From OCCC Faculty Association

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The Faculty Association recognized Jenna Howard, Counselor, Student Accessibility and Support and Jason Hamilton, IT Workflow Administrator with the monthly Outstanding Staff Awards for January and February.  The Faculty Association honors a staff member each month in gratitude for their exemplary work supporting OCCC faculty, staff, and students.  Additionally, the Faculty Association enjoyed being guests of the OCCC Staff Association at their mixer, held at the Fair Weather Friend Brewery on February 9^th.

An online silent auction, hosted by the Faculty Association Scholarship Committee, will be held April 11-15.  All proceeds from the silent auction go directly toward funding Faculty Association student scholarships. College employees wishing to donate goods to the silent auction may contact Dr. George Risinger, Professor of Biology, at grisinger@occc.edu.

In an effort to provide wide representation in the Faculty Association to all academic programs across campus, the membership voted to amend the organization’s constitution in January.  Prior to the vote, regular membership in Faculty Association was limited to full-time faculty and full-time professional librarians.  With the creation of the new Program Chair position, a role that combines instructional and administrative duties, the need to include this new role was recognized.  This will be particularly helpful to small programs that consist of only the Program Chair and no other full-time faculty members.

At their February meeting, the Faculty Association passed a resolution opposing attempts by the Oklahoma State Legislature to allow guns on campus. A current ban on guns on campus allows for college presidents to make exceptions, but proposed legislation in the Oklahoma State Senate will remove all prohibitions of guns on higher education campuses.

The FACULTY ASSOCIATION of OKLAHOMA CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE 2021-2022 RESOLUTION OPPOSING GUNS ON CAMPUS

WHEREAS, there have been numerous instances of gun violence on college campuses across the country, in which students, staff, faculty, and innocent bystanders have been injured or killed,

WHEREAS, the possibility of legislation allowing open or concealed carry of firearms by non-law enforcement personnel on college and university campuses emerges each year in the Oklahoma legislative session, and

WHEREAS, a civil, safe and open environment is fundamental to the educational process, and

WHEREAS, no credible research has indicated that allowing guns on campus by non-law enforcement personnel creates a safer environment, and

WHEREAS, Oklahoma City Community College and the Oklahoma Legislature have an obligation to the safety of students, faculty, and staff, and

WHEREAS, Oklahoma City Community College has a fully-functioning State of Oklahoma authorized police force who are certified to lawfully carry guns on campus, and who are trained to properly manage active shooter situations, then,

Therefore, let it be resolved that the Faculty Association of Oklahoma City Community College urges all students, faculty and staff to become educated regarding weapon safety rules in order to avoid firearm related accidents.

Be it further resolved that the Faculty Association of Oklahoma City Community College, on behalf of the faculty of Oklahoma City Community College, strongly opposes any legislation, regulation, policies or procedures that would allow guns on campus by non-law enforcement personnel, subject to current law permitting college Presidents to authorize exceptions on an individual basis.