New OETA Series Features USAO on Monday

A new statewide television program about Oklahoma’s state colleges and universities will feature USAO in its first episode on Monday night.  Beginning Sept. 13, and continuing each Monday evening at 10 this fall, OETA-13 will air a revamped Candid Campus program, featuring the people and programs in Oklahoma higher education.

 The first episode features Dr. Sandy Huguenin, vice president for academic affairs at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.  Huguenin appears in one of several segments about unique academic programs across Oklahoma.

Other USAO segments – that will appear in later episodes –  include an interview with USAO President John Feaver and master architect Rand Elliott about historic preservation at USAO and a segment on improved student services at USAO.

Candid Campus will be broadcast on the several stations that make up the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority family.  The 20-show series is produced by the Higher Education Alumni Council of Oklahoma (HEACO), a statewide organization of supporters of the state’s colleges and universities. Oklahoma State University Educational Television Services is filming the series.

While the name “Candid Campus” is borrowed from an earlier 1970s-80s show about higher education, this new retooled version of the show will be more colorful, faster paced and filled with location shooting, says Executive Director Dr. Kathryn Jones, who leads HEACO.  “Unlike the earlier show, which was shot in a studio, we’ll take people out to the campuses and let them meet the people who make things happen in higher education in Oklahoma.  This show will give people a real look at Oklahoma campuses and a taste for what’s new.”

 The series will run weekly on Monday evenings, except for Nov. 15 when it is pre-empted, through Jan. 31, 2005. The show will air at 10 p.m. except for the evenings of Oct. 18 and Nov. 22 when it will air at 10:30 p.m.

 In the first show, Huguenin will talk about what makes USAO unique from other institutions in Oklahoma.  The show also features a segment on cartography with Dr. Gregory Plumb of East Central University.  The aviation program at Southeastern Oklahoma State University will be featured, along with Murray State’s Fast Track program and business programs at Western Oklahoma State University.

 Lance Ward and Gwin Faulconer-Lippert will serve as host and reporter of the series.

Ward is a former official of the Oklahoma State Election Board, and secretary to the Oklahoma State Senate.  He has held other positions in education and state government.  It was Ward who produced this program the first time it ran in Oklahoma.

 Faulconer-Lippert teaches communications at Oklahoma City Community College. Her voice is familiar to listeners of Newsradio KTOK-AM, and she has hosted numerous OETA programs through the years.  She is one of the original hosts of the Candid Campus program.  She holds numerous teaching awards and has served on the board of the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters.

Among the themes in upcoming episodes are outstanding faculty, health professions, economic development, unique degree programs, college/community partnerships, services to students, technology, business/industry partnerships, physical plant renovations, and special programs for students.