Celebrating Our Differences

“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.”
--Maya Angelous

The Fall term is off to a fabulous start on the campus of ORU!

We have 50 new students in the MBA and Master of Not for Profit Management programs, from all over the world.

That’s one of the best things about ORU… diversity.

China, Zambia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Angola, Sweden, Zimbabwe, El Salvador, Nigeria and Barbados… just a few of the countries represented by our new students. And of course, we love our USA students too!

The Importance of Diversity in a Team

Understanding that each individual has his or her own skill set, knowledge and worldview is a vital concept. A group of individuals sharing their unique (and often diverse) assets is an integral part of what teamwork is all about.

A person’s cultural background can offer areas of possibilities you might not have otherwise incorporated into your work. To employ the fundamentals of diversity and teamwork, utilize differences between others while respecting those differences as well.

Communication is key. Keep those lines open by sharing your viewpoints. Teamwork is cooperating together as a team, working toward a common goal.

VIDEO: Cultural Diversity - Tips for communicating with cultural awareness

How to Succeed in Grad Business School

This post below was written by the former Grad Business Representative, Rebecca, and provided such great insight I thought I’d share it again! Enjoy.

--Elle




It is the first day of a new school year! This is a day to celebrate - the start of something new!

I have been asked by students over the past few years what advice I would give to them as they begin the journey of graduate studies (or continue in them) so I thought I would pass on some of what I have learned as a graduate student (as well as working full-time and being married) that I believe can assist in helping you become a successful student.


* Always work ahead. If you know you have 10 books to read during the semester, start early (talking to myself here as well). And if you finish one early, begin the next. If you know a test is coming up, don't wait until the night before to begin studying - start preparing for it early. This will give you more time to soak in the knowledge while not being incredibly stressed out the night before a test (you can actually get some decent sleep by doing this).

* Set early deadlines. This kind of applies to working ahead - when you know the deadline for submitting a paper, set an early deadline for yourself to finish it...like maybe a week early. This will give you time to review it several times, make all those nice grammatical corrections, and make your paper spectacular.

* Engage in the classroom. Don't just sit there. Be a sponge. Ask questions. Apply what you learn in the classroom to your life.

* Enjoy the process of learning. Don't wish away the class or count down the weeks until it's over. All that will do will leave you anxious. Instead, take in all you can and live in the now. It will do you no good to look so far ahead that you can't see what's directly in front of you. Enjoy the journey.

* Give yourself a night off. It does no good to burn yourself out from studying. I always try to schedule Friday nights as my night off from studying (unless of course it's finals week or something major is coming up the next week). Again, this kind of coincides with working ahead so you can have the night off, but do it. It will refresh your mind and allow you to be more focused later on.

* Get to know people in the program. Don't be an island. The people in your classes all have busy lives too, but they can be an immense encouragement to you during stressful times. Some people come from far-away places, some have years of experience, others have families or careers or both. Get to know them - especially since you will have group projects in nearly every class. Making connections now with your classmates can lead to a lifetime of friendships and connections around the world.

* Pray. Perhaps being in a graduate program already lends itself to giving you great opportunities for increasing prayer in your life, but this is definitely a time in your life that you don't want to forget to pray. Pray for your classmates, your professors, your families and friends, yourself...cast your cares to the Lord and trust in Him (but apply yourself too). He's got everything under control - even in the most stressful of times.

I know this is going to be a fantastic year, full of amazing discoveries, and memories along the way. And when you don't feel like doing that homework, just remember this is only a season and it'll be worth it in the end! (I know I will probably need to be reminded of this myself somewhere during the semester.)

Whether we're ready or not, it's time to welcome in the new academic year!