Hot Springs site hopeful despite HSU’s problems

HOT SPRINGS — Classes at Henderson State University-Hot Springs are scheduled to start as normal in the fall and the resignation of HSU President Glen Jones will likely not cause “any direct impact here,” the school’s executive director said.

“Certainly Henderson’s gone through some tough times in the past few weeks and, honestly, for about a year now,” Tiffany Rogers said. “Got some things started last May with some budgeting issues and some staff things. But his direct resignation really won’t impact us.”

Jones resigned July 19 after seven years in the position. His resignation followed a 106-29 vote of no confidence by faculty at both Arkadelphia and Hot Springs school locations conducted amid rising concerns over the school’s financial state.

Rogers said she had developed a good relationship with Jones but that he had to be held accountable as the university’s president.

“I think unfortunately it was something that was inevitable after the last thing that happened with the shortfall, in that respect,” Rogers said. “So I think what’s happened has happened in the best way possible that it could happen.”

The Hot Springs campus, housed in the Landmark Building at 201 Market St., has about 200 students a semester on average, with most students and all faculty traveling between the Hot Springs and Arkadelphia campuses for classes.

University General Counsel Elaine Kneebone will serve as the university’s acting president for an indeterminate amount of time. Trustees accepted Jones’ resignation without opposition and selected Kneebone as his temporary replacement without opposition.

Earlier this month, the university’s board of trustees accepted a zero-interest $6 million state loan. Rogers said that a “large chunk” of the loan, $4 million to $4.5 million, would likely be used toward offsetting student debts owed to the school.

“Some of that debt is over a year old, and it’s probably uncollectable,” she said. “Typically in a business, they don’t carry over much more than a year.”

Rogers said the university plans to continue working with current students to create payment plans and get student debts owed to the school “down within reasonable rates.” Students “will not receive diplomas until they’ve actually paid their balances in full,” she said.

Brett Powell, the previous vice president of finance and administration, resigned to accept another job and left more than a month ago. The position is still vacant. In light of the school’s financial situation, filling his position is receiving priority over finding a permanent replacement for Jones.

With no one in Powell’s role and mounting debt, HSU has enlisted the help of the Arkansas State University System.

HSU will work with the ASU System to better its financial standing by assisting in budgeting, auditing and student-debt collection, among other services. For its services, the ASU System will be paid $52,083 by Dec. 15.

The ASU System began providing services Thursday and will continue to provide them until Dec. 31 at the latest.

“Henderson’s known as the school with a heart, and sometimes we might have let our heart and emotions play in too much and want to help a student,” Rogers said. “But we are a business, and bills have to be paid. It’s just important to stay on top of that and not let it get that far and work out payment plans with students, make sure they’re making their payments as directed or as scheduled.”