LIFE & ARTS • PAGE 8
SPORTS • PAGE 5
Funny man likes his jokes clean
Lewis nearly became a Cornhusker
Brian Regan (shown left) may not push boundaries with his language, but he takes comedy to absurd heights
Junior linebacker Travis Lewis (shown right) originally commited to Nebraska, but changed his mind last minute to become a Sooner
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Some majors could be cut, dean says College of Arts and Sciences plans to consider student enrollment before deciding to remove certain major, minor programs as a result of 5 percent budget cuts CHASE COOK The Oklahoma Daily
Low-interest majors and minors in the College of Arts and Sciences may be removed due to an upcoming 5 percent budget cut, the college dean said. The classes the college’s students enroll in this spring could play a part in deciding which programs to remove from the curriculum, said Paul Bell, College of Arts and Sciences dean.
The $1.7 million cut for the 2012 fiscal year is the biggest cut the college has seen since Bell has been dean, he said. To prepare, Bell said, students can expect the College of Arts and Sciences to: • leave some vacant faculty positions unfilled; • increase class sizes when feasible; • eliminate classes with low-student demand; • and offer more classes during the summer. The college also is discussing moving more classes — possibly language classes — online. Hybrid courses are being looked into as well, Bell said. Hybrid courses are classes with students attending a certain number of physical classes combined with online coursework, allowing instructors to teach more students
without losing educational quality, Bell said. Andrew Pruitt, University College freshman, hopes the courses moving online aren’t language courses. Pruitt is taking Spanish in the classroom. “I go to my teacher almost every day and ask for help,” Pruitt said. “That’s the only reason I’m getting a good grade.” Classes in her department will stay capped at 24 students, said Pamela Genova, department head of modern language and linguistics. However, there may be fewer specialty courses offered but more sections for major SEE CUTS PAGE 2
HOLIDAYS | OFFICIALS LIGHT TREE, MENORAH WEDNESDAY NIGHT
Regents approve 15 docket proposals Board members vote to acquire property, change health care plan, create lab MEREDITH MORIAK The Oklahoma Daily
NEIL MCGLOHON/THE DAILY
The ceremonial menorah and Christmas tree of OU’s annual holiday lighting celebration stand lit Wednesday evening after introduction to the tradition and the meaning of religious acceptance and community by OU President David Boren. Refreshments, including cookies and hot chocolate, were furnished by Housing and Food Services. For complete coverage, visit OUDaily.com.
Enrollment numbers not affected by sports success Fall 2009 student increase not a result of football’s popularity, admissions director says MATTHEW MOZEK Contributing Writer
The success of OU’s athletic programs does not guarantee increased enrollment, records show. The OU football team finished the 2008 season with a 12-2 record, a Big 12 championship and a national-title appearance. However, the enrollment records in 2009 do not reflect the teams’ success the previous year, said Mark McMasters, admissions director.
“It’s a common misconception,” McMasters said. “It’s thought that the (football) team’s winning record affects the university’s enrollment numbers, but the fact is that it’s simply not true.” Total enrollment increased from 26,201 in fall 2008 to 26,656 in fall 2009, according to Office of Admissions enrollment documents. The 1.7 percent increase does not show that a championshipcontending football team leads to higher enrollment numbers the following year, McMasters said. “You would think that the number most affected by how well the
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team does would be the number of freshmen each year,” he said. “Obviously, that’s not the case.” Total enrollment at the University of Texas increased from 50,995 in fall 2009 to 51,233 in fall 2010 — the semester following UT’s nationaltitle appearance in January 2010, according to the University of Texas Office of Public Affairs website. Kristi Fisher, U T Office of Information Management and Analysis director, said she believes the 0.5 percent increase has more to do with what takes place in the classroom than on the field. “The university has a rich tradition on and off the field,” Fisher
THE OKLAHOMA DAILY VOL. 96, NO. 72 © 2010 OU Publications Board www.facebook.com/OUDaily www.twitter.com/OUDaily
said by e-mail. “That’s what we emphasize to prospective students ... The football team is amazing, but I think it’s our reputation in the classroom that is ultimately the deciding factor in their decision.” The OU Athletics Department does not consider enrollment records when one of its sports programs has a good or bad year, Athletics Department spokesman Kenneth Mossman said. “You always hear that what we do on the football field, or in any sport for that matter, has that SEE NUMBERS PAGE 2
INDEX Campus .............. 2 Classifieds .......... 6 Life & Arts ........... 7 Opinion .............. 4 Sports ................ 5
A $3 million budget for a research cleanroom in Devon Energy Hall, the purchase of a scientific library database and the acquisition of property south of Lindsey Street and Jenkins Avenue were among the 15 agenda items passed by the OU Board of Regents on Wednesday. The seven regents heard the items from OU President David Boren and passed them all unanimously and without debate. To complete the area necessary to build a mixed-use facility of athletic housing and retail stores at Lindsey Street and Jenkins Avenue, the regents approved the acquisition of property at 1318 Lincoln Ave. This purchase finalizes all the land needed for the project, said Nick Hathaway, vice president of executive affairs and administrative affairs. The regents approved the purchase of an electronic database featuring articles from Web of Science, Biosis Citation Index, Journal Citation Reports and Zoological Record for the University Libraries. The Devon Energy Hall cleanroom will provide the College of Engineering with new research opportunities, Boren said. “This is very important for [the university] in terms of moving forward in high-technology areas,” Boren said. “To remain at the cutting edge, it’s necessary to establish a cleanroom.” The regents also approved amendments to university health care plans, making them in accordance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The amendments allow adult children of OU employees to remain on their parent’s health plan until age 26 and clearly outline debit-card reimbursement. T h e re g e n t s a u t h o r i z e d Athletics Director Joe Castiglione to make necessary purchases for the football team’s post-season bowl appearance. Bowl game expense reports will be submitted to and approved by the regents in the spring. To view the full regents’ agenda and all items passed, visit OUDaily.com.
TODAY’S WEATHER 64°| 37° Friday: Partly cloudy, high of 67 degrees Visit the Oklahoma Weather Lab at owl.ou.edu