Southeastern University (Lakeland, Florida) has announced that President Mark Rutland has recently accepted an offer to become the new president of Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Rutland will remain as Southeastern's president until July 1. Rutland has served at Southeastern since 1999. Under Rutland's leadership the campus has undergone more than $50 million in renovations and construction. During that time, enrollment has increased from less than 1,000 to more than 3,000 in September 2008. Southeastern University has also announced it has received a $10 million pledge from Hobby Lobby Inc. to be paid during the next five years in $2 million increments. It is the largest single gift ever donated to the Assemblies of God school. "As a result of recent visits to the campus of Southeastern University, we are impressed with the vibrant programs of Christian higher education and the beautiful facilities and campus," Mart Green, heir to the Hobby Lobby chain, said in a letter to the SEU Board of Trustees. "It is our hope that the financial assistance will only increase SEU's current financial strength." For more information about Southeastern University, visit its Web site at http://seuniversity.edu.
