The Impact of The OU Pledge on Your Student's Success

As a parent, you might be wondering about the impact of The OU Pledge — our commitment to provide undergraduate students with opportunities for meaningful, hands-on learning through internships, service learning, research and/or community engagement opportunities — on your student’s experience. At Oakland University, “career readiness” isn’t a catchphrase; it’s a concept that’s woven into the Strategic Vision 2030’s Student Success pathway to offer unique and inspirational educational experiences that prepare students for a lifetime of learning and success.

With The OU Pledge, students augment their academic knowledge with experience-based learning that fuels their ability to make substantive professional contributions and directly impacts their future success. That impact can be seen via our Post-Graduation Outcomes Dashboard, which highlights hiring information, starting salaries, geographic location and continuing education status from a survey of recent OU graduates embarking on their first destination beyond college. 

Individual prosperity often can be tied to community prosperity. Oakland University is an epicenter of opportunity located in the state’s largest population and business center. By building community partnerships based on reciprocity, we’re able to engage our students, faculty and staff to serve as catalysts for the ongoing development of the region’s workforce, culture and economy.

OU is proud to have been recognized by The Wall Street Journal America’s Best Colleges 2026 as second among the state’s public universities for enhancing students’ social mobility and nationally among the top 16 percent of all universities. And with more than 95 percent of employed OU graduates working in Michigan, we take very seriously our commitment to being "stewards of place.” 

Oakland University works with hundreds of businesses, schools and hospitals each year that are seeking to fill hands-on roles with OU’s top talent. With a reputation for being dedicated, hard-working and diligent, OU students have a competitive edge when it comes to landing internships and, later on, full-time jobs. 

We’re aware that many of your students have other responsibilities in addition to attending school, such as working, commuting and supporting families. Life can be complex, and so can the thought of trying to “fit in” an experience-based learning opportunity. Encourage your student to contact the Career and Life Design Center or their major department to find out more about removing barriers to opportunities for experience-based learning at OU or just to get started on their search.