention and could also contribute to school pride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 While I don't know any student who's #1 deciding factor for the college they will attend is the Student Center on that university's campus, I think that it would be a huge mishap to minimalize the significance it could have on getting ORU to the proverbial "decision making table" for a broader audience of student. I agree that it would help tremendously with retention and could also contribute to school pride. Well said, VCB. I couldn't agree more. You're on the mark as well, Eli. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted February 20, 2010 Share Posted February 20, 2010 I thought ORU was building a new student center a few years ago?.....what happened?...it fell thru?... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted February 20, 2010 Share Posted February 20, 2010 Currently that piece of real estate is used as overflow parking for baseball games. There WAS a push to gather funds for a student center several years ago. Unfortunately, the money given for that project ended up in the financial black hole that ORU was for many years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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