ASU trustees OK projects, new programs
NEWPORT — The Arkansas State University System board of trustees approved the start of construction on the Windgate Art and Innovation Center, ASU officials have been planning and anticipating for several years, on Thursday.
The 38,887-square-foot center on campus will house spaces to support learning and creative activities for art and design, as well as engineering and computer science, said Robin Myers, interim president of the ASU System.
The capital project will be financed through foundation or other private funds of $22 million, plus institutional reserves of roughly $3.2 million, with construction estimated to be completed by the end of 2027.
When built, the Windgate Center “will be transformational [for A-State], with art and innovation together,” according to Chancellor Todd Shields. Providing chances for disciplines — and the students in them — to collaborate “follows my research” into best educational practices.
During Thursday’s meeting at Arkansas State University-Newport, trustees also approved the second phase of HVAC upgrades at First National Bank Arena on the A-State campus in Jonesboro, work that includes replacing one air-handling unit (AHU), refurbishment of an AHU, and upgrading controls and fire-detection capabilities for three AHUs, according to the ASU System.
he project will be financed through institutional reserves of $1,078,839 and is estimated to be completed by the end of next year.
Trustees also approved A-State instituting a voluntary retirement program for fiscal 2024, as state law allows when the result would be financial savings for the institution, Myers said. The option will be limited to employees who are 60 or older, and who have at least 10 years of continuous fulltime employment as of June 30.
Trustees also approved naming A-State’s College of Sciences and Mathematics the Beck College of Sciences and Mathematics.
Through the Beck Foundation, Buddy and Charlotte Beck, both distinguished alums of A-State, “have made significant philanthropic contributions to the university of a magnitude worthy of special gratitude and lasting recognition, [including] their historic giving in establishing the Beck Center for Veterans, a nationally recognized program and the primary reason that Arkansas State University remains ranked among the top Military Friendly® Schools in the United States,” according to the resolution.
Through the Beck Foundation, Buddy, who served 26 years in the U.S. Army and rose to the rank of colonel, and Charlotte Beck are among the top five largest donors to the university and have established numerous endowed scholarships, including the Chancellor’s Medal for Research and endowed professorships in chemistry and engineering.
Their most recent contribution is the initial funding — and a pledge to fully fund — the Beck Scholars Endowment in the College of Sciences and Mathematics; an endowment to support undergraduate research; an endowed Dean’s position; and an endowed fellowship in chemistry, mathematics or physics, with discretion given to the dean to best recruit and retain faculty, according to the resolution.
This effort will help the campus and the A-State community create a “culture of giving” that will improve opportunities for students, faculty, and staff.
“The Beck College of Sciences and Mathematics will not only celebrate their remarkable contributions, but will ensure their legacy inspires future generations of physicians, veterinarians, researchers, innovators and other professionals,” Shields noted in a news release from A-State. “The Becks’ visionary leadership has truly transformed our institution, and we extend our heartfelt thanks for their enduring impact on our community.”
ASU-NEWPORT AND ASU THREE RIVERS ACADEMIC OFFERINGS
Trustees granted ASU-Newport approval to offer an Associate of Applied Science degree in Business Management and Supervision, a Technical Certificate in Business Management and Supervision, and a Certificate of Proficiency in Basic Business Management and Supervision, effective in August.
No new funding is required at this time.
ASU-Newport also gained approval to offer an Associate of Science degree in Data Science, “the result of a statewide initiative to increase the number of graduates with the knowledge and skill sets to meet the demand for technology and data-literate employees, who are necessary to keeping [the state’s] economy competitive,” according to the ASU System.
Data science is the fastest-growing — and one of the highest-paying — job sectors in the U.S, and the degree, which will start in August, won’t be expensive for the college, as the technology platforms used are all cloud-based and free.
Trustees approved Arkansas State University Three Rivers offering a Certificate of Proficiency in Patient Care Technician in order to meet the growing demand for entry-level health care providers.
With support from health care industry partners, the program will recruit and train students to become patient care technicians, according to the proposal.
No new funding is required.
CHANGES AT HENDERSON STATE
Trustees approved a request from Henderson State University to reestablish academic units — which had been “Learning Communities” — as a Teachers College, a College of Performing Arts and Social Sciences, the College of Aviation, Science and Nursing, and the College of Business.
As part of HSU’s financial exigency in 2022, trustees approved a request to restructure the university’s colleges into the Learning Communities of Business, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship; Applied Professional Science and Technology; Health, Education and Social Sustainability; and Arts and Humanities, according to Chancellor Trey Berry. “Moving back to a more traditional academic structure will aid in recruitment, marketing, fundraising, and messaging,” and college leaders will be known as deans, rather than Learning Community Directors.
The change of nomenclature should help student recruitment, said trustee Price Gardner. “Students understand ‘colleges’ and ‘deans,’ not so much ‘learning communities’” and learning community directors.
Upon taking over at HSU in January, Berry and his staff started “a total procedural change in recruiting” to emphasize a more personal approach, as well as more utilization of data, according to the chancellor.
This helped lead to the largest “Reddie Day” recruitment event since 2019, with more than 360 students and family members in attendance.
HSU will also offer an Associate of Arts degree in General Education, Associate of Arts degree in Teaching, a Bachelor of Science degree in Education (early childhood special education integrated birth-kindergarten), a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education (Biology Licensure Track), and a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Sciences (Biology Track) beginning this fall, following approval by the trustees.
The Associate of Arts degree in General Education and Associate of Arts degree in Teaching will be 51% to 100% online, and no additional faculty or resources are needed, according to TaLisha Givan, HSU’s chief learning officer and vice chancellor for academic affairs. The Bachelor of Science degree in Education (early childhood special education integrated birth-kindergarten) “will connect students with the knowledge and tools to guide children from infancy through kindergarten, including children with special needs,” and it will be the first completely online undergraduate degree for HSU.
All 75 Arkansas counties have facilities that will require employees to hold this academic degree background, and the Arkansas Department of Education has requested to partner with HSU to provide the education program with a stream of new teacher-education candidates seeking to obtain licensure in birth-kindergarten in Arkansas schools, according to Givan.
The proposed degree will require two new courses, as well as a faculty member/ adviser with a strong background and experience in Early Childhood Education.
This tenure-track position will be reallocated from a vacant faculty line and will be budget-neutral.
The Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education (Biology Licensure Track) will provide “fundamental knowledge and concepts, as well as practical skills acquired through both study of concepts and theory, which are applicable immediately upon successful completion of the Track and Natural Sciences degree, for both immediate employment in the workforce and subsequent success in graduate school,” according to Givan. No new courses or additional faculty resources are required.
The Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Sciences (Biology Track) will provide “an undergraduate education in natural sciences, with a focus and concentration in biological science theory, application and coursework,” according to Givan. No new courses or additional faculty resources are required.
The course and program changes approved Thursday by the ASU System trustees will also need to be approved by the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
When built, the Windgate Center “will be transformational [for A-State], with art and innovation together,” according to Chancellor Todd Shields. Providing chances for disciplines — and the students in them — to collaborate “follows my research” into best educational practices.