UCA President Lu Hardin recently joined the leaders of the other member institutions of the Arkansas Association of Public Universities on Mount Magazine for the first AAPU Presidents and Chancellors Advance/Retreat.
A major topic of discussion among the leaders was working together to increase the number of Arkansans holding a bachelor’s degree by formulating strategies to increase college-going rates, transfers from two-year colleges, and targeting those over 25, with some college credit, to complete their degree. The group also discussed the importance of higher education to economic development, applauding Gov. Mike Beebe for often stating that the two are inextricably tied, and by working to increase science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related degrees as Arkansas prepares for a knowledge-based economy.
“Our task, as we launch this new association, is to elevate in the minds of Arkansans that the intellectual capacity to fuel the economy of the future is powered by higher education,” said AAPU executive director Tim Wooldridge. “This meeting was a great first step in working together to accomplish this goal.”
On Monday, the group was joined by officials from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education including Director Jim Purcell, Deputy Director Steve Floyd. and Bob Brown, president of Arkansas Tech University.
In attendance with Hardin were David Rankin, chairman of the AAPU and president of Southern Arkansas University, University of Arkansas System President Alan Sugg, University of Arkansas Chancellor-Elect G. David Gearhart, University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Chancellor Paul Beran, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Chancellor Joel Anderson, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Vice President for Agriculture Milo Shult, and Henderson State University President Charles Dunn.
