FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Vicki Morgan                  972.267.1111
                           [email protected]

Julie Shultz      [email protected]
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Religion/Education Editors

$70 MILLION AND SOME CHANGE:
Green Family Sees High Rate of Return in
First 125 Days After Gift to ORU

 

With a commitment to the founding vision of Oral Roberts University (ORU), the newly-appointed 19-member Board of Trustees, headed by Board Chair Mart Green, has moved forward swiftly and decisively in the first 125 days since the university accepted the original $8 million financial gift from the Green family.

The second phase gift of $62 million from the Green family is being used to pay down debt and facilitate major improvements in campus, curriculum and community at ORU. Funds have been allotted to student recruitment and retention, scholarships and other financial aid, as well as other campus improvements. Currently underway are structural renovations, electrical and technology upgrades, as well as faculty and staff development programs.

“We are interested in quality, whole person education and are intentional in our resolve to provide our students with the tools necessary to become the next generation of key influencers and leaders in our world,” Green said. “To that end, we want to make sure the facilities in which they learn are upgraded to accommodate the learning process.”

In addition, ORU has launched a $25 million matching gift program called “Renewing the Vision.” With more than $4 million already received in donations since February by more than 3,700 donors, the ORU Board of Trustees will match every gift, dollar for dollar, up to the campaign’s goal. These funds will be used to provide supplemental campus initiatives, including funds to provide for operational expenses, university refurbishment, renovations and upgrades, and academic enhancements focused on faculty and staff development.

It has been a busy and energetic 125 days since the unprecedented financial and leadership transition at ORU, with excitement buzzing among students and staff and the Tulsa community, reverberating to ORU alumni and friends across the nation and around the world. “It is a new day at ORU with a renewed dedication to our students and a heart for serving the interdenominational body of Christ,” Green said.

On January 30, 2008, the $62 million gift that followed an initial seed gift of $8 million by the Green family was accepted by the University, and a new Board of Trustees was established to provide a 21st century shared governance structure. The Board of Trustees is comprised of 19 leaders in the fields of ministry, education and business. ORU is an accredited institution of higher learning, with nationally recognized programs.

ORU is an interdenominational Christian liberal arts university in Tulsa, Okla. that is committed to quality, whole person education. ORU has 63 undergraduate majors, 14 master’s degree programs and two doctorial degree programs. The university was founded in 1963 and currently is comprised of students from 49 states and 61 countries.


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NOTE TO EDITORS: To arrange an interview with Mart Green, please contact Vicki Morgan at 972.267.1111 or via e-mail at [email protected].