University of Central Oklahoma
THURSDAY October 3, 1996
The Student Voice Since 1903
Poll position: Fewer Generation Xers vote in presidential elections
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4 4 hey're lazy. They
Dr. Linda Leavell, Regent Mike Brown and Dr. Clyde Jacob discuss tenure issues at a panel discussion sponsored by AAUP and The Vista. (Staff photo by Laurette Graham)
Panel debates tenure By Gayleen Langthorn Managing Editor
The benefits and misconceptions of tenure were debated Tuesday afternoon at the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) fall panel discussion. Mike Brown, -president of the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges; Dr. Clyde Jacob, UCO's vice president for academic affairs; and Dr. Linda Leavell, state AAUP president and English professor at Oklahoma State University, composed the panel. Jacob said tenure has changed over time. It started out as a concept to protect faculty freedom of speech. He noted that now civil, federal and state laws are in place to protect the right to free speech. "Tenure was never intended as a vehicle of job security" to allow people to neglect doing their job.
Jacob said tenure is a means of evaluating faculty performance. Leavell said it's easier to say what tenure isn't than what it is. "It's not a guarantee of lifetime employment," she said. She views tenure as a public trust since tenure is conferred by the board of regents and they represent the public. "With that trust goes responsibility to exercise academic freedom...and serve the university," Leavell said. She said when a faculty member pursues tenure, they are making a conservative decision from an economic standpoint. Faculty could go from job to job getting higher salaries instead of staying at one institution for several years. Brown said the benefit of tenure is that professors can "think and correctly teach with no political agenda." Tenure allows faculty to remember the university's educational mission. "The university benefits from tenure by the V See PANEL, Page 5
don't care. They think they can't make a difference." These were a few of the responses from UCO students and faculty when asked about young adults' presence at the polls—or lack thereof. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 42.8 percent of Americans ages 18-24 voted in the last presidential election. That's 27.3 percent less than the largest voting group—those age 65 and older. That may sound low in comparison. However, the 18-24 year-olds' voting record had not been that high in 10 years; since the 1972 election, when those ages 18-20 were given the right to vote just one year prior. Nearly 50 percent turned up to vote for the first time at the next election.
Everyone seems to have their own theory explaining how and why young people do and don't vote. Some argue that "Generation X" is simply lazy and spoiled. While others, such as UCO's political science professor, Dr. Ron Beeson, believe that even when young people vote, they tend to "vote the way their mamas and daddies vote." Beeson said he offers his American National Government students extra credit if they register to vote. Still, only about 70 percent of them register, he said. "And many come in with their card the day before (the cut-off date)." "I would guess that half of them register to vote for the five bonus points," said Beeson. "They have too many other things in their busy lives." YSee VOTERS, Page 7
THE 1992 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 100 YOUNG 1111 REGISTERING it 8o t 04
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60 40
20
I
525%
42.
8% 18-24
84.8%
754% 70.0% 70.1%
882%
28-44 48-64
AGE :N YEARS
INSIDE TODAY INDEX Editorial 2 Sports 8,9 Entertainment 10 Around Campus 14 Classifieds 15
COLUMN
The Vista's columnist, Mary Reinauer explores the ins and outs of football.
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SPORTS
Oklahoma City senior Jubarko Gaines is adjusting to his role as the third-ranked Bronchos' starting tailback.
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AROUND TOWN
See what to do this weekend in The Vista's Around Town column.
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