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VVEEFEEI:) April 30, 2009
The movement to allow firearms on campus is still alive and well, despite a statement to the contrary from former UCOSA President John Bobb-Semple in a recent Vista article. "I'm ... very proud to say we defeated the guns on campus bill," Bobb-Semple said. "It's never going to come back. It's dead. Senate Bill um would have allowed CLEET certified people or state law enforcement employees to carry a firearm on campus, according to a recent Vista article. Both SB 1101 and a UCOSA Senate test bill both failed to pass in their respective legislatures this year. State Rep. Jason Murphey, R-Guthrie, said the firearms on campus bill has been reworked in House Bill 1083 - an amendment bill not yet heard in the Oklahoma legislature. Murphey said HB 1083 is "still a live round" in the state House and will be heard in February 2010. The House introduced a measure similar to HB 1083, HB 2513, in its last session, but that bill was defeated. The new measure, authored by Murphey, has further refined the certifications for who
could legally carry a concealed handgun on campus. "[HB 1083] would say if you're a teacher ... or if you carry a weapon as part of your occupation ... and you have a concealed carry license, then you can continue to carry on campus," Murphey said. Bobb-Semple said he feels the collective student voice already spoke strongly as to whether weapons should be allowed in its classrooms and dorm halls. "There was very much the opportunity for students to decide," Bobb-Semple said. "I made sure campus discussion was facilitated. I didn't hide how I felt about it from the onset." , Dave Jenkins, UCOSA Senator and founder of UCO Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, said there are still students at UCO who want to see some form of a conceal and carry on campus law. "A small group of friends and I were actually lobbying these past few months for [SB nor] before it died in committee," Jenkins explained. Jenkins said USCCC plans to talk with members of the Oklahoma House Public Safety Committee about supporting HB 1083 before it comes to a vote in 2010. "We'll definitely be back, lobbying for [HB 1083]," Jenkins said. Murphey emphasized the importance of allowing certified personnel to carry handguns on campus. "There's only one ... significant area where a criminal can go and commit crimes and not have to worry about ... people being able to defend themselves." Murphey said. "That's a university campus." Murphey said HB 1083 would act as a preventative measure against on-campus gun crimes. "It will put doubt in criminals' minds ... that maybe they shouldn't do that on an Oklahoma campus, Murphey emphasized. "Because there are going to be more people carrying weapons on that campus than just law enforcement." Oklahoma government rules state bills voted down in one legislative session can be brought back for reconsideration in the next session, Jenkins said. Jenkins then said he thinks SB rioi will most likely follow this procedure and be brought back for consideration in the coming session, 2011. tment of Public Safety generally Jenkins said education administrators and the Depai oppose firearms on campus proposals, but many law enforcement officials and military personnel are in favor the idea. Jenkins then said he feels many people oppose conceal and carry on campus laws because they have only heard or thought about it in a negative way. "I think it definitely has been demonized," Jenkins said. "A lot of people hear the word `guns' and see Hollywood shootouts and Rambo ... so, they just have that emotional reaction. They never actually look at the issue."
Faculty Senate approves tuition increases
Last chance for Broncho 'stimulus'
Joe Lopez Special o the [7:,/,
Last Thursday, the UCO Faculty Senate approved legislation to raise tuition rates on the student body to cover future faculty travel expenses. The original legislation authored by Dr. Luis Montes, College of Math and Science, would increase student tuition fees by 4.5%, or about $165 a year for full time students. Dr. William Radke, Provost and Vice President Academic Affairs is in favor of this measure. University statistics show that a majority of students at UCO are enrolled in ri credit hours, with fees collected applied to different aspects of the University, of which is Faculty Research and Development. Currently $850 dollars is allotted to tenured faculty members per year, and is subject to change per the colleges they are associated with. "This will not go to fatten up our vacation budge, but to adjust for fixed costs and other expenses," Dr. James Mock, College of Liberal Arts said. During deliberation, faculty senators questioned the language of the bill covering tuition increases and the justification for such increases. Separate legislation was requested to address' potential discrimination between tenured and non-tenured professors regarding travel funds. The request was denied while amendments making the bill more "equitable" for non-tenured professors were accepted. Outgoing UCOSA President John Stephen Bobb-Semple was present to represent
the student body and cautioned members Caleb McWilliams not to send the wrong message to students. and Kory Oswald "My greatest concern is based upon qualsof•ii eifees ity of education," Bobb-Semple said. "I say this with a degree of confidence (that) students have seen an increase in tuition for the For students this fall, UCO will be offerlast seven years since 2001, being the last ing a "stimulus package" unlikely to result in time it was zero based." any tea parties or protests. Both he and the body agreed the focus of Full-time, degree-seeking students the university was the students. can apply for the "Broncho Stimulus The bill overwhelmingly passed •with no Scholarship," a one-time award "designed objections though several abstained from just recently." voting. "It was kind of a spur of the moment "President Webb has the ultimate call," thing, in that we realized that we had some Dr. Mock said. additional moneys in our foundation," said Dr. Montes further challenged faculty to Myron Pope, vice president for enrollment fund local departmental or general scholar- management. ships for students. "We worked with our foundation to find Current UCOSA President Daniel out hOw we could best use that money Stockton who was not at the meeting shared for students, especially during this difficult similar concerns to those of Bobb-Semple. financial time," he said. "It is not justifiable," Stockton said. "I The individual scholarships, based on don't feel that it is necessary to tax the stu- need and the completion of the FAFSA, will dents. be $100-$500 each. The $20,000 in total He further stated that he is not against scholarship money comes from the Class of professors pursing research and develop- 1929 Scholarship Endowment. ment, and encourages greater usage tech"Donors can be loose in their giving so to nology affords. speak, in that they can give their money to "There are limitless opportunities for the foundation, and let the foundation make electronic submission of journal articles the decision," he said. and other means for dissemination of said This endowment falls into that category, works," Stockton said. he said, and so the foundation and its board Stockton and UCOSA have called for a made the decision about how to spend the student fee audit to highlight exactly where unrestricted money. UCO student fees are spent. He said the Pope said that this scholarship arose audit would continue regardless if President from the concerns of students, and situaWebb approves the fee increase. tions involving a weak economy. Oklahoma is currently facing a $900 mil"In most cases, we are able to meet that lion dollar budget shortfall, an increase from need through grants and other forms of the original $600 million dollar estimate at financial aid, but in some case we have stuthe beginning of the current legislative ses- dents who have unmet needs," Pope said. sion. "We're looking to support those students in
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those type of situations." He said they realized that where were quite a few students who have unmet needs, and some who were not able to attend school full-time. "Our headcount numbers have pretty much stayed even...but what we're seeing is that students are taking less hours," he said. "I run into students at local restaurants... who are working 20, 3o and 40 hours a week, and that's very difficult," Pope said. "We realize that has an implication on their ability to be successful in college. "We're hoping to provide these small scholarships to get them out of the workplace and back into the classroom, so to speak," he said. Students applying for the scholarship must have a minimum 2.0 GPA and be in good standing with the university. They must also have completed the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and finish the online application by 5:oo p.m. May 1. Students applying must be enrolled full-time for the fall semester by May 1.
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