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President ’sFYIGreetings from the desk ofDr. Leslie N. PollardSecond Quarter, 2013OAKWOOD UNIVERSITYDear Supporters,Spring has sprung. Each spring on our campus is signaled by the blossoming of the manydogwood trees on our Oakwood University campus. At our recent Alumni Weekend, so many ofour returning Alumni commented on the beauty of the grounds and the colorful landscaping thatbrought about so many memories of their days at Oakwood.Another overarching memory that continues to stay with our Alumni is the lasting impact of theOakwood Experience. You will hear me talking about this experience more and more in thecoming days, because it is one of the unforgettable memories that bring the Oakwood alumni,students, faculty, and staff into a common unity.Here is my effort to briefly describe what that experience has meant to me:The Oakwood Experience impacts our entire lifetime; it lasts, not simply for four years, but for 40years! It is academically rigorous and emotionally gratifying—faith is integrated with learning.The Oakwood Experience is set in the American South, and it transcends the South. It arisesfrom the blood-soaked sod of a former slave plantation. It flows east, and west, and north, andaround the world—wherever Oakwoodites are found! Its music is bathed in the rhythms of blackchurch spirituality. The Oakwood Experience is connected by lasting friendships and joyousreunions. Caring teachers, loving staff, wonderful students—the experience spans generations.It is God-appointed, faith-grounded, and service-centered. The experience puts God first! It istransformational, inspirational, exhilarating and stimulating. To know it is to love it! And to love itis to never leave it. The Oakwood Experience—it’s you and me and ‘we’.Enjoy this Spring edition of PFYI . . .Leslie N. Pollard, Ph.D., D.Min., MBAPresident, Oakwood UniversityINSIDE THIS ISSUEOakwood launches 9MCapital Campaign:Big Things to ComeStrategic Planning PositionsOakwood for MeasuredGrowthSpiritual Life Master PlanPromises to StrengthenOakwood Mission

StrategicallyPlanning forTransformationOakwood University is in the midst of an exciting andhighly interactive strategic planning process. Whencompleted, it will cover a period of 13 months ofstrategic visioning and planning.The process began with a Strategic Actioning Session(SAS) September 18-20, 2012. Under the guidanceof Marble Leadership Partners, Inc., a group of 60Oakwood stakeholders participated in three days ofengaged reading, conversations, visioning and, finally,decision-making.Representation from students,faculty, staff, administration, trustees, alumni, and ourK-18 and civic communities provided widely varyingperspectives. Those decisions received unanimoussupport. The process was inspiring and the outcomeshave helped to fuel a continuing conversation oncampus.The momentum started by the SAS has been followedup by a series of meetings in which stakeholdersacross campus have been given opportunities toprovide feedback on each of the following areas: The Mission and Vision of the UniversityOur ValuesOur GoalsThe strategic initiatives that should becomethe priorities for the next several years.On April 1 and 2, President Pollard convened alock-in of selected administrators to review all thestakeholders’ feedback, to recommend a MissionStatement (retooled, possibly) and institutionalvalues, and to select from the SAS those decisionswhich remain Oakwood’s priorities.An updated Strategic Plan will continue to developover the next several months, through: Board ofTrustees’ feedback (April); on-campus documentreview and feedback sessions (May and August);and a final Board vote (October).

Helen Miller Kanion was born in 1915 to Elder Henryand Mrs. Elizabeth Miller. Elder Miller is consideredone of the pioneer black Adventist ministers and Mrs.Miller was the first full-time black bible worker for theMid-America Union Conference. The Millers’ werestrong believers in Adventist Christian education.Helen was educated in Adventist schools fromkindergarten through college. She was enrolledin Oakwood Academy in 1930 and graduated fromOakwood Junior College. Helen always wanted tobe a nurse but due to racial barriers at that time, shecould not do clinical nurse training in some Adventisthospitals. She instead enrolled in the School ofNursing at Meharry Medical College in Nashville,Tennessee and graduated as a registered nurse (RN).After graduation, Helen remained in Nashville to workat Riverside Adventist Hospital. She soon decided topursue further education and enrolled at EmmanuelMissionary College, now Andrews University, andcompleted her BSN degree.Helen married William Kanion in 1949 and togetherthey had four children: Will Kanion, Dr. Zavon Kanion(Jackie), Neva Kanion Artis (Dr. Keith) and Dr. ShaunKanion (Vickie). All four children were educated inAdventist schools kindergarten through OakwoodCollege.Of note, Neva Kanion Artis is a graduate of the firstnursing class at Oakwood College and Helen’sdaughters in law, Jackie and Vickie, are both nurses.Helen Miller Kanion’s commitment to health care andservice to others has passed through her children toher grandchildren as Dr. Tiffany Kanion Simpson, Dr.Ashley Artis, and Dr. Adriene Artis are all physicians.In addition, one other grandchild is a hospitaladministrator and another is currently enrolled inMeharry Medical College School of Dental Medicine.Nicholas Kanion is currently an Oakwood Universitysophomore.Helen and William Kanion believed in the educationof the head, heart, and hand--academics, God, andwork.Helen Miller Kanion has lived a life of service toothers. She was engaged in nursing for sixty years.As a member of the church in Kansas City, she hasserved as pianist, choir director, Sabbath schoolsuperintendent, Pathfinder Leader, camp meetingnurse and many other church tasks over the years.She now is enjoying retired life and keeping up withher children, grandchildren and great grandchildrenas much as she can.To honor Helen Miller Kanion’s love of OakwoodUniversity, Christian education and her commitmentto a life of service to others through a career inhealth care, Dr. Zavon and Mrs. Jackie Kanion haveestablished the Helen Miller Kanion Scholarship.Their initial gift of one hundred thousand dollars is toassist in the education of future health care providerswho have the noble goal of a life of service to others.

In the “Extra Mile Moment,” we feature employees whorepresent the dedicated workforce of Oakwood UniversitySodexo’s Mike Beutel’s 3Psscores “dining 4.0 gpa!”PROBLEM AWARENESS:The Sodexo Dining Campus StudentSurveys, done once each semester,had plummeted to an abysmal 17%level at “the Café” in spring 2011 –against a national 45% norm – beforeMike Beutel came to Oakwood asgeneral manager for Sodexo, ouroutsourced dining services company.PROCESSES’ EXECUTION:First, Beutel conducted needsanalysis revealed that the cause ofthe low satisfaction rate was lack ofleadership out on the floor duringpeak meal times; overseeing flooroperations was key to improvingcustomer satisfaction.Additionally, he stressed the importance oflooking at the operation through the customers’eyes. Next was customer service in-serviceopportunities for the workers. The cafeteria andmarket push the SET strategy which includes “Asmile, eye contact, and a thank you. All of thesedetails make our dining areas a welcoming andhospitable environment for students. Sodexosees feedback as a very important tool for greatcustomer service.”Then, a Food Service Committee was createdusing USM students that recruit freshman,sophomores, junior, and seniors that met Beutelmonthly, to provide feedback on the simple thingsthat improve the dining experience for all students.PRODUCTS’ AFFIRMATION: Customer Satisfaction Scores, Spring 2011 Cafe - 17%, Market - 46%; Fall 2011 - Cafe - 31%, Market - 49%; Spring 2012 - Cafe - 40%, Market - 50%; and Fall 2012 - Cafe - 55%, Market - 91%!Finally, Madison County Weekly Restaurant HealthRatings Best Restaurant Health Scores (2/15/13): Sodexo/Oakwood College Market7000 Adventist Blvd (90) Sodexo Cafeteria at Oakwood7000 Adventist Blvd (94)

Spiritual LifeMaster PlanAll accredited Seventh-day Adventist colleges and universities are expected by the AccreditingAssociation of Seventh-day Adventist Schools, Colleges and Universities (AAA) to have aSpiritual Master Plan. This plan identifies the spiritual goals and outcomes of the institution andhow the institution plans to assess them.On March 24, 2013, President Pollard and Dr. Howard Weems, Special Assistant to Presidentfor Spiritual Life, convened a “Spiritual Life Retreat”- to revamp and update OU’ SMP, utilizingcurrent LifeCore data. Dr. Garland Dulan, Education and Social Science Dean Dr. JamesMbyirukira, Faculty Development AVP Dr. Prudence Pollard and OSL’s Pollard, Pearson andSauls spent two days together at the Marriott Shoals in Florence, Alabama reading throughresearch data, analyzing the master plan, and establishing programs, goals, outcomes, andassessment measures.The result was the development of a fine-tuned document thatwill assist the institution in executing its spiritual mission.Above, Chaplain Weems (center) standswith Chaplain T. Marshall Kelly (left) andChaplain Ron Pollard (right). Seatedare Chaplain Kimberly Pearson (left) andRebecca Sauls, Office Manager.

Oakwood Universitylaunches 9M CapitalCampaign’s first stepA totally renovated Carter Hall freshman women’sresidence and an expanded Ford Hall facilityto include a re-constituted communicationdepartment and new media center to initiate theOakwood University Broadcasting Network, willserve as the first-phase projects of OU’s 9Mcapital campaign.A capital campaign is a time-limited effort by anonprofit organization to raise significant dollarsfor a specific project; often, the money raised is tofund the acquisition, construction, or renovationof a building (source: About.com).“As we seek ways to enhance the OakwoodUniversity Experience*, the Board of Trusteesand the Administration have approved a numberof capital plans to enrich the lives of current andfuture Oakwood University students,” explainedPresident Dr. Leslie N. Pollard. “We believethe Building on the Past: Framing the FutureCampaign is the first step in a series of plans toupgrade and modernize the current buildings onthe campus and revitalize our mission.”Miss Kisha Norris, Advancement & DevelopmentExecutive Director, outlined the first-phaseprojects as:1. Bessie Carter Hall, built in 1966 to house thegrowing female population in the late 1970’s, willbe renovated completely – a 5.5 million project.During this 12-month restoration freshmanwomen, housed there traditionally, will be“Go ye into all the world and preachwas Jesus Christ’s commission to His disciples. Asfollowers of Christ, the Oakwood University Officeof Spiritual Life (OSL) plans to do likewise under thebranding OU4HHIM: Oakwood University 4 (corners of the Earth); and HHIM (His Hands in Mission).According to Associate Chaplain Ronald Pollard, theOSL program includes local and national missionexperiences for students, faculty and staff as well ascommunity supporters who wish to participate.historical importance to African American experience. Orlando - Because of important contacts alreadymade during the latest national youth congress heldby BAYDA. Kenya - Because of previous experiences with aministry formerly known as “heritage missions.” Therehas been much success during the past 13 years ofmission work in Nairobi and Mombasa. Madagascar - Since it is part of the faculty andstaff development extended to OU employees.The places chosen for the mission service include: Memphis - Because already churches are thereto connect readily with Oakwood, as well as its ownThe goals of this spiritual experience are: Evangelism - Several Revivals and Youth Ralliesare planned for Mombasa.