More than 130 women throughout the state gathered at UCA on April 23 to hear ways institutions of higher education can maintain sustainability during turbulent economic times.The discussion was a part of the spring meeting of the Arkansas Council for Women in Higher Education. The group represented 24 institutions and the Governor’s Office.
Guest speakers shared information on creating fiscal sustainability with limited state resources; the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery; using existing networks to share resources; and how Arkansas Works affects higher education in the state.
“Hopefully, we can glean ideas from one another about how we can plan and be proactive in case times get a little more rocky,” Kristy Carter, ACWHE president, told the group.Jim Purcell, director of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, gave a presentation on the forecast of higher education. He began his presentation with the sobering number of job losses in the U.S. since October 2008 – more than 6million.
Increasing the number of college graduates promotes the state’s economic development, Purcell said. To ensure success, colleges and universities must strengthen the state’s education pipeline; improve preparation; decrease remediation; increase retention and graduation rates; support economic development and enhance funding and governance.
The department of higher education has asked colleges and universities to implement initiatives that will expedite the number of degrees that are produced; increase the speed in which they are produced; and target high demand programs that are needed for Arkansas’s modern economy.
“Finally, we must make sure we have incentives for students to complete a degree and also to work in Arkansas,” he said. “… Only 26 percent of Arkansans age 25 to 30 has an associate or bachelors. Is that enough? It’s not enough.”
As technology changes, colleges and universities must be proactive. Several colleges and universities are meeting the needs of a renewable energy economy with new courses, new majors, research and industrial support, Purcell said.
“For Arkansas to succeed, I think we definitely have to make sure that our K-20 education system is the best and it needs to respond to the changes in the workforce to ensure a good foundation for all these skills,” he said.
