University of Central Oklahoma
THURSDAY November 16, 1995
The Student Voice Since 1903
Students confront Nigh on policy By Jessica Halliburton Staff Writer "Nothing has changed," President George Nigh assured approximately 125 students who turned up in force before the Administration Building yesterday, Nov. 15, to demand why the minimum enrollment number for an undergraduate class has been changed from 10 to 20 students. Nigh came down from his office to address the two-hourlong student rally after students started chanting, "We want Nigh! We want Nigh!" "The basic rule is that there has to be 10 to make the class or there has to be a special exception made," Nigh said. "A policy says that we have to analyze classes every year and justify reasons why they should be offered, not just because we want to offer them," he said. Nigh said the requirements for justifying a class would remain the same. "The criteria is decided by the chair, the dean and the academic vice president," he said. "For example, if a very small class is being o ffered e very semester but doesn't have to be, we have the requirement now by the regents to Stevenson ✓ eview
every low (numbered) class." Some students began arguing with Nigh, saying he wasn't giving them a straight answer. "We still don't understand why the administration all of the sudden came up with this number; you're not explaining this justification," shouted one student. "You're going to end up with students going to other universities because they don't feel secure about the way these so-called decisions are put upon them," shouted another student. Nigh responded by saying that students were concerned about something that won't happen in most cases. If students needed certain classes to graduate, said Nigh, special arrangements could be made for students to take those classes. "Any time we open a class, we're supposed to manage and that's what we're trying to do," he said. One student voiced her concerns about justification. "Justification for me may be different (from) justification for you. You don't need to graduate and get a job. You already have a job making good money," she yelled. "And if there are already special arrangements made for students who need certain classes to graduate, why do we need these guidelines in the first place?" Nigh replied that it was just a method of reviewing rules that have already been outlined.
President George Nigh fields questions from concerned students during the protest. An estimated 125 people attended Wednesday's gathering outside the Lillard Administration Building. (Staff photo by Joy McNutt) "You can preach fear all you want to, but nobody's closing any classes or weeding out any majors." Shettra Stevenson said as a black working student, she was worried about not completing her degree requirements. "The way things are going, it's going to be impossible for students to go to school unless they have money and time to wait for the class to come around
that they need to graduate," Stevenson said. "I've gone to school all this time, and now I'm just supposed to give it up because they have to have 20 people in a class. It makes me feel like all the education I've earned so far_ has been wasted," she said. Scott Bauman, an English graduate student and one of the organizers of the protest, said the rally was mostly a "word of
mouth kind of thing, (one that) wasn't backed by any organization." "I think the turn-out was great. It shows that students really care about what happens to them." Nigh said there was no reason for students to hold rallies if they wanted to address concerns. He invited students to come to him any time they want to discuss a problem.
INSIDE TODAY INDEX Editorial 2 Letters 2 Around Campus .. 11 Sports 8,9 Comics 11 Classifieds 12
ART SHOWING
See the Juried Art Student Exhibition in the UCO Central Art Museum. Show ends Nov. 21.
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SPORTS Seward preps for fierce season in Lone Star Conference play, UCO to take on Mexican team.
THIS WEEKEND Get the scoop on what's happening in this week's Around Town
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