The Bear Ledger

The University of Central Arkansas “Freshman Handbook” from 1929 contains a pledge that was considered at the time to be the oldest tradition in the history of the institution.  The pledge read as follows, “I hereby accept residence in Arkansas State Teachers College (now UCA), and by so doing pledge to abide by and conform to all rules and regulations of the college and further promise to conduct myself in such a way as not to interfere with any other student’s person, property, liberty, or comfort, and to protect the property of the college.” The pledge was created and put into effect during the administration of UCA’s first president, J.J. Doyne.  

 The aforementioned pledge was considered the only guiding influence needed to govern human behavior on the UCA Campus.  Under the category of “College Traditions” the 1930 “Purple and Gray Handbook” stated, “The oldest tradition of the college is that there shall be no law or regulation set up to govern the conduct of the individual student.  The principles that control the conduct of ladies and gentlemen in all walks of life have had full sway in the school with few infractions.  This method of control was announced by President J.J. Doyne to the students at the opening of the school in September 1908.  It is a fixed rule of conduct and seemingly an all-sufficient one.”

The Doyne Administration (1907-1917) was also a strong proponent of religion and believed students should be involved in a local church.  President Doyne made it a requirement for students to attend church while in Conway.  While this would not go unchallenged in today’s world, it was the rule of the day during Doyne’s tenure as president.  President Doyne required students to provide his office with the name of the church they had decided to attend.  The pastor of that church was given the names of the students that had decided to attend that particular church.  If the student was absent from church a communication would be sent to Doyne by the pastor informing him of the student’s absence.  President Doyne then visited with the student in question to determine why he or she was not in church that particular Sunday.

Religion wasn’t just for Sundays at UCA.  There were chapel programs held on the campus and students were required to attend; later they were strongly encouraged to attend.  When UCA first began operation in 1908 and for several years thereafter, the chapel programs were a daily affair.  However, at some point the daily chapel program was dropped in favor of a more elaborate service once a week.

The chapel program for Wednesday, October 9, 1929, included a sermon by the pastor of the First Methodist Church of Conway, Dr. J.M. Workman, on the topic of “The Spirit of a Christian.”  The leaders of several Christian churches in Conway took turns presenting chapel programs.  The Wednesday, October 16, 1929, speaker was a Baptist minister, Dr. E.P.J. Garrott, who gave a sermon on poetry of the Bible.  A week later, a minister from the Christian Church, the Rev. J.C. Dawson, spoke about the vices that he considered bad for humans to engage in, such as tobacco use and indulging in alcoholic beverages.

 The “Purple and Gray Handbook” of 1930 did contain some guidelines about things students should refrain from doing.  One of those things was smoking.  According to the Handbook, “Our students do not smoke in the buildings or on the campus.  As our students are to become teachers, and as school boards will not employ women who smoke, our women do not smoke.”  Even though smoking was banned for everyone, emphasis was placed on the impropriety of a woman smoking.  The ban on smoking was not just for students but also applied to the faculty and staff.  The “Purple and Gray Handbook” from 1926 addressed smoking and simply stated, “All smoking in the buildings and on the campus is prohibited.”

Another form of behavior that was strongly criticized was dancing.  Dancing at UCA was frowned upon from the beginning and for several decades thereafter.  According to the “Purple and Gray Handbook” of 1930, “By common consent mixed dancing by students either at school or in town, has never been recognized as having a place in the activities for students.”  Also stated in the same Handbook, “The fact that students of the Teachers College (UCA) come from homes of moderate means, as a rule, has tended toward conservative spending of money.  No wild parties or sprees ever occur.”

The acceptance of dancing on the UCA Campus happened slowly, over a long period of time.  Unfortunately, no exact date is given for the beginning of organized dancing on the UCA Campus.  However, we do know that dances were taking place sometime before 1935.  A factor that had to figure prominently into the institutional acceptance of dancing at UCA was the creation of the “Tophatters,” the college dance orchestra, as it was originally called, in 1935.  One could argue that the creation of a dance band meant that UCA, as an institution, had accepted dancing as part of student life.

Obviously, restrictions on dancing had loosened significantly by the mid 1930s as social dancing had become more accepted.  Additionally, folk dancing was being offered as part of a course in the Department of Physical Education, beginning with the 1934-1935 academic year.   During the latter part of the 1930s, the word “folk” was dropped and dancing stood on its own as part of a physical education course.  

 Traditional dances soon began to be held on campus, often in McAlister Hall.  The first pictures of students dancing appear in the 1936 Scroll, and often the music was provided by the “Tophatters.”  As mentioned earlier, the “Tophatters” were organized in 1935 and provided music for UCA functions as well as for off-campus organizations.  The “Tophatters” were quite popular, and in 1936 they accepted an invitation to play aboard cruise ships belonging to the Cunard White-Star Steamship Line during the summer.  v – Jimmy Bryant, UCA Archivist

Author’s Note:  Sources for this article included the Arkansas State Teachers College Bulletins, 1930 – 1940;  Purple and Gray Handbook, 1926-1930; the Freshman Handbook, 1929; The Official Records of UCA, M99-01, Box 1A, File 7; and the Scroll.

Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded the University of Central Arkansas’ revenue bond ratings to A2 from A3. The new rating reflects “UCA’s healthy size, relatively strong state support, return to healthy operations and progress in building liquid reserves,” according to Moody’s, a leading provider of credit ratings, research, and risk analysis.

The report credits the university’s improvement to “prudent fiscal management that has resulted in three consecutive years of healthy operations and recovery of liquid cash balances supporting debt and operations.” UCA has been able to regain a comfortable level of liquidity, the report states. It also noted stable annual appropriations from the state and scholarship support for tuition through student grants.

The university ended the 2010 fiscal year with $14 million of monthly liquidity, a dramatic change from four years ago when the university had negative cash balances.

“Management projects that the unrestricted cash reserves will increase to healthier $19.1 million at the close of the current 2011 fiscal year and expects to maintain cash balances close to that level going forward,” the report states. “…The rating could improve if the University continues to build financial reserves and maintains student market strength and operating support from the state while limiting additional debt.”

“The University is extremely pleased that Moody’s recognizes the tremendous efforts the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff and administration have made over the past few years not only to stabilize UCA’s finances, but to place increased emphasis on prudent management and communication,” said UCA President Allen Meadors.

The rating upgrade is a validation of the administration’s commitment to make UCA financially sound, said Diane Newton, vice president for finance and administration.

“Although we are much better, we are not where we need to be, as the report points out,” Newton said. “We  continue to focus on cash reserves through conservative budgeting and the implementation of cost saving measures.”

The University of Central Arkansas College of Business will host the inaugural Arkansas & China Business and Economic Summit on July 21.

The event will provide executives and entrepreneurs a forum to network and share business experiences related to China and opportunities to establish new business relationships. Guest speakers include Gov. Mike Beebe and Shane Broadway, interim director of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, U. S. multi-national corporations, United States and Chinese commerce officials, and Chinese research scholars.

The summit will begin at 8 a.m. in the College of Business.

The UCA community is encouraged to attend this inaugural event. The cost to attend the event is $90 or $50 before July 8.  The registration fee includes continental breakfast and lunch.  The UCA College of Business is sponsoring a networking reception that will take place in the College of Business lobby following the final session of the day. Online registration is available by visiting: www.uca.edu/chinasummit .

UCA employees who wish to pay their registration fee with a supplies and services requisition should contact:

Donna Murphy
Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center
501.852.2699
brewerhegeman@uca.edu

For additional information about the summit, please visit: www.uca.edu/chinasummit .

 

 The University of Central Arkansas will offer new evening and online classes in the Fall 2011 to accommodate working adults.

The new evening program will allow individuals to earn a bachelor’s degree in the areas of general business, history or speech communication. Additional online courses will be offered for those interested in earning a graduate certificate or master’s degree in school leadership, geographic information systems, instructional technology, early childhood education or nursing.

“UCA understands that not everyone can pursue a college degree during the day.  That is why we are expanding our evening and online programs with the addition of three undergraduate majors that can be earned with evening and online classes: general business, history, and speech communication,” said Dr. Lance Grahn, provost and vice president for academic affairs.  “These majors are especially appropriate to the needs of working adults who wish to complete a degree and further their career goals.”

Providing students various avenues such as online, evening, and weekend classes is increasingly important, said Grahn. 

“Their busy lives as mothers and fathers, wives and husbands, working professionals, and volunteers should not be a barrier to a college degree.  Classes at night, on the weekends, and online meet students where they are and at times that can better fit their already full schedules,” he explained. “At the same time, more non-traditional class times also give traditional students more options.  So, as our world increasingly moves into a 24/7 framework, UCA will keep pace with student needs and interests.”

 Several UCA’s offices – Financial Aid, Academic Advising Center, Admissions, Student Accounts, Registrar’s, VA Student Services, and BearCard Center – have extended their hours to assist those interested in taking evening classes.  Those offices will be open until 7 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays beginning Aug. 1.

Learn more about evening classes by contacting UCA Academic Advising Center at (501) 450-5149. For more information about UCA’s online graduate certificate or master’s degree programs, contact the Graduate School Office at (501) 450-3124.

 Nineteen performances are scheduled for the 2011-12 UCA Public Appearances season at the University of Central Arkansas.

The season has been divided again into the Night Out Series, Broadway Series, Nostalgia Series and the Distinguished Lecture Series, which is sponsored for 2011-12 by the Log Cabin Democrat.

“We are very excited about our 2011-2012 season with its wide variety of events,” said Jerry Biebesheimer, director of UCA Public Appearances. “We hope that by offering four different subscription options, more of our patrons will be able to take advantage of the savings that subscribing offers.”

All but one performance will be at 7:30 p.m. All performances will be in the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall.

The series includes:

• Dionne Warwick, Sept. 15;

• Erin Brokovich, Sept. 19;

• 101 Years of Broadway, Sept. 29;

• Martha Graham Dance Company with the Conway Symphony Orchestra, Oct. 11.

• Cirque Mechanics presents Boom Town, Oct. 25;

• Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone and The Lettermen, Oct. 27;

• Munich Symphony Orchestra featuring Mozart’s Requiem, Nov. 3;

• The Wizard of Oz, Nov. 19;

• James Carville, Nov. 21;

• Holiday Celebration with Pat Boone and the Central Arkansas Children’s Choir, 2 p.m. Dec. 11;

• Danny Glover and Felix Justice present An Evening with Martin and Langston, Feb. 9;

• James Earl Jones, Feb. 23;

• The Art of the Drum, Feb. 26;

• Doubt, March 1;

• Stomp, March 27;

• WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour — Live!, March 30;

• Dan Abrams, April 5;

• The Oak Ridge Boys, April 16; 

• Moscow Festival Ballet presents Romeo and Juliet, April 26.

To purchase a subscription package, call (501) 450-3265 beginning July 5. Individual tickets may be purchased online at www.uca.edu/reynolds or by calling (501) 450-3265 beginning Aug. 15. For more information, contact Biebesheimer at (501) 450-3682 or jerryb@uca.edu.

Margaret Malek, associate professor of writing, retired June 5 after 26 years of service.

Judith Corocran, administrative specialist III in the Dean’s Office of the College of Liberal Arts, retiredJune 30 after 36 years of service.

Maj. Glenn Stacks, UCA Police Department deputy chief of police,  retired June 30 after 25 years of service.

Dwight Langston, associate professor of world languages, will retire July 8 after 25 years of service.

Marc Hirrel, lecturer in the Biology Department, will retire July 8 after 27 years of service.

Charles Seifert, professor of mathematics, will retire Aug. 14 after 32 years of service.

Samuel Buchanan, professor of mathematics, will retire Aug. 14 after 31 years of service.

 

Several new employees have joined UCA.  Welcome to the following faculty and staff:

Danny Kendrick, Equipment Operator, Grounds Maintenance, April 11.

Kandace Keeney, Administrative Specialist II, Intensive English, May 1.

Tera Zeigler, Administrative Specialist II, Student Accounts, May 10.

Wanda Messenger, Institutional Services Assistant, Custodial Care, May 16.

Anne Sweet, Education Counselor, Advising Center, May 16.

Lesley Allen, Administrative Specialist II, College of Fine Arts and Communication, May 17.

Ashley Huffman, Administrative Specialist I, Registrar’s Office, May 23.

Stephen Hill, Mail Services Assistant, Post Office, June 1.

Steven Moore, Assistant Coach, Women’s Soccer, June 2.

Lawrence Mrozek, Assistant Professor, Leadership Studies, June 6.

Steven Karafit, Lecturer, Biology, June 6.

Cassandra White, Residential Care Assistant, College Square Retirement Center, June 13.

Morgan Poole Evatt of the University of Central Arkansas has been awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarship to Mexico in speech-language pathology, the United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board announced recently.

Evatt is one of over 1,700 U.S. citizens who will travel abroad for the 2011-2012 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. She will conduct data collection for validity, sensitivity and specificity of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory (CDI-III), a language assessment tool, for Spanish speakers ages 30-47 months. Poole will travel to Queretaro, Mexico in August to begin the nine-month project.

Hear more about Morgan Evatt’s upcoming trip to Mexico at UCA’s YouTube page.

“This experience in Mexico will allow me to be immersed in the language and the culture while learning about how speech pathology works in Mexico from the client, family, and clinical perspectives,” Evatt said. “My time there will improve my mastery of the Spanish language and make me a more culturally sensitive clinician.”

Evatt, of Vilonia, said she hopes to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to provide speech-language pathology services to bilingual children in Arkansas and across the U.S.

“I want to advocate for the needs of Mexican children with communication disorders in Mexico and at home because everyone has the right to communicate,” she said. “…The Hispanic population is rapidly rising in the United States, increasing the number of monolingual and bilingual Spanish-speaking children who need speech-language services. I see gaps in the quality of clinical services being provided to these youngsters and a lack of research in this area. We need better tools to assess the language of Spanish-speaking children in the U.S. and abroad, and I believe I can help develop these tools. I believe I have received excellent training in the area of communication sciences and disorders and it is my professional responsibility to promote the advancement of my field on a state, national, and global level. My husband and I are excited to move to Mexico and to immerse ourselves in the language and culture.”

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The Program operates in over 155 countries worldwide.

Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society held its spring 2011 initiation ceremony on May 1, adding 139 new members to UCA’s chapter. Alpha Lambda Delta is an honor society for students in their first year of higher education.  Membership in ALD is open to all students at an institution with an ALD chapter who have earned a 3.5 or higher GPA in their first year or term of enrollment. 

While students are extended an invitation to join Alpha Lambda Delta based on their first year GPA, they stay active and involved in the society throughout their college career.  Alpha Lambda Delta was installed as a national chapter on UCA’s campus on April 25, 2010. It has made a positive impact on campus and in the Conway community during its short existence. The honor society raised $400 through its Hot Cocoa for HAVEN House fundraiser for HAVEN. In the spring, the society’s service efforts benefited the Faulkner County Humane Society. More than $200 and supplies were collected to benefit the humane society.

Our members represent the top students enrolled at the University of Central Arkansas and they join an elite group of top students from around the United States. At UCA, Alpha Lambda Delta focuses on three main aspects of our society: (1) scholarship – encouraging each other to maintain exemplary academic success and creating scholarship opportunities for our chapter, (2) support – both academically and socially, and (3) service – to our campus community and the community in which we will live for the next four years.

In October, ALD faculty advisor, Casey Griffith, traveled with two Executive Council members, Brooke Tunstall and Deziree Tull, to the National Alpha Lambda Delta Leadership Workshop where they met with ALD chapters from around the country, learned how to effectively lead their local chapter, discovered ways to increase participation within their chapter, and how to produce award-winning entries for national scholarships and awards.

For more information on UCA’s Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, visit our website (www.ucaalphalambdadelta.org) or our Facebook page (Alpha Lambda Delta First Year Honor Society at UCA).

Spencer Sims, of North Little Rock and a member of Beta Lambda Chapter, has been selected to receive Alpha Sigma Alpha’s Outstanding New Member Award. Sims was selected from more than 4,000 collegiate members from across the country to receive this award.

The award recognizes a new member’s spirit and attitude during her first year of membership, her willingness to take on responsibilities within the chapter, evidence of growth and maturity, ability to work with other members of the chapter and potential for taking leadership roles in the chapter, college and community.

Sims, a sophomore at the University of Central Arkansas, has held the office of vice president of public relations & recruitment for her chapter and has held leadership positions in other campus organizations as well. Her campus activities include the Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee, University of Central Arkansas Ambassador, 80 Proof and the UCA Pre Law Society. Additionally, Sims was recently elected as executive vice president of the University of Central Arkansas Student Government Association. Sims volunteers regularly with the humane society, Salvation Army and Conway highway clean up.

Alpha Sigma Alpha was founded at Longwood University in Farmville, VA, in 1901. Nationally, Alpha Sigma Alpha has 155 collegiate and alumnae chapters and associations. More than 70,000 members are committed to promoting sisterhood, heritage and leadership.