CRITERION III
Student Learning and Effective Teaching

Criterion Statement: ORU promotes a life of learning for its faculty, administration, staff, and students by fostering and supporting inquiry, creativity, practice, and social responsibility in ways consistent with its mission.

The faculty at Oral Roberts University understands that the body of human knowledge is constantly expanding. Hence, student growth depends upon developing those skills that enable students to think not only in the current environment, but also in the world that is on the horizon. At ORU teaching is designed to help students develop the higher-level mental skills that will serve them for a lifetime. Table 3.1 provides student perceptions regarding activities that strengthen these skills. This evidence from the 2006 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) indicates that there appears to be no difference between ORU student perceptions and the perceptions of students in any of its peer groups, except for a single comparison. Given the quality of institutions in the peer groups, ORU is in good company and fares well. Still, the information provides areas for the faculty to consider for enhancing student learning and achievement.

Of the 56 comparisons in Table 3.2-also from the NSSE-that deal with reading assignments, written papers, problem sets, and examinations, 13 show significant differences between ORU and one of its peer groups. In only three of those comparisons, all dealing with written papers, does the peer group compare favorably, and in all three cases the comparison involves only the freshman groups. Moreover, in all three cases the comparison loses significance or gains significance in favor of ORU by the senior year.

Two items are of special note. The first is the importance that ORU students perceive their institution places on significant written work (papers or reports of 20 pages or more) in the senior year. ORU significantly outscores all three peer groups in this category, probably owing to the capstone project required in the ORU senior year. Given the investment the University has made in the improvement of student writing, it is heartening to learn that students recognize the effort. The second item of note is the last item in Table 3.2. While ORU freshmen feel significantly more challenged by their examinations than do freshmen at peer institutions, the significance disappears by the senior year. The reason for the change is an open question to be posed to the ORU faculty for consideration and study.

It is interesting to compare the results in Tables 3.1 and 3.2 that deal with the learning process with the results in Table 4.1 in Chapter 4, which deal with the knowledge students have acquired from the process. While the results just presented here (and other NSSE data related to the learning process) indicate that ORU students perceive their learning process is somewhat better than those at peer institutions perceive theirs to be, ORU students unequivocally believe that they write more effectively, speak more clearly, think more critically, and solve problems better than their peers believe they do.

NSSE data is extremely valuable. It is, however, student self-reported, and for that reason it has obvious limitations. It tells only part of the story regarding student learning. Self-reported data is indirect because it deals with perceptions rather than hard evidence of student performance. Traditionally, grades have filled in the gap, purporting to provide direct evidence of student achievement of learning objectives. But grade inflation and the inability of grades to target specific student behaviors have resulted in a call from industry, the public, and the learning community itself to reexamine grades and develop alternatives that directly measure student achievement of specified behaviors. As the evidence in this chapter shows, Oral Roberts University is a pioneer in this area and has developed what it believes is the first comprehensive electronic system to provide direct evidence of the level of student learning across the curriculum.

Core Component 3A: ORU's goals for student learning outcomes are clearly stated for each educational program and make effective assessment possible.

The Value of Direct Assessment

All colleges and universities seek to make data-informed decisions regarding the attainment of student learning outcomes, but few are proficient in bringing sufficient quality data to the process. According to Carol Geary Schneider, president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU), the data collected should "move beyond the multiple choice regime and focus with new intensity on students' own performances in the credit bearing curriculum." Writing in Peer Review in 2002, Marc Chun, a fellow in the RAND Corporation Council for Aid to Education, states, "Although it may seem to be the most obvious way to assess the quality of undergraduate education, the use of direct measures of student learning is uncommon [and is] the missing but essential ingredient needed to improve the quality of American higher education." ORU embraces this philosophy and has embedded the collection, assessment, and analysis of direct evidence of student learning into its assessment model.

The ORU Assessment Model

ORU has a comprehensive institutional improvement plan that reflects a shift away from a focus on teaching toward a focus on student learning. The University's commitment to thorough assessment is expressed in its six-stage comprehensive assessment model. Numerous assessment instruments are used, and the results of each are shared with appropriate entities. Improvements are then proposed, approved, implemented, and reported. The University is proactive in adopting best practices to ensure that the design and delivery of student learning options prepare students to live in a diverse world and that the options accommodate a variety of student learning styles.

This assessment model, administered through the Office of Institutional Research, is ORU's map for improving operations and outcomes. A standing Institutional Improvement and Student Learning Committee oversees the flow of assessment results to specific programs and elicits appropriate responses. An officer from the Student Association is a member of this committee and contributes student feedback. Data for decision-making come from a variety of sources. The richest data relating to direct evidence of student learning achievement are derived from the ORU ePortfolio system, an online assessment tool that holds artifacts (required student assignments) pertinent to demonstrating how well students are fulfilling key learning outcomes. ePortfolio is ubiquitous in the academic lives of all ORU students.

Learning Outcomes Derived from Mission

Since 2002 Oral Roberts University has fostered a learning-centered paradigm emphasizing engaged learning, closer interaction between students and mentor-teachers, and an intentional concern to help students develop to their fullest potentials. The University critically analyzed and revised its student learning outcomes using the Association of American Colleges and Universities' Greater Expectations Project model, which suggests that student learning outcomes should flow from an institution's mission, that the curriculum and pedagogy should be designed to produce the outcomes, and that assessment should validate the extent to which an institution is accomplishing those outcomes. This analysis and revision process, described in detail in Chapter 2, resulted in a new set of ORU learning outcomes, defined more fully in terms of 16 proficiencies and capacities. A curriculum map shows how every course at ORU contributes to student learning outcomes, which courses have assessed artifacts, and how each artifact contributes to the achievement of the outcomes.

Adoption of learning outcomes that flow from the University's mission signals the University's shifting emphasis from primarily academic input-with its focus on what the teaching faculty does and how it qualifies itself through academic achievement-to emphasize both input and output, that is, to also include what students demonstrate they have achieved by working through a course of study. This emphasis mirrors recommendations in a 2004 AACU report titled "Taking Responsibility for the Quality of the Baccalaureate Degree," which states that a "purposeful educational program starts at the endpoint, with the desired characteristics of an institution's graduates, and asks the faculty to reason backwards from outcomes to the implementation of an intentionally designed curriculum to cultivate the desired qualities." (pg. 5)

Assessment occurs at multiple levels at ORU, including course, program, and University levels. Each program has an assessment handbook that includes a list of program goals, the artifacts used to assess to what extent students reach these goals, and the courses in which the assessments take place. In addition, each syllabus contains a list of course goals, and the last page of each course syllabus indicates the course's contribution to University-level outcomes. This multi-level assessment ensures that ORU's institutional goals are reflected in its courses and programs.

The faculty is fully involved in assessment and is responsible for developing course syllabi and specifying the contributions of all courses to achieving both University-wide outcomes and program-specific outcomes. The faculty develops rubrics for assessing artifacts and is responsible for modifying them when necessary.

The ePortfolio Assessment System

The tool ORU uses to assess learning outcomes is an electronic system called ePortfolio, developed by Chalk and Wire Learning Assessment, Inc. Each undergraduate student constructs two ePortfolios, one for general education and one for the major, and each graduate student creates an ePortfolio specifically tailored to the graduate degree. Every ePortfolio contains a personal library of artifacts (e.g., pre/post tests, essays, analytical laboratory reports, speech video clips, service learning reports, field tests, music files) generated from predetermined course assignments focused on the attainment of specific proficiencies. Both curricular and co-curricular aspects of student life are assessed, because academic subjects do not exist in a vacuum.

All students submit required artifacts to faculty members who assess the work using the electronic-based rubrics that interface online with the artifacts through a program called RubricMarker. Results are automatically entered into an assessment database. Thus, the ePortfolio performs as a tool that facilitates and documents the achievement of student learning outcomes.

Students receive feedback (as shown in Table 3.3) via email and may access their results through any web browser, including those in the offices of their advisors. As students receive specific assessment feedback and advisement and begin to see connections among outcomes, courses, and the overall curriculum, they become aware that learning transcends individual courses within general education and the majors. Eventually many are able to track achievement as it relates to life goals.

ePortfolio supplies the University with data and direct evidence of learning for each student. The University can then aggregate and disaggregate the data by cross-referencing it with demographic information and other selected parameters in its database to make informed decisions for improvement of courses, programs, departments, and the University as a whole.

Administration of ePortfolio

The Director of Institutional Research oversees assessment at ORU and is the chief ePortfolio administrator. He oversees training for faculty, facilitates the student orientation course, and prepares University reports on student progress. In addition, each academic department has a subadministrator who oversees the ePortfolio process in the department and is available to assist students in the department who request help in operating within the ePortfolio system.

Preparing and Supporting Students

Educating students in the use of the ePortfolio system is an ongoing effort that involves the faculty, administration, and many support staff. The faculty developed a required 0-credit-hour seminar titled ePortfolio: Journey to a Transformed Life (GEN 099) to provide new students with the philosophy behind the ePortfolio initiative, teach them how to use the appropriate software, and assist them in creating their portfolios and uploading initial required artifacts. Students who have completed GEN 099 enter their general education and major courses prepared to upload artifacts for assessment by their professors. They can refer to their ePortfolios at any time and track their learning progress. Their ePortfolios contain both student artifacts and faculty assessments.

An online General Education ePortfolio Handbook, which is updated yearly, provides students with a brief overview of the ePortfolio, all requirements for the GEN 099 course, instructions for obtaining web support, and the master artifact checklist for general education. The handbook also contains all rubrics used to evaluate student general education work.

Realizing that a project of this magnitude requires extensive student support, the University provides numerous avenues to obtain it. The Academic Computing Lab, centrally located in the Graduate Center, is staffed with personnel who can assist students from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on most days of the week. In addition, students may call a telephone helpline, use an email helpline, contact the ePortfolio student resource faculty member in the major department (called the department ePortfolio subadministrator), contact a student academic peer advisor, attend help nights held four times each semester, or seek walk-in help In the School of LifeLong Education during business hours.

Implementing large projects such as ePortfolio requires a great amount of planning and preparation. Even then, the unexpected and unanticipated occur. While challenges were small in comparison to the size of the endeavor, the following list shows the obstacles encountered and addressed during the first few years of implementation:

• Coordinating such a major and pervasive program at all levels, including academic departments, co-curricular areas, administration, staff, and students
• Training faculty, staff, and students to effectively use the required technology
• Tracking the progress of students in submitting the appropriate artifacts correctly, and faculty in evaluating and assessing student artifacts in a knowledgeable and timely manner
• Restructuring deadlines and plans to account for technology issues
• Designing and redesigning the orientation course (GEN 099: ePortfolio: Journey to a Transformed Life) to better enable all students to succeed

Rubrics and Artifact Assessment

Every syllabus at the University identifies whether or not the course has an assignment used as an artifact to measure student progress toward achieving learning outcomes in either the general education program (University outcomes) or the major field (department outcomes). This does not imply that other course assignments do not relate to the outcomes or that they are not useful for measuring student progress, but only that they have not been identified as formal artifacts for ePortfolio assessment.

An example of artifact assessment can be seen in an assignment from the Principles of Chemistry general education laboratory course (CHE 101L). Students write a 250-300 word abstract for a meat-analysis laboratory exercise to help assess their progress in developing critical thinking skills. They are asked to form a hypothesis as to which of four types of meat is the healthiest and most cost-effective before they analyze the results of the experiment. The abstract is submitted to faculty via ePortfolio and is assessed using the critical thinking rubric criteria that include the following:

• constructing a clearly identified purpose and hypothesis
• collecting accurate and appropriate data
• using crucial and consistent assumptions
• making valid inferences and conclusions supported by content.

Students receive individual assessment feedback for each criterion via ePortfolio according to the following scale: Exemplary (4.0), Competent (3.0), Acceptable (2.0), Unacceptable (1.0), or Not Attempted (0). The faculty member also has the opportunity to add comments to the assessment to augment the quantitative data. A sample assessment for a student meat-analysis abstract appears in Table 3.3. The results from every assessment are stored in the student's ePortfolio and can be accessed by the student at any time for review or reflection.

Analyzing Assessment Data

Teachers and administrators can learn how students are performing on an individual outcome by aggregating data for the rubric that assesses the outcome. The aggregated data can be refined to differentiate by any of the many variables included in the database. For example, the chemistry faculty collected information to see how well students in their general education courses were progressing in developing critical thinking skills. They collected data from the three general education courses, Principles of Chemistry Laboratory, General Chemistry I Laboratory, and General Chemistry II Laboratory. Table 3.4 summarizes the results of assignments assessed using the critical thinking rubric for students in majors other than chemistry, and Table 3.5 summarizes the results using the same rubric for chemistry majors. Both tables include data from academic years 2004-2005 and 2005-2006.

Analysis of the data reveals great variability in the achievement of students in two ways. First, students majoring in chemistry appear to be more successful in developing critical thinking skills overall when compared with students in other majors (50% to 27% for the two-year period). Secondly, major students appear to vary greatly from one year to the next (64% to 25%). Small sample sizes for the major group could explain some of the variation and point to a need to collect additional data, to continue to follow the progress of these two groups, and to investigate factors that might affect the differing performances. Those factors could include quality of students, faculty proficiency in evaluation, various interpretations of rubric standards, faculty expectations versus student performance, value placed on the critical thinking assignments, the criteria of critical thinking being measured, and differing components of critical thinking. However, the data have prompted faculty discussions within the Chemistry Department regarding critical thinking, its definition, the most effective way to teach it in chemistry courses, when it should be taught, and the most effective techniques for assessing the skill. The data have also elicited discussions between the chemistry faculty and general education faculty on methods of tracking improvements in student critical thinking in order to bring them to a mastery level by graduation.

It is important to note that ePortfolio was a phased-in process, for both general education (University outcomes) and majors (department outcomes). General education ePortfolios began in academic year 2004-2005 with freshmen only. Sophomores were added in 2005-2006, and juniors were added in 2006-2007. Full implementation begins in the fall of 2007-2008. Department ePortfolios were phased in with full implementation achieved in spring 2005. So the data in Tables 3.4 and 3.5 for critical thinking in chemistry classes include only freshmen for 2004-2005 and freshmen and sophomores for 2005-2006. It is understandable that groups composed of only underclassmen might not have progressed beyond the acceptable level in the area of critical thinking. A clearer picture should emerge once data from a fully implemented system becomes available.

Goals for optimal performance have not yet been formally set, but some disciplines use 80% of students performing at the competent or exemplary levels as a benchmark. Beginning in fall 2007 the University will issue a Personal Growth Assessment (PGA) report (formerly called a personal dashboard) to each student that shows personal progress on each outcome as compared with all other students at the University. The score for "professionally competent" will be compared with other students in the major. Students will be able to access via Vision their student assessment results at the same time they access their course grades. Table 3.6 shows a sample PGA comparing the actual 2005-2006 overall scores for the general education outcomes with those of a fictitious student.

The Director of Institutional Research aggregates rubric results for each University outcome by criterion, making the information available in both average and percentage forms. This process provides information that indicates which criteria are or are not being acceptably met by the majority of students, as well as how different segments of the student population are performing (e.g., minorities, international students, females, home-schooled students, older students). The aggregate data provide statistical performance indicators that help the University make informed decisions regarding curricular and pedagogical reform.

Evaluation of ePortfolio

Faculty and administrators routinely review the effectiveness and use of ePortfolio to assess student learning. In both the fall and spring semesters the department ePortfolio representatives (subadministrators) meet to discuss ePortfolio assessment and share feedback. This feedback helps maintain faculty oversight of student learning assessment and identify changes that would benefit the assessment process.

An ePortfolio Advisory Council (ePAC) was formed in 2006-2007 consisting of students and ePortfolio subadministrators who meet at least twice a semester to provide specific feedback concerning ePortfolio. Many helpful suggestions have come from students, and they have served as test pilots for the new version of ePortfolio that is launching in fall 2007.

During the first year of implementation, both faculty and students experienced technological frustrations, miscommunications, and misunderstandings. With a great amount of help from the software provider Chalk and Wire as well as the Director of Institutional Research and his team, the program has run smoothly since that time. Many lessons were learned during the first years of ePortfolio on the ORU campus. While the role of a pioneer is always fraught with challenges, ORU has emerged from the implementation process a stronger institution able to provide leadership in the area of student learning assessment. While improvements are still needed in communicating the value of comprehensive campus assessment to the student body, ePortfolio is fast becoming an integral part of ORU culture.

Reviews by Accreditors

ePortfolio data have been collected by the ORU School of Education since 2002. The school was instrumental in the selection, implementation, and analysis phases of ePortfolio for the University. Its accreditor, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), heralded the School of Education's application of the ePortfolio system as an example for all member institutions, as did the Oklahoma State Board of Education. In 2003-2004 the School of Nursing and the Engineering/Physics/Physical Science Department initiated ePortfolio programs. The engineering programs (computer, electrical, and mechanical) were reaccredited in 2006 by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) with "no deficiencies, no weaknesses, and no concerns." During the exit interview, the site visitors cited as a major strength of the engineering program the department's ePortfolio-based assessment program coupled with the feedback mechanism of the University-wide student learning outcomes assessment system.

ePortfolio and the CHEA Award

Oral Roberts University received the 2007 Award for Institutional Progress in Student Learning Outcomes from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), an organization of nearly 3,000 degree-granting colleges and universities. ORU received the CHEA award based upon its ePortfolio initiative. Only nine of the 3,000 members of the organization have earned the CHEA award. Of those nine, ORU believes it is the only institution to receive the award for a campus-wide initiative that spans all academic and many co-curricular programs. Judith Eaton, president of CHEA, said, "Given the current debate regarding the role of student learning outcomes in accreditation, Oral Roberts University serves as a solid example of the enormous progress that institutions are making through the implementation of comprehensive, thoughtful and effective [learning] initiatives. We are delighted to recognize this distinguished institution with this award."

Lynn Priddy, Ph.D., Director of Education and Training for the HLC, sent the following correspondence upon learning of the award: "First, congratulations on Oral Roberts University's receipt of one of CHEA's 2007 Awards for Institutional Progress in Student Learning Outcomes. As the Commission that accredits ORU, we are particularly pleased your institution was selected for receipt and want to learn from your experience (in fact, all five institutions that received the awards were within the NCA region). I do know that ORU has made several presentations at our annual meetings; however, we'd like the opportunity to learn from you in-depth what has made a difference and what matters most in transforming an institution to one that holds student learning central and depends on processes for (and results from) assessing and improving student learning for ongoing educational and institutional improvement."

The CHEA award is confirmation that student learning is reflected in inquiry, practice, and social responsibility and is central to the college experience at Oral Roberts University.

Core Component 3B: ORU values and supports effective teaching.

Oral Roberts University promotes effective pedagogy and academic instruction, and its faculty members are both proficient in the classroom and committed to mentoring students. To ensure that quality teaching remains an integral part of ORU, the University recognizes the quality teaching of its faculty members and provides them with opportunities to remain abreast of developments and advancements in their various fields, stay informed regarding new and innovative teaching techniques, learn about and discuss issues of importance to higher education, and receive updated training in the use of technology.

Faculty Awards

ORU values teaching as demonstrated by the numerous awards it presents for teaching excellence. Recognition of all faculty accomplishments is addressed in Chapter 4. A description of those recognitions that apply primarily to the art of teaching is provided here.

Alumni-Sponsored Faculty Awards for Professionalism in the Classroom

The annual presentation of the Alumni-Sponsored Faculty Awards for Professionalism in the Classroom recognizes and rewards effective teaching. Since 2000 a total of 83 faculty members have received awards based upon their exemplary teaching and dedication in the classroom. Awards are given for accomplishments such as the development of innovative pedagogical techniques, evidence of collaboration among instructors across departments, success in bringing about student collaboration, improvement of student writing in a discipline, and the integration of technology into the curriculum. Each recipient receives, in addition to a cash prize, a medallion and photograph with the Director of Alumni Relations. In all, $2,500 is awarded each November at the Faculty Recognition Luncheon. Faculty recipients are also honored at the annual Faculty Showcase at which they display their award-winning work for the students, faculty, and University community.

Outstanding Faculty Awards

The two most prestigious faculty awards are Faculty Member of the Year, selected from outstanding faculty members chosen by the various schools each year, and Faculty Scholar of the Year, awarded annually to the faculty member who best demonstrates excellence in scholarship. A Faculty Service Award is presented each year to the faculty member in each school who has provided exceptional service to the school and its students.

Faculty Development

Each faculty member supports University goals by completing an annual five-year professional development plan, which includes individual goals and a timetable for completion. Faculty members are encouraged to interact through peer observations, sharing of talents, collaboration with other faculty members, and other acts of professionalism that enhance classroom performance. Having several options for fulfilling professional development obligations provides all faculty members with the autonomy to tailor professional development plans to fit advancement needs. The University also makes available a number of structured events to help faculty members reach their goals.

Opportunities for Faculty Development

As a learning-focused organization, ORU creates the capacity for lifelong learning through a variety of professional development options. Faculty members appreciate opportunities to grow professionally and regularly participate in the many offerings.

• An ongoing program of professional development workshops and seminars presents varied topics to accommodate the many different academic needs across the University. Offerings include assessment, copyright and fair use, leadership, the scholarship of teaching and learning, diversity, and technology. Presenters from both on and off campus add to the richness of the program.
• The Brown Bag Lunch Discussion series provides opportunities for faculty members and administrators to enjoy fellowship and explore current issues and topics of professional interest such as student learning styles, lessons on diversity, and the ORU honors program. This series has run for three years, and plans call for approximately 10 luncheons per year. The discussions foster accountability and allow for self-reflection with a commitment to improving pedagogy.
• All employees can participate in workshops presented by the library staff. Topics include timely information on the newest library capabilities. Approximately 50 employees participate each year.
• The Teaching Excellence Program at ORU is designed to provide full-time faculty members an alternate path to promotion to assistant or associate professor ranks. The purpose of the program is not only to reward excellent teaching but also to help good teachers develop in all professional areas. It is designed for faculty members who choose not to pursue a doctorate but rather to dedicate themselves to excellence in teaching. Moreover, the program demonstrates that the University values the common good by emphasizing leadership development and contributing to the ORU culture of service.
• Regional institutions of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) participate annually in a symposium on the campus of one of the member universities. Both students and faculty are encouraged to attend. ORU has hosted eight of the last 10 events, which expose participants to ideas beyond the home campus. Topics vary and have included diversity, the Middle East, integration of faith, and discipline-specific resources.
• The University sponsors an annual new faculty orientation and mentoring workshop intended to introduce new faculty to the ORU community and culture and to assist them in the enterprise of teaching at ORU. Pedagogical issues are addressed, campus policies and procedures are reviewed, and each new faculty member is assigned a faculty mentor.
• Monthly opportunities to grow spiritually are provided through the faculty chapel program. Chapels include music, sermons, lessons, and special programs.

• Each August the University holds a two-day faculty retreat off-campus. Faculty members meet in plenary sessions and small workshops to consider academic and non-academic issues. Time is available for reflection, fellowship, and relaxation. The vice presidents and President end the retreat with reports and a vision for the coming year.
• Workshops on a University-wide grading program developed by an ORU computer science professor are usually held once a semester. They inform faculty of updates to the grade book system and teach new users about the grade book's features.
• Workshops on how to use Desire2Learn, an online course management system, are held several times each semester and are available anytime online.
• Webpages have been constructed to provide a one-stop location for faculty resources. Included on the pages is a rich assortment of faculty development materials.

Sabbaticals

Sabbaticals are granted for one semester or a full year after a faculty member has been employed at the University for six years. Faculty use these opportunities to do in-depth research in their particular disciplines, study and research abroad, or develop courses and create materials that are used in the classroom. Sabbaticals demonstrate that the University is supportive of scholarship, particularly with reference to better teaching and learning skills.

Faculty Workshops

In recent years faculty members have had opportunities to participate in numerous workshops to learn how to help students use knowledge responsibly. These have included workshops on plagiarism and developing valid rubrics presented by the Writing Across the Curriculum Committee. Faculty lunch discussions have centered on the seven principles for good practice in education. Outside consultants have presented to both faculty (a presentation by a professional media expert) and deans and chairs (a presentation by copyright attorneys). The Human Resources Department holds timely seminars for all employees on new or changing procedures such as the Privacy Act, sexual harassment in the workplace, and conducting performance reviews.

Professional Activities

Faculty members are involved in a wide range of national and international professional organizations. In these organizations faculty serve as officers, plan and participate in conferences, and promote student involvement. ORU actively supports faculty involvement at professional conferences and workshops. Nearly all requests for financial support for faculty members presenting at conferences have been accepted in the last 10 years. However, faculty members often pay for memberships in these organizations out of personal funds, which shows their dedication to active learning and scholarship. Several are unable to participate in professional organizations because of the cost, suggesting that an area of needed improvement is University financial support of faculty memberships in the organizations that help them to stay abreast of innovations in their fields and to be even better teachers.

Technology Training

Recognizing that not only traditional methods of content delivery are important, but that online and hybrid methods are also needed to reach today's student, ORU provides its faculty with excellent training in the electronic delivery of course material. Faculty guide current on-campus and online students in using blogs, forums, and discussion threads and provide supplemental instruction electronically. Since ORU is increasing online offerings, it has invested in quality curricular content, the technological competence of its faculty, and effective instructional tools for electronic course development.

The Eighth Floor

Oral Roberts University is one of several educational partners in The Eighth Floor, a technology and training consortium of 19 institutions in the Tulsa area. As a founding member of the consortium, ORU helped establish it as a model for offering technology instruction that centers not on technology itself, but on using it to improve pedagogy and enhance learning.

Housed in a modern facility with a large assortment of equipment, The Eighth Floor offers training ranging from using Word and Excel to developing and teaching online courses. Since 2001 ORU faculty members have received an average of over 400 hours of instruction and training per year. Thirty-two faculty members have completed or are participating in an extensive online curriculum development program. Consortium membership provides the University with an opportunity to collaborate with other area schools in this joint effort to enhance technology training for member institutions. Since the spring of 2007 enrollment has been open to any member of the ORU administration, faculty, or staff.

ePortfolio

ORU is a national model for the implementation of the electronic assessment of student learning across and beyond the curriculum. Most members of the ORU faculty are proficient in the use of ePortfolio. Training is ongoing to maintain a faculty and staff proficient in the use of this rubric-based system designed to present evidence of student growth. Faculty are trained in various workshops offered at the beginning of each academic school year as well as in departmental and individual sessions throughout the year.

Desire2Learn

ORU uses Desire2Learn as its class management tool for both on-campus and online learning. Also available is eclass, an ORU-designed system, but migration to Desire2Learn is being encouraged. The Associate Dean of Online Academic Services is a resident expert in the use of the software and facilitates the training of the faculty. A series of workshops introduces the use of Desire2Learn and offers instruction to more advanced users. The series includes a variety of topics designed to train faculty at various skill levels in using an online environment. Workshop titles include the following:

• Developing and Managing Content
• Online Quizzing
• Use of Discussion Boards and Groups
• Gradebook
• Complementing Your Face-to-Face Classroom

At the end of the spring 2007 semester, 63 instructors were trained to use Desire2Learn, and training will continue as additional faculty members adopt the system. Links to tutorials housed at other institutions are available to the ORU faculty (with permission of the institutions).

Cross-Pollination

Founder Oral Roberts often used the term "cross-pollination" to refer to the sharing of ideas, talents, and resources across discipline lines for the mutual benefit of all involved. Today ORU continues to encourage and support communication and interaction among faculty for the same reasons-so that they can share and pool their considerable talents and resources and create a learning experience greater than the sum of its parts.

Faculty newsletters are published several times a year allowing the faculty to share professional accomplishments, research interests in their areas of expertise, and contributions they make to their communities. Faculty members also learn about one another's activities through faculty meetings, University publications, appearances on ministry television shows, and efforts of the ORU Public Relations Department.

Team-taught honors courses bring together faculty from diverse disciplines. Two instructors direct each of the six seminars open to honors students. For example, in the Science and the Imagination seminar an English professor integrates science fiction literature with information contributed by a mathematics professor on the latest innovations in technology. The interaction of these professors results in a rich, in-depth experience for the learners. The Honors Program promotes interdisciplinary cross-pollination in many areas of the program. Honors students are supported in efforts to conduct senior research under the direction of faculty members in different disciplines and honors faculty sponsor co-curricular activities that allow them to interact with each other as well as with the students.

Beginning with their first day of employment, faculty members are encouraged to connect with one another. The new faculty orientation and mentoring program provides opportunities for returning faculty members to mentor new colleagues from different departments to make their transition to the ORU community an enjoyable and beneficial experience. The program introduces new faculty to the mission and ethos of ORU as well as its procedures and policies. Mentors meet with new faculty on a regular basis during their first year-answering questions, providing helpful advice, and seeking to model ORU's philosophy and lifestyle.

Special programs at ORU often bring faculty together in ways that further their development as educators. Faculty members who desire to teach a writing-intensive course in their discipline receive targeted support through membership in a faculty support group. These groups meet regularly, led by the Director of the Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) program. Members critique one another's assignments and share strategies and ideas to improve writing in group members' particular settings. All ORU faculty members are provided with a wealth of information by the WAC program through workshops, newsletters, and published materials, much of it electronic. This program creates a connection among the faculty as they deal with common issues related to student writing.

University efforts to provide venues to bring faculty members together for mutual benefit demonstrate its commitment to their professional growth.

Core Component 3C: ORU creates effective learning environments.

Changed lives are the products of Oral Roberts University, and learning is the vehicle used to deliver them. Learning is enhanced by the environment in which it is housed-an environment in which programs and support are as important as bricks, mortar, and textbooks.

Student Diversity

Students at ORU are immersed in diversity, which is highly valued by the campus community. Diversity at ORU extends well beyond the rich ethnic and cultural variations that characterize the student body-both of which are discussed in depth in Chapters 1 and 5. Preparation for the college experience, residential status, and location (on campus or distance) are other variables that contribute to differing needs among students that the University must account for to maximize the chances for student success. To reach the wide range of students it seeks to populate its campus and classes, the University annually conducts a variety of recruiting events, including college fairs, high school visits, receptions, ministry events, College Weekends, and Eagle Day visits.

The Bridge Program

ORU recruits excellent students, but recognizes that a select group that does not meet standard admissions requirements has the potential to successfully complete rigorous college programs. For those students, ORU offers the Bridge Program, which admits freshmen with a cumulative high school GPA of at least 1.80 and a composite score of at least 17 on the ACT or 850 on the SAT. For comparison, the standard admission requirements for freshmen include a high-school GPA of 2.60, a composite score of at least 20 on the ACT or 990 on the SAT, and standing in the top 40% of the high-school graduation class. No class-rank requirement applies to the Bridge Program.

During the first semester, Bridge students take a slate of courses designed to increase skills needed to succeed in any college program:

• READ 100 Preparation for College Reading (3 hours)
• MAT 100 Introduction to College Mathematics (3 hours)
• GEN 111 University Success (2 hours)
• HPER 001 Health Fitness I (1 hour)
• GEN 099 ePortfolio: Journey to a Transformed Life (0 hours)
• GEN 105 Critical Thinking in the Liberal Arts (1 hour)
• THE 103 Charismatic Life and the Healing Ministry (3 hours)

In University Success students focus on self-regulated learning techniques including learning styles, multiple intelligences, study skills, time management, test-taking, relationship building, and managing money. Each is assigned an Academic Bridge Advisor who monitors progress periodically during the first semester and later assists in making future course selections that meet individual needs. Students must demonstrate satisfactory progress (GPA of 1.5) by midterm of the first semester to continue in the program. At the end of the fall semester, Bridge students must pass University Success and at least seven of the 13 hours in which they are enrolled with a minimum GPA of 1.5. Students remain in the program until they have successfully completed English at the 101 level and participated in a writing laboratory experience, which occurs during either the second or third semester at the University. Academic Bridge Advisors continue to work with students throughout the entire period of enrollment in the program. Approximately 40 students are currently participating.

The Honors Program

The Honors Program, founded in 2001, provides academically gifted students an avenue to expand and challenge their abilities. Students scoring at least 29 on the ACT or 1280 on the SAT and who have high school GPAs of 3.5 or higher are invited to apply. A student must maintain a GPA of 3.45 to remain in good standing. Over 200 students are served in the program's two-tiers-scholars and fellows. Scholars must complete 24 hours of honors-level general education courses, meet specific requirements of their major departments, and complete service learning projects. All scholars receive $1,000 scholarships in addition to any other scholarships they are awarded. Fellows follow a similar path, but replace 15 hours of general education with cross-disciplinary seminars. All fellows are awarded Presidential Scholarships, which cover 80%-100% of tuition. Courses in the Honors Program enable students to pursue independent research opportunities, participate in more discussion-based courses than are available in the standard curriculum, design their own learning experiences in cooperation with mentors, and engage in meaningful activities that complement the academic program.

Distance-Education Students

The School of LifeLong Education (SLLE) is specifically designed to provide flexibility while maintaining quality educational programs to accommodate adult learners and non-traditional students. In fall 2006 approximately 100 adult students were enrolled in the External Academic Degree Program, pursuing one of four SLLE majors-Church Ministries, Christian Care and Counseling, Business Administration, and Liberal Studies-supported by eight minors and 112 courses. Plans are currently underway to transform these programs to a fully online format. Nonacademic courses, offered by correspondence at strategic locations across the United States through the certificate and diploma programs, serve over 1,100 students. Through academic and nonacademic courses, students can access educational training to meet various needs.

Commuter Students

In the fall of 2006 a total of 1,233 undergraduate and graduate students were classified as commuter students. Even though commuters and nontraditional students do not live on campus, they are considered an integral part of the University, are included in all aspects of University life, and are expected to abide by University guidelines required for on-campus students where applicable. ORU provides resources to accommodate this population, including the following:

• Campus post office mailboxes
• Confidential (secure) access codes for online registration
• Class resources available online via eClass, Desire2Learn, or faculty class pages
• Commuter student lounge with kitchen facilities
• Lockers
• A dedicated bulletin board for announcements
• Email
• Computer labs
• Available faculty

International Students

In the fall of 2006 ORU students came from 66 countries and all 50 states. The 422 international students made up 11% of all students on campus. To lessen stress from culture shock and financial difficulties often experienced by this population, ORU's International Student Organization assists students in adjusting to and assimilating into the University's culture. This organization also seeks to improve communication and services and to provide international students opportunities to share their cultures with other students both on and off campus. The Admissions Department employs an international student advisor who is knowledgeable in the issues that confront students who are not U.S. citizens.

Ethnic Diversity

The ethnic and cultural diversity of ORU's students are highlighted in Chapters 1 and 5 of this report. Many ORU academic programs include courses that combine theory and practice skills that equip students to appreciate diversity both within and outside personal group affiliations. Examples of courses and programs that demonstrate efforts to meet the educational goal of appreciation for diversity follow:

• Minority Group Relations examines the diversities of inter/intra group relationships and the effects these relationships contribute to, or pose for, its members.
• In Child and Family in the Social Context students study problems experienced by children and their families in the context of the larger social environment and how these problems might be managed and resolved.
• Cultural Anthropology exposes students to various cultures, practices, and their evolutions.
• Counseling Psychology I and II focus on beginning and advanced counseling with human systems of all sizes and variations.
• A stated goal of the social work program is to "engage in the practice of social work that is culturally competent within the values and ethics of the profession which develops an understanding of and respect for the positive value of human diversity." The program includes teaching about populations at risk-which generally consist of those that are most vulnerable to oppression, prejudices, social inequality, and other discriminatory practices.
• The Modern Language Department affords students opportunities for hands-on learning in civilization and culture courses and to travel to foreign countries to practice the languages and experience the cultures.
• The School of Theology and Missions offers courses such as Black Church History and Theology-with its focus on Black church protocol, preaching style, worship, and terminology-and Major Religions of the World.

ORU emphasizes the value that all learners bring to the learning experience, both because it enhances the experience and because, according to the ORU Mission and Founding Vision, doing so is the morally correct path to follow if one is to "Go into every person's world."

Student Programs

The University has numerous programs available to enhance and enrich the educational experience. Students and faculty continually seek new ways to make programs more meaningful, and proposals from both groups are welcomed and often facilitated by the administration.

Leadership Academy

ORU's Leadership Academy was established to create a campus culture of leadership that promotes the growth of each student in knowledge, skill, wisdom, character, and spirit. ORU believes the following about leadership:

• All students are potential leaders.
• Leadership development occurs within community.
• Leadership fosters change and healing in people and organizations.
• Leadership must come from Biblical values.

This program includes classes, activities, leadership opportunities, student-led conferences, seminars, workshops, and mentoring relationships. Each year ORU's student-led Ignite Leadership Conference is sponsored by the Leadership Academy and is a catalytic event that ignites the passion for Godly leadership. Ignite inspires, motivates, and empowers the students and faculty to be Godly leaders within their fields of endeavor and spheres of influence. Speakers have included best-selling author and leadership expert John Maxwell and ORU alumnus Tim Elmore, founder and president of Growing Leaders.

Academic Peer Advisor Program

The Academic Peer Advisor Program (APAP) is a student leader organization with a mission to assist fellow students in improving the second facet of the "whole person," the mind. The APAP aids students in their academic pursuits by encouraging scholastic excellence, providing academic advice and encouragement, leading study groups, teaching the principles of time management, and referring stude