Oikos Scholars Program

The Oikos Scholars program aspires to be a premier liberal arts program for preparing students to engage in lives of social and ecological responsibility. Oikos is the Greek word for house. The root word for both ecology and economics, it points to those dual responsibilities that are central to the mission of the Oikos Scholars Program. All Oikos scholars participate in service learning projects, complete courses addressing issues of peace, justice, and ecological sustainability, and are required to complete at least one approved international education experience while at Oklahoma City University. Up to twenty first-year students and up to five sophomores will be selected each year to participate in the Oikos Scholars Program.

OIKOS SCHOLARS CURRICULUM

PHIL/REL 2163: Moral Issues in Contemporary Culture: Peace & Non-Violence
This course will investigate various perspectives on peace and non-violence. Special emphasis will be placed on the cross-cultural approaches to these issues, including an analysis of peace and non-violence in the world's philosophies, government structures, religions, etc. The course includes a service learning component. This course satisfies the first semester requirement for the Oikos Scholars Program and the Values and Culture, Cross-Cultural, and Service Learning requirements of the General Education Curriculum.

PHIL/REL 2163: Moral Issues in Contemporary Culture: Social Justice
This course will investigate various perspectives concerning social justice with special attention on strategies for positive social change. The course includes a service learning component. This course satisfies the second semester requirement for the Oikos Scholars Program and the Values and Culture and Service Learning requirements of the General Education Curriculum.

BIOL/CHEM/PHYS 1003: Science, Technology & Society: Ecological Sustainability
This course will investigate various perspectives concerning ecological sustainability. Special emphasis will be placed on the roles of ethics, science, and technology as they relate to issues of ecological sustainability. The course includes a service learning component. This course satisfies the third semester requirement for the Oikos Scholars Program and the Science, Technology and Society and the Service Learning requirements of the General Education Curriculum.

BIOL 1314: Environmental Science
This course emphasizes biological aspects of the environment, including the effect of humans on other organisms (and vice versa), and their role in biological ecosystems. This course is designed for students who have little or no training in science and does not count toward a biology major. Three hours lecture and three hours laboratory each week. This course satisfies the Lab Science requirement of the General Education Curriculum (Number of credits: 4). BIOL 3314: Principles of Ecology (4 credits) can be taken in place of BIOL 1314 in order to satisfy the lab science requirement in the Oikos Scholars Program.

INDP 4893: Oikos Senior Project
Each Oikos scholar will develop a junior-senior project that will integrate two of the following three areas: peace and nonviolence, social justice, and ecological sustainability. Students will meet weekly for faculty guidance in relation to this project. The project will include a written reflection component. The course includes a service learning component, i.e. the implementation of the junior-senior project. This course satisfies the junior-senior year requirement for the Oikos Scholars Program. Number of Credits: 3

International Education Experience
Each Oikos Scholar is required to have at least one approved international education experience while a student at Oklahoma City University.

Other Important Features of the Oikos Scholars Program
All Oikos courses may be contracted for Honors credit.

The Oikos Senior Project will be more practical in its focus so as not to duplicate the senior thesis experience that students will have in their respective majors

COMMENTS FROM OIKOS SCHOLARS

“I think the biggest benefit I have gotten from Oikos is the subject matter of the program. We’re in college to grow, learn and experience, and the professors who teach the Oikos courses are amazing. I volunteered with the United Nations Association through the Oikos program and landed a spot on the board of directors. After college, I want to work with the United Nations and do conflict resolution. Oikos has led me to a lot of opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise."
--DeEtta, Political Science and Spanish Junior

“I’ve always been interested in making a positive impact on a global scale, and Oikos not only emphasizes the environment, but also positive cultural changes we can make. I enjoy the hands-on service learning. I worked with a team that volunteered every Saturday Night at Skyline Urban Ministries. We were interacting with the disenfranchised and impoverished, and it felt good to make a direct impact instead of just raising money.” --Amanda, Entertainment Business Sophomore