The team, which currently has six members, is in the process of attempting to rebuild, restructure and recruit in order to aid the team in growth and development. Forensics is a competitive public speaking and debate team, and during the 1980s, OU's team ranked in the top ten nationally. In a surprising turn of events at Monday's meeting, Louis Esposito, Vice-President and Provost of Academic Affairs, stepped up to offer financial aid to Forensics through the Academic Affairs Department. Lisa Campbell, Director of Forensics and Debate, and Shea Howell,Communication Professor and acting chair for Rhetoric, Communication and Journalism, will be meeting with Esposito to discuss funding at a later date. While Howell expressed great appreciation for Esposito's offer, she also made it clear that direct funding would be the preferred, more guaranteed method.
Provosts come and go.
If we want to rebuild the team, we have to be able to promise our members that they will have the supplies they need and the ability to travel to the competitions for which they have spent their time preparing. Student Body President Adam Kochenderfer, responded to Howell's statement by discussing the fact that there is always the possibility for future changes to occur in the fee referendum. We have new student leadership every year, guaranteed. There's another issue here which needs to be resolved, and that issue involves the process of the university funding academic programs in the same way that other organizations are funded. This proposal details the percentage breakdown of the fee as a whole.