OU Online Winter Newsletter

OU Online Winter Newsletter, 2024

Gregg Garn, VP of Online Learning in a suit and tie smiling

Updates from Gregg Garn,
VP of Online Learning

As we enter the new year, OU Online is excited to focus our goals on career development and fostering meaningful workforce partnerships. We aim to better prepare our students for the working world and connect them to opportunities to put their education into practice.

An essential resource for achieving these goals is the OU Online Career Development Center, a virtual space we created just for our OU Online community! On this platform, students will find resources to help them build career skills, navigate various career paths, find community, explore labor market insights, apply for jobs in their field, and more. This platform integrates Handshake, OU Connection, LinkedIn Learning, Labor Market Insights, Career Resources, and up-to-date articles, blogs and news in one convenient place. We hope our online students and stakeholders will spend some time exploring and looking through curated materials related to career advice and advancement.

This platform will continue to grow and evolve as our students' needs grow and evolve. We hope to incorporate workforce partnerships and career outcomes in the near future. We look forward to supporting our students through this platform and welcome any ideas you have.

We plan to expand virtual career fairs, networking events and more with our workforce partners in the coming year. Be on the lookout for these upcoming initiatives and opportunities to expand your career.

We wish everyone in the OU Online community an exciting and prosperous new year!

New OU Online Adult Degree Completion Referral Program

We aim to ensure as many learners as possible complete their bachelor’s degree. To help us achieve this goal, we have launched a new referral program whereby our applicants, accepted learners, and alumni are strongly encouraged to refer someone they know who wants to advance their career by completing their degree. If you would like to submit a referral to our online programs, you may do so here. If the form does not work, you can reach out directly to Nicole Diel, our director of admissions and recruitment, at nicole.diel1@ou.edu. OU Online is so fortunate to count you as one of its own!

Join the OU Online Student Community

Even in the virtual realm, your OU experience can go beyond the classroom! Connect with fellow OU Online students who share your interests, find support, and forge lasting friendships throughout your academic journey by becoming a part of our vibrant online communities.

Affinity Groups:

Explore our affinity groups designed to bring together students with shared identities, interests, and purposes. Currently, we offer affinity groups for:

BIPOC – Celebrate and connect with fellow students in the BIPOC community for networking opportunities and camaraderie.
Women – Join a supportive community to share career resources, advice, and opportunities.
First-Generation – Connect with other first-generation college students for mutual support and valuable resources.
55+ – Engage with students and community members aged 55 and above to share experiences and career insights.
LGBTQIA+ – Find community with other LGBTQIA+ college students for advice, career resources, and support.
International – Get involved with other students who live abroad.
Student-Parents – Connect with and support other students who are also parents.
Persons with Disabilities – Interact with other college students with disabilities to access a supportive network.
Military-Connected – Commune with other military-connected students for support as you navigate school and your career.

Online Student Association (OSA):

Be a part of OSA, OU Online's official student organization for both undergraduates and graduates. Enjoy access to career services experts providing guidance on networking, job applications, promotions, resumes, and cover letters. OSA members also take on leadership roles and volunteer opportunities, fostering a strong sense of community among online students. Don't miss out on the chance to enhance your OU journey – join us online today!

A portrait of Professor Carla Holmes, APR

Faculty Spotlight

Professor Coleman Patterson, Ph.D.

Coleman Patterson, Ph.D., is an associate professor and director of the ADC Program in Business Administration. With 30 years of classroom teaching experience, he wants his online students to feel like they have a real sense of connection and involvement in their class experiences. Coleman tries to make his classes personal, encouraging, and connected to work and life. With a father and two uncles who were college professors, he learned from the best.

Away from his professional role, you might find Coleman playing racquetball, cycling, teaching a family-oriented karate class in Norman, playing saxophone and contra/bass clarinets in area community bands, or “entertaining” his family, pets, and neighbors with his bagpipes. He is thrilled to be part of the OU community.

Staff Spotlight

Adam Croom

Director of Office of Digital Learning

Adam Croom is the director of the Office of Digital Learning and an assistant professor of advertising at the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. He has held various iterations of his role since June 2013 and considers it an honor to have witnessed the formation and growth of the organization. Starting as an adjunct faculty member in August 2013, he formally joined the faculty in August 2017.

The most enjoyable aspect of Adam's role is observing the transformative impact of digital tools and strategies on education. He takes great satisfaction in seeing how members of the team support educators as they embrace new technologies, experiment with creative teaching approaches, and ultimately contribute to a more engaging and effective learning environment.

A fun fact about Adam is that he is an avid podcast enthusiast. According to his podcast app, he listened to 91 different shows and over 1,200 episodes in 2023 (the exact total minutes remain undisclosed due to a fear of public ridicule). Adam loves exploring a wide range of topics through podcasts, whether related to sports, technology, or simply intriguing stories. Podcasts serve as his go-to way to stay informed and entertained during his commute or downtime.

a portrait of a woman wearing a plaid shirt and smiling

Student Spotlight

Sara Cole

Sara Cole is pursuing a master's degree in environmental science, with an emphasis in hydrology and water security. She was drawn to this program as it is designed for working professionals. She shared that this program will help her better understand the world's challenges concerning water deprivation, and she emphasized the importance of water management to our collective survival.

She plans to graduate in August 2025. She hopes to apply the knowledge gained in the environmental industry to mentor others. Towards that end, her advice to fellow graduate students is to "surround yourself with supportive people, for when things get tough, you can lean on them for strength." She also encourages graduate students to set goals and celebrate small victories (e.g., acing a test, finishing a project, ending the semester).

Some of her hobbies include traveling and exploring new places.

OU Online Speaker Series

In March 2023, OU Online launched a triannual virtual speaker series to build community, engagement and networking opportunities for our online students. Our most recent event featured Marcy Melanson from Tutor.com. Melanson shared how to utilize Tutor.com, from making appointments to dropping off essays to be proofread and edited. Watch the video (above) to learn more. Our next speaker series will be Jan. 24 from 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. CST. The focus will be on accessing mental health services through our new partner, TELUS Health.

Let’s Be Social

Keep up with what's going on at OU Online. Give us a follow on our social accounts!

December Graduation Reception

At the OU Online December Reception, we celebrated our graduates, of whom we are incredibly proud. We know that they will use their graduate degrees to make lasting impacts in their communities and workplaces.