Oklahoma Wesleyan University (OKWU) is a private university of the Wesleyan church in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. OKWU offers over 30 undergraduate degrees to students at its Bartlesville campus, and it also offers six graduate degree programs as part of its online offerings.[3]
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Former names | Central Pilgrim College (1905–1968) Bartlesville Wesleyan College (1968–2001) |
|---|---|
| Type | Private university |
| Established | 1905 |
Religious affiliation | Wesleyan Church |
| Endowment | US$5,461,866 (as of 2014)[1] |
| President | Jim Dunn |
| Students | 1,204 |
| Location | , , U.S. 36°43′03″N 95°57′24″W / 36.71750°N 95.95667°W |
| Colors | Navy blue and yellow[2] |
| Nickname | Eagles |
Sporting affiliations | NAIA – KCAC NCCAA Division I – Central |
| Website | www |
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OKWU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission[4] while the education, business, and nursing programs are accredited through program-specific organizations.[5] In 2022, OKWU had 902 students enrolled, with approximately 782 of those in its undergraduate programs.[1]
History
editOklahoma Wesleyan University was founded by The Wesleyan Church to provide higher education within a Christian environment for Wesleyan youth. Central Pilgrim College, its predecessor, was founded on the campus in Bartlesville, Oklahoma from a series of mergers of several schools: the Colorado Bible College (Colorado Springs, Colorado), the Pilgrim Bible College (Pasadena, California), and the Holiness Evangelistic Institute (El Monte, California). Central Pilgrim College was renamed Bartlesville Wesleyan College in 1968, following a merger of the Pilgrim Holiness Church and the Wesleyan Methodist Church to become the Wesleyan Church. In 1972, the college merged with a Kansas school, Miltonvale Wesleyan College; the resulting school became a four-year college having about 1300 students.[6] In August 2001, Bartlesville Wesleyan College became Oklahoma Wesleyan University (OKWU).[6]
2015 withdrawal from Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
editA longtime member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), in 2015 the university withdrew from the organization. OKWU's president cited CCCU's "reluctance to make a swift decision" in response to the decisions of two member schools (Goshen College and Eastern Mennonite University) which changed their hiring policies to include same-sex couples, as an unwillingness to defend the biblical definition of marriage.[7]
2016 Title IX lawsuit
editOn August 15, 2016, OKWU joined a court challenge to a 2011 mandate from the U. S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights requiring colleges and universities adjudicate what they called "a unconstitutional process and standard." Former president Piper stated, in part, that they "refuse to accept any government intrusion that would require OKWU to teach the antithesis of our Christian beliefs concerning sexual behavior" and that OKWU's students "should have the legal right to avail themselves of local law enforcement without their petition being compromised by the intrusion of an OCR-mandated committee of amateurs that contravenes the due process and confidentiality of the legal process." The suit was sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.[8]
Antecedent schools
editThe following is a list of antecedent schools:[9]
- Bartlesville Wesleyan College
- Miltonvale Wesleyan College
- Central Pilgrim College
- Holiness Evangelistic Institute
- Pilgrim Bible College
- Colorado Springs Bible College
Timeline
editOklahoma Wesleyan University traces its history back to 1905[10] through several antecedent schools.
- In 1905, Rocky Mountain Missionary and Evangelistic School was founded in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Affiliated with the Pilgrim Holiness Church, the school would undergo several name changes before becoming Colorado Springs Bible College in 1950.[11] In 1958, the school moved from Colorado to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and became Central Pilgrim College.[11]
- Miltonvale Wesleyan College was founded in Miltonvale, Kansas, in 1909.[10] It was affiliated with the Wesleyan Methodist Denomination. It trained students for 63 years before merging with Bartlesville Wesleyan College in 1972.[10]
- The Pasadena Bible Training School was founded in Pasadena, California, in 1917.[10] In 1960,[11] it merged with Central Pilgrim College in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
In 1958,[11] the current day campus was purchased by Colorado Springs Bible College, which began operating as Central Pilgrim College in 1959.[11] The campus purchase included La Quinta Mansion, the former home of oilman H.V. Foster and his family. The school changed its name to Bartlesville Wesleyan College in 1968,[10] the same year of the merger of the Pilgrim Holiness and Wesleyan Methodist denominations.
In 1972,[11] Miltonvale merged with Bartlesville Wesleyan College. That same year, BWC was accredited as a four-year, degree-granting institution.
Over the years the campus grew to include new dorm buildings, the Campbell Science Building, and the Haltom Campus Center. BWC’s first ever intercollegiate athletic team was the 1971 men’s basketball team.[11] The campus athletic center, Mueller Sports Center, was completed in 1979.[11] The Chapel Fine Arts Center was dedicated in 2000.[11]
In 2001, BWC became Oklahoma Wesleyan University.[10]
Presidents
edit- Leo Cox (1969–1974)
- John Snook (1974–1983)
- Paul Mills (1983–2002)
- Charles Joiner (interim, 2002) [12]
- Everett Piper (2002–2019)
- James A. Dunn (2019–present)
Academics
editOKWU offers 54 majors through its five schools: its School of Arts & Sciences, School of Ministry & Christian Thought, School of Business, School of Education and Exercise Science, and School of Nursing.[13]
Rankings
editIn 2019, it was ranked #85 in Regional Universities West, according to U.S. News & World Report.[14]
Athletics
editThe Oklahoma Wesleyan (OKWU) athletic teams are called the Eagles. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference since the 2015–16 academic year.[15] They are also a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the Central Region of the Division I level. The Eagles previously competed in the defunct Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC) from 1994–95 to 2014–15 (when the conference dissolved).[15]
OKWU competes in 19 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, track & field and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, beach volleyball (added in 2021–22), cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading and eSports.[15]
Notable alumni
edit- Kurt Bahr, Missouri state legislator
- David Brown, Minnesota state legislator
- Orval Butcher, minister
- Jim Garlow, minister, author, political activist
- Joshua Klumb, South Dakota state legislator
- Wilbur Nelson, minister and radio broadcaster, Morning Chapel Hour
- Jordan Tata, professional baseball player
References
edit- ^ a b "Oklahoma Wesleyan University". US News Best Colleges. U.S. News & World Report LP. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ Oklahoma Wesleyan University Brand Guidelines (PDF). August 3, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
- ^ "Majors". Oklahoma Wesleyan University. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ "Higher Learning Commission". www.hlcommission.org.
- ^ "Accreditation". Oklahoma Wesleyan University.
- ^ a b Linda D. Wilson, "Oklahoma Weslayan University." Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
- ^ J.C. Derrick (August 31, 2015). "Second school leaves the CCCU". WORLD Magazine. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
"We believe in missional clarity and view the defense of the biblical definition of marriage as an issue of critical importance," said Everett Piper, former president of Oklahoma Wesleyan University, "The CCCU's reluctance to make a swift decision sends a message of confusion rather than conviction."
- ^ "Oklahoma Wesleyan Files Suit Challenging Department of Education". Press Release. Oklahoma Wesleyan. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
- ^ "OKWU History". Oklahoma Wesleyan University. OKWU. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f "Mission & History". Oklahoma Wesleyan University. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "OKWU Milestone Timeline" (PDF).
- ^ "Charles Joiner – American Behavioral". American Behavioral Benefits Managers. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
- ^ "Residential Academic Programs". Oklahoma Wesleyan University. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^ "Oklahoma Wesleyan University". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Oklahoma Wesleyan to Join KCAC in Fall 2015". KCAC. Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. June 23, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
External links
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