The board of trustees of Oral Roberts University unanimously elected Mark Rutland, president of Southeastern University, according to a news release.
The Ledger in Florida includes a bio of Rutland, who has been president of Southeastern for the past 10 years. From Cary McMullen:
Since becoming president of Southeastern in January 1999, Rutland has presided over dramatic growth. Enrollment has expanded from 950 to 3,079 students in September 2008. The school has undertaken 16 construction or renovation projects, including two new dormitories and a proposed office and classroom building, totaling more than $50 million, according to information released by Southeastern.
Rutland is the author of 13 books, hosts a syndicated radio program and is the founder of ministries in Ghana and Thailand. He is noted for his interest in leadership education, and in 2006 he began an annual conference, The National Leadership Forum, that has attracted nationally known speakers, including former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell.
In October 2008, Oral Roberts settled with two professors who alleged that they were forced out after detailing financial and ethical wrongdoing by Richard Roberts, the school’s former president who resigned. It also announced that it will cut 100 jobs, about 10 percent of its workforce this year.
Yesterday, icy weather postponed hearings in two lawsuits against the school. An ORU accountant alleges that he was forced to commit fraud and a former student claims that he was unable to complete his degree.
Christianity Today has followed the developments at ORU on the higher education section of liveblog, and CT also published an article in September 2008 detailing the school’s path to healing.
