Skip to Content Request Info

Personal Growth Days

Personal Growth For The Whole Person

OUAZ is so committed to the notion that students should develop work-ready and practical life skills that it has eliminated most standard classes on Wednesdays of each 8-week term. At OUAZ, we center almost the entire day on our students’ personal development because we believe doing so will lead to personal and professional success skills that will last a lifetime. During OUAZ’s unique “Personal Growth Days”, Wednesdays are set aside for advising, tutoring, professional workshops and private study in the morning. The remainder of the day includes Spirit Life, The Gathering and Skill Development Workshops.

What is a Personal Growth Day? Watch this video to find out more.

Spirit Life

During this hour, the OUAZ community comes together for a time of fellowship as they take part in a speaker series where they will be inspired by testimonials, motivational speakers, in addition to speakers on timely key topics. Attendees will also be led in singing by a praise and worship band.

Date Speaker
January 24

Cleo Lewis

Cleo Lewis Ministries

January 31

Arthur and Madelyn Johnson

Prayer Warriors for OUAZ

February 7

Josh Honeycutt

Endurance Church

February 14

Norwood Jones Convocation Series

February 21

Alan Boelter,

OUAZ Campus Ministries

February 28

Phoenix Zoo

March 13

Russ Smith,

Pastor, City Church

March 20

OUAZ Leadership Panel

Executive Team Q & A

April 3

Chris Gardiner

Army Chaplin

April 10

Justin Hamilton

Legacy Church

April 17 OUAZ Student Speakers
April 24 Worship Service

 

Spirit Life attendance is a requirement for all full time OUAZ undergraduate students.  It is designed to create community and foster faith formation. Students are expected to attend 70% of Spirit Life services.

  1. Students must swipe their cards at Spirit Life, doors will open 20 minutes prior to Spirit Life and will be closed 10 minutes after the start of Spirit Life.  Students may still attend after the 10 minutes but will not be credited. 
  2. A student may miss up to 4 Spirit Life services per semester.  These are for all absences, whether that be for sickness, traveling with a OUAZ sponsored activity or other obligations. If you do miss more than 4, you will be allowed to do one make up and get you back to the 4 you missed.  You may NOT do more than one make-up assignment.  Contact the Director of Campus Ministries at OUAZSpiritlife@ottawa.edu 
  3. After 2 absences the student will receive an email to their Ottawa email address warning them, they have missed 2 Spirit Life services.
  4. If a student has not completed the Spirit Life requirements as stated above, the student will receive notification that he/she has been placed on Spirit Life probation for the following semester.  
  5. A student involved in deception of any kind as it pertains to attendance at Spirit Life will be subject to fines.
  6. If a student has perfect attendance for all 13 Spirit Life services, they will be entered into a drawing that will be held at the last semester chapel. 

OUAZ-TV recordings can be found on our official YouTube Channel .

If you have an announcement you would like included, please complete this form:

Today
Today

All OUAZ students, faculty, staff, and guests, gather for a community dining experience on campus. This is a great time to network and get to know each other better. It also creates a welcoming and accepting atmosphere.

Skill Development Workshops

Following "The Gathering," students attend skill development workshops. These workshops are virtually identical to those offered in professional development training programs by corporations and non-profit organizations. They are aimed at honing and shaping student competencies in areas such as public speaking, project management, leadership, writing for business, negotiations, personal finance, how to persuade, personal selling, research, conflict management, listening, group facilitation, and many more. These are skills that employers of all types prize and will set OUAZ students apart as work-ready graduates when it is time to land that first job. In addition, each student will be encouraged to develop conversational capability in at least one additional language.

Personal Growth Days are also designed to offer an array of service learning, shadowing and other experiential learning and service opportunities within teams and as individuals. OUAZ grads will undoubtedly point to these experiences as many of their most impactful “Aha!” moments in their educational careers.

Past Workshops:

  • Building Interpersonal Versatility
  • Buying a Home
  • Career Assessment
  • Career Planning
  • Citizenry and Government
  • Community Development
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Cooking Skills
  • Dress for Success
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Enlightened Faith
  • Etiquette
  • Expressive Arts
  • Goal Setting
  • Healthy Living
  • How to Change a Tire
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Life Plan Narrative
  • Personal Advocacy
  • Personal Finance
  • Resume and Cover Letter
  • Resume Lab
  • Sales Skills
  • Selling and Buying a Home
  • Social Media
  • The Life of Christ
  • Time Management & Organization
Back to top
/OUAZ/Academics/Personal-Growth-Days