Name: Mrs. Michelle L. Stephens - Oklahoma Christian University

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It’s an uncommonconnection, for sure. Rollingplains vs. snow-cappedmountains. America’s Heartlandvs. the West Coast.Aside from starting with thesame letter of the alphabet,Oklahoma and Oregon seeminglyhave little in common.Perhaps that’s what makesthe story worth telling. It’sthe story of an uncommonconnection sprung from acommon commitment and thepower of persistence fueled byfaith.Established in Portland, Oregon,in 1956, Columbia ChristianCollege closed in 1993due to financial strains and aneventual loss of accreditation.Faced with the prospect of aonce-vibrant campus goingpermanently dark, the late Dr.Don Gardner, the last presidentof Columbia Christian, traveledto various Church of Christ-affiliatedinstitutions to ask forassistance.Former OC president Dr. J.Terry Johnson led a group toPortland to visit the campus.As legend has it, they werecaptivated by the passion of thestudents they met – studentswho didn’t want ColumbiaChristian to die.In 1993, Oklahoma Christianofficially agreed to step into thegap. With capital invested, bothhuman and financial, Christianhigher education experienced arebirth in the Pacific Northwest– Cascade College was born.When the doors opened in thefall of 1994, 119 students filledthe classrooms.“We accepted anyone with apulse!” laughed Dr. Brian Simmons,a 1987 OC graduate andprofessor of communication atCascade. “The biggest challenge,I think, was in creatingsomething from the ground up.There was a sense in which wewere doing that, and there wasa sense in which we werenot doing that because,as the branchcampus of OC,we had their wisdom and theirguidance.”Simmons will proudly tellanyone: He was the very firstfull-time faculty member to joinCascade College.“I will be here until the dayI die,” he often says. And he’sserious.Other OC alumni, as well asfaculty and staff, also made themove to Portland. People likeCascade’s first vice president,Dr. Kevin Jacobs, Dr. Arlis andSuzanne Wood, Dr. Mickey andJane Banister, and Dr. John andCynthia Fletcher – just to namea few.Dr. Gary Tandy (74), professorof English, signed on forthat first year as well. For him,Cascade was an opportunity toleave “Corporate America” andreturn to teaching.“For several years, I had thisdissatisfaction with what I wasdoing. I think it mostly had todo with the fact that I wasn’tteaching,” he said. “When I reallykind of examined myself, Ithought that in a way, I’d reallygotten away from my dream.”Anyone on campus thosefirst few years will agree: itwasn’t easy. Both Simmons andTandy laugh when recalling themultiple hats they’ve worn tohelp keep programs running.“Having been here 11 years, Ihave to stop and remind myselfthat we had just five facultymembers that first year. That’sit,” he said. “We’re not a hugefaculty now, but we continue togrow. We have at least two fulltimefaculty members in mostof our areas now.”Dr. Bill Goad (79), a oncecommonface on the OCcampus, moved his family toPortland in the fall of 2002to assume the role of provostand chief operating officer. Hesays what sets Cascade apartfrom many other schools is its“servant spirit,” as well as theunique closeness of the campuscommunity.“Everywhere that you find aChristian college, you find thatthe church is stronger,” Goadsaid. “You definitely find thathere.”It’s a good thing, too. VISION SPRING 2006 Transforming lives for Christian faith, leadership, and service.
Oregon and Washington have the highestproportion of religiously-unaffiliatedand self-identified “nonreligious” residentsin the nation. It’s a place rich with opportunitiesto positively influence lives for theLord.“Somebody has to be in the PacificNorthwest for the kids that are here,” Simmonssaid. “People need us in this area ofthe country, and a lot of us here believethis is what we’ve been called to do.”To step onto Cascade’s small campuswould be a very strange experience formany current OC students and recentalums. But the campus reminds Tandy ofwhat Oklahoma Christian was like when hewas a student.Simmons says he often wonders if OC’spioneers – alumni from Central Christianin Bartlesville – might feel right at home atCascade.“There’s a great sense of communityat OC, but at Cascade, you literally knoweverybody on campus,” Goad said. “Therefore,we build a lot of close, personal relationships.The sense of unity is enhancedbecause of our smaller size.”With a current enrollment of around 300students, one of Cascade’s greatest assets isits ability to offer more hands-on attentionto students.“Even though many students may havecome here initially for the Christian fellowshipand small community, I think we’vedone a good job of keeping quality educationas our priority,” Tandy said.Optimism is rising at both OC andCascade that the relationship between thetwo campuses will continue to grow. Thestrategic advantages of a branch campussetup are many, even when distance – anddifferences – pose occasional challenges.OC’s uncommon connection to a smallcampus in Portland, Oregon, shows theuniversity’s commitment to advancingChristian higher education.“For me, the great fit between OklahomaChristian and Cascade College is thatCascade is OC’s most recent and, I think,largest gift to the Kingdom,” Simmonssaid. “OC had the faith, and they had thecourage, to take on this enterprise whenothers did not.”Cascade is at a crucial point in itsbrief history and, according to OCpresident Mike O’Neal, “is poised forsignificant progress and long-rangesuccess.”Cascade College is celebrating its50th year in Portland and will mark thissuccess with an alumni summit and reunionweekend June 22-25. The theme:“We Are One: Celebrate. Connect.Unite.”Cool View of OC’S SuccessThe faculty feature at left comes from the newedition of View, a magazine-style viewbookgeared toward prospective students.Published in September, the 128-page magazinefeatures OC alumni, faculty, staff andstudents and touts OC’s quality education andenvironment.The two previous editions of the magazinewon five awards in national and statewidecompetitions, including a national “Best ofShow” award in a contest conducted by AdmissionsMarketing Report.View’s latest honor, a first-place award fromthe Oklahoma Collegiate Public RelationsAssociation, was one of nine awards won byOC’s University Marketing Office at the annualstatewide competition.“If the Lord has blessed you with theresources,OC’s nineI canawardsthinktrailedof noonlygreaterthe UniversitywaytoofinvestOklahoma’sfor the long-term13. OklahomagoodChristianof thewonkingdomawards inthansevento giveof theto Cascadenine categoriesCollege,”it entered,O’Neal said.with projects produced for Admissions,Advancement,While OklahomaAlumniand OregonRelations,mayFinancialnothaveServices,muchHousingin common,andtheStudentrelationshipLife, as well assharedgeneralbymarketingOC and Cascadeprojectsisona testamentbehalf of thetouniversity.the unity found in Christ: love that transcends2,000 miles.All“I’veofalwaysOC’s marketingfelt like we,materialsas Christiansare produced– and“in-house.”as the OklahomaThe university’sChristianmarketingcommunityteammembers– need to(Stephenhave a visionBell, Judsonthat isCopeland,biggerthanJonathanwhereCurtis,we are,”RisaGoadForrester,said. “CascadeDan Lovejoy,CollegeWes McKinzie,is an importantDawnpartShelton,of thatAllisonvision.”Shumateand Kim Walden) are all OC alumni.by Abby Copeland (04)“It speaks volumes about the high-qualityaca- demic environment at OklahomaChristian that we can tapour ownalumni toproduce workthat’s praised andhonored by fellow professionalsin higher educationand in the industry,” said Forrester,OC’s Director of Admissions and Marketing.“It’s gratifying to see our staff ’s dailywork, research and strategic planning have apositive impact on the university’s success andTransforming lives for Christian faith, leadership, and service.VISION SPRING 2006
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Name: Mrs. Michelle L. Stephens - Oklahoma Christian University

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