OAKLAND CITY – Oakland City University celebrated the graduation of 174 students Saturday, May 6, 2023, on the campus of Oakland City University.
Chartered by the State of Indiana in 1885, OCU professes a philosophy from the Biblical perspective of all persons’ worth and dignity and the Christian worldview’s integrative nature. OCU is committed to providing opportunities for cultural enrichment, intellectual growth, and quality education, leading to responsible societal involvement.
OCU President, Dr. Ron Dempsey, presided over the 128th commencement. After welcoming the standing-room-only family members, guests of the graduates, and members of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Dempsey congratulated the graduates.
Four students graduated from the Chapman School of Business, founded in 1885; forty-two students from the School of Arts and Science, founded in 1885, sixty-one students from the School of Education, founded in 1907; and sixty-seven students from OCU’s School of Business, founded in 1918.
Before leaving the K-12 education level, OCU’s Outreach Correspondence Program presented fifty-four students from various tri-state high schools with their Bachelor’s or Associate of Arts degrees in University Studies.
Five students achieved a perfect 4.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) throughout their OCU studies. Those
students are:
- Madison Helton from Marysville, Indiana
- Megan Knox from Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Pearl Miller from Washington, Indiana
- Noah Peak from Evansville, Indiana
- Milan Van der Breggen from Purmerend, The Netherlands
Dr. Chris Davis was named Oakland City University “Professor of the Year.”
Indiana Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch gave the commencement address. The Lt. Governor encouraged the graduates to follow their passion and dare to step into the unknown, but to do so with toughness and grit. She emphasized that they would get knocked down on their journey but encouraged them to pick themselves back up, dust themselves off, and have the courage to keep going.
The Lt. Governor’s message to the graduates pointed out that there are differences in each of us and that those differences make each of us unique and add to the world’s beauty. She told the graduates never to compromise their faith, family, and freedom. She, too, has had to realize that she is not in control of her life but that God is in control, and it is her responsibility to follow God’s commands.
She concluded by telling the graduates that their country needs them, their school needs them, and their community needs them, so they should have a servant’s heart, always looking forward and never looking back. Knowing OCU has readied them for the challenges and opportunities ahead, the Lt. Governor quoted the Bible from 2 Timothy 4:7: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith.”
OCU Interim Provost and Dean of the School of Business, Dr. Cathy Robb, presented the students for graduation after certifying that each had met their academic degree requirements. Then OCU President Dr. Ron Dempsey conferred upon the students the degree by which they completed all the work, with all rights and privileges, making it official as he invited the graduates to move the tassel from the right side of their caps to the left, signifying their degree.
Oakland City University provides students with a Christian learning environment giving students a hand-up and supporting them financially and academically as they pursue fulfilling careers and purposeful lives.
OCU is ranked 7th Nationally by U.S. World Report for social mobility and 4th by OnlineU for Online Forensic Science Degreed program in the U.S. OCU is blessed with 38% student diversity and 29% first-generation college students, awarding over $13M in financial aid awards. In addition, OCU’s student-athlete success rate is 88%, with a 12:1 student-to-faculty class rate in over 50 career-focused concentrations. Enter to Learn – Go Forth to Serve.
OCU is located at 138 North Lucretia Street, Oakland City, IN 47660, and can be found online at www.oak.edu. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube.
