Senator Tom Cotton recognized Marvin Williams as “Arkansan of the Week” for his work as the UCAN Coordinator and Academic Advisor at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.
UCAN stands for “Unlocking College Academics Now,” a program at UCA aimed at helping students facing their first academic suspension improve their grade point average and continue their education. Students who participate in UCAN are permitted to stay in school during their first suspension, rather than withdrawing for the semester. As program coordinator, Williams works with students to help identify their academic weaknesses and find ways to accommodate them. Under his leadership, the program has helped 347 students obtain their college degrees. Without UCAN, it’s possible many of those students would have taken their semester suspension and not returned to complete their degree.
“The impact Marvin has on student’s lives cannot be overstated,” Cotton stated. “One of his colleagues wrote that Marvin meets with students on a daily basis to encourage them to take control of their lives and their education, so they can improve their future. On a regular basis he experiences the difficulties of life as students bring him their circumstances, and he walks with them when they have no one else to turn to. Along with that, when they need correction, he does it with empathy, and leads them back to the path they need to be on.”
Williams’ compassion does not end with his work in the classroom. Williams was also instrumental in establishing the Bear Essentials Food Pantry, the UCA on-campus food bank. The food pantry idea was born out of a meeting he had with a student two years ago who had very little to eat. He provided the student with a list of nearby pantries, but she lacked the transportation needed to visit the off-campus locations. Williams responded by taking the student to the cafeteria and paying for her meal, and then springing into action. He recruited a few other UCA employees to help him and the group successfully opened a food bank on UCA’s campus.