The University of Central Arkansas was not selected as a site for one of the four officially-sanctioned debates among the major-party nominees for president and vice president of the United States.
After a unusually long deliberation period, the Commission on Presidential Debates this morning notified UCA President Lu Hardin that the debates will be held at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. and the University of Mississippi at Oxford.
“We are most grateful for UCA’s application, which particularly impressed the CPD crew and staff,” said CPD executive director Janet Brown.
UCA last spring submitted its application to host a debate, and it was among 16 locations under final consideration by the Commission on Presidential Debates. Arkansas has never before been the site of an official general-election presidential debate.
“While the University of Central Arkansas, and many of us personally, are very disappointed by the CPD’s decision not to designate UCA as one of three presidential debate sites, we are grateful to have been given strong consideration.” said UCA President Lu Hardin. “It was an honor to be part of this process, which represents the epitome of the democratic process of America at work. I am particularly grateful for the assistance of CPD Executive Director Janet Brown and CPD producers Rory Davies and Marty Slutsky. They were a pleasure to work with and are dedicated, talented individuals who will make a debate work at any site. While it is premature to give consideration to re-application, we certainly won?t preclude that possibility four years from now.”
UCA this year is celebrating its 100th anniversary. It is the fastest-growing and second-largest higher education institution in Arkansas, with almost 13,000 students enrolled.
The Commission on Presidential Debates (debates.org) was established in 1987 to ensure that debates, as a permanent part of every general election, provide the best possible information to viewers and listeners. Its primary purpose is to sponsor and produce debates for the United States presidential and vice presidential candidates and to undertake research and educational activities relating to the debates. The organization, which is a nonprofit, nonpartisan corporation, sponsored all the presidential debates in 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004.
