ORU’s College of Education Recognized as a Recipient of the 2022 Frank Murray Leadership Award for Continuous Improvement

ORU's education classroom in session.

Tulsa, Okla.—Oral Roberts University’s (ORU) College of Education has been recognized as a recipient of the 2022 Frank Murray Leadership Award for Continuous Improvement. As one of only 32 Educator Preparator Programs to receive this recognition, ORU’s College of Education is committed to advancing and preparing its students to succeed in classrooms across the country. ORU’s Spirit-empowered graduates are making an impact in students’ lives, and with ORU’s expanding campus, future teachers and administrators are choosing ORU for its elevated standards, its values, and its whole person curriculum.

“Every sector of society is facing a scarcity of leadership, and this is especially true in underperforming classrooms across America,” said ORU President Dr. William Wilson. “ORU is focused on improving the future of education by equipping leaders who will transform the educational system and restore America’s academic progress. Recognizing our continuous impact on teaching and schools, the CAEP recently named our University a recipient of the Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement. With our enrollment  growing for 14-straight years, ORU is committed to its goal of producing high-quality graduates who are ready to make a difference in education.”

The Council for the Accreditation for Educator Preparation (CAEP) recognizes outstanding programs that achieve the gold standard in teacher preparation accreditation. CAEP focuses particularly on whether candidates will be prepared, upon completing their degree, for the challenges that educators face in America’s classrooms. Out of nearly 600 educator providers participating in the CAEP Accreditation system, ORU is recognized for providing quality educator preparation that assures and supports continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 learning. 

“We are very proud of our faculty and their commitment to preparing transformed educators who are ready on day one to make a difference in the lives of P-12 students,” said Dr. Kim Boyd, ORU College of Education Dean. “This recognition shows that we are among the top educator preparation providers in the nation. Not only have we sought out CAEP Accreditation, the gold standard for educator preparation, but this recognition also provides validation that our candidates and their families are investing in an education program that is second to none.” 

ORU’s College of Education offers three initial programs with eleven concentrations and seven graduate programs at the master’s and doctoral levels. Graduates of this program ORU graduates are stepping into the classroom and making a difference, and as superintendents and university presidents, they are shaping education for the next generation. With a recent nationwide shortage of school staff, the demand for highly-trained educators has increased, and ORU is committed to supporting schools with highly-trained graduates passionate about students, learning, and education.

“We are in a crisis with a teacher shortage, but we did not arrive here overnight,” said Christopher A. Koch, CAEP President. “There are no quick fixes to this problem, and shortcuts will only place unprepared personnel into classrooms for a short period of time, with a negative impact for K-12 students. It will take hard work to turn this situation around, the kind of hard work that the ORU College of Education has committed to doing.” 

For more information, please visit ORU’s College of Education website.

ABOUT ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY

ORU is a Christian, Spirit-empowered, interdenominational university in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with over a decade of consecutive enrollment growth. Regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ORU offers over 150 majors, minors, concentrations, and pre-professional programs at the bachelor’s level, ranging from business and engineering to nursing, ministry, and more. Under the leadership of President Dr. William Wilson, ORU is preparing students from all 50 states and 142 nations (from 2019 to 2022) to be whole leaders for the whole world. 

The Wall Street Journal ranked ORU as the #4 university in the nation for student engagement. This ranking is based upon faculty interactions, collaborative learning, critical thinking, real-world applications of student learning, the extent to which classes challenge students, and whether students would recommend a university to others. Niche recognizes ORU as one of the most diverse colleges in America. 

ORU has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as: 

• #1 in Undergraduate Teaching
• #2 in Most International Students
• #3 in Best Value
• #6 in Best College for Veterans
• #7 in Best Regional Colleges in the West

For more information, visit www.oru.edu.