First-class university

Thank heavens! After the events of this past Sunday, Arkansas can once again hope to be a first-class university. According to Wally Hall, for much too long the trustees of the university “have been told to worry about academics.” As a result, while the football program has gone to hell, we are saddled with academic achievements that might define UA as very different from “a small landgrant college in the mountains.”

If the greatest achievement of the football team occurred 20 years ago, that is not the case for the university proper. The university has chugged away all that time at its stated mission, “to build a better world by providing opportunities and skills, nurturing creativity, and solving problems through research and discovery, all in service to Arkansas.”

UA has internationally and nationally renowned experts in the theoretical and applied sciences, in agriculture, law, journalism, and the humanities. The Waltons have invested millions to support a business school that has advanced knowledge that benefits the national economy as well as local industries. Walton millions are creating a School of Art that will transform the study and teaching of art. Many other proud alumni have “given back” to the university, acknowledging the education they received from those academics. University projects receive millions in grants for research and other scholarly activities. Graduates work in cutting-edge industries and teach in other universities throughout the country. Some even support the Razorbacks with funds from the excellent salaries they earn.

Yes, Mr. Hall, the U of A is a firstrate university, no matter where its football team stands in the Southeastern Conference. Even people who don’t know one end of a football from another can be proud of its achievements and its reputation. You should get your head out of the Astroturf and pay attention. ETHEL SIMPSON

Fayetteville