Oakland University

Oakland University
Motto	Seguir virtute e canoscenza (Italian)
Motto in English	Seek virtue and knowledge
Established	1957
Type	Public
Endowment	$39.0 million[1]
President	Gary Russi
Students	19,053 (Fall 2010)[2]
Undergraduates	15,530
Postgraduates	3,523
Location	Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills, Michigan, United States
Campus	Suburban
Colors	Black, Gold
Mascot	Golden Grizzlies
Website	http://www.oakland.edu

Oakland University is a public university co-founded by Matilda Dodge Wilson and John A. Hannah whose 1,500-acre (6.1 km²) campus is located in central Oakland County, Michigan in the cities of Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills Michigan.^[3] It is the only major research university in Oakland County, from which OU derives its name.^[4] The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has classified OU as a Doctoral Research University.^[5]

History

Oakland University was created in 1957 when Matilda Dodge Wilson, widow of automobile magnate John Francis Dodge, and her second husband, Alfred Wilson, donated their 1,500-acre (6.1 km²) estate to Michigan State University, including Meadow Brook Hall, Sunset Terrace and all the estate's other buildings and collections, along with $2 million. Main campus buildings were completed near Squirrel Road in Pontiac Township (now the city of Auburn Hills). Originally known as Michigan State University–Oakland, the university enrolled its first students in 1959 and was renamed Oakland University in 1963. The university has been officially independent since 1970.^[6] Wilson asked U.S. Postmaster General Arthur Summerfield to let the university use a Rochester, Michigan mailing address, even though the main part of the campus was in Pontiac Township (now Auburn Hills). After reminding Summerfield that she had contributed to his administration, Summerfield granted her request.^[7] The city of Rochester is five miles (8 km) from the main campus buildings.

For the Fall 2010 semester, OU had an enrollment of 19,053 students.^[8] The current president of the university is Dr. Gary Russi, who replaced Dr. Sandra Packard on an interim basis in 1995 and was appointed president by the Board of Trustees in 1996.

Motto

Oakland University's motto is Seguir virtute e canoscenza ("Seek virtue and knowledge").^[9] It is a quotation from Dante's Inferno, Canto XXVI, 1. 120. These are the final words of Ulysses' speech to his men urging them to sail on in pursuit of knowledge and experience of the world — even beyond the pillars of Hercules, traditionally the frontier and limit of legitimate exploration.

This is the three-line stanza:

Considerate la vostra semenza / Fatti non foste a viver come bruti / Ma per seguir virtute e canoscenza.

Consider your birth [or "origin"] / You were not made to live like brutes / But to follow courage and knowledge [or "virtue and wisdom," or "fortitude and learning"].

Academics

Oakland University offers 132 undergraduate bachelor's degree programs and 124 graduate programs (professional certificates, M.A., M.B.A., M.S., and Ph.D.)

The main academic units of the university are the School of Education and Human Services, the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business Administration, the School of Health & Human Services, the School of Engineering and Computer Science, the School of Health Sciences, and the School of Nursing. Additionally, OU supports an Honors College and various study abroad programs.

As part of its research mission, OU also supports a number of major research centers and institutes, including the Center for Biomedical Research, the Center for Robotics and Advanced Automation, the Fastening and Joining Research Institute, the Human Systems Initiative, and the renowned Eye Research Institute. Additionally, OU's Smart Zone Business Incubator (OU INC) provides entrepreneurial resources and expertise to support and foster new technology-based and life science businesses.

In April, 2007, the university announced plans to establish a Medical School on the OU campus in partnership with William Beaumont Hospital called the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine. The medical school, which will be the fourth in the state of Michigan to offer the M.D. degree, received 3,237 applications for the inaugural class in fall 2011, which will take 50 students.^[10] The founding dean of the Medical School is Robert Folberg.

Undergraduate programs

Oakland University offers 132 undergraduate programs..^[11]

Undergraduate Program Listing

Arts
Studio art, art and art history Music, theatre and dance Cinema studies

Business
Accounting and finance Economics Management information systems Management and marketing

Communication
Communication Journalism Writing and rhetoric

Computer science
Computer engineering Computer science Information technology

Engineering
Mechanical engineering Electrical engineering Industrial and systems engineering Engineering biology, chemistry and physics

Education
Elementary education Secondary education

Health sciences
Applied health sciences Occupational safety and health Biomedical diagnostic and therapeutic sciences Wellness, health promotion and injury prevention

Human resources
Human resources development Human resources management (business)

Humanities
Economics English History Liberal studies Philosophy Political science Psychology Sociology/anthropology Women and gender studies

Math and statistics
Math and statistics

Integrative studies
Integrative studies

Language/international studies
International studies - Latin American studies - Chinese studies - Japanese studies Linguistics Modern languages and literature - French - Japanese - German - Spanish - Latin American

Nursing
Pre-nursing RN to BSN Accelerated second degree BSN

Pre-professional
Pre-dentistry Pre-law Pre-liberal studies Pre-medicine Pre-optometry Pre-veterinary

Science
Biological sciences Biochemistry Chemistry Environmental science Physics and medical physics

Undecided
Undecided

Graduate programs

Oakland University offers 124 graduate programs.^[12]

Graduate Program Listing

Doctoral degrees     Applied Mathematical Sciences, Ph.D. Biomedical Sciences: Biological Communication, PhD Biomedical Sciences: Health & Envronmental Chemistry, Ph.D. Biomedical Sciences: Medical Physics,Ph.D. Computer Sciences and Informatics, Ph.D. Education - Counseling, Ph.D. Education - Early Childhood, Ph.D. Education - Educational Leadership, Ph.D. Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, Ph.D. Music Education, PhD Nursing Practice, DNP Physical Therapy, D.P.T. Physical Therapy, t.D.P.T. (transitional) Physical Therapy, D.Sc.P.T. Reading Education, Ph.D. Systems Engineering, Ph.D. Education specialist degree     Leadership, EdS Graduate certificates     Advanced Microcomputer Applications, Certificate Clinical Exercise Science, Certificate Complementary Medicine & Wellness, Certificate Corporate & Worksite Wellness, Certificate Exercise Science, Certificate Instrumental Performance, Graduate Certificate Microcomputer Applications, Certificate Music Education, Certificate Music - Conducting, Certificate Music - Instrumental Performance, Certificate Music - Piano Pedagogy, Certificate Music - Piano Performance, Certificate Music - Vocal Pedagogy, Certificate Music - Vocal Performance, Certificate Neurological Rehabilitation, Certificate Nursing Education, Certificate Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy, Graduate Certificate Orthopedics, Certificate Pediatric Rehabilitation, Certificate Statistical Methods Certificate Teaching and Learning for Rehabilitation Professionals, Certificate Teaching English as a Second Language, Graduate Certificate

Post-Master certificates     Accounting, Certificate Adult Gerontological NP, PM Cert Advanced Reading and Language Arts, Post-Masters Certificate Anesthesia, Certificate Business Economics, Certificate Clinical Nurse Leadership, Certificate Criminal Justice Leadership, Certificate Education Administration, Certificate Entrepreneurship, Certificate Family Nurse Practitioner, Certificate Finance, Certificate General Management, Certificate Health Care Administration, Certificate Higher Education, Post-Master's Certificate Human Resources Management, Certificate International Business, Certificate Local Government Management, Certificate Management Information Systems, Certificate Marketing, Certificate Music Education, Certificate Music - Conducting, Certificate Music - Instrumental Performance, Certificate Music - Piano Pedagogy, Certificate Music - Piano Performance, Certificate Music - Vocal Pedagogy, Certificate Music - Vocal Performance, Certificate Nonprofit Organization & Management, Certificate Nursing Education, Certificate Production/Operations Management, Certificate Reading, Language Arts & Literature, Certificate Teaching endorsements     Autism Spectrum Disorder, Teaching Endorsement Early Childhood, Teaching Endorsement ESL Teaching Endorsement Reading, Teaching Endorsement Master's Degrees     Accounting, M.Acc. Adult Gerontological NP, MSN Applied Statistics, M.S. Biology, M.A. Biology, M.S. Business Administration, M.B.A. Chemistry, M.S. Clinical Nurse Leadership, MSN Clinical Nurse Specialist: Adult Health, MSN Communications Computer Science, M.S. Counseling, M.A. Conducting, M.M. Early Childhood Education, M.Ed. Educational Leadership, M.Ed. Educational Studies, M.Ed. Electrical and Computer Engineering, M.S. Embedded Systems, M.S. Engineering Management, M.S. English, M.A. Executive Master of Business Administration, M.B.A. Exercise Science, M.S. Family Nurse Practitioner, MSN History, M.A. Industrial Applied Mathematics, M.S. Industrial and Systems Engineering, M.S. Information Technology Management, M.S. Instrumental Pedagogy, M.M. Instrumental Performance, M.M. Liberal Studies, M.A.L.S. Linguistics, M.A. Mathematics, M.A. Mechanical Engineering, M.S. Music - Conducting, MM Music Education, M.M. Nurse Anesthesia, MSN Nursing Education, MSN Physical Therapy, M.S. Physics, M.S. Piano Pedagogy, M.M. Piano Performance, M.M. Public Administration, M.P.A. Reading and Language Arts, M.A.T. Reading and Language Arts, M.A.T. with Endorsement in Early Childhood Safety Management, MS Software Engineering and Information Technology, M.S. Special Education, M.Ed. Social Work, M.S.W. Systems Engineering, M.S. Teacher Leadership, MEd Training and Development, M.T.D. Vocal Pedagogy, M.M. Vocal Performance, M.M.

Research institutes and centers

OU is home to major research institutes and centers addressing a broad range of interests and industries, including biomedical, public affairs, technology, engineering, education, international studies, and more.

• Center for Applied Research in Musical Understanding
• Center for Biomedical Research
• Center for Creative and Collaborative Computing
• Center for Integrated Business Research and Education (CIBRE)
• Center for Robotics and Advanced Automation
• Eye Research Institute
• Fastening and Joining Research Institute
• Lowry Center for Early Childhood Education
• Nanotech Research & Development Institute
• OU Center for Autism Research, Education and Support (OUCARES)
• Pawley Learning Institute
• Product Development and Manufacturing Center
• Public Affairs Research Laboratory

Culture and the arts

The Kresge Library as seen from the Dodge Hall of Engineering

Oakland University is home to Meadow Brook Hall, which is a 110-room Tudor revival–style mansion completed in 1929 as OU founder Matilda Dodge Wilson's Oakland County estate, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Meadow Brook Hall is the fourth-largest historic house museum in the United States, and houses a vast collection of historically significant art and furniture, including paintings by Rembrandt, Anthony van Dyck, Rosa Bonheur, Gilbert Stuart, Joshua Reynolds, John Constable, and Thomas Gainsborough, as well as sculptures by Antoine-Louis Barye, Frederic Remington, Cyrus Edwin Dallin, and Herbert Haseltine. Meadow Brook Hall is frequently utilized by the OU community as a site for select university functions, including the popular student event the Meadow Brook Ball.^[13] Meadow Brook Hall and its grounds were the site of the annual Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance, which one of the largest collector car shows in the world. However, 2010 was the last year that Meadow Brook will host the show, as it is moving to The Inn at St. John's for 2011.^[14]

OU's campus is home to the Meadow Brook Music Festival, an outdoor entertainment venue with an on-site pavilion, which accommodates close to 8,000 people. In addition to being the site of spring-time graduation ceremonies, Meadow Brook Music Festival also hosts comedians and musical acts. Meadow Brook Music Festival is managed by Palace Sports and Entertainment.^[15]

Meadow Brook Theatre, which was founded at OU in 1967, is the largest non-profit professional theater in Michigan, and presents a wide variety of award-winning productions throughout the year. Additionally, the Oakland University Art Gallery, which was formerly known as the Meadow Brook Art Gallery, presents at least six different exhibitions each academic year, in addition to hosting a variety of lectures, performances, and symposia.

Campus and community

In addition to its geographic location between the cities of Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills, Oakland University maintains an official hometown relationship with the neighboring city of Rochester, Michigan.^[4] University and city officials signed a partnership agreement in 2003 to officially recognize the relationship between Rochester and OU.^[16] In 2005, Rochester was ranked 39th in the CNN/Money Magazine list of the Top 100 American cities in which to live.^[17]

OU's campus, which encompasses 1,500 acres (6.1 km²), includes trails and biking paths and two nationally-ranked golf courses. In 2009, an 18-hole disc golf course opened. Grizzly Oaks was co-designed by student Jarrett Schlaff and licensed by the Professional Disc Golf Association.^[18]

Although many of Oakland's students commute from surrounding areas, there are more than 2,000 who live on campus in a variety of residence halls, student townhouses, and university apartments.^[19] The residence halls include Fitzgerald House, Hill House, Hamlin Hall, Van Wagoner House, and the East and West Towers of Vandenberg Hall. Residential learning communities on OU's campus include Scholars Tower and the Residential Honors College community. Eight additional buildings make up the Matthews Court student townhouses, and six major Tudor-style buildings house the University Student Apartments, which were completed in 2002.

The campus also offers recreational facilities for intramural sports and for OU's 16 NCAA Division I athletic teams, including the lighted Upper Athletic Fields, the indoor Sports Dome, fields for varsity baseball, softball, and soccer, facilities for basketball, handball, track, and weight training. The campus Recreation Center houses OU's state-of-the-art natatorium, and the Athletics Center O'Rena, a 4,000-seat field house, is the home court for OU basketball and volleyball.

In June 2009 "Free Food at Oakland University" (http://freefoodatou.com) launched as a resource to the Oakland University students, the website lists events on campus that are free and open to all OU students and give away free food.

OU's student union, the Oakland Center, was renovated and expanded in 2003. The Oakland Center houses the offices of student organizations, a large food court with multiple restaurants, the student bookstore, a cafe, a pool hall and gaming center, a Student Technology Center, the campus newspaper The Oakland Post, computer labs, conference rooms, as well as the offices of the university radio station, WXOU (88.3 FM). OU also has its own television station (OU TV) which is broadcast on-campus and to the local community. Campus life is enhanced by more than 200 registered student organizations, ranging from cultural and religious groups to Greek organizations. Fraternities represented at OU include Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Pi, Theta Chi, Tau Kappa Epsilon, and Alpha Phi Alpha. Sororities include Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Sigma Tau, Gamma Phi Beta, Phi Sigma Sigma, Delta Sigma Theta, and Sigma Gamma Rho. The so-called Cottage District of campus, which consists of homes originally built for workers employed at the old Meadow Brook Estate, now contains fraternity and sorority houses. Only one(Theta Chi) has an official chapter house off-campus.^{[citation needed]} Additionally, the university owns an adjoining tract of land to the east of the main university campus, which was developed into a neighborhood in which many OU faculty members currently live.

In 2009, OU created a bicycle sharing system called OU Bike Share. The program was started with 30 bicycles available for use free of charge on the honor system.^[20] The bicycles are labeled with a yellow "OU Bike Share" band.

Athletics

Main article: Oakland Golden Grizzlies

A notable song commonly played and sung at various events, such as commencement, convocation, and athletic games, is the Oakland University fight song.

Previously known as the "Pioneers", their teams are now known as the "Golden Grizzlies".

Oakland University has in the past been used as a training camp for the Detroit Lions.^[21]

Oakland University's men's soccer team became the first Oakland team to move past the first round of the NCAA in 2007.^[22]

Oakland University Fight Song: OU Fight

^[23]

Fight, fight, fight for Oakland,

Fight the whole game long.

Fight, fight, fight for Oakland,

Keep the Grizzlies strong.

While the battle rages,

And our work's not done.

We will fight for glory,

'Til the game is won.

Go Black!

Go Gold!

Go Fight!

Fight, fight, fight for Oakland,

Fight the whole game long.

Fight, fight, fight for Oakland,

Keep the Grizzlies strong.

When the game is over,

and the story's told,

OU will claim vic'try.

We're the Black and Gold!

Notable alumni

Arts and entertainment Curtis Armstrong – film and TV actor[24] Steve Blackwood – actor, Days of our Lives Mike Bruner – keyboardist for rock band Rare Earth Regina Carter – jazz violinist, winner of MacArthur Fellowship[24] Robert Englund – film and TV actor (attended)[24] David Hasselhoff – actor (attended)[24] Jayne Houdyshell – Broadway actress, Tony Award nominee Christopher Howe – film and theater actor Hank Jones – jazz pianist and composer (honorary doctorate) Thomas Lynch – poet and author, National Book Award finalist Karen Newman – singer and actress[24] Elizabeth Reaser – film and TV actress (attended) Doris Eaton Travis – dancer and actress (honorary doctorate) Sports and media Brian Gregory – basketball coach, University of Dayton Seb Harris - Professional footballer for Northampton Town Mike Helms – professional basketball player Don Kirkwood – former MLB pitcher, Angels, White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays (attended)[24] Rawle Marshall – Greek pro club player, PAOK Thessaloniki BC Jasna Reed – four-time Olympian, degree in political science[24] Tom Stanton – author and journalist Jennifer Valoppi – TV journalist Kelly Williams – professional basketball player Keith "Kito" Benson – professional basketball player Lauren Podell – TV journalist (WDIV- Detroit) Cortney Scott- ((Romania pro club)) professional basketball player ((CS Otopeni)) Government and politics Jane Abraham – Michigan politician Fran Amos – State Representative, Michigan House of Representatives Deborah Cherry – Senator, Michigan Senate David J. Doyle – Michigan politician Renee Ellmers – Member of Congress from North Carolina Gordon R. England – former Secretary of the Navy (honorary doctorate) Ruth Johnson – Michigan politician Carl Levin – U.S. Senator (honorary doctorate) Justin McCarthy – Admiral, U.S. Deputy Chief of Naval Operations[24] Michael W. Michalak – United States Ambassador to Vietnam G. Mennen Williams – former Governor of Michigan (honorary doctorate)

Law Marcia Cooke – U.S. District Judge, Miami, Florida Damon Keith – Senior Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals (honorary doctorate) Deborah Servitto – Judge, Michigan Court of Appeals Business Howard Birndorf – founder and CEO, Nanogen, Inc. John G. Denison – CEO of ATA Airlines Maximiliano Larroquette – designer of Chevrolet Volt James E. Schrager – Professor, Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago Jacqueline V. Daniels - VP of Human Resources, Supreme Industries, Inc. (NYSE Amex: STS), a leading manufacturer of specialized commercial vehicles, including truck bodies, shuttle buses and armored vehicles[25] Education Kevin R. Grazier (BS, Oakland; PhD, UCLA) – Prof., NASA Jet Propulsion Lab, Caltech Janet L. Holmgren (BA, Oakland; PhD, Princeton) – President, Mills College James E. Schrager (BA, Oakland; PhD, Chicago) – Prof., Business, University of Chicago Richard T. Sullivan (BA, Oakland; PhD, Harvard) – Assoc. Prof., History, University of Notre Dame Thomas J. Volgy (BA, Oakland; PhD, Minnesota) – Prof., Political Science, University of Arizona

2009 faculty strike

In September 2009, tenured faculty members represented by the OU chapter of the AAUP went on strike.^[26] Issues of contention included the University claiming ownership of professors' copyrights and patents^[27] and refusing to allow faculty input into matters of class size and curricula,^[28] reduction of health benefits, and a three-year freeze of salaries (particularly since the university president, Gary Russi, had just received a $100,000 raise).^[26] The University Board of Trustees maintained that the strike was illegal and filed a lawsuit against the Oakland AAUP.^[28] After a week's strike, the faculty and administration came to a tentative agreement on a three-year contract.^[29]

References

1. ^ As of June 30, 2009. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2009 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2008 to FY 2009" (PDF). 2009 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. National Association of College and University Business Officers. http://www.nacubo.org/Documents/research/2009_NCSE_Public_Tables_Endowment_Market_Values.pdf. Retrieved February 18, 2010. 
2. ^ "Student profile Fall 2010". oakland.edu. http://www.oakland.edu/upload/docs/OIRA/Info.xlsx. 
3. ^ "Oakland University - Campus Map". http://www2.oakland.edu/map/. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "About the Community". http://www4.oakland.edu/?id=1611&sid=18. 
5. ^ Carnegie Classifications | Institution Profile
6. ^ "OU Timeline - OU History". http://www4.oakland.edu/?id=1611&sid=19. 
7. ^ "OU Timeline - OU History". http://www4.oakland.edu/?id=1611&sid=19. "1958: Matilda Wilson demands that the university's address match Meadow Brook Hall's Rochester address, even though the main campus lies in Pontiac Township (now Auburn Hills). She prevailed by reminding U.S. Postmaster General Arthur Summerfield that she had been a generous contributor to his Republican administration." 
8. ^ "Fall Headcount & FYES 1959–2009". Oakland University. 2009. https://www2.oakland.edu/secure/oira/FYES1.htm. Retrieved 2010-01-19. 
9. ^ OU Motto, Seal and Logo - OU History - Oakland University
10. ^ The Oakland Post "School of Medicine ready for fall semester"
11. ^ "Undergraduate Programs". http://www.oakland.edu/?id=7569&sid=62. 
12. ^ "Graduate Admissions". http://www.oakland.edu/gograd. 
13. ^ Students vying for Meadow Brook Ball tickets flood the basement of the Oakland Center » The Oakland Post
14. ^ General Info
15. ^ Palace Sports & Entertainment
16. ^ "OU and City of Rochester announce partnership". http://www4.oakland.edu/view_news.aspx?sid=34&nid=1486. 
17. ^ "Rochester, OU’s college town ranked in top 100 cities". http://www4.oakland.edu/view_news.aspx?sid=34&nid=2652. 
18. ^ Grizzly Oaks disc golf opens » The Oakland Post
19. ^ Ask OU - Housing - Oakland University
20. ^ "Bike Share Program offers free, healthy transportation in fall 2009". Oakland University. 20 April 2009. http://www.oakland.edu/news/?sid=90&nid=5432. Retrieved 19 September 2009. 
21. ^ George, Thomas (7 August 1989). "Toothless Lions Hope to 'Restore the Roar'". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/07/sports/toothless-lions-hope-to-restore-the-roar.html. Retrieved 28 September 2009. 
22. ^ www.ougrizzlies.com
23. ^ "Golden Grizzlies Athletics - Fight Song". http://www.ougrizzlies.com/fightsong/oakl-fightsong.html. 
24. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} "From Freddy Krueger to Olympic athletes". The Oakland Press. 18 March 2005. http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2005/03/18/localnews/20050318-archive2.txt. Retrieved 10 September 2009. 
25. ^ "Supreme Industries Update - Press Releases - TradersHuddle.com". http://www.tradershuddle.com/20110531237770/Press-Releases/Supreme-Industries-Update.html. 
26. ^ ^{a b} David N. Goodman, "Strike by Professors Leads to Canceled Classes in Michigan", The New York Times, September 3, 2009
27. ^ Audrey Williams June, "Strike Settled, Oakland U. Professors Return to the Classroom", The Chronicle of Higher Education, September 10, 2009
28. ^ ^{a b} Santiago Esparza and Mike Martindale, "OU Lawsuit: Strike is Illegal", The Detroit News, September 8, 2009
29. ^ Jeff Greer, US News & World Report, "Oakland University in Michigan's Strike Ends", September 10, 2009

External links

	Detroit portal
	University portal

• Official website
• Oakland University Police Department
• Graduate Programs
• Official athletics website
• Campus map
• OU Hockey website
• Oakland Campus Radio Station website
• OU Lacrosse Website
• Oakland University's Independent Student Newspaper

Coordinates: 42°40′22″N 83°12′57″W / 42.672659°N 83.215776°W / 42.672659; -83.215776