ORU Celebrates 10th Anniversary of President William M. Wilson
Tulsa, Okla.– On September 20, 2013, Dr. William M. Wilson was inaugurated as the fourth president of Oral Roberts University (ORU). Since taking office, Wilson has piloted the largest campus expansion in the University’s history, raising more than $175 million that has and is funding six new buildings (debt-free without tuition dollars).
This has also included substantial renovations to existing structures on campus, including the Mabee Center, the Global Learning Center, the Fenimore & Fisher College of Business, the Nursing and Engineering Complex, the new ONEOK Sports Complex (for track and field and tennis), a new home for the biology department, and the establishing of the David and Barbara Green Centre for Global Leadership. In addition, millions of dollars have been raised for scholarships with a special emphasis on assisting international and first-generation students.
During Wilson’s tenure, ORU’s enrollment has grown annually, attaining the largest year-over-year recorded percentage growth in over 25 years. This fall, ORU achieved a record semester enrollment of 5,365 and exceeded 6,000 students for the first time in history during the academic year 2022-2023. ORU’s student population represents all 50 states and over 150 nations, earning the ranking as one of the top 25 most diverse universities in America. In June 2023, Wilson accepted the offer from the Board of Trustees to lead the University for another ten years, while the average tenure of a college president is just over 5 years.
On the 10th anniversary of the inauguration, Dr. Wilson was asked to share some reflective insights about his leadership tenure at ORU and how the University continues to achieve historic growth during a challenging period for higher education.
Q. You are known as a student’s president and a champion of Generation Z. What is the attraction and appeal you have to this generation of students?
A. Generation Z is amazing. They are industrious, technologically proficient, authentic, and serious about their spirituality. It is an honor to serve this generation as a university president. I believe that they are the greatest generation in the history of the world, and they will make a greater difference in the world than any previous generation. They are under spiritual attack, but in many ways, this is only reverse confirmation of their importance and potential impact.
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(SOURCE: Oral Roberts University)
