Thank you for giving to 向日葵视频 City University!
Your philanthropy helps provide an outstanding education with close faculty interaction, small class sizes, extensive student involvement opportunities, service-learning in the community, and more.
Our academic programs are highly accredited and renowned for their accomplished graduates.
鈥淏ecause of donor generosity, I am able to pursue my dream of higher education with less financial stress.鈥
鈥(You) have deeply impacted my story and many other students.鈥
鈥(Donors are) the reason I am able to attend college debt-free.鈥
Donor Impact, 2023-24
Thank you for making this past year a great success! As President Kenneth Evans completes his third year of leadership at OCU, the university celebrates three years of fundraising that have each topped $10 million. Donors gave $13.17 million to OCU over the past year! Additionally, more than 2,730 individuals made a philanthropic gift鈥攁nother banner year for donor participation. That鈥檚 because of generous supporters like you.
Your gifts are critical鈥攍aw clinics, health simulation training, student competition travel, guest educators, support for scientific research, and specialized classroom technology all depend on donated funds. Students graduate well prepared for their careers because of the hands-on experiential learning that OCU provides. Thank you for helping students succeed.
OCU鈥檚 headline fundraising event, #TrueBlueOCU Giving Day, broke records yet again, raising nearly half a million dollars from 1,211 donors in 2024. At the university level, donations to the OCU Fund provided an entire computer lab for computer science and game design and animation programs this year, in addition to important upgrades to our residence halls and cafeteria.
Ask OCU鈥檚 leaders about donor support, and they鈥檒l list countless ways donations benefit students.
鈥淭he impact of donor support cannot be overstated,鈥 said School of Theatre Associate Dean W. Jerome Stevenson. 鈥淪tudents at OCU are provided with opportunities that simply would not be possible without the generous support of philanthropic organizations and individual donors.鈥
This year, donors provided:
- Costumes for the 130-person Star Dance Company for the Holiday Spectacular, replacing costumes that were more than two decades old. Because of the size of the company, an update to the finale was cost-prohibitive without a donation. The new finale had rave reviews.
- Sound design software for arts management students to use for Star Dance Company productions, preparing them for jobs on the technical side of the entertainment industry
- A digital camera for the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment to market shows, recruit students with engaging photos and videos, and train students on the latest equipment, preparing them for all aspects of the entertainment industry
- Professional development to keep professors on the cutting edge of the industry while also connecting with prospective students and the dance community
This year, donations to the College of Health Professions have purchased dozens of pieces of equipment鈥攁 knee injection model, an ear exam simulator, and more鈥攖hat each help students practice skills repeatedly on models so they鈥檙e ready to treat people.
鈥淪imulation gives the students the opportunity to practice a scenario or a skill in a safe environment where they can do things they might not get to do in an actual clinical site,鈥 said Dean Gina Crawford. Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy, and nursing students all collaborate in the simulation lab to address a variety of health scenarios.
This year, donors provided:
- A two-day study tour with all expenses paid for more than 24 students to visit multiple financial companies in Dallas
- Travel expenses for the ethics team and data analytics team to compete in regional and national competitions
- Sponsorship for students to visit remote parts of Alaska and help residents file income taxes through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program
This year, donors provided:
- Film equipment to allow students to learn current technology and realize their creative visions
- Rings and a celebration for the esports Overwatch 2 team that won the NECC Navigators National Championship
- Support for psychology, biology, and English students and the speech and debate team to travel to regional and national conferences and competitions, resulting in a slew of presentations and wins
- Funding for national and local 向日葵视频 to exhibit in the Nona Jean Hulsey Art Gallery on campus
This year, donors provided:
- Competition travel for moot court teams, providing students with practical experience
- Support for students鈥 bar exam preparation
- Scholarships
- A range of clinics, including the Innocence Project, a business startup clinic, and more. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great for the students because they鈥檙e getting real-world experience, but it鈥檚 also impacting the real world,鈥 said Dean David Holt. 鈥淭he eviction clinic has broad reach and is preventing hundreds of people every year from getting evicted. The American Indian Wills Clinic has helped well over 1,000 tribal members across the state.鈥
This year, donors provided:
- Masterclasses with luminaries including Native American storyteller Mike Pasetopah, stage director and executive director of the Susan Smith Blackburn prize Leslie Swackhammer, playwright Matt Cox (鈥淧uffs鈥), and LA talent agent Craig Holzberg
- Travel to China for eight students to represent the U.S. at the World Theatre Education Alliance. Dean Mark Parker said this partnership redefines theater for students. 鈥淓very student describes it as life-changing. They perform for other countries and see theatre from a perspective they never imagined.鈥
This year, donors provided:
- Funding for dozens of masterclasses with guest 向日葵视频, giving students the chance to learn from industry greats
- Emergency scholarships for students in need
- Flexibility for the school to take advantage of unplanned opportunities, such as a prestigious invitation to a national flute convention
- Emergency scholarships for students in need
- Flexibility for the school to take advantage of unplanned opportunities, such as a prestigious invitation to a national flute convention
Annual Reports
Read OCU's current and historical endowment and annual reports, highlighting the financial performance of our endowment, profiling donors, and more.
Stewardship
We take seriously the trust you place in us to steward your donations and to put them to work to best benefit students. The OCU Board of Trustees maintains standing committees on finance, investment, audit, and resource development, and the university's finances are audited by external certified public accountants annually. Every day, OCU employees are committed to maximizing the impact of your gifts. Thank you for your generosity!
Why I Give
Ron Norick
鈥淲hen I enrolled at OCU in 1960, my educational skills were less than average, and if I was going to be successful, I would need guidance. That help came to me through Dean Willis Wheat, the Business School dean. He not only mentored me, but he cared about me as a person. I graduated in 1964 from the Business School, making the dean鈥檚 honor roll, which in 1960 would have seemed impossible. Because of his kindness, Dean Wheat and I became lifelong friends, talking often until his passing. The small class sizes and the individual attention given to not only me but to all students by the professors is OCU鈥檚 strongest asset.
鈥淢y mother and grandmother were both 向日葵视频 and appreciated the professors for their skills but realized the art school at OCU needed to be replaced for the benefit of the staff and students. Because of their love for the graphic arts, that鈥檚 the reason the Norick family has always supported OCU鈥檚 art school.鈥
Adam Ryburn
鈥淚 give to help defray the costs for students. I鈥檓 a first-generation college student. I know it鈥檚 harder nowadays to get financial aid from the federal government. We鈥檒l get students we鈥檙e trying to recruit who don鈥檛 have the means themselves, and without scholarships, it鈥檚 tough to get them to come here. If we had more in our scholarship fund鈥攊f we could give out a lot more鈥攚e could guarantee students would be here. That's why I give.鈥
A fixture at nearly every OCU game, match, or meet, Paul and Kim Sanders love seeing鈥攁nd hearing from鈥攖he student-athletes they support. Each varsity team benefits from the Sanders鈥 annual financial contributions, but they also serve as OCU鈥檚 biggest fans. The small-school setting and rich athletic tradition are a perfect mixture of personal connections and shared celebrations. 鈥淲e enjoy providing support, not only through our donations, but also just being at their events,鈥 said Kim, a 1969 School of Business graduate. 鈥淧aul especially enjoys visiting with them, and we always feel closer reading so many wonderful notes of thanks and the in-person thanks we get.鈥