ORU Recognized for its Global Connections and Collaboration
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, May 23, 2019
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Stephanie Hill, Director of University Relations & Communications
Office: 918.495.7337, Mobile: 918.720.5548
sthill@oru.edu 
Tulsa, OK – Oral Roberts University was honored to receive the United States Distance
Learning Association’s (USDLA) Impact Award at its annual conference this week in
Nashville, TN. The award is given to honor outstanding projects featuring significant
global impact, reach, and understanding of diverse cultures.
“At ORU, we are working around the globe to collaborate with other universities and entities to bring a Holy Spirit-empowered education to a diverse student body,” said ORU President Dr. William M. Wilson. “Educating learners from every nation is one of our key objectives; receiving this award encourages us on this important journey.”
In 2017, ORU extended its reach and impact around the world through the Global Learning Center (GLC), with extensive use of telepresence and immersive learning via augmented and virtual reality. Within 18 months, over 50 Fortune 1000 companies and 320 international leaders from other colleges and universities visited the GLC. These organizations expressed immediate interest in forming collaborative partnerships to exchange ideas with ORU and its vendors to leverage or recreate the same kind of education transformation. During 2018 and 2019, numerous international education organizations and vendors benefitted from the pioneering efforts designed at ORU.
“The prestigious USDLA Impact Award demonstrates the global influence ORU has made by being a pioneer in teaching, learning, and educational transformation through the combination of education and technology with a global mindset,” said Michael Mathews, ORU VP of Technology and Innovation. “To be invited by the Chinese Government, International K12 Schools, and Fortune 1000 companies to redesign their education systems based on their visit to the Global Learning Center is a hallmark achievement for any university.”
A few of the many organizations ORU has collaborated with include the University of Latvia, Indus International School in Bangalore, China’s Tell-How Animation College, Pakistan Study Centers, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, City Colleges of Chicago, and The Children’s Guild Alliance. Due to the collaborative nature of the award, ORU is sharing it with the University of Latvia and 3Dream Studios, who helped many colleges and universities with a Virtual Reality Education System to leverage augmented and virtual reality in the most efficient manner.