Oikos University

Oikos University is an unaccredited private Korean Christian university in Oakland, California.[2] It was the site of an April 2012 mass shooting in which seven people were killed and three others were wounded.

Oikos University
Established2004
PresidentJongin Kim
StudentsFewer than 100[1]
Location
Oakland
,
California
,
United States
Websitewww.oikos.edu

History

Oikos University was founded in 2004 by Jongin Kim, a pastor and former South Korean military officer who emigrated from South Korea to the United States in the 1990s.[3] Other members of staff include Chair of the Board Youngkyo Choi and Chief Operating Officer Jaehoon Moon.[3][4] The school is affiliated with the Praise God Korean Presbyterian Church in Oakland.[4] Oikos offers an Associate's degree for a licensed practical nurse in its School of Nursing,[5] and undergraduate and graduate degrees in its Schools of Theology, Music and Asian medicine.

On April 2, 2012, a shooting at the school killed seven people and injured three.[6] One L. Goh, a former nursing student at the university, was arrested and charged in the case.[7][8][9]

Accreditation

On May 13, 2011 Oikos University was approved to operate in California by the California Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education.[10] It is also approved by the state Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians.[11] In 2011, the school applied for recognition from Healthcare Medicine Institute to teach acupuncture.[12] The school currently has candidate status (granted in 2013) with TRACS (Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools), an agency recognized by both the United States Department of Education[13] and Council for Higher Education Accreditation.[14]

According to the San Jose Mercury News, Oikos nursing students, the school's only licensed program, have been failing nursing license exams "at alarming rates", worrying state regulators.[15] Oikos' nursing passing rate for students was at 58 percent in 2010 and 41 percent in 2011, well below the state average of 75 percent.[16]

Finances

Oikos University has faced persistent financial difficulties. School president Jongin Kim stopped cashing his own paychecks in 2011, while Chief Operating Officer Jaehoon Moon says he remains on the job despite more lucrative opportunities elsewhere only because of Kim's example. The school does not own its campus, a building near the Oakland International Airport, but instead rents it; in the aftermath of the shooting, it was forced to relocate classes temporarily to other rented facilities, including classrooms at Chabot College in Hayward and Unitek College in Fremont.[3] The school's debt, combined with outstanding lawsuits for failure to pay employees, may impact its approval to operate in California.[15]

See also
  • List of unaccredited institutions of higher learning

References
  1. Wood, Daniel (April 2, 2012). "Oakland shooter's connections to religious university under scrutiny". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
  2. Colliver, Victoria; Kane, Will (April 2, 2012). "Oikos a Christian school primarily serving Koreans". San Francisco Chronicle.
  3. Krupnick, Matt (April 30, 2012). "Staggered Oikos swims upstream toward survival". San Jose Mercury News.
  4. Krupnick, Matt (April 2, 2012). "Oikos University attracts nursing, music, religion students". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
  5. "Oikos School of Nursing > A.S. in Nursing: LVN". Oikos University. 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
  6. "Fatalities in California university shooting". BBC News. 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2012-04-02.
  7. Oikos University Shooting: Suspect, One L. Goh, Detained; At Least 7 Dead
  8. "Former nursing student opens fire at Oakland university, killing 7 and wounding 3 others". Oakland Tribune. April 2, 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
  9. La Ganga, Maria L; Stevens, Matt (April 4, 2012). "Oakland shooting suspect called loner, loser". Los Angeles Times.
  10. "School Detail:Oikos University". California Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
  11. "California Approved Schools". California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians. Archived from the original on 2013-07-15. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
  12. Staff report (March 7, 2011). New California Acupuncture Schools. HealthCare Medicine Institute
  13. "Accreditation Database". US Department of Education. 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
  14. "Accreditation Database and Information". Council for Higher Education Accreditation. 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-04-20. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
  15. "Oikos academics, finances worry state regulators". San Jose Mercury News. April 3, 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
  16. MSNBC
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