The Vista September 15, 2020

Page 1

the

Volume 118, Issue 4

VISTA “Our Words, Your Voice.”

vistanews1903 @thevista1903 @thevista1903 The Vista ucentralmedia.com Tuesday, September 15, 2020

UCOSA change may yield less transparency

INSIDE

UCO addresses food insecurity on campus UCO’s Central Pantry, and Oklahoma’s regional food bank team up to raise awareness on hunger. See Pg. 3

From left: Members of UCOSA Emma Sawyer, James Limbaugh, Dillon Rasberry meet with the group in 2019. UCOSA represents both graduate and undergraduate students at UCO, and addresses concerns and improving the student experience. (Vista Archives)

Edmond church helps clean after hurricane Henderson Hills Baptist Church, of Edmond, Okla. traveled to help with the damages in Louisiana due to the recent hurricane. See Pg. 7

Around Campus

Events are happening all over campus this week! Stop by the Nigh to participate in “Resumania”! See Pg. 2

Sarah Hite Editor-In-Chief

The University of Central Oklahoma Student Association has recently removed a large portion of language from its congressional bylaws in an apparent attempt to circumvent state laws. UCOSA has been a frequent violator of state law in the past. The two key rules that were removed detail UCOSA’s legal obligation to follow state law regarding the Open Records and Open Meetings acts. According to UCOSA President James Limbaugh, the removal of these two rules also removes the association’s legal binding to adhere to them. “VI. The UCO Student Congress is a component of the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, and as

such it and its members shall abide by all Oklahoma State Laws. Specifically, the UCO Student Congress shall fully abide by both the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act and Oklahoma Open Records Act. “ “VII. The Official Bulletin Board of the UCO Student Congress shall be the OrgSync platform. As such, any and all documentation that is to be considered open to the UCO Student Body shall be uploaded to this platform.” Limbaugh mentioned the removal of this language in a recent interview with The Vista. “We’re in accordance with the Open Meetings Act, the OMA -- we try to be in accordance with. This past year we changed our constitution bylaws and statutes and we actually took out

all the wording from the OMA,” Limbaugh said. “So technically, if you want to get technical with it, we’re no longer literally required by our bylaws, but I chose to follow it. For my leadership, under my presidency I want us to still follow that standard even though it’s not necessarily something that has a death grip on us,” Limbaugh said. However, UCO Mass Communication Media Law professor Mark Hanebutt stated: “Whether it’s in their bylaws or not, if they fail to follow the OMA, they are in violation of state law. They are a governing public body that receives and uses state funds. They also need to keep and post minutes of their meetings and post Continued on Pg. 4


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.