Oakland Community College (OCC) has earned the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Best of District V Award for its 2024 holiday video. OCC is the only community college recognized in the category, in a competitive field of four-year colleges and universities within the multi-state Great Lakes Region.
“It is such an honor to be recognized by a prestigious organization like CASE,” said Elizabeth (Liz) Schnell, OCC’s Vice Chancellor for Marketing, Communications. “We had so much fun creating this holiday video. This award is a reminder of the extraordinary work the Marcomm team does every day.”
In 2025, institutions in 33 countries submitted entries in 93 categories for the CASE Circle of Excellence (COE) Awards, which showcase the highest standards among educational advancement professionals worldwide. All COE submissions are automatically considered for regional Best of District honors, where OCC stood out among institutions in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.
OCC’s award-winning holiday video incorporated AI use as the centerpiece of its storyline. The video follows Chancellor Peter Provenzano, Jr. using AI to brainstorm ideas to feature the College’s new mascot, Talon the Owl. The results are humorous clips placing Talon, OCC students and employees in classic and rom-com holiday movies, and in "Die Hard," which the Chancellor deems “definitely not a holiday movie.” Check out OCC’s winning entry.
Other District V winners in the holiday/year-end video category include:
- Michigan State University: 2024 Spartan Year in Review
- Kent State University: Gen Z Writes the Script
- University of Minnesota-Duluth: Winter Greeting: Goodnight UMD
- Ohio Wesleyan University: Dr. v’s Trivia Taxi
For the second consecutive year, OCC’s holiday video also recieved recognition from Inside Higher Ed, and earned a Gold Medallion Award from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR).
About OCC
Celebrating 60 years, Oakland Community College (OCC) has educated over one million students since 1965. OCC offers more than 80 degree and certificate programs and is committed to student success with affordable tuition, support services, flexible class options and top transfer opportunities. The College serves more than 20,000 students annually while advancing our community through education, training and career support. OCC is nationally recognized as Michigan’s top online college, and seventh in the U.S., by Newsweek’s America’s Top Online Colleges 2025. Learn more at oaklandcc.edu.
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Media Contact: Marketing & Communications | (248) 341-2020 | contactus@oaklandcc.edu