Building on Historic Enrollment, ORU Announces Strategic Steps Preparing for Future Growth
Enhanced Departments and Strategic Task Force Will Focus on Future Students and Global Expansion
(Left to right) Dr. Kathaleen Reid-Martinez, Michael Mathews, Alison Vujnovic, Nathan Carson, Vinay Manda
Tulsa, Okla.— Capitalizing on 14 years of enrollment growth, an expanding global footprint, and cutting-edge innovations in AI/VR learning, ORU President Dr. William M. Wilson announced on Monday, September 26, 2022, organizational advancements that will support ORU’s next phase of expansion. With ORU surpassing 5,000 enrolled students for the first time in history, these improvements will focus on enrollment management, global learning and innovation and will include a new task force designed to bolster student readiness, retention, and graduation rates. These measures include the promotions of Alison Vujnovic, Nathan Carson, and Vinay Manda.
“We are not resting on our accomplishments, but with a bold vision for the future, we are preparing to continue this trajectory for years to come,” said President Wilson. “This new leadership structure enables us to continue building on recent successes. We are committed to remaining mission-centric and enabling our students to succeed both academically and professionally.”
Expanding Enrollment Management Services
Alison Vujnovic, Vice-President,
Enrollment Management
In the new organizational alignment, Alison Vujnovic was promoted from Assistant Vice-President – Residential to Vice President of Enrollment Management. Her expanded area of responsibilities will include student success, ORU’s Veterans’ Experience, career services, and oversight of residential admissions. Ms. Vujnovic expressed excitement for the new role and meeting the challenges of additional management duties.
“Our campus is expanding, the educational market is changing, and we are constantly adapting to the needs of our students as they continue to place their trust in ORU,” Ms. Vujnovic stated. “We are dedicated to improving our student services, and as we stay committed to ORU’s mission and vision, future growth will result.”
Many of these services will be housed in ORU’s new Welcome Center, located directly south of the ORU’s iconic Healing Hands. The Welcome Center provides convenient access for prospective students to meet with admissions counselors. The new building also features the Veterans’ Experience and the Golden Eagles Fan Shop.
Global Learning and Innovation
Michael Mathews, Vice-President,
Global Learning and Innovation
This newly formed area for ORU will be led by Vice-President Mike Mathews and includes information technology, online enrollment/retention, innovative technology, leading-edge delivery systems in virtual classrooms, the metaverse, and distance learning.
“Assembling the global learning and innovation directives into one team of leaders, educators, and technologists is a dream come true,” Vice-President Mathews said. “This one move can potentially impact millions of learners across the globe with ORU’s whole person education.”
Mathews will be assisted by Nathan Carson and Vinay Manda. Both are being promoted from assistant vice-presidents’ roles to associate vice-presidents. Carson will manage online enrollment and retention while Manda provides oversight of the information-technology areas of the University.
"ORU is continuously looking towards the future,” said Mr. Carson. “With the creation of the Global Learning and Innovation Department, we will further this trend by creating advanced learning environments for students worldwide.”
Manda also envisions ORU’s students benefiting from the new structure. He added, “ORU has 14 consecutive years of enrollment growth representing over 140 nations. However, staying ahead of the curve in technology and innovation is not a luxury but a necessity. We will revolutionize learning by accelerating our services, enhancing our experiences, and innovating the academic journey.”
Nathan Carson, Associate Vice-President,
Global Learning and Innovation
Vinay Manda, Associate Vice-President,
Global Learning and Innovation
Mathews also said, “Over 39 million people domestically, plus many more globally, have started their college education and never finished. ORU’s innovative methods will allow students worldwide to finish their dream of earning a college degree. ORU will apply new innovative methods to reach every student who has this dream.”
Task Force on ORU’s Student Readiness, Retention, and Graduation Rate
Dr. Kathaleen Reid-Martinez,
Provost and Chief Academic Officer
ORU’s Provost, Dr. Kathaleen Reid-Martinez, will lead an innovative task force consisting of representatives from the departments of Enrollment Management, Registrar, Financial Aid, Student Life, Academics, and Athletics.
Dr. Reid-Martinez spoke on how this effort will meet the changing needs of students, saying, “I am thrilled to lead a dynamic group of individuals in this new task force. Bringing together these areas into a cohesive, collaborative team raises the bar on creativity and strategic thinking, making students the real winners in this process.”
Speaking on these new advancements, Dr. Wilson said, “A world-class academic experience with a sustainable future means remaining relevant in a fluid environment. These steps are designed to deftly focus on areas of momentum and continue to expand ORU’s vitality in developing whole leaders for the whole world.”
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 recognized ORU as one of the most diverse universities 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.