The University of Central Arkansas (UCA) Board of Trustees met on Friday, August 8, to review institutional updates and take action on key campus initiatives aimed at updating and advancing the university’s infrastructure.
During the meeting, the Board approved a resolution authorizing a bond feasibility study and reimbursement resolution for the Campus District Loop and Hydronics Refresh Project. If approved by the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the university may issue bonds up to $10.52 million to fund upgrades that will improve campus-wide energy efficiency, increase system capacity, and enhance long-term reliability of campus-wide chilled water distribution.
The proposed project includes constructing a new chiller plant on the north side of campus, installing new underground chilled water lines to integrate with existing systems, decommissioning outdated localized chillers, and refreshing the South Plant Central Chiller Facility with high-efficiency equipment and updated controls.
”These improvements are expected to reduce overall energy consumption and significantly lower maintenance needs across campus, “ said President Houston Davis. “At a time when addressing deferred maintenance for many institutions of higher education is a financial struggle, careful planning and strategic budgeting is allowing UCA to make these necessary updates that will cover costs from year one and serve campus for decades to come.”
The board was provided an update on the university’s healthy budget for the past fiscal year, a briefing on the strategic planning work for 2025-2035, and also a report on yet another strong incoming freshman class and projected overall enrollment growth.
It was reported that the incoming freshman class for a second straight year projects to be approximately 2,100 after averaging 1,780 in the five years prior to the establishment of the UCA Commitment program. University housing is again at full capacity and overall enrollments are up 1.7 percent compared to the same time last year with freshman and sophomore numbers being robust as well as strong growth in transfer students. President Davis added, “Our university is especially proud that the UCA Commitment program – now serving its second class of students – is projected to assist another 605 Arkansas freshmen with their college goals and stands to strengthen enrollments and student retention for years to come. With approximately 2,100 new freshmen, 450 new undergraduate transfers, 425 new graduate students, and over 7,000 returning students, the fall semester is going to be full of energy and excitement for the entire Bear family”.
