It’s official. The critically-acclaimed Oxford American magazine is coming to the University of Central Arkansas.
A contract between UCA and Oxford American founding editor Marc Smirnoff was signed May 17. Jack Gillean, vice president of university relations, served as the liaison for UCA while President Lu Hardin is recovering in Memphis from eye cancer surgery.
No state dollars or tuition dollars will be used in the $490,000 transaction at Hardin’s directive. The contract calls for an initial infusion of $300,000 to get started and then an additional $190,000. The university’s auxiliary revenue will be the funding source.
“State dollars and tuition dollars are two things we wanted people to understand would not be involved in the operation,” Gillean said.
From his hospital room Friday, Hardin said, “Having a magazine of the Oxford American’s caliber on our campus will benefit not only our students and faculty, but the entire state as well.” Hardin sees many pluses. “Not only will our English and writing students learn from this, but our business students as well (by seeing how a publication is run).”
Hardin also said, “The UCA Honors College of 600 students with an average ACT score of 31, coupled with the literary excellence of the Oxford American, further affirms UCA as a university committed to academic excellence.”
The magazine will be housed in Main Hall on the campus. Publication is expected to start in November. There will be four issues per year.
The agreement between UCA and Oxford American is for three years. “It can be renewed,” Gillean said late last week.
The magazine is currently owned by Brothers and Sisters Holding Company , Inc. with Smirnoff as president. A nonprofit entity is very close to being established, and the magazine will then be transferred to that entity.
A faculty member (not yet selected) from the UCA business department will make sure the magazine is viable according to Gillean.
UCA students will serve as interns although they will not be writing for the publication.
Terry Wright, the university’s associate dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication, said in an earlier interview, “Having the Oxford American – undeniably one of the finest literary and fiction magazines in the country – here at UCA shows the university’s serious commitment to creative writing and literary arts.
The magazine has won national awards, most recently for single-topic issue from the National Magazine Awards, but hasn’t yet been financially successful. It started, of course, in Oxford, Mississippi, in 1992 and moved to Little Rock 10 years later where it was owned by At Home Media Group. Funding for the publication ceased last July.
The magazine’s new governing board includes President Hardin, Smirnoff, Rex Nelson of Gov. Huckabee’s staff, Alan Leveritt of the Arkansas Times, William Whitworth, a former editor at The New York Times and former editor of Atlantic Monthly; and Warrick Sabin of The Arkansas Times.
-Tommy Jackson
