Year One - Online in Review

 

This year, the first academic year that Oak Hills has offered online courses, 47 students completed a total of 125 online courses. Some of these students were online degree-seeking students. Others were traditional on-campus students who filled in needed courses or benefited from a broad range of elective course choices. And some were high school students taking courses for college credit. One high-school student completed 10 online courses, 30 credits, and will enter college as a sophomore! What a great start!

During this year, we have learned a lot and we are expanding the opportunities for students to profit from online education at Oak Hills. Here is a summary of what’s up!

Bachelor’s Degree in Leadership and Ministry                                    126 Credits

Start from zero or transfer in to complete this degree all online. Tuition is $350/credit and you are eligible to apply for financial aid. Student loan deferral is possible.

NEW!! Associate’s Degree in Biblical Studies and Ministry              63 Credits

The same tuition and financial aid applies as above.

NEW!! Students who left Oak Hills without completing their degree may complete their original degree whenever all of their remaining courses can be taken all online. The same tuition and financial aid applies as in our other online degrees. Check with us to see how this may apply to you.

NEW!! Continuing education online caters to the adult who wants to take online college courses for academic credit but who does not need/want to seek a degree. A special tuition rate of $175/credit applies. Adults in ministry are encouraged to seek their church’s sponsorship.

PSEO and traditional students can take online courses towards their high school or college degree.

According to a recent New York Times article, “Among all segments of workers sorted by educational attainment, college graduates are the only group that has more people employed today than when the recession hit.”[1] College graduates are better positioned to find employment and, as the economy improves, will be better placed to find promotions and positions that fully use their knowledge and skills.

If you haven’t checked the Adult/Online section of our website (oakhills.edu) recently, now is the time to check out these new opportunities for you to pursue your dream for a college education and degree. We are here to serve – let us know how we can help!

 

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               [1] Catherine Rampell, “College Graduates Fare Well in Jobs Market, Even Through Recession.” in the New York Times, May 3, 2013 http://www.nytimes.com (accessed May 6, 2013).

Announcing New Online Associate's Degree

As of June, 2013, Oak Hills will offer an Online Associate's Degree in Biblical Studies and Ministry. This degree will provide the adult online student with a broadly based program of biblical studies and ministry studies. It will prepare the student to serve in churches, para-church organizations or personal ministry. It will also prepare the learner who wants to pursue further education for a Bachelor's degree.

If you are in ministry and want to deepen your knowledge of the Bible, theology, and ministry skills, this program will meet that need. Older adults in a second or "finisher" career or church involvement will find the online courses well suited to their needs. Younger adults may well want to start with an Associate's degree and build toward further education. Of course, any prior college experience will be evaluated for transfer credits into the program.

As with the Bachelor's in Leadership and Ministry, the Associate's degree courses will all be offered online. Courses are short (5-10 weeks) and can be taken one or two at a time, at the pace you need. Financial aid is available. Our online tuition for 2013-2014 is $350/credit, one of the lowest for a private non-profit Christian college in the Midwest.

Summary of Degree Requirements -
Biblical Studies - 24 credits (8 courses)
Christian Ministry - 18 credits (6 courses)
General Education - 18 credits (6 courses)

With many online courses to choose from, each student will develop an individual graduation plan with courses particular to his/her ministry needs.

What jobs can I get?

"What jobs can I get with this degree?" You've probably asked the question. If you have ever looked through any college degree sites, you will have noticed that almost every degree description addresses the types of careers for which the degree prepares you. Certainly this is a fair question and it is legitimate to expect some upfront information. The descriptions will give you a general idea of what to expect.

The purpose of the online Bachelor's Degree in Leadership and Ministry at OHCC states:
This degree will give Christian adults the opportunity to: (a) explore contemporary leadership and ministry issues from a biblical perspective, (b) search the mind and will of God, (c) dialogue with others who both lead and serve in their worlds, and (d) develop skills needed to lead and ministry in a wide range of business, human services, church and para-church careers.

These are fairly broad brush strokes, wouldn't you agree? The "intangibles" that will make this personal for you include:
(a) What is your starting point? How far do you have to go?
(b) What talents and abilities do you have, what have you developed, and how might you develop these further?
(c) How is your character? What level of integrity and what values are rock solid in your life?
(d) What are your ministry passions? What is your drive in life?
(e) How is your support system? Friends, mentors, and life context all play into your life direction.
(f) Are you open to wherever and however God will lead you? Changes and some surprises can be a delight when you are walking with Him.
(g) What are you willing to put into your education? Can you engage and keep at it?

Oak Hills will provide you with a solid biblical education that opens doors. You are the one that can turn potential into reality.

Vocations and Education for Life

Dr. Steve Ware, Dean of the College contributes the following to our Oak Hills Online Blog.

Educators love paradoxes.  We love to find inconsistencies in ideas which will lead students to clearer, deeper thinking.  We love to argue about questions like, “Can a man drown in the fountain of eternal life?” or chuckle when someone says something like, “No one goes to that restaurant because it’s too crowded.”  Interestingly, higher education is finding itself in the middle of a paradox.

According to information in a recent article in Forbes Magazine, people born between 1977 and 1997 stay in jobs for an average of less than 3 years.[1]  That means they could have upwards of fifteen jobs over their working careers.  Experts also predict that they will change careers—not just jobs, but lines of work—at least every ten years.[2]

However, students, parents and governments are insisting that higher education focus almost exclusively on work skills.  College programs are evaluated on work placement rates and the average incomes of program graduates.[3]  All of this is based on the assumption that the investment in college should pay vocational dividends.  

Herein lies the rub.  Colleges are becoming increasingly vocational at the same time that students are less likely to stay in a particular vocation for any length of time.  The desire of students to be vocationally nimble along with the cultural demand that college be more directly vocational is quite a paradox.

At Oak Hills Christian College, our programs are designed to prepare people for service in their communities, workplaces, churches and families right now and into the future.  We believe that a thorough understanding of the Bible; the ability to think critically, creatively and independently; strong communication and interpersonal skills; and vocational training and experience in ministry, human services and business are in the best short- and long-term interests of students.  Most of all, we believe that students thus equipped will make the most significant contributions to the Kingdom of Heaven.

If you are interested in this kind of education, contact us.

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[1] Jeanie Meister, “Job Hopping Is the ‘New Normal’ for Millennials: Three Ways to Prevent a Human Resource Nightmare,” Forbes, August 14, 2012, http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeannemeister/2012/08/14/job-hopping-is-the-new-normal-for-millennials-three-ways-to-prevent-a-human-resource-nightmare/  (accessed April 18, 2013).

[2] “Understanding Generation Y,” Sustainable Employee Motivation, http://www.sustainable-employee-motivation.com/generation-Y.html (accessed April 18, 2013).

[3] Michael Stratford, “193 Vocational Programs Fail ‘Gainful Employment’ Test, The Chronicle of Higher Education, June 26, 2012, http://chronicle.com/article/193-Vocational-Programs-Fail/132593/ (accessed April 18, 2013).

Sustainable Organizations Need Wisdom

The business world is re- discovering the value of wisdom! In "The Development of Practical Wisdom: Its Critical Role in Sustainable Performance" (Performance Improvement, April 2013),  Anthony Marker, associate professor in the College of Engineering at Boise State University,  states, "So, while profit may be necessary for an organization, it is not enough for long-term health and survival. For these, an organization also needs...wisdom." As business and organizations focus on sustainability, there is a concerted effort to understand the nature of wisdom and what aspects of wisdom can be learned by leaders and followers.  Marker cites the work of Stephen Hall (Wisdom: From Philosophy to Neuroscience, 2010) to describe eight aspects of wisdom:
1. Emotional regulation
2. Knowing what is important
3. Moral reasoning
4. Compassion
5. Humility
6. Altruism
7. Patience
8. Dealing with uncertainty

It would appear that the business world is currently grappling with principles well established in Scripture. Solomon, in Proverbs 2: 6-9 states:"For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.  He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones. Then you will discern righteousness and justice, And equity and every good course." (NASB)

The Leadership and Ministry degree program at Oak Hills Christian College seeks to develop godly men and women, persons of integrity who have learned to listen to the wisdom of God. What better resource can there be for organizations?

Reference

Marker, Anthony. "The Development of Practical Wisdom: Its Critical Role in Sustainable Performance." Performance Improvement, 52(4), 11-21.

View "Online" as a Tool

Is "online education" the next revolution in higher education, as some would say? Or is it a sign of diminishing quality and lowering standards? There is so much hype surrounding the world of online or distance education! In the end, online education is just a tool for the person committed to learning.

Writing on a personal note, I remember my years in a rural African region working to establish literacy programs. When a few people in a village had the desire to learn, but could not afford the chalk or blackboard used in classes they would smooth the side of a mud hut and use charcoal bits from the fire for their lessons. They sat under mango trees or grass shade huts driven by a passion to learn. The tools were simple. The drive to learn was key.

Distance education has changed and developed greatly as communications technology has advanced. Those who went through the first days of online courses, some with negative experiences, would be amazed at the versatility of online these days. Using the analogy of building a house, we have moved from hammer and saw to power tools. But in the end, the tool is only functional in the hand of one using it. The learner with a passion to learn will learn.

Are you up for it? Contact us for more information.

Recognize diversity, build unity - a leadership skill

 

"Diversity is God's creation, Unity is God's glory."  This is a quote from one participant in a Supervisor Survival Skills Workshop, S. Sudan, recently sponsored and led by SIL International. 

Whether missionaries, church leaders, business, education, or development workers in sub-Saharan Africa -  all are well acquainted with issues of diversity.  Issues include such things as multiple ethnic groups with long histories of inter-tribal relations, rural migration to urban centers, vastly differing educational and social backgrounds, differing religious backgrounds and commitments, and individual differences.   "Diversity" may have a different flavor in other regions of the world than in the USA. The challenge in any location is to celebrate diversity, while building unity.  What knowledge, what skills, and what attitudes does a leader need to do this well?  A very partial list might include at least the following:

1. A good understanding of self.

2. The ability to listen actively.

3. The ability to dialogue.

4. Setting vision, strategies, and goals.

5. Defining roles and responsibilities, building accountability.

6. Flexibility and comfort when the "target" must move.

7. Understanding how people learn and how people change.

8. Patient drive and passion. 

   What characteristics would you add to this list? Comments are welcome!