A tenured art history professor at a major university recently asserted that the head of the Art History department is incompetent, pointing to the decline in enrollment in art history courses despite an increase in enrollment overall at the university. While one may argue that professors who lash out at department heads are rarely likely to achieve anything constructive, in this case the complaint is entirely unwarranted. It is true that a decrease in enrollment within a department often indicates incompetence on the part of the department head, but not so here. Rather, the decline in enrollment in art history courses is entirely due to the university's admissions committee's decision to admit far more students who plan to enroll exclusively in pre-medicine courses.

In the argument, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles?

A. The first provides evidence intended to support a claim that the argument overall opposes; the second provides information to undermine the strength of that evidence.
B. The first provides evidence intended to support a claim that the argument overall opposes; the second states the conclusion of the argument overall.
C. The first provides evidence intended to support a claim that the argument overall opposes; the second provides evidence to undermine the claim being opposed.
D. The first states a claim that the argument overall opposes; the second provides evidence to undermine the claim being opposed.
E. The first states a claim that the argument overall opposes; the second states the conclusion of the argument overall.