Oklahoma State University’s Department of Housing and Residential Life is hosting CampOSU on Thursday, February 4. The event will be held in the Parker Hall main living room from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm.  The purpose of the event is to present information about hosting a summer camp or conference on the OSU campus.  OSU colleges and departments, as well as groups and organizations in Stillwater and the surrounding communities are invited.

Each summer, Housing and Residential Life welcomes more than 70 camps and conferences beginning with the Oklahoma Special Olympics Summer Games in May.  OSU is host to sports camps, cheerleading camps, academic workshops, as well as regional and national conferences.

Included in the CampOSU program are tours of the residence halls which are available for conferences.  In addition, personnel from Housing and Residential Life’s Conference Office will be on hand to answer questions, quote rates, and offer tips for hosting a successful event.  University Dining Services will also have representatives on hand to showcase the summer dining plans and options and answer any questions.

“Camps and conferences are a great way to utilize empty halls during the summer months,” explained Shannon Baughman, Assistant Director for Housing and Residential Life Marketing and Conferences.

“Each summer we house more than 15,000 guests. Not only is it a wonderful recruiting tool for the University and Stillwater, but we are able to earn renovation revenue for spaces that are under-utilized during the summer.”

“We are hoping to grow our camp and conference business,” continues Baughman. “We have three types of halls available for the summer to fit every size group and their needs. For example, the Village suites are great for small groups, reunions, and retreats.  In addition, the campus offers so many great resources, meeting spaces, and recreational outlets. There is something for everyone and every budget.”

For more information about CampOSU or hosting a conference on campus, please contact Housing and Residential Life Conferences at (405) 744-4471 or email at confservices@okstate.edu.

Former U.S. Secretary of State and national security advisor Condoleezza Rice will headline Oklahoma State University’s Tulsa Business Forums series on February 4 at the Mabee Center in Tulsa.

The Tulsa Business Forums feature international business and political leaders, authors and policymakers who bring critical and timely information to the Oklahoma business community. Rice’s presentation will occur from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on February 4.

Rice served as the 66th U.S. Secretary of State from January 2005 to 2009. Before serving as America’s chief diplomat, she served as assistant to the President for national security affairs (national security advisor) from January 2001-2005. Rice served as a member of the board of directors for the Chevron, Charles Schwab, and Transamerica corporations. She is currently the Professor of Political Science at Stanford University and the Thomas and Barbara Stephenson Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution.

The Tulsa Business Forums are sponsored by the Spears School of Business and its corporate partners and coordinated by the Center for Executive and Professional Development at Oklahoma State University.

In addition to Rice, the 2009-2010 Tulsa Business Forums included William D. Cohan and will conclude with a luncheon and presentation by J. Alexander M Douglas, Jr., on March 24. Douglas is president of Coca-Cola North America and will speak about “Global Sustainable Leadership: Transforming How We Do Business,” from noon until 1:30 p.m. at the Tulsa Renaissance Hotel.

To purchase tickets, visit the Mabee Center ticket office or call 918-495-6000 or 800-678-1353, Tickets may also be purchased online at www.mabeecenter.com. For more information, call the OSU Center for Executive and Professional development in the Spears School of Business at 1-866-678-3933 or 405-744-5208, e-mail cepd@okstate.edu, or visit cepd.okstate.edu.

Former U.S. Secretary of State and national security advisor Condoleezza Rice will headline Oklahoma State University’s Executive Management Briefings series on February 3 at the Cox Convention Center in downtown Oklahoma City.

The Executive Management Briefings series features international, business and political leaders, authors and policymakers who bring critical and timely information to the Oklahoma business community. The series is presented in an effort to develop a partnership between industry and the academic realm. Rice’s presentation will occur from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on February 3.

Rice served as the 66th U.S. Secretary of State from January 2005 to 2009. Before serving as America’s chief diplomat, she served as assistant to the President for national security affairs (national security advisor) from January 2001-2005. Rice served as a member of the board of directors for the Chevron, Charles Schwab, and Transamerica corporations. She is currently the Professor of Political Science at Stanford University and the Thomas and Barbara Stephenson Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution.

The Executive Management Briefings series is sponsored by OSU’s Spears School of Business at and its corporate partners and coordinated by the Center for Executive and Professional Development at Oklahoma State University.

To purchase tickets, visit http://spears.okstate.edu/cepd/openenrollment/ <http://spears.okstate.edu/cepd/openenrollment/> or call 1-866-678-3933. For more information, call the OSU Center for Executive and Professional development in the Spears School of Business at 1-866-678-3933 or 405-744-5208, e-mail cepd@okstate.edu, or visit cepd.okstate.edu.

An Oklahoma State University academic adviser has published a new report to help students prepare, apply and go to college cheaper with more than 400 ideas on money-saving tactics.  

Lance Millis, who pens a weekly column and oversees two Web sites as the College Answer Guy, is offering “How to Go to College Cheaper” in printed (paperback) or electronic formats.

“It was when I started doing research for a column, about a year ago, that I realized there was no end to the number of recommendations I could provide readers. They just kept coming,” said Millis, assistant director at the Watson Family Student Academic Success Center in the OSU College of Education.

His new report is divided into three sections: preparing and applying for college, scholarships and financial aid, and ways to live at college and beyond for less.

Millis’ research for the report also allowed him to develop what he calls “college money makeovers.” “I ask students to fill out a four-page questionnaire so I can give them plenty of specific recommendations tailored for their lifestyle and income limits.”

Millis also wrote the book “College Prep - 101,” that helps high school students prepare for college. Both the book and the report are available at Hastings in Stillwater and Bartlesville, Crazy Ladies Bookstore in Norman, Full Circle Bookstore in Oklahoma City and Steve’s Sundry Books in Tulsa as well as online at http://www.collegeanswerguy.com (click on “buy a book” at the top of the page), and on Amazon.com. “How to Go to College Cheaper” is even available for Amazon’s Kindle Reader, which means anyone with a Kindle “app” can get it on their iPhone.  

All of Millis’ columns are available free at http://www.collegeanswerguy.com. New columns are published on a weekly basis in the Stillwater NewPress and the Weatherford Daily News. For more information on college preparation, go to http://www.collegeprep101.com/. E-mail Millis at lance@collegeanswerguy.com.

Oklahoma State University’s Department of Marketing and the Center for Executive and Professional Development in the Spears School of Business is bringing Disney Institute’s traveling professional development program, Disney’s Approach to Business Excellence, to Oklahoma City on March 11, 2010. This is a rare and affordable opportunity to learn best business practices from Disney insiders, and discover ways to adapt and apply those best practices to pick up the pace in these slow economic times.

“Professional development programs that we offer at the Walt Disney World® Resort and Disneyland Resort have proven extremely popular,” said George Aguel, senior vice president for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “Community leaders around the country started asking us to bring similar programs to their cities, and the Disney Approach program does just that. Participants will discover Disney success stories and learn about management philosophies and behind-the-scenes operations that have made the Disney Parks and Resorts a benchmark for businesses around the world.”

According to Aguel, Disney Institute programs are unique in the world of business.

“What makes the Disney learning experience so different and meaningful is that we don’t simply teach theory,” Aguel said. “We showcase philosophies and strategies that have made Disney Parks and Resorts a success – ideas that are easily adaptable to other organizations.”

With the establishment of Disney Institute in 1986, thousands of business leaders from more than 35 countries and 40 industries have attended business programs at Disney Institute in Florida. Disney’s Approach to Business Excellence is the only Disney Institute professional development program that goes “on the road” to select communities around the US.

The Oklahoma City Disney’s Approach to Business Excellence program will showcase four 90-minute sessions:

-  Leadership, Disney Style – Discover how effective leadership has been the catalyst at Disney to drive employee/customer satisfaction and bottom-line results.

- Management, Disney Style – Examine the importance of integrating an organization’s corporate culture into selection, training, and care of employees.

- Service, Disney Style – Explore world-renowned Disney principles for service excellence.

- Loyalty, Disney Style – Learn the key practices in building and sustaining loyalty that have made Disney a trusted and revered brand around the world for more than 75 years.

Registration and fees for the program are $395 per person and include course materials and a full day of catered meals and beverages. Please use discount code “OSUAFH” to receive a $50 discount. Group discounts are also available. No prerequisite training is required.

For more information and to register for Disney’s Approach to Business Excellence program, call 877-544-2384 or visit www.KeysOklahomaCity.com.

By Joseph Dunn

(Jan. 25, 2010, STILLWATER, Okla.) – Researcher Maxwell McCombs will deliver a lecture about the media’s role in agenda-setting at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 1 at Oklahoma State University.

The talk, titled “Shaping the Foundations of Public Opinion: The Agenda-Setting Role of the Media,” is free and open to the public in the auditorium of Murray Hall.

McCombs is internationally recognized for his research on public opinion. In the 1960s, he introduced the concept of agenda-setting, a theory suggesting that the press tells people what to think vs. how to think. More than 400 studies have examined the theory.

McCombs is currently the Jesse H. Jones Centennial Chair in Communications at the University of Texas. He is a former president of the World Association for Public Opinion Research, as well as the former director of the School of Journalism at the University of Texas. McCombs is the winner of many awards including the Paul J. Deutschmann Award, the highest honor given by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.  

McCombs earned a master’s degree and doctorate from Stanford University. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Antwerp in Belgium and has been a visiting professor at the University of Navarra in Spain and Diego Portales University in Chile.

To learn more, phone (405) 744-6354. The School of Journalism and Broadcasting is one of 24 departments in the College of Arts & Sciences at OSU. The lecture is funded by the College’s Social Science Seminar Series.

The Arts and Humanities Lecture Series, sponsored by the Oklahoma State University College of Arts & Sciences, offers a variety of events for the public’s enjoyment throughout the year, including lectures and performances. To learn more visit http://cas.okstate.edu.

Feb. 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 21 at 2:30 p.m.
Open to the public

Fifth of July will be directed by R. Michael Gros who is a guest artist and lecturer in the OSU Department of Music. The play is about the journey of Kenneth Talley, a combat-wounded veteran and English teacher, who has returned home disillusioned about life. Talley tries to distance himself from his community and calling. In the process, he rediscovers the desire to engage in his world and to live life fully.
Gros is a professor at Kansas State University where he teaches acting and directing. As a director, he has more than 70 Equity credits to his name and numerous honors including invitations to serve as a participant in Theatre Communication Group’s New Artistic Leaders Institute. He was selected seven times as an invited professional participant in the Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville, Ky.

Vivia Locke Theatre. Individual ticket prices are general $12; senior (55 plus) $10; and OSU students $10. Contact is office manager Bertha Short, bertha.short@okstate.edu or (405) 744-6094.