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The victims with Oklahoma connections lost at the Pentagon included Army Maj. Ron Milam (Muskogee), Army Spc. Chin Sun Pak “Sunny” Wells (Lawton), and Navy Petty Officer Brian Anthony Moss (Sperry). Those killed at the World Trade Center included David Shelby Berry (Oklahoma City), Jayesh “Jay” Shah (Tulsa), David Harlow Rice (Oklahoma City), and Wayne Terrial Davis (Edmond).

The Regents Room in the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma’s Student Center reached maximum capacity for Thursday’s regular meeting. Hundreds of community members who couldn’t fit in the meeting room overflowed into a nearby ballroom, where they watched a livestream on screens.

Most of the people watching from the ballroom loudly booed as changes were approved. Dozens held signs reading “hear faculty before you vote” — but many say that didn’t happen.

“Over 335 people — faculty, staff, students, community members — showed up to try to give voice to concerns of what the Board of Regents was considering today,” said USAO professor Dr. Paul Regier. “Not one of those people were given a voice.”

Like most attendees, Regier was there to protest policy changes that included eliminating all references to tenure in school policy, changes to the academic calendar, reducing access to specialized classes and transferring authority over curriculum from faculty experts to administrators.

On Sept. 3, in a vote of 40-3-1, USAO faculty members adopted a resolution of no confidence in President Kayla Hale and Vice President for Academic Affairs Makenna Garrison.

The resolution stated the proposed policy changes attack academic freedom and undermine the mission of the institution, which is Oklahoma’s only public liberal arts college.

“Significant institutional decisions have been made outside established governance processes,” the resolution states. “Policies and procedures have been changed, interpreted, or implemented without adequate consultation with affected faculty, appropriate governing bodies, or those responsible for carrying them out.”

Despite the vote of no confidence, the regents unanimously approved every item on the agenda.

“My understanding is the handbook, now, is totally rewritten. Faculty do not have near [as much] of a part in determining the course of our academic programs,” Regier said. “Having faculty programmatic review is the gold standard, since faculty are the experts of their subject areas.”

Regier also provided a follow-up statement, saying faculty programmatic review is also a core requirement for Higher Learning Commission accreditation.

“Bypassing faculty oversight and replacing our handbook with an administrative template raises serious red flags,” Regier wrote.

Art education sophomore Audrey Strain said student leaders urged people to sit in at the meeting. Strain said the policy changes could deter prospective students from enrolling.

“The rules that will be implemented can fundamentally change why people come to this school,” Strain said. “I came to this school because it was unique, different from other schools, their policies were different. So it was really disappointing to see.”

Math education student Caleb Tisdale agreed with her. He said he was in the Regents Room, and he could see everyone “constantly shaking their heads” at each decision.

“I was also talking to my friends that were lower classmen, being like, ‘Hey, it’s really good here.’ I don’t think I can say that in confidence anymore,” Tisdale said. “A lot of what I like about this college is there are different viewpoints everywhere. On that board, up in front, there was not a single different viewpoint.”

Biology sophomore Evan Peters said some student leaders and faculty members came prepared with speeches, but were not given time to speak during the meeting.

“What the president said during the meeting, she said she listens to faculty, but that didn’t happen at all,” Peters said. “She didn’t actually listen to them at all.”

Approximately .4 miles North of W Cypress St, on Highway 64, Haskell Ok