OU Board of Regents will consider changes to the student rights and responsibilities code, naming the newly renovated chemical engineering lab and adding signage naming the Cherokee Nation outside of the Stephenson Cancer Center in Tulsa.
The meeting will be held Tuesday at 9 a.m. at OU’s Health Campus in Oklahoma City. The meeting was previously scheduled for the OU Norman Campus.
Student rights and responsibilities code revisions
The board will consider changes to the student rights and responsibilities code to include the definition of antisemitism in accordance with state law.
Oklahoma state law requires all institutions of higher education to integrate the state-adopted definition of antisemitism from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance into the student code of conduct.
According to the meeting agenda, the definition will be added to section two of the University of Oklahoma Student Rights and Responsibilities Code.
“As defined by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, ‘Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions, and religious facilities,’" the amended code reads.
According to the code of conduct, the Institutional Equity Office investigates allegations of antisemitism using standards applicable to all allegations of discrimination or harassment based on race, color or national origin.
Chemical engineering lab
The board will consider renaming the newly renovated chemical engineering lab in the Sarkeys Annex to the “Valero Energy Unit Ops Laboratory” in honor of the Valero Energy Corporation’s financial contributions.
Valero Energy donated $2.42 million to fund the renovation of the chemical engineering lab, which will include:
• New flooring
• Paint and graphics on walls
• Lab infrastructure and equipment modernization
• A collaborative workspace with reconfigurable furniture
• Storefront windows along the east wall
“This significant update will enhance the learning environment for faculty and students and showcase the chemical engineering program for corporate partners and recruiters and prospective students,” the agenda reads.
Stephenson Cancer Center
The board will consider a request for signage at the Stephenson Cancer Center in Tulsa to honor the Cherokee Nation, which made an $8 million gift to the OU Foundation to go toward the center.
According to the agenda, the signage will acknowledge the Cherokee Nation’s vision in expanding healthcare and education access for Native Oklahomans. The sign will be placed outside the building and will read “With the support of Cherokee Nation,” the agenda states.
The Stephenson Cancer Center is Oklahoma’s only National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center and was named the state’s top cancer care facility, according to its website. There are currently over 400 cancer research projects and clinical trials being held at the center.
This story was edited by Thomas Pablo. Gretchen Schultz and Sophie Hemker copy edited this story.
