Current and prospective doctoral students recently visited Olivet Nazarene University’s campus for the very first Doctorate Day. This special in-person event helps connect students with the campus, faculty and alumni, as well as with one another. Throughout the day, attendees learn more about ONU’s Doctor of Ethical Leadership (Ed.D.) program.
Activities for the first Doctorate Day included:
- Breakfast with an opening greeting from University President Gregg Chenoweth ’90
- Chapel service in ONU’s Centennial Chapel with a message from Michael Morris ’02 M.Min./’17 Ed.D.
- Campus tour
- Lunch with a greeting from Brian Allen ’82/’05 D.Litt., Vice President for Institutional Advancement, and more from Dr. Morris
- Faculty “meet and greet”
- Time for questions and discussion
Also addressing and connecting with the Doctorate Day attendees was Dr. Amber Residori, dean of ONU’s College of Professional Studies. “Our doctoral students are an impressive group of learners,” she said. “We applaud their pursuit of higher educational goals and savor these opportunities we have to be together, uplift one another, and bond over a shared mission: Education with a Christian Purpose.”
Rev. Taylor Monhollen attended Doctorate Day and has already chosen ONU’s Ed.D. program because the program’s goal is the same as his: personal success. He and his cohort will begin the program in March 2025. “ONU’s program is designed to ensure that those who start the program finish the program,” he said. “Though I have not yet started the program, I already feel the support of the faculty and camaraderie of the students.”
“ONU’s program has been transformative for me,” said current Ed.D. student Bethany Zapata-Wendt. “The program’s Christ-centered approach has deepened my faith and given me a renewed sense of purpose in leadership and education. The professors’ passion for faith and scholarship fosters a community where academic excellence and spiritual growth thrive. Being on campus for Doctorate Day was a powerful reminder that I am part of something much bigger.”
Dr. Jay Martinson ’86, ONU’s Dean of Online Learning, enjoyed the in-person connections he made during the Doctorate Day event. “I finally got to meet, in person, several of my current and former doctoral students!” he said. “Sitting alongside one another over breakfast and lunch, we got to form deeper connections. This quickly felt like a homecoming of close friends! I left the event feeling so much more connected with our students and even more committed to helping them succeed.”
Interacting with students throughout the day was a definite highlight for Dr. Kelly Brown ’92, Ed.D. Director. “I was thoroughly impressed with the number of students who attended!” she says. “I loved watching the students, who only know each other online, embrace each other like old friends. And it was thrilling to interact with future, current and past students. Because of the great response, this event will be an annual fall event.”
About ONU’s program
ONU’s Doctor of Ethical Leadership (Ed.D.) degree program explores leadership paradigms and develops a framework for how ethics, values and cultural influences transform society. Designed to serve professionals in a variety of fields — including, but not limited to, for-profit and nonprofit settings, public service, education, business, ministry, healthcare, military, and law enforcement — the program prepares students to apply expertise to the study of ethics, leadership and change management, and to strategically interact with other thought leaders to make an impact in their professional settings.
ONU’s program offers a lockstep approach to coursework and research. Unlike most doctoral programs that require the completion of coursework prior to writing the dissertation, ONU’s program is intentionally designed so students complete their coursework and write their dissertation simultaneously. Dissertations address real world problems and students are provided dissertation teams that offer guidance on research, analysis, methodology, and scholarly writing.
Enrollment is now open for ONU’s program, which offers a 60 credit, 32-month Doctor of Ethical Leadership (Ed.D.) program in two formats.
- Each spring, the program is 100% online. The next cohort starts March 3, 2025.
- Each fall, the program is offered online and also includes a residency component (for students who prefer a program with in-person bonding opportunities). The next Ed.D. with residency cohort starts October 27, 2025.
There are three payment options available to students.
To begin your doctoral degree journey at ONU, contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@olivet.edu or 800-648-1463.
