Higher Education Day at the state capitol has been postponed to an unknown future date due to expected inclement weather.
Student Government Association leaders received an email Monday from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education that Higher Education Day, an annual event for college students to meet with legislators at the Oklahoma Capitol to lobby for funding and discuss issues facing their universities, would be postponed to an undecided date due to weather.
According to the email, following discussions with several Higher Education Network presidents and in consultation with Council of Presidents Chair Thomas Newsom, state regents made the decision to postpone Higher Education Day.
Marilou Bento, SGA external affairs committee chair, said the delay will invalidate some of the work her committee has done in preparation for the event.
“It was definitely something that was very frustrating to see. … All the members of SGA have put in a lot of work into scheduling meetings with different senators and representatives and working around everyone's schedule for this event, …” Bento said. “But at the end of the day, if the weather is going to be very bad, then putting the safety of the students and also our representatives and senators first is key.”
Bento said some of the topics students would have discussed with officials this week are more timely than others, particularly voicing concerns about national issues of education.
“I know that a lot of students are concerned about the possible dismantling of the Department of Education, so a lot of them wanted to speak on that sooner rather than later, but hopefully … we’ll still be able to get in and have those conversations,” Bento said.
On Feb. 3, dozens of employees at the Department of Education were put on paid administrative leave with many anticipating the Trump administration to begin taking action in line with his campaign promise to close the department.
Jhanvi Patel, civic engagement fellow for Oklahoma Votes — a nonpartisan student organization focused on civic engagement — said she’s concerned about the repercussions of postponing the event, and she's worried it might not be rescheduled at all.
“Higher Ed Day is important, not just for students, but for representatives and legislators to see where the college age population in the state is at,” Patel said.
Patel noted that since attending Higher Education Day provides students an excused absence, it’s possible cancellation would take away an opportunity for students who would normally not be able to visit the capitol to have their voices heard.
Patel also said that having Higher Education Day early in the year was important not only to involve students before the semester becomes more demanding but also so legislators get to hear from their communities before decisions are made.
“The whole point of it being early on in the year is because it's early on in session, and when you push that back, you run the risk of missing a committee deadline,” Patel said.
According to the email from the State Regents of Higher Education, details on the rescheduled date will be announced as soon as they are available.
This story was edited by Anusha Fathepure. Avery Avery copy edited this story.
