Mar 21 by MediaOCU

THE CAMPUS

March 21, 2018 – Volume 111 Issue 21

Meet the candidates

Presidential finalists meet, talk with community

hree presidential candidates were announced March 13 and are getting to know the campus community. The candidates are trustee Martha Burger, Dr. Myron L. Pope and Dr. Thom Chesney. They now are spending time on campus to talk to staff, faculty, deans, and students. A survey link for candidate feedback will be distributed via email the day each candidate is on campus, and it will close at the following day. A candidate will be recommended for confirmation by the board of trustees April 25. President Robert Henry announced in June that he will retire in June after eight years

as the university’s president. The new president will start in July. “I’m actually pretty excited about the people they selected,” said Beatrize Martinez, second-year law. Martinez said students should be involved and go to events to learn more about the candidates. She said she is attending these events because the office of the president is important to her. “Either way, I don’t think OCU can lose,” Martinez said. Burger was on campus Monday. Pope was scheduled to be on campus Tuesday, and Chesney is scheduled to be on campus today.

Martha A. Burger

Dr. Myron L. Pope

Dr. Thom Chesney

Burger originally was on the presidential search committee, but stepped down after she was nominated as a candidate and accepted the nomination. “Burger participated in the same vetting and interview process as the other semifinalist candidates and emerged as a finalist,” wrote Ron Norick, search committee chairman and president of the board of trustees, in a March 13 email. Burger has been a university trustee since 2008 and is chairwoman of the audit and finance committee. She received her master’s in business administration from OCU and her bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. Burger discussed her vision for the university at a general session Monday, which includes building revenue by initiating a capital campaign, expanding an online education experience for students and creating more partnership with the United Methodist Church. “My vision overlaps what you already have going on here,” Burger said. Burger also addressed her leadership style, which focuses on trust. “It’s not a one-way thing,” she said. “It goes a multitude of ways. It’s fairness. It’s respect. It’s transparency.” Martinez said Burger is qualified because of her involvement on campus and her participation on the board of trustees. Martinez is a former Student Government Association president, and she served on the board of trustees, which is how she connected with Burger. She said Burger has a stake in the university and will be able to preserve goals and initiatives. “I think she’s an excellent role model in terms of the fact that she’s a university trustee, a woman in business and just someone who’s been a part of the university for so long,” Martinez said.

Pope has been the vice president of student affairs at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond since 2013. In this position, he supervises many areas of campus and serves as “officer in charge” in the absence of the president and provost. He has a bachelor’s in history with a minor in English and a master’s and doctorate in higher education administration from University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Pope was the director of the Boys & Girls Club of Tuscaloosa County. He has worked at various universities in teaching and administrative positions, including the University of Alabama, the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Walden University in Minneapolis, and Alabama Southern Community College in Monroeville. His academic research spans several topics related to higher education, such as faculty governance and resilience in students from undeserved backgrounds. Pope also is involved in initiatives dedicated to increasing college admission, retention and graduation in the Oklahoma City area, particularly for youth in low-performing high schools. He serves on various boards including the Edmond YMCA, the Oklahoma Blood Institute and the advisory board for the Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools. Pope seems qualified because of his credentials and because he is from the Oklahoma City area, Martinez said. She also said she feels like he has a presence on campus because his wife, Shanna Pope, works at the university in the registrar’s office. “I was really excited to see his name,” Martinez said. Pope was unavailable for comment Monday. Go to MediaOCU.com for more information about his campus visit.

Chesney has been president of Brookhaven College in Farmers Branch, Texas, since 2011. He has a doctorate of philosophy in English literature from Florida State University in Tallahassee, a master’s in creative writing from Minnesota State University in Mankato and a bachelor’s in Spanish with a minor in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis. Chesney served as associate provost and professor for the University of Texas in Dallas from 2008-11. Before that, he was the vice president of academic affairs and provost at Collin College in Plano. Chesney has taught at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, East Tenessee State University in Johnson City, Whitman College in Walla Walla and Florida State University. He serves on various board including the American Council on Education Spectrum Aspiring Leaders Program, and the American Association of Community College’s Commission on Economic and Workforce Development. Chesney seems qualified because of his history as a university president, Martinez said. “I was kind of surprised, but I was also kind of excited that it was somebody different, somebody from a different state,” she said. “He’s currently the president of a university, so that shows that he’s already had experience and knows what it’s going to take.” Chesney was unavailable for comment Monday. Go to MediaOCU.com for more information about his campus visit. By Miguel Rios, editor-in-chief emeritus Contributing: Zoe Travers, editor-in-chief

Three juniors contend for student government presidency Zoe Travers

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

lections for Student Government Association president began with the announcement of three presidential candidates. Polls open at 8 a.m. Thursday and close at 5 p.m. Friday on OrgSync. The SGA president approves bills presented to Senate, appoints positions within SGA, and is a liason between university administration and the students. Incumbent SGA President Randy Gipson-Black, religion/political science junior, is running for re-election. Rodney Smith, religion/ philosophy junior and SGA secretary, and Jordan Tarter, English junior and SGA senator, also announced their decision to run for SGA president. Gipson-Black said his priorities are student safety, improvements in facilities and addressing student concerns. Smith’s platform includes diversity, transparency and involvement. Tarter said her priorities include student safety, transparency and making the campus more environmentally-friendly. Running for re-election Gipson-Black is running for re-election as SGA President. “Obviously, I bring experience to the table,” he said. “I’ve been in the office for a year. I know what I’m doing. I have a really good understanding of how to take an idea and get it done.” Gipson-Black said people are Randy Gipson-Black more interested in SGA, and he’s religion/political science grown a lot by being a part of it. junior If he is re-elected, he said he has the advantage of not needing an adjustment period. “It took a while to get used to the whole office because SGA has been kind of fluctuating in leadership,” he said. “With the last administration, we didn’t have a great transition, and my administration was kind of left at the drawing board.” Gipson-Black said he wants to continue the “Blue Goes Green” initiative, which began with recycling on campus. He said he would also give water bottles to freshmen during Stars Week. Gipson-Black said he is in communication with officials to expand Aduddell Fitness Center. This was one of Gipson-Black’s major campaign initiatives when he ran for president in 2017, along with the repainting of parking spots. Gipson-Black said he’s glad to see eagerness in all of the candidates.

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“You’ve really got to have that sense of service,” he said. “You’ve got to have that willingness to serve to do the job effectively.” Gipson-Black said he’s excited to go through the campaign process again, and he said he’s hoping students will vote. “I’m sure a lot of people don’t think SGA is super important or super influential or whatever, but it matters who you vote for, because, no matter who wins, things are going to get done on campus,” he said. Serving the students Smith said he wants to communicate with the students about Senate actions and make it easier for students to apply to be on Senate, possibly by going through OrgSync and keeping the application open year-round. “I want people to not view SGA as a separate entity from the student population,” he said. “We’re supposed to be serving them.” Rodney Smith Smith also said he would promote religion/philosophy junior diversity-focused events on campus like the Black Student Association’s Blackout and the Native American Society’s Spring Powwow, an event where people dance, sing, socialize, and honor their culture. “I just want to show people that we support these things, that we’re a part of the campus,” he said. Smith said he would use office hours to keep the SGA president’s office open to students and send the minutes from Senate meetings directly to students’ emails. “I think one of my better skills is that I’m easily approachable,” he said. “I’m pretty laid back. Anyone can talk to me about any bills they want to submit or anything like that, just keeping an open atmosphere between the president and everybody else.” Smith said he’s excited to campaign and hear feedback from students and administrators. He said the best way to contact him is by Facebook messenger or email at rasmith@my.okcu.edu. “I’m open-minded, so I really want to hear what students have to say because I think a leader of an organization is someone who knows what everyone else is thinking,” he said. Other plans Smith has include utilizing the Prexie Club to discuss ideas across student organizations and working with the Office of Undergraduate Admission to recruit underrepresented populations. Prexie Club is a club of presidents from student organizations that was created to allow students to influence SGA’s mission. Smith said he hopes students vote their conscience during this election. “Let your decision kind of be yours,” he said. “Don’t let a bunch

of outside voices influence your decision, but make sure whoever you’re voting for is someone you can really see taking the position in a good direction.” Speaking out Tarter said it’s important to her that she represents the students. “I truly believe you should be the change you want to see in the world, or even just be the change you want to see in the school,” she said. “I think that I have what it takes to truly listen to the student body and be transparent with them and work with their desires and work with what they need.” Jordan Tarter Tarter said she wants to increase security English in Cokesbury Court Apartments by fixing the junior gate and adding cameras. She also wants to replace plastic straws with paper straws to cut back on plastic waste and address the issue of sound installation in the theater facilities. She said she is open to student feedback for other campaign goals. “I want to ask the students at the school what they would like because it’s not just about what I want for the school,” Tarter said. “I definitely want to listen to the student body and hear them out. For that to be a part of my platform is really close to my heart.” Tarter said she encourages students not to be silent with their concerns and bring them to the presidential candidates. “I encourage students to think about what they truly care about in the school,” she said. “I want them to get involved. If they want change, they’re going to have to vote, and I think voting where your concerns are, voting where your heart is, is extremely important.” Tarter said she wants to tell students that anyone can have an impact on campus. “Use your voice. Your vote is your voice,” she said. “Personally, I believe I am a candidate who will listen to your voices.” Tarter said she also wants to put more focus into transparency. “We have a wonderful campus, and we have many amazing opportunities here,” she said. “I think that SGA could be a huge part in educating this campus on what they can do to achieve their dreams.” Staff writer and photographer Rodney Smith is running for SGA president. He did not participate in the writing or editing of this story. Proofreader Tyler Patton, mass communications junior, is campaign manager for Jordan Tarter. He did not participate in the writing of this story.

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