“That was a really great moment. Being an Oral Roberts University alumni, being a tribal college graduate, and citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation it was a great feeling to be able to create this partnership and to solidify this opportunity to provide more education degrees to our people,” – President of The College of the Muscogee Nation, Dr. Monte Randall
OKMULGEE, Okla. – The College of the Muscogee Nation (CMN) and Oral Roberts University (ORU) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Dec. 6. This is CMN’s first time signing an institution-designated MOU agreement that will provide financial assistance for CMN graduates and staff. This will now provide students with new opportunities to transfer to ORU to pursue higher education degrees.
CMN President Dr. Monte Randall (Mvskoke) spoke about the historical moment for CMN regarding the MOU agreement terms. The MOU terms with ORU has been a work in progress for two to three months, however CMN had been in communication with ORU for several years before that. Dr. Randall himself is an ORU alumnus, he received his doctorate degree in 2018 and was an adjunct instructor for the college of education.
The partnership outlined in the MOU agreement started early in the fall when representatives from the Muscogee (Creek) Nation had a meeting with ORU leadership. This involved MCN Principal Chief David Hill, MCN Second Chief Del Beaver, Dr. Randall, and ORU President Dr. William Wilson.
The meeting discussed agreements that would help both the Nation and CMN’s needs. One of those needs being a healthy pool of qualified professionals seeking positions within the tribe. Particularly, in the healthcare and finance fields.
The agreements include transitioning the Muscogee Language Revitalization Program into an Immersion school, which needs a certified secondary instructor.
The agreement will allow CMN to continue to work together with ORU to provide future scholarships that will benefit CMN graduates, staff and faculty. Randall eventually wants to extend this opportunity to all MCN employees as well.
When he signed the agreement, it was a thrilling moment for Randall to create this opportunity for students. “That was a really great moment. Being an Oral Roberts University alumni, being a tribal college graduate, and citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation it was a great feeling to be able to create this partnership and to solidify this opportunity to provide more education degrees to our people,” Randall said.
This is not CMN’s first agreement with transfer services with another higher education institution. Other partnerships have included Northeastern State University, Haskell Indian Nations University, Bacone College and the University of Oklahoma.
All of the agreements detail CMN’s importance as a tribal college. Particularly, how CMN is accessible and affordable with the scholarships they offer students.
Randall has found ORU helpful in creating a pathway for CMN’s graduates. In the future he plans to bring CMN students for college tours at ORU to see firsthand the future opportunities the MOU will provide.
“This is a very historic moment for us and The College of the Muscogee Nation, an associate grant institution, that’s part of the work that we do to help our graduates, our students. For our graduates continuing on for other higher ed degrees, we’re constantly seeking out those partnerships with other institutions to help solidify that transition,” Randall said.
For more information about CMN and enrollment, contact them at 918-549-2800. They also keep up to date on collegiate news and events on their Facebook page, College of the Muscogee Nation.