Henderson State merger advances

A bill to merge Henderson State University into the Arkansas State University System zipped through the Arkansas Senate on Thursday.

The Senate voted 35-0 to send Senate Bill 115 by Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale, to the House for further action.

Clark said the bill would eliminate the board of trustees for Henderson State University, shift its responsibilities to Arkansas State University board of trustees, and rename the board of trustees of the Arkansas State University to the board of trustees of the Arkansas State University System.

The ASU board of the trustees now has five members, he said, and this bill would expand its ranks to seven.

“This is the final step for the merger of Henderson State University into the ASU System,” Clark said. Henderson State University will continue to have its own appropriation as part of the ASU System, he said.