Tulsa World: ORU administrator to step down

MAKE US YOUR HOMEPAGE | Saturday, November 21, 2009 | WIRELESS

Home > News > Article

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

ORU administrator to step down
Mark Lewandowski plans to become a professor.

RESIGNING PROVOST

Mark Lewandowski: He will teach ORU graduate-level business classes full time in the evenings beginning this fall and work in the corporate world.

By APRIL MARCISZEWSKI World Staff Writer
Published: 5/29/2008 2:07 AM
Last Modified: 8/18/2008 11:43 AM

Complete Coverage: Read the latest ORU stories, view the lawsuit and other documents and watch slide shows and video.

Mark Lewandowski plans to become a professor.

Oral Roberts University's top academic administrator, who alleged last fall that then-President Richard Roberts' management created a "culture of fear" on campus, plans to resign next month and become a professor.

Mark Lewandowski, executive vice president of academic affairs and provost, said Wednesday his resignation will take effect June 24. He will teach ORU graduate-level business classes full time in the evenings beginning this fall and work in the corporate world.

"This was solely, 100 percent my decision," he said. "... This really is about the best fit for students and me personally."

ORU's interim president and board of trustees chairman were on vacation and unavailable Wednesday, ORU spokesman Jeremy Burton said.

"Part of the life of every university involves faculty and staff transition," Burton wrote in an e-mail. "While Dr. Lewandowski has made the decision to step down from his current position, we are encouraged that he has chosen to continue at ORU ... ."

Roberts asked Lewandowski to return to his alma mater from the corporate world and lead the business school about 3? years

ago, Lewandowski said.

In July, Roberts appointed Lewandowski as provost.

A month after three former professors filed a lawsuit in October and accused Roberts of misspending ORU's money, Lewandowski wrote to the school's board of regents, offering his resignation if the board kept Roberts as president. Lewandowski alleged Roberts' management promoted fear on campus, and that Roberts had not addressed ORU's debt.

Roberts, whose father founded ORU, denied wrongdoing and said he never intended to create a culture of fear.

Lewandowski sent his letter several days after tenured faculty voted "no confidence" in Roberts as president. About a week after the letter, Roberts resigned.

ORU is led by Interim President Ralph Fagin, formerly ORU's executive vice president for academic affairs.

The university has a new board of trustees led by Oklahoma City businessman Mart Green, whose family gave ORU $70 million and ushered in "shared governance," in which faculty, administrators and trustees share leadership.

Trustees and other ORU representatives are conducting a search for a new president.

"I believe the university is in very good hands," Lewandowski said, and he thinks ORU has a bright future.

His son Jacob plans to transfer to ORU, and Lewandowski might send three children to the school in the next five years.

Lewandowski said he gets along with ORU's employees and was not pressured to change jobs.

"It's my alma mater — I love the place. It was the right thing to come and use my gifts at that time," he said.

But his job required more time with paperwork than with people, and he realized "my natural giftings are teaching people, leading organizations and growing organizations."

Before working at ORU, Lewandowski was the senior vice president of business development for National Medical Health Card, a company named by Fortune magazine as the sixth-fastest growing company in 2004.

The past school year, with all its changes, "has been very demanding, emotionally and physically," he said.

April Marciszewski 581-8475

april.marciszewski@tulsaworld.com
By APRIL MARCISZEWSKI World Staff Writer

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

Reader Comments

Show: Most Recent Comment First

Add your comment

4 comments have been made on this story so far. Tell us what you think below!

Reporting Comments

If you see a comment that violates our terms and conditions, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you. -- Web Editor Jason Collington

	Report Comment OG, (5/29/2008 9:53:02 AM) To be honest, I've never heard of the Golden Eagle Broadcasting Network, Joe, but you do raise some interesting questions. Somehow, I don't think the shake-out at ORU is completed...yet.
	Report Comment Tulsa Mail, (5/29/2008 2:01:19 PM) Interesting post Joe-Allen Doty. I think his son went somewhere on a football scholarship his freshman year. He was a pretty good QB ans student. Probably didn't like all the time it took away from school, life. Lots of kids transfer after their first year. I would read into it too much.
	Report Comment OG, (5/30/2008 9:43:42 AM) Yes, Joe, Mark is the son of the Dr. Ray Lewandowski you referenced in your post above. And I saw LR and RR pleading for money on one of the other evangelical networks...it may have been TBM but I'm not certain. Sadly, it's all they know how to do.
	Report Comment sopatty, (7/14/2008 3:56:10 AM) I went to ORU from 1980-1985 and was close with the Lew's. I hold Mark in high esteem and am assuming his decisions were made and executed in a very classy manner. Personally, my dad not only taught high school (and mom taught 3rd grade), but he also earned extra $$ teaching private lessons on instruments each night till 9, then worked playing at weddings and clubs Friday thru Sunday in order to put my brother and I through college at ORU. What bothers me at the age of 46 is that he worked SOOO hard to keep us there, and none of us knew the hours of his labor would be squandered on a soda machine in Richard Robert's garage, or plus-sized clothes at Chico's for his hefty wife. I'm sure what was in his heart to take that time out of his life was truly meant to give his children a wholesome college education. THAT saddens me most. I never thought Richard Roberts was genuine. EVER. I don't look upon my 5 years at ORU with fondness due to the fund-raising from poor college students nor the sacrifice of the university and its students for the City of Faith fiasco. Surely, someone was always there to make sure my dorm room was clean on a Sunday morning, however. Yes, that was important in my walk with God...perhaps I just needed a ride on that private plane, or a nifty message on the screen at the Mabee Center... Mark, I'm proud of you! (And please tell Steve that Patty said hi!)

Add Your Comment
In order to post a comment on this article, you must sign in to Tulsaworld.com. If you do not have a site account, you can create an account for free.