Friday, May 5, 2023
Dean Dilemma
Main figures at OSU give space to a new generation of leaders Luisa Clausen and Kennedy Thomason News and Lifestyle Editor and Assistant Editor
accreditation. For Coon, Eastman and Masters, stepping down emerged from a desire to retire, rest, enjoy the presence of loved ones and give new leaders an opportunity to start working with the new administration. Tikalsky’s decision came from a satisfaction Five deans. Five colleges. of accomplishment with CEAT Five legacies. and an acknowledgement it’s The ultimate farewell. give Shrum a Oklahoma State University time to chance to select her own faces a period of change with leaders. five of its deans, as well as the “You have to let director of accreditation, exitthe new president ing their positions and leaving with Jeanette Mendez, OSU’s provost decide, her and senior vice president, facing a search to find replacements for paramount figures on campus. It’s a challenging time. And potentially an exciting time, as the school moves forward with realigned leadership in the early stages of President Kayse Shrum’s tenure. The loss of several key figures has created curiosity, and some concern, on and off campus. The O’Colly’s effort to secure an interview with Shrum were unsuccessful. Mendez said she respects the decision and honesty from the key departures as they made this decision thinking about OSU’s new strategy and the importance to make the lead- strategy and so forth, let her hire ership change before the strategy her own leaders,” Tikalsky said. “I just think that’s just an approadvances. priate thing. And good leaders Resigning, retiring or do that. already gone are: Tom Coon, “They aren’t afraid to vice president and dean for the say, ‘Well, you can only stay Ferguson College of Agriculture. Ken Eastman, dean for the too long.’ I feel like we left the college in a great financial state, Spears School of Business. Paul Tikalsky, dean for the with great facilities.” Mendez said the pandemic College of Engineering, Archiplayed a role in leadership shifts, tecture and Technology. Sheryl Tucker, vice provost not just at OSU, but elsewhere. “During COVID a lot of and dean of the graduate college. administrators stayed on because Glen Krutz, dean for the they just thought, ‘I’m not goCollege of Arts and Sciences; and Brenda Masters, director of ing to retire or look for another
job during COVID,’” Mendez said. “So, what happened is, the market was kind of really thin, and everyone kind of stayed on through COVID and then COVID didn’t go away.” The University of Cincinnati finds itself searching for four deans, while Texas Christian University completed 10 dean searches in three years. Mendez said after the pandemic, some deans evaluated all possibilities and decided it was either time to retire or to step down. “They also talked about it in terms of OSU, and they said that this is an important time for OSU,” Mendez said. “We have launched this strategy, and they feel it would be better for their college and their (the incoming deans) opportunity of getting in on this strategy to make that leadership change now, and to me, I can’t respect that decision any more than I do.” Mendez said each dean approached her individually about leaving OSU and said any decision to retire or step down was not a result of pressure from Shrum’s new administration, or a new structure that now places Mendez as the central Sam Beebe power, where previous deans had multiple avenues to reach out in case of questions. “There was no conversation between myself and the deans as a group, or one on one, that said I want to move in a different direction,” Mendez said. The deans who spoke with The O’Colly agreed. “The pandemic expedited the decision,” Eastman said. “Me and my wife were at home working and we kind of reconnected and realized, ‘Oh well, we could do this.’” See Leaders on 4A
File Photo Makenzi Maddox, a junior at OSU, tells first timers to make sure they stay hydrated and with a group.
First-timer’s guide to Calf Fry
Jaycee Hampton Staff Reporter As Stillwater’s largest country music event begins, first timers wonder what they are going to experience. On its 31st annual year at Stillwater’s Tumbleweed Amphitheater, Calf Fry is a threeday outdoor red dirt and country music festival in which musicians from all over come to sing, dance and join the Cowboy community for a weekend.
Many artists have lined up performances for the weekend, which started Thursday. Popular artists such as Parker McCollum, Larry Fleet, Kaitlin Butts, Wyatt Flores and an after party with Cam Allen rocked opening night. Many students will be attending this year’s Calf Fry for the first time, which can be overwhelming. Concerts and other events are still making their way back after the pandemic, and not everyone has been able to enjoy a lively group setting like this in years. Many students on campus have attended in previous years and are looking forward to kicking up the dust again. See First-timers on 3A
Artificial intelligence, a new foe for higher education an AI bot the whole time and not actually putting in the work, that undermines the integrity of the university, the integrity of the degree itself.” Stephanie Jansa said while Landaverde the tools for detecting Staff Reporter AI are not as advanced as AI yet, they’re catching up quickly, and Recent advanceeducational institutions ments in artificial in particular are interintelligence threatens ested in incorporating the credibility of educathem to ensure students tional institutions like are turning in work that Oklahoma State Uniis theirs. versity. Alexandra WilJoshua Jansa, an liams, a sophomore in associate professor of physiology, said those political science and on campus who use an academic integrity AI to plagiarize do so facilitator at OSU, said because they find themthere have been cases selves lacking the time of OSU students using to complete the assignAI to complete their ment themselves or out schoolwork, and these of laziness. acts of plagiarism un“I think one of the dermine the credibility benefits is that it helps of the degrees and the produce new ideas,” institutions that certify Williams said. “But I them. know the disadvantages “We’re saying that are things like plagiathey’ve gone through rism, and you’re stealthe coursework, they’ve ing other people’s work. read, they’ve been And that can lead to a tested, they’re written, lot of things that hinder and we certify them your career down the in having a degree,” road.” Jansa said. “If in reality they’ve been querying See Intelligence on 5A
Rivalry put aside at OU, OSU mock powerlifting meet
Hayden Alexander Staff Reporter set.
The bar is loaded, and the stage
Everybody is watching as the last lifter of the day steps onto the podium. The 6-foot-2 tall, 242-pound giant stares down the 578 lbs weight.
He gets into starting position with both hands on the bar. He pulls on it, his muscles straining against the bar’s weight. His face turns red, his veins become visible and he clenches his teeth. His teammates scream for him to continue encouraging him to give it everything. Finally, his knees lock and the official’s hand drops, signaling a clean lift. As the final lifter of the day, Rocky Hensley secured a Bedlam win for the Oklahoma State Powerlifting team. See Powerlifting on 6A
Hayden Alexander From left to right: Cale Hartman, Tommy Hosty and Duncan Ille celebrating an OSU win.