W E E K LY E D I T I O N | F E B . 8 -14 , 2 0 2 1 | O U D A I LY. C O M
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3 percent tuition hike proposed OU SGA presents fee simplification KALY PHAN
kaly.n.phan-1@ou.edu
The OU Student Government Association and Division of Student Affairs presented a fees simplification process and strategic plan investments, including a tentative 3 percent tuition rate increase, during a webinar on Jan. 31. The webinar was presented by Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students David Surratt, Associate Vice President of Budget and Finance Stewart Berkinshaw and Senior Vice President and Provost André-Denis Wright, with SGA President Zack Lissau acting as moderator. Lissau said the webinar would be made available on the OU SGA website for any and all to view in the interest of transparency. “(Tonight is) about a
discussion and … to talk about ways in which the university is looking to further look at resources and invest in the university’s future, especially as it relates to our strategic plan, ‘Lead On,’” Surratt said. Berkinshaw said planned investments for the 2023 fiscal year approximate to over $33 million, with the largest portions of money being allocated to a faculty and staff raise program, faculty hiring and maintenance. To pay for these investments, he said the OU Administration and Finance office would be amounting approximately $36 million from various places. The $36 million will be allocated through, but is not limited to, internal budget reductions and reallocations, rate in-
RECENT HISTORY •2021: The OU Board of Regents approved a 2.75 percent increase in tuition and fees for undergraduate and graduate rates. •2018: 5 percent increase in tuition for resident students, with a 6.5 percent increase for undergraduate non-resident students and a 4.3 percent increase for non-resident graduate students. •2017: Former OU President David Boren recommended a 7 percent increase in tuition for resident and non-resident students. •2016: 4.8 percent tuition increase for resident and non-resident students. •2015: 4.8 percent tuition increase for resident and non-resident students. — Jonathan Kyncl
see SGA page 2
Student reps seek education funding KALY PHAN
kaly.n.phan-1@ou.edu
The OU Undergraduate Student Congress passed bills encouraging awareness against the dangers of vaping and advocated for increased funds for higher education during its meeting on Feb. 1. External Affairs chair Lacey Lewis authored a bill which would allow students to advocate and lobby for increased funding for higher education resources, as allocated by the Oklahoma government on behalf of OU. “This is something that (External Affairs) does every single year,” Lewis said. “I think it’s really influential and important for the university’s sake. I’m really happy that students get to get involved this way and meet their local representative, if they’re from Oklahoma, or just get lobbying experi-
ence in general.” Oklahoma currently ranks 47th in the nation for higher education, and Lewis said she believes lobbying for increased funding could increase the chances of climbing the ranks. The resolution passed unanimously with a vote of 21-0-0. Associate Shrey Kathuria spoke on his bill, which recommends an increase in education and awareness for the dangers of vaping and nicotine for OU students. This bill seeks to increase content of the university’s Alcohol and Other Drug training to include content on vaping and to create a health promotion-based, peer-educator facilitated group. Kathuria said he wrote this bill because the “vaping epidemic” has see FUNDING page 2
‘The house was ash and a hole’ OU alumni, student recall Colorado wildfire devastation TAYLOR JONES
taylor.p.jones-1@ou.edu
A wildfire swept through Boulder County, Colorado on Dec. 30, resulting in $513 million in damage and an OU alumnus losing his home. Daniel Hesselius, an OU aviation graduate and current director of flight operations at the University of Colorado, lived in Louisville, Colorado, in a neighborhood called the Enclave where “roughly 90 percent of the houses burned to the ground,”
including Hesselius’. Hesselius said the day of Dec. 30 started like any other. He was off work for the holidays and at home with his wife and highschool-aged son while his other son, another OU graduate, was at the airport about four miles away. “It got really windy late in the morning (with) 90 to 100 mile an hour winds,” Hesselius said. “That’s always concerning. My wife was chasing trash cans down the street because the wind was blowing them away. There were more than hurricane-force winds. And overall, other than that, (we were) just looking for-
ward to New Year’s Eve.” Later in the morning, Hesselius was on his way to pick up his son from the airport. As he drove out of the subdivision, he began to hear sirens and saw smoke. Hesselius said he immediately went back to his home to gather more information on what was happening. “I called my son up at the airport, who said ‘you better get back right away,’” Hesselius said. “He drove about three miles back real quick. He had to drive through pretty much what I would call most of the smoke at that time, which is interesting because, at our house, it
was a clear blue sky. Fantastic visibility. A perfect day. But, if you look to the south from our house … it was almost like it was nighttime.” By this time, Hesselius said he and his family knew they had to evacuate. They grabbed what they could in a matter of minutes. “All it took was that wind direction shifting maybe 15 degrees and that fire that was pretty close turned our way,” Hesselius said. The power went out and the fire marshal knocked on the door to tell the family to evacuate see FIRES page 2
Photo of Louisville, Colorado
PROVIDED BY DANIEL HESSELIUS