Oakland University

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Not to be confused with Oakland Community College, Oakland College or Oakland City University.

Oakland University
Oakland University seal.svg
Former name
Michigan State University-Oakland
MottoSeguir virtute e canoscenza (Italian) from Dante's Inferno [1]
Motto in English
Seek virtue and knowledge
TypePublic research university
Established1957; 64 years ago (1957)
Academic affiliations
Space-grant
Endowment$102.1 million (2020)[2]
PresidentOra Hirsch Pescovitz
Students20,012 (Fall 2016) [3]
Undergraduates16,568 (Fall 2016)[4]
Postgraduates3,444 (Fall 2016) [4]
Location
Rochester Hills
,
Michigan
,
United States
CampusSuburban; 1,443 acres (584 ha)
ColorsBlack & Gold[5]
         
NicknameGolden Grizzlies
Websitewww.oakland.edu
Oakland University wordmark.svg

Oakland University is a public research university[6] in Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills, Michigan.[fn 1] It is the second largest university in the Detroit Metropolitan Area[9] with 20,012 students and it is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity."[10] The university offers 132 bachelor's degree programs and 138 professional graduate certificate, master's degree, and doctoral degree programs, including those offered by the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine.

Oakland University was created in 1957 when the heiress to the Dodge automaker fortune, Matilda Dodge Wilson and her second husband, lumber baron, Alfred Wilson, donated their 1,443-acre (584 ha) estate to Michigan State University, for the formation of Michigan State University-Oakland, later renamed Oakland University.[11] The donation included two million dollars, their contiguous mansions Meadow Brook Hall and Sunset Terrace, which now forms the Oakland University campus, and all associated collections of cultural artifacts. Covering 88,000 square feet (8,200 m2) and with 110 rooms,[12][13] the Tudor-Revival style Meadow Brook Hall is the fourth largest historic mansion museum in the United States, a National Historic Landmark, and is classified as one of America’s Castles.[14]

The university's athletic teams compete in Division I of the NCAA and are collectively known as the Golden Grizzlies. They are members of the Horizon League.

History[]

Origins[]

In 1908, John Francis Dodge and his wife Matilda purchased a farmhouse and 320 acres (130 ha) of land known as Meadow Brook Farms, located in central Oakland County.[15]

In 1920, Matilda inherited John's fortune upon his death, soon remarrying to a lumber baron, . Between 1926 and 1929, the couple built Meadow Brook Hall on the land.[16]

Michigan State University–Oakland to Oakland University[]

Meadow Brook Hall.

Oakland University was created in 1957 when Matilda Dodge Wilson and her second husband, Alfred Wilson, donated their 1,443-acre (5.84 km2) estate to Michigan State University, including Meadow Brook Hall, Sunset Terrace and all the estate's other buildings and collections, along with $2 million. Main campus buildings were completed on Squirrel Road in Pontiac Township (now the city of Auburn Hills). Originally known as Michigan State University–Oakland, the university enrolled its first students in 1959, was renamed Oakland University in 1963,[citation needed] and has been officially independent of Michigan State University since 1970.[17]

Mailing address[]

Wilson demanded that U.S. Postmaster General Arthur Summerfield let the university use a Rochester, Michigan, mailing address (201 Meadow Brook Rd., Rochester, Michigan 48309[7]), even though the main campus was in Pontiac Township (now the city of Auburn Hills). After Wilson reminded him that she had contributed to his administration, Summerfield granted her request.[18]

Presidential primaries[]

During the 2012 Republican presidential primaries, Oakland University hosted a debate between Republican presidential candidates on November 9, 2011. CNBC televised the debate nationally, and the Michigan Republican Party co-sponsored the debate with CNBC.[19][20] Eight candidates participated: Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum.[citation needed]

Campus expansion[]

On February 12, 2013, the Oakland University Board of Trustees approved a $65 million investment in campus expansion and improvement projects. Completed in the fall of 2014, projects included: construction of a nearly $30 million student housing complex; dramatic enhancement of outdoor recreation and athletic fields; construction of a 1,240-space parking structure, and; construction of new headquarters for facility and grounds maintenance operations.[21] Longtime supporters of the university, Hugh and Nancy Elliott, made a donation to construct the Elliott Tower on the campus. The 151-foot carillon tower was completed in fall 2014 and houses the last bells to be cast by the Royal Bellfoundry Petit & Fritsen of the Netherlands.[citation needed]

Continued growth in the 21st century[]

For the fall 2013 semester, Oakland University had an enrollment of 20,169 students.[4][needs update] Oakland University is the 12th largest college or university in Michigan, 8th largest of 4-year universities. (Based on 2012 enrollment of 19,740)[22]

University administration[]

The board appointed George W. Hynd president of the university in July 2014.[23] He replaced Dr. Gary Russi, who retired in August 2013.

On May 4, 2017, the board announced , M.D., as Oakland University's seventh president. Her tenure began on July 1, 2017, under a 5-year contract.[citation needed]

University Administration Controversies[]

In September 2009, tenured faculty members represented by the Oakland University chapter of the American Association of University Professors went on strike.[24] Issues of contention included the university claiming ownership of professors' copyrights and patents,[25] refusing to allow faculty input into matters of class size and curricula,[26] reduction of health benefits and a three-year salary freeze. The salary freeze was in contrast to university president Gary Russi, who had just received a $100,000 raise.[24] The university's board of trustees maintained that the strike was illegal and filed a lawsuit against the Oakland AAUP.[26] After a week's strike, the faculty and administration came to an agreement on a three-year contract, which was implemented.[27]

In 2020, in preparation for 2021 faculty bargaining, OU AAUP commissioned a financial analysis of Oakland University from the national AAUP. Dr. Rudy Fichtenbaum, Professor Emeritus of Economics at Wright State University and past president of the national AAUP, conducted the study. His analysis, covering the period from fiscal years 2014–⁠2020, is posted on the OU AAUP chapter web site (direct link http://oaklandaaup.org/res/FinancialReport_OU2021.pdf). Everyone is encouraged to take some time to read this analysis as it offers a thorough review of Oakland’s financial situation, provides a straightforward explanation of the various components of the university’s financial statements, and makes informed comments about the possible financial effects of the pandemic.

This report confirms that Oakland’s financial state is strong.  Oakland's net assets (the difference between assets and liabilities) have grown steadily and consistently from 2001 to 2020. Of course, the full financial impact of the pandemic is not yet known, but the university came into the pandemic well-positioned to weather the crisis, and federal Covid-19 stimulus funds have undoubtedly offset some of the lost revenue.

Despite this, and despite faculty agreeing to no raises in 2020 (due to the pandemic), OU administration put forth a dire and drastic economic package. Following OU AAUP's Bargaining Diary, the August 5, 2021: Bargaining Report included Oakland’s Economic Package. At the August 4th bargaining session, Oakland administration submitted their economic package to us. It is a very undesirable proposal in almost every way. Here is a summary of what Oakland proposed:

  • No or low annual raises for full-time faculty.  In the first year of the agreement (this coming year) there will be no raises and each faculty member will receive $500 which is not part of base salary.  In all subsequent years the raise shall be 1.0% merit pool (this does not mean all faculty would receive even a 1% raise, faculty would still be required to complete Merit Reports demonstrating how they "exceeded" expectations to possible earn up to a 1% raise).
  • Freeze minimum salary for all.  The minimum salary for both full-time and special lecturer faculty would be frozen at 2020 levels for the life of the Agreement.
  • Reduction in retirement contribution.  Newly hired faculty will not receive contributions to retirement until after one year at Oakland. For all other faculty the amount that Oakland contributes to retirement, as a percentage of salary, would be reduced by four percentage points.  For example faculty who would have received a 14% contribution would now receive a 10% contribution.
  • Eliminate faculty choice in online instruction.  Remove faculty choice in online instruction and introduce language that says Oakland may also designate courses to be delivered on an online/distance and/or hybrid basis through any combination of these methods. All online/distance learning in lieu of in-person instruction may only be provided with Oakland’s consent.
  • Small increase for some promotion raises.  Increase the amount awarded for promotion to Full Professor from $7,500 to $8,000, but do not to increase the amount for any other promotion raises.
  • Update to merit pay groups.  Update the list of merit pay groups to reflect the fact that the Department of Music, Theater, and Dance is now a School.
  • No merit raises if no report.  Faculty who do not submit an annual activity report will receive no merit raise.
  • No Market Adjustments.  No funds will be provided to bring faculty salaries in line with our peer institutions.
  • Deletion of Chairperson Pay.  Oakland earlier proposed to remove department chairpersons from the Bargaining Unit. This is not a mandatory topic of bargaining and we have already informed them that we do not wish to bargain on it, but they continue to put proposals on the table as if this is going to happen.
  • Change the formula for summer rate of pay.  Replace the current system, which is based on a minimum amount plus a percentage of regular annual salary, with the following per credit hour rates:
    • Visiting Professors  $1,600/cr
    • Full Time Professors of Practice  $1,600/cr
    • Special Instructors  $1,600/cr
    • Assistant Professors  $1,800/cr
    • Associate Professors  $2,000/cr
  • Remove priority for bargaining unit members in summer teaching.  Delete the provision that, whenever possible, courses in the summer sessions will be taught by bargaining unit members.
  • Increase the full-time faculty contribution to health care.  Increase the employee contribution to the comprehensive health insurance plan from its current 5% to 10% in the first year of the new agreement, 15% in the second year of the agreement, and 20% in the third year of the agreement.
  • Allow changes to health insurance plans not mandated by providers.  Allow changes not mandated by the insurance providers to be made without consent of the Association.
  • Dental and optical insurance.  Remove any commitments to specific providers or plans.
  • Reduce the faculty tuition waiver.  Reduce the tuition benefit for dependents of faculty or other qualified adults from the current state where faculty pays 10% of the cost of undergraduate tuition (as a proxy for fees) to a system where the faculty only receives a waiver of 50% of applicable tuition. Add stipulations about performance in degree programs. Remove the stipulation that when this benefit is used, the enrollment in the section must be increased, thereby increasing the cost of the benefit to Oakland.
  • Give Oakland sole control over retirement plan provider choices.  Rather than specifying Fidelity and TIAA-CREF as 403b providers, Oakland may select future providers as they like.
  • Travel.  The amount allocated for faculty travel will remain at the 2020 level for the life of the new agreement.
  • Research.  The amount allocated for faculty research fellowships will remain at the 2020 level for the life of the new agreement.
  • Add paid parental leave.  Create 12-week paid parental leave for care of a child upon birth or placement by adoption or fostering if it overlaps with Fall or Winter semesters. We are in the process of comparing it to the proposal we previously put on the table.

Based on the economic package proposed by OU administration, for full-time faculty there would be no raise in base salary in year 1 and then only 1% merit pool raises in subsequent years. However, their proposed reductions in employer contribution to retirement and health care premiums are so severe that they cause a net reduction in total compensation. For example, in year 2, a faculty member making $75,000 per year could receive an approximate raise in salary of $750. (The 1% in their proposal is all merit pool so even $750 is optimistic.) However, that same year they would pay an extra $1738 in health care premiums (assuming they take the lowest cost options and assuming health care premiums do not increase). This same faculty member would receive 30% less in retirement contribution or a cut of $3,787. Therefore, total compensation would be a severe net loss:  $750-$5525 = -$4775.  That is a 6.4% loss in compensation.

The cuts to retirement contributions are especially insidious because faculty not only lose the amount of the contribution to retirement, but they also lose all compounded investment gains which would have been earned from that money for all future years until they retire.

2021 Bargaining Diary (Highlights)[]

1:00 am, Thursday, Sept. 2.[]

As of 1 o'clock Thursday morning, the two sides have not reached an agreement.  The contract has expired.  Additionally, on Wednesday, the Association filed an unfair labor practice charge regarding the Oakland's failure to bargain the impact of the COVID vaccine mandate on our members.  Therefore the Bargaining Team has exercised its authority and called for a work stoppage, effective immediately.

We will return to the bargaining table at 10 am.

8:45p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 1.

Status update: the parties have been bargaining since noon. Progress has been made on some issues. Many economic issues remain unresolved: including but not limited to full-time faculty raises, full-time faculty health insurance, special lecturer pay increases, special lecturer health insurance, as well as tuition waivers and retirement benefits for all bargaining unit faculty members. We are currently continuing to bargain in good faith.

August 31, 2021:  Bargaining Report[]

7:40 pm

The Agreement has been extended until Wednesday, September 1, 2021 at 11:59pm.

Since our last update, we have received no new proposals from OU. At 7:40pm, the mediator informed us that  OU needed more time to formulate a counterproposal.

We are adjourned until noon Wednesday, the earliest they are willing to meet with us. Prior to our adjournment, the AAUP Bargaining Team made it clear that we were willing to stay as long as needed to work towards an agreement late into the night as the faculty are cognizant that classes start for our students on Thursday at 8:00am.  

7:00 pm

We have been in a bargaining session, facilitated by a state mediator who had been requested by both sides, with the Oakland team since 9 am. In all this time, we have not received any change in the University’s economic proposals.  Many hours ago, we submitted a revised economic proposal, to which the University has not responded in any meaningful way.

However, we had exchanges on language items:

  • We reached a tentative agreement on language on workload policy review.The language is a compromise.The agreed-upon language does not give Oakland the unilateral ability to rewrite workload policies, but it does have a more extensive process for review and deliberation in the review of workload policies.Additionally,it sets timelines for both sides to meet and respond when a unit reviews its workload policy.
  • We reached a tentative agreement not to change Article 29 and Appendix I which determine the university calendar.
  • We reached a tentative agreement on Article V (Association Rights) and resolved minor language issues without substantive changes to this article.

We have discussed many issues surrounding making the contract more equitable for Special Lecturers.  Oakland has rejected, in totality, any changes to Special Lecturer benefits and mitigating the adverse consequences to Special Lecturers as the University converts more classes from 4 credits to 3 credits.

We are willing to continue all night tonight and all day and night tomorrow to deliver a fair contract for our amazing faculty prior to the start of classes.

August 29, 2021:  Bargaining Update[]

After our last bargaining session both sides contacted the Michigan Employment Relations Commission and requested a mediator who will be joining us this week.  As we wait to continue negotiations, we’d like to share more perspective about one of the items on the table:

Academic Choice in Online Instruction and Paragraph 92 of our Agreement.  Even before the pandemic, online instruction as part of our course offerings has grown; some departments have even created fully online programs.  This growth has been successful because the faculty drive the decisions about course modality.  Our faculty Agreement protects that choice.

Paragraph 92 of our Agreement is key to the success of our mix of modalities including online/remote instruction.  First it says that faculty may voluntarily engage in the development and delivery of online course delivery, thus protecting their role in these decisions.  However, paragraph 92 goes further.  It also has language to ensure that online courses are of the same quality as their in-person counterparts.  The process of development, review, and approval must be the same, and the faculty workload expectations are the same.  It is our position that this paragraph not be changed.

Oakland’s current position in bargaining is to delete paragraph 92 entirely from the agreement.  They first proposed to change this paragraph by inserting language to give Oakland the decision-making power on course modality.  When we challenged them on that, they retreated to simply strike the word “voluntarily” from the clause.  When we challenged them on that, they countered with striking the paragraph altogether.  Their latest position would take away both contractual protections of faculty choice and protections of course quality.

We wish to note that when the pandemic first hit in the middle of the Winter 2020 semester and Oakland desired to move in-person classes online, the Association was a fully cooperating partner and rapidly granted a contract exception for online instruction, further indicating how our contractual language has never stood in the way of meeting student needs.  Rather, the faculty worked with the administration to sustain the university’s mission through the crisis.

We return to the table Tuesday and will continue to seek a fair and equitable contract.

August 26, 2021:  Bargaining Report[]

The two sides met for bargaining on Wednesday August 25.  We were not able to reach a resolution so the faculty agreement has been extended to midnight August 31. We started the session introducing counter proposals on a package of language items and on the economic package.

Special Lecturers.  Since the beginning of summer, we have been seeking to protect special lecturers from losing their status if they are assigned three-credit instead of 4-credit classes.  A special lecturer is defined as a part-time faculty member who teaches at least 16 credits per year.  In a program with four credit courses, that is, of course, four courses.  In recent years, some programs, at the urging of administration, have changed a large number of their courses to 3 credits in order to reduce the total number of credits in their major and thus control costs to students.  However, an unintended consequence is that special lecturers may lose their designation because they now teach fewer credits.  Therefore, one of our earliest proposals was language that, for purposes of defining the special lecturer title, 3-credit courses would count as 4-credit courses.  Throughout negotiations Oakland has opposed this.  Most recently, we presented it as a trade with an item they wanted. They would not have it.  We even proposed to just change the number of credits needed to define special lecturers to 15 instead of 16, thus allowing someone to hold the title of special lecturer if they taught five 3-credit courses (instead of the six needed with 3-credit courses), but Oakland would not have it.  We also proposed language that would give qualified special lecturers priority in assignment of sections over new part-time hires, but Oakland also would not have it. They have rejected each and every attempt to increase the protections for these valuable faculty who make a major contribution to our university’s teaching mission and generate substantial tuition revenue for Oakland.

Economics. The two sides continue to negotiate by offering competing economic packages. Since their opening offer, Oakland has sought to severely reduce employer contributions to benefits, while also offering insignificant tiny salary increases, thus creating a net cut in total compensation.  One area of movement is that Oakland is offering to keep current full-time faculty at their current percentage of retirement contributions in exchange for a lower retirement contribution rate for all future hires.  However they are still insisting on severely reducing the employer contribution to health insurance.  In Wednesday’s session, made an attempt to make progress by offering a drop in employer contribution to health insurance in the last year of the agreement in exchange for an increase in raises in the same year.  Their counter kept their same larger drop in employer contribution while giving a miniscule increase to salary raise in the third year.

After this meeting we made plans to meet again.  Members of our team were not available Thursday morning and Oakland indicated that they were unavailable to negotiate Thursday afternoon through Monday; therefore, the two sides will meet on Tuesday August 31 two days prior to the start of Fall semester classes.

Academics[]

Academic rankings
National
Forbes[28] 529
U.S. News & World Report[29] 231-300
Washington Monthly[30] 271

Oakland University offers 132 bachelor's degree programs and 138 graduate programs (professional certificates, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees). The main academic units of the university are the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business Administration, the School of Education and Human Services, the School of Engineering and Computer Science, the School of Health Sciences, School of Nursing, and the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine. Additionally, Oakland University supports an Honors College and various study abroad programs.[31]

Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine[]

In 2007, plans were established to start a medical school on the Oakland University campus in partnership with William Beaumont Hospital, called the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine (OUWB or OUWBSM) came to fruition. The medical school was founded in 2008 with classes starting in fall of 2011. OUWB is the fourth medical school in the state of Michigan to offer the M.D. degree, received over 3,200 applications for the inaugural class of 50 students. OUWBSM has 225 students as of Fall 2013 and 500 were planned for 2017.[32] The founding dean of the medical school is Robert Folberg, M.D.[33]

Oakland University Beaumont Nurse Anesthesia Graduate Program[]

The Oakland University – Beaumont Nurse Anesthesia Graduate Program started in 1991.[34][35] In 2011, U.S. News & World Report ranked the program tied for 17th in the United States.[36]

Oakland University School of Business[]

Oakland University's School of Business Administration (SBA) is accredited by the AACSB-International accreditation in both business and accounting. It also offers Michigan's only Executive MBA program with concentrations in Health Care and IS Leadership.[37] In 2009, the SBA celebrated its 40th anniversary.[38]

Research centers and institutes[]

As part of its research mission, Oakland University also supports a number of major research centers and institutes, including the Center for Biomedical Research,[39] the Center for Robotics and Advanced Automation, the Fastening and Joining Research Institute, the Human Systems Initiative, and the renowned Eye Research Institute.[40] Furthermore, Oakland University's Smart Zone Business Incubator[41] provides entrepreneurial resources and expertise to support and foster new technology-based and life science businesses.[citation needed]

Some Oakland University Research Centers and Institutes include:

  • Center for Applied Research in Musical Understanding
  • Center for Biomedical Research
  • Center for Creative and Collaborative Computing
  • Center for Integrated Business Research and Education
  • Center for Public Humanities
  • Center for Robotics and Advanced Automation
  • Eye Research Institute[42]
  • Fastening and Joining Research Institute
  • Lowry Center for Early Childhood Education
  • Nanotech Research & Development Institute
  • Oakland University Center for Autism Research, Education and Support (OUCARES)
  • Pawley Learning Institute
  • Product Development and Manufacturing Center
  • Public Affairs Research Laboratory

Campus[]

Elliott Tower, completed in 2014

In addition to its location in the cities of Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills, Oakland University maintains an official "hometown" relationship with the nearby but not adjacent city of Rochester, Michigan.[9] University and city officials signed a partnership agreement in 2003 to officially recognize the relationship between Rochester and Oakland University.[43] In 1959, Rochester Village (now city) officials renamed the one-mile-long (1.6 km) Fifth Street in downtown Rochester "University Drive" to showcase Rochester as a "college town". The road is called Walton Boulevard adjacent to the University in Rochester Hills and Auburn Hills. This is often confused with University Drive in Auburn Hills, which originates at Oakland University's main entrance in Auburn Hills, and continues west into downtown Pontiac. In 2005, the Rochester area was ranked 39th in the CNN/Money Magazine list of the Top 100 American cities in which to live.[44]

Oakland University's campus, which encompasses 1,443 acres (5.84 km2), includes trails and biking paths and two nationally ranked golf courses.[45]

Oakland County[]

The university's land in Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills is divided into the Main Campus, Meadow Brook Estate, and two golf courses.[46]

Main Campus[]

Meadow Brook Theatre, which was founded in 1967, is the largest non-profit professional theater in Michigan, and presents a wide variety of award-winning productions throughout the year.[47] Additionally, the Oakland University Art Gallery, which was formerly known as the Meadow Brook Art Gallery, presents at least six different exhibitions each academic year, in addition to hosting a variety of lectures, performances and symposia.[48]

Kresge Library is the main library of Oakland University. It consists of four floors of study rooms and open-area tables. It also contains the Oakland University Archives, the Historical Abraham Lincoln Collection, the Jane M. Bingham Historical Children's Collection,[49] and a tech center.[50] The library is named after Stanley and Sebastian Kresge who were both present for the library's opening in 1962.[51]

In 2009, an 18-hole disc golf course opened. Grizzly Oaks was co-designed by student Jarrett Schlaff and licensed by the Professional Disc Golf Association.[45]

Oakland University's student union, the Oakland Center, was renovated and expanded in 2018. The Oakland Center houses the offices of student organizations, a large food court with multiple restaurants, the student bookstore, a cafe, a pool hall and gaming center, a Student Technology Center, the campus newspaper The Oakland Post, computer labs, conference rooms, as well as the offices of the university radio station, WXOU (88.3 FM). Oakland University also has its own television station (OU TV) which is broadcast on-campus and to the local community.[52]

The campus has recreational facilities for intramural sports and for Oakland University's 16 NCAA Division I athletic teams, including the lighted Upper Athletic Fields, the indoor Sports Dome, fields for varsity baseball, softball, and soccer, and facilities for basketball, handball, track, and weight training. The campus recreation center houses Oakland University's natatorium, and the Athletics Center O'rena, a 4,000-seat field house, is the home court for Oakland University basketball and volleyball.[citation needed]

Near the center of campus is the Elliot Tower (above). This clock tower was finished in 2014 after many delays to its construction that began toward the end of 1945 just after the end of WWII, making it both the oldest and one of the newest structures simultaneously at Oakland University.[citation needed]

Meadow Brook Estate[]

This portion of Oakland University consists of the historic Meadow Brook Hall and the land and buildings surrounding it. The hall, which is a 110-room Tudor revival–style mansion completed in 1929 as Oakland University founder Matilda Dodge Wilson's Oakland County estate, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Meadow Brook Hall is the fourth-largest historic house museum in the United States, and houses a vast collection of historically significant art and furniture, including paintings by Rembrandt, Anthony van Dyck, Rosa Bonheur, Gilbert Stuart, Joshua Reynolds, John Constable, and Thomas Gainsborough, as well as sculptures by Antoine-Louis Barye, Frederic Remington, Cyrus Edwin Dallin, and Herbert Haseltine. Meadow Brook Hall is frequently utilized as a site for select university functions, including the Meadow Brook Ball, a popular student event.[53] Until 2010, Meadow Brook Hall and its grounds were the site of the annual Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance, one of the largest collector car shows in the world.[54]

The Meadow Brook Music Festival is an outdoor entertainment venue with an on-site pavilion which accommodates close to 8,000 people. In addition to being the site of spring-time graduation ceremonies, Meadow Brook Music Festival also hosts comedians and musical acts. Meadow Brook Music Festival is managed by Palace Sports and Entertainment.[55]

Golf courses[]

Oakland University has two nationally ranked golf courses that make up most of the southern portion of its land. Katke-Cousins sits on 320 acres (130 ha).[56] Some of the course's 18 holes remain from the 9-hole course John Dodge built when he lived at the estate. The other course, opened in 2000, is the R & S Sharf course.[57]

Macomb County[]

An office plaza in downtown Mount Clemens, in Macomb County, was donated to the university in 2010 by Gebran Anton and Stuart Frankel. It was repurposed and opened for the fall 2011 semester as the Anton/Frankel Center. It offers several undergraduate and graduate programs.[58]

Oakland University is also among the 12 colleges and universities offering programs at Macomb Community College's University Center.[59]

Oakland University Art Gallery, and art collection[]

The Oakland University Art Gallery is a civic art exhibition venue in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Founded in 1966, it is part of Oakland University and occupies a portion of the University’s Wilson Hall.[60] The gallery’s exhibitions have garnered national and international attention, and have been reviewed in publications including Art in America, Sculpture (magazine)[61] and W Magazine.[62][63]

Art collection[]

The collection has over 1,500 art objects.[64][65] The gallery collection includes twentieth and twenty-first century paintings and sculptures by artists Richard Artschwager, Fernando Botero, Alex Katz, Malcolm Morley, Carlos Rolón, and Terry Winters.[65]

Other contemporary artworks in the collection include Detroit artists Michael Luchs, Gordon Newton, Robert Sestok, and Gilda Snowden.[65]

Former Professor of Art History and Archeology Carl F. Barnes Jr., and Anna M. Barnes donated their collection of over 500 prints in 1999. Collections highlights include the print oeuvre of English print maker and portrait painter Gerald Brockhurst. Other artist highlights from this collection include William Blake, Eugène Delacroix, Albrecht Dürer, William Hogarth, John Sloan, and James Abbott McNeill Whistler.[65]

The Tagore Collection was donated by Dr. Abanindranath Tagore in 1989. It contains calligraphy, rubbings, and scrolls. Among the scrolls, include works by Qi Baishi, Xu Beihong, Zhang Daqian, Li Keran, and Qigong, among others.[65]

G. Mennen Williams, the 41st Governor of Michigan, donated his collection in to the gallery in 1968. Williams held the position of Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs during the Kennedy administration and bequeathed objects acquired during his tours of duty. A majority of the objects originate from West Africa in what is now Nigeria, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkino Faso, Ghana and Benin.[65]

Exhibitions and programming[]

The Oakland University Art Gallery hosts at least five exhibitions per year, in addition to hosting a variety of lectures, performances, and symposium. Although the gallery published catalogues for select exhibitions throughout its history, since 1999 each exhibition has had an accompanying catalogue.

Operations[]

Oakland University Art Gallery is wholly part of Oakland University. Its exhibitions and operations are funded through a variety of university, foundation, and individual contributions.

The gallery is open to the public. There is no general admission fee or special charge for exhibitions.

Athletics[]

The O'rena
Main article: Oakland Golden Grizzlies

OU Fight is the Oakland University fight song. Previously known as the Pioneers, the school's teams were renamed the Golden Grizzlies.[66]

Oakland University was used as a training camp for the Detroit Lions in 1989.[67]

Oakland University's men's soccer team became the first Oakland team to move past the first round of their sport's respective NCAA tournament in 2007.[68]

Student life[]

Although many of Oakland's students commute from surrounding areas, there are more than 3,000 who live on campus in a variety of residence halls and student apartments.[69] The residence halls include Hillcrest Hall, Oak View Hall, Hamlin Hall, Vandenberg Hall, Hill House, Van Wagoner House, and Fitzgerald House. Residential learning communities on Oakland University's campus include Scholars Tower and the Residential Honors College community. Eight additional buildings make up the George T. Matthews student apartments, and six major Tudor-style buildings house the Ann V. Nicholson student apartments, which were completed in 2002.[70]

Campus life is enhanced by more than 200 registered student organizations, ranging from cultural and religious groups to Greek organizations. Fraternities at Oakland University include Theta Chi, Sigma Pi, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Sigma Phi, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Iota Phi Theta. Sororities include Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Sigma Tau, Gamma Phi Beta, Phi Sigma Sigma, Sigma Sigma Sigma, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Zeta Phi Beta, and Sigma Gamma Rho. The so-called Cottage District of campus, which consists of homes originally built for workers employed at the old Meadow Brook Estate, now contain fraternity and sorority houses. Additionally, the university owns an adjoining tract of land to the east of the main university campus, which was developed into a neighborhood in which many faculty members currently live.[citation needed]

Alumni[]

Arts and entertainment

  • Curtis Armstrong – film and TV actor[71]
  • Regina Carter – jazz violinist, winner of MacArthur Fellowship[71]
  • Robert Englund – film and TV actor (attended)[71]
  • David Hasselhoff – actor (attended)[71]
  • Jayne Houdyshell – Broadway actress, Tony Award winner[72]
  • Hank Jones – jazz pianist and composer[73] (honorary doctorate)
  • Karen Newman – singer and actress[71]
  • Elizabeth Reaser – film and TV actress (attended)
  • Doris Eaton Travis – dancer and actress[74] (honorary doctorate)

Law

Government and politics

Business

Education

  • Janet L. Holmgren (BA, Oakland; PhD, Princeton) – President, Mills College[80]
  • James E. Schrager (BA, Oakland; PhD, Chicago) – Professor, Business, University of Chicago
  • Richard T. Sullivan (BA, Oakland; PhD, Harvard) – Associate Professor, History, University of Notre Dame
  • Steven D. Townsend (BS, Oakland; PhD, Vanderbilt) – Assistant Professor, Chemistry, Vanderbilt University[80]
  • Thomas J. Volgy (BA, Oakland; PhD, Minnesota) – Professor, Political Science, University of Arizona[78]

Sports and media

Notes[]

  1. ^ The campus is located in the cities of Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills but its mailing address is in the nearby, but not adjacent, City of Rochester.[7][8]

References[]

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External links[]

Coordinates: 42°40′22″N 83°12′57″W / 42.672659°N 83.215776°W / 42.672659; -83.215776

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