Matt McCook is Oklahoma Christian University’s only full-time history professor.
After John Maple’s retirement at the end of last semester, Oklahoma Christian’s history department faces an unknown future, according to McCook. With two visiting professors and one full-time professor teaching an extra course, the program faces gaps in American history, European history and additional electives.
McCook has taught at Oklahoma Christian for almost 18 years and has seen the history department change over the years. He agreed to sit down with the Talon for an interview about the future of the department.
In your time working at Oklahoma Christian, how have you seen the history department change?
“In some ways, it seems like it’s changed very, very slowly. When I was hired, the history department probably had not changed in over 20 years. Dr. Maple, Dr. Thompson and Dr. Wilson had been the three history professors here since the early 80s. So I felt like, ‘Wow, I am the one big change here in a quarter-century.’
“When Dr. Thompson had passed away, he was replaced by Gary Lindsay. Dr. Lindsay was here for a decade. [The department] went through a very slow, gradual period of change, now it feels like the change is all at once. Dr. Lindsay left last year. He works at Lubbock Christian now, and Dr. Maple is retired. I feel like I’m the last man standing, and they haven’t been replaced, so it’s really rapidly changed and a little unsettling [to think about] what is going to happen now.”
Is the history department looking to find replacements for Dr. Lindsay and Dr. Maple?
“As soon as Dr. Lindsay left, we wanted to be able to advertise and hire a replacement. Budgetary reasons wouldn’t allow us to do that, but it wasn’t our department saying, ‘We don’t need it.’ It’s above the departmental level.
“Dr. Maple was hoping to teach this whole school year and then retire. So we know we need to replace him too. We already had this gap in American history, now it’s going to be European and World history too. We have actually been given permission to post both advertisements for those positions, but nothing’s happened yet. Some people may have applied, but we’ve not been given permission to create a committee to interview people.”
What is the department currently doing to fill the gaps in history courses offered at Oklahoma Christian?
“We are plugging a lot of holes and not offering some [courses] that we should have offered. Dr. Maple would’ve been teaching three classes. He was going to teach Western Civ, which I took over as my extra load this semester.
Will there be a larger number of visiting professors working in the department?
“We have had to rely on some adjunct professors. Sheldon Yeakley was one of our graduates from two or three years ago. He’s finished a master’s and started a Ph.D. at Oklahoma State University. He’s helped us with things that Dr. Lindsay would’ve been teaching. We’re also very lucky to have Dr. James Crowder, who was a historian for Tinker Air Force Base.
“We’re lucky that we’ve had a recent graduate that we can rely on or a friend of the University who’s helped out. It’s great to have those people who can help, but it doesn’t replace the permanent need we have.”
What do you hope for the future of the history department?
“I hope we can really replace both of those positions with good quality people who will be here a long time. There’s a certain number of gen ed classes you have to teach. And the more of us there are, the smaller these courses can be. I know a few subjects really well, but Roman history is not one of them. I might stay a step ahead of the students, but that’s not something I went to graduate school for.
“We really kind of have a glaring gap in anything outside of U.S and European history. What really makes a difference is the variety of professors we have, what kind of courses they offer and how much they really know those subjects and can make a quality course.”
0
0
Be First to Comment