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OCTO BEIR
UCO360.com
2009
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Four-day schedule still a possibility Kory Oswald Ilariagmg Editor UCO is studying the possibility of moving to a four-day school week for the entire campus, but the alternative scheduling would not be implemented until the fall of 2010 at the earliest. "With no hesitation, I tell you the decision has not been made one way or the other," Dr. William Radke, the provost and vice president for academic affairs, said. "I don't think there is a huge urgency. It might be spring [2011], or it might be fall eleven, because this is a huge shift." Radke began to consider the prospects of alternative class scheduling last fall amid concerns that enrollment would decrease due to high fuel prices. In September 2008, Radke created the "Alternative Scheduling Action Team" to study the issue and look at all possible options regarding an alternative class schedule. "In the interest of being a green university and reducing the amount of travel to campus and ... in trying to preserve enrollment, academic affairs agreed to form an alternative scheduling task force," Radke said. The team released a report of their findings in April with two key recommendations that were based almost exclusively on feedback from the 2,167 students that responded to the survey. The recommendations were to change to a four-day schedule or leave the current scheduling in place. The first option in the team's recommendation is a system of two class periods a week for most classes. This MondayWednesday and Tuesday-Thursday arrangement would set up the four day
very light day. Effectively, we are already a four-day university," Radke said. The most challenging area for a fourday schedule will be the sciences and arts. There are a limited number of labs with a large number of students that need to use them, and dance class must meet five days a week to meet the accreditation requirements. The report said the primary benefits for the alternative scheduling would be "student convenience and interest and better facilities utilization." If the alternative scheduling were enacted, the campus would have to ensure adequate staffing for the entire campus. Radke said the Friday and Saturday classes would probably be staffed with adjunct professors. UCO Safety and Transportation Services would have to make sure they had the staff to open the buildings on Saturdays. Janitorial services currently end at midnight on Fridays and would therefore have to be extended to Saturdays in order to have clean buildings for school on Monday. Also, some minor changes would have to be made, like adjusting the campus' automated air conditioning so that it would Photo by Byron Koontz work during Saturday classes. "The details here are immense," Radke Dr. Bill Radke, the provost and vice-president of academic affairs, said four said. day scheduling will not be possible until Fall 2010 at the earliest. "If you just go to a four-day schedule and you forget about Friday and Saturday, However, Radke also said that the uniweek and possibly extend the academic other than the logistics of getting enough day because the more than 1,000 hours of versity may be able to implement Friday classrooms, enough classroom time and class that are held on Friday would have to and Saturday school regardless of whether meeting accreditation standards, the probor not the four-day week is put into effect fit somewhere earlier in the week. lems are probably fewer." Changing to a four-day week could also because the current class load on Friday is A key problem Radke sees is the already lead to an alternate Friday-Saturday sched- about half of that on Monday. Currently UCO has approximately 650 congested parking situation would become ule for condensed classes. Radke said this option would be beneficial and appealing to 670 sections of classes offered on Friday much worse if the school tried to move an additional 1,00o plus hours into a four-day to the nontraditional, adult working stu- and 1,200 offered on Mondays. see CLASSES, page 6 "Comparatively speaking, Friday is a dents.
%IP Fashion funds crown PHOTOS ON UCO360.COM
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While shades of red, neon, velvet, chains, and eighties baroque may be the latest fall Go online to see trends in Vogue, a few new Allison Rathgeber's fashions were used to generate photos funds for scholarships. The current Miss Asian documenting Volunteer University of Central Oklahoma Service Learning held a fashion show to help Center's week-long raise money for the next Miss endeavor to live like the Asian UCO. homeless. The show was sponsored in part by the Multi-Cultural Student Services. MeShawn Conley, Director of MultiCOMING UP ON Cultural Student Services, said NEWSCENTRAL the benefit was started about Shack-a-Thon
Tune in to channel 125 on digital cable in Edmond to see.Sam Ozor's story about Shack-a-Thon.
three years ago. Part of what the MultiCultural Student Service office was established to do is, "to recognize different ethnic programs," Conley said. It is a diverse program that recognizes many races. When MissAsian UCO 20072008 Jennifer Myers suggested a fashion show be held to raise funds for the next winner of the pageant, Multi-cultural Student Services supported the idea and helped start what has become an annual event. The fashion is, "Unique to Miss Asian UCO," Conley said. The funds raised through see FASHION, page 4
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Last Tuesday, an event that occurred at the UCO was all but routine. After attending an 11:00 a.m. class, a student had sat in her hunter green vehicle and made a few calls on a cell phone before beginning a trip that would take her from Edmond to Oklahoma City. Nothing happened on the ride to school that morning that would make Kristie Brown suspicious enough to check the tires on her vehicle before making the approximate 19-mile journey to OKC. No cars was cut off on the way to school, no conflict occurred for the parking spot Brown parked her car
that morning, nor had Brown been in an altercation with anyone at the school that would lead to someone taking retaliatory actions against her or her property. Brown's vehicle had been parked in the commuter's parking lot, east of the Liberal Arts building for less than two hours before leaving for her destination. Brown left the lot and made a right turn on Baumann Avenue. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. As Brown approached the red traffic light she stopped. She turned right onto east Second Street and it was not long before she heard a noise coming from the back of the car. Since I was her passenger, I suggested she pull over to check the car. see VANDALISM, page 4
Legends cooks up new menu Kaylea Brooks s,,ll ,,,„
Zach Jacobs' first installment of how to Go Green to Save Green will air later in the week.
face:book STA FAC
A first-hand account of vandalism
Photo by Byron Koontz
John Madore serves food to patrons at the Legends restaurant in the University Center.
DO You MOW.? Eggplants aren't really vegetables, they are fruits. Polar bears can eat as many as 86 penguins in one sitting.
Legends inside the Nigh Center is no longer just a buffet eatery. It's a dine-in restaurant with more possibilities than most students or faculty realize. "It's not a club," Amy Walling, UCO Dining services marketing director, said. "We want to reach out to all the faculty and students and make sure that they know that Legends is just as compatible a restaurant than those off of campus, and you don't have to lose your parking spot to get it." Legends has transformed with recent renovations to become a sit-and-eat restaurant headed by a five-star chef, rather than the all-you-can-eat buffet it formerly was. The restaurant also makes to-go orders. "What we're trying to promote is that it's open to the public," Greg Schwartz, director of Dining Services, said. "Students and visitors can come into Legends. It's not a faculty lounge. It's just as affordable as the food court or any restau-
rant outside of the university. Students with flex or Broncho bucks can pay with those options as well. UCO Dining Services will be offering a promotion in conjunction with OK-43. Clues for a game will be given every night during the airing of the The Office on OK-43 from Oct. 27 to Nov. 22 from 6 p.m. to 7p.M. The game starts tonight, Oct. 27, and by Friday the clues will hint to a sentence that viewers can submit online at OK43.com. The prize is an office party for to at Legend's. Ten of those prizes will be awarded to viewers with the correct answer. Dining services also has catering available for students and faculty. "I don't think students and faculty know that they can have their weddings here, their business meetings," said Walling. Along with Central Catering, Legend's has prices that are competitive to other restaurants and catering services. "We're just as good," Walling said. Legends will have several other promotions throughout the holiday season.
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