T i,1988HE September
VISTA
Vol. 87, No. 3
Thursday Edition
Central State University, Edmond, Oklahoma
Infant death sparks probe By Valli Covert
Associate Editor The death of a 27-day-old infant found Tuesday in Central State University's married-student housing is being investigated as a homicide by the state medical examiner, said Dr. Fred B. Jordon, of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
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The 14,000th student to enroll this semester,Cheryl Corder, a senior part-time student from Midwest City, goes through sectioning with Registrar Darrell Gilliland and President Bill Lillard. (Photo by Daniel Smith)
Enrollment breaks 14,000 By Michelle Dooner and Martha Giglio
The 14,000th student was enrolled Wednesday at Central State University raising the total fall enrollment to the largest number of students ever in one semester. "As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, there were 14,035 students enrolled," said Darrell Gilliland, registrar. Enrollment totals as of 5 p.m. Tuesday showed the largest increase occured in the freshman class, with the senior class running a close second. The junior class enrollment also rose this semester. For sophomore and graduate students, the enrollment is down
just a little less than 5 percent. The freshman class had the largest number of students enrolled with the talley hitting 3,810. First time entry students (students who have never enrolled in college level courses) number over 1,300. This increase, according to Gilliland, is estimated to be up 10 percent over this same time last year. Senior class enrollment is also up this semester with the total number of students being 2,307. Comparing this to last years total of 2,118, this is a 7.5 percent increase. The junior class comes in next with their enrollment raising 6 percent from 2,313 to 2,484 students.
Gilliland said he does not see any pattern that enrollment will decrease in upcoming semesters. Late enrollment will continue through September 6. CSU has had to do a lot of rearranging in order to accommodate students and faculty alike. Some of the faculty has had to be placed in the old president's home, which causes great inconveniences for them because of the distance to their classes. "Dorm space availability is not a problem," said Robert Fields, director of auxiliary enterprises. "There is plenty of room and we haven't had to put students on a waiting list."
Regents protest funding By Valli Covert
Associate Editor The Board of Regents for Oklahoma Colleges and a spokesperson for 18 university presidents complained to the State Regents of Higher Education at the State Regents meeting Monday for how funds were disbursed throughout the higher education system. The two groups had spokespersons to express their outrage at the meeting held at the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center in Oklahoma City. The 1988 legislature appropriated $29 million new dollars to the State Regents for disbursement throughout the state higher educational system. University leaders in Oklahoma thought the new money was to be allocated proportionately throughout the system. Instead, the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University were allocated the bulk of state funds. As a result, the regional universities complained that the peer group system used to allocate funds is unfair. The six regional universities had
expected approximately 20 percent of total funds allocated, but all received less than was expected, said Linda Grantham, spokesperson for the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges. "This represents the first time in the history of the Oklahoma state system of higher education that major problems exist between this institutional governing board and the State Regents for Higher Education," Grantham said. The board is the governing body for Central State University and the five other regional colleges in the state. "There was no cooperative planning done to the knowledge of our presidents and our board concerning a change as monumental as the educational and general budget process for public colleges and universities in Oklahoma," Grantham said. Full time equivalent (FTE) students by academic level and type of institution is one of the best indicators of how much a university should receive in allocations. It cannot be ignored in the budget request to the legislature or the allocation of funds to the
institutions, she said. Projections for the six regional universities indicate they will have a total of 25,205 undergraduate students, compared to 14,520 at OU and 16,110 at OSU, even though allocations of state funding was approximately the same for the regional universities as for each of the comprehensive universities, she said. Grantham went on to say that teaching, not research or public service, is an institution's main function. Grantham outlined three issues the college regents are concerned with. She claimed:: • The State Regents' request to the legislature for funding was misleading in that it expressed specific amounts for each institution, but actual allocation of funds was not proportionately the same for the regional universities as for other universities. • Peer groups being used as a basis for changing the allocation of funds was not in compliance with the State Regents' policy for universities involvement with major policy changes. Please see Regents on page 4.
Corey Carter, of Broncho II Apartments, 600 N. Chowning, died at 1:55 p.m. Tuesday at Edmond Memorial Hospital, CSU Police Chief Bob Roberts said. The boy suffered a swollen brain, acute fractures of both collarbones and a broken right tibia. A skull fracture measuring 5.4 centimeters in length with 3.2 centimeters overlapping, which officials believe could be two fractures, was also discovered during the autopsy, said Sgt. Charles Griffin of the CSU police. Assistant District Attorney Kevin Krahl said he has bits and pieces of information from the investigation but is waiting for more before deciding whether or not there is sufficient evidence to press charges. The child's father, who is a student at CSU, has been interviewed by police, but at this time the
mother has refused to be questioned, Roberts said. Due to a continuing investigation, police are not releasing the parents' names. "Both parents were here at the time of the call (to the Edmond Fire Department)," Roberts said when asked where the parents were during the incident. No suspects are in custody at this time, Griffin said. The Edmond Fire Department responded to a call at approximately 12:30 p.m. at the apartments. The child was not breathing when they arrived. Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation was performed until Amcare arrived, said Capt. Ben White of EFD. CSU police responded to the call after hearing it on the police scanner, Roberts said. The neighborhood has been canvassed to try and find out more information. Police are still collating the information they gathered. "We're looking for anything to assist us," Roberts said. The parents, who have lived at CSU for about six months, have no other children, he said.
Constitution reforms proposed by group By Martha Giglio
Editor Work begun in mid-May to revise the Student Association Constitution is nearly complete, said Daniel Moore, deputy speaker. An executive advisory committee appointed by Jeff Shilling and approved by the Student Association Senate has proposed a number of changes. The committee is comprised of members Daniel Moore, Jeff Shilling and Bill Smith. Shilling said the purpose of the revision was to strengthen the constitution is areas where it was weak, unspecific or vague. Student Association Resolution 88-102 states that the proposed constitution shall be put before the student body at the election scheduled for Sept. 21. After passage by the Student Association, implementation will be immediate except for the size of the Student Senate, which will be reduced by attrition. The most significant change in the constitution is the insertion of a clause stating that should the Student Association present a resolution to the president of
the university and he returns it with his objections to the Senate, if after reconsideration, a three-fourths vote of the Senate agrees to pass the resolution, it shall be presented to the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges for their consideration. The change was patterned after the University of Oklahoma's constitution, said Moore. The three-fourths figure was chosen so a reactionary senate would not override too many pieces of legislation, he said. Jerry Blansett pointed out that theoretically, only 12 people could send it to the regents. Three-fourths of a quorum would be 12 senators. "It's not really an override," said Shilling. "Rather, it tells the regents, here's an issue, here's something we're concerned with." Shilling said that as a matter of courtesy, the committee has kept both Dr. Dudley Ryan, dean of students, and President Bill Lillard apprised of proposed changes. Other proposed changes inPlease see Reforms on page 12.