The Fiscal Affairs Committee will meet via telephone conference at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 21, to discuss tuition and fee proposals. Other board committee meetings will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday and the regular session will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday. Click here to view the meeting agenda. The tentative schedule is as follows:

May 21, 2013 (Media may observe at the UA System B. Alan Sugg Administration Building)
8:30 a.m. Fiscal Affairs Committee telephone conference

May 22, 2013 (UA Division of Agriculture Rice Research Center)
1:00 p.m. Audit Committee Meeting
1:30 p.m.* Buildings and Grounds Committee Meeting
2:30 p.m.* Joint Hospital Committee Meeting
4:00 p.m.* Athletic Committee Meeting

May 23, 2013 (Grand Prairie Center, PCCUA)
8:30 a.m. Board Meeting
Luncheon
*Approximate time

Institutions that have proposed tuition and fee increases exceeding 3.5 percent will appear before the committee at the request of Jane Rogers, chairman of the board of trustees.

The committee will meet at 1:00 p.m. at the B. Alan Sugg Administration Building at 2404 N. University Avenue in Little Rock. The committee will present its recommendations on the proposals at a regular meeting of the full board of trustees on May 23.

“I understand that our institutions are facing a number of funding challenges in a time when new revenues are scarce; however, I felt that it would be prudent for the Fiscal Affairs Committee to take a close look at each request and hear presentations from those seeking increases over 3.5 percent,” Rogers said. “As trustees, we have an obligation to ensure our institutions are strong financially, while also taking into account the affordability offered to our students.”

While the proposed 2013-14 tuition and fee schedules vary depending on funding needs and budgets of the individual UA System institutions, each plans to dedicate new revenues toward areas such as student retention initiatives, campus security, and faculty and staff support.

Those campuses that will present to the committee include the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, the University of Arkansas at Monticello and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Click here to view the tuition and fee proposals and meeting schedule.

As part of an effort to enhance campus security, the five two-year colleges in the UA System are all requesting new or increased Public Safety Fees. Because their proposed increases are 3.5 percent or less excluding the Public Safety Fees, the two-year campuses were not asked to appear before the committee.

State funding accounts for less than half of the education and general revenue for several two- and four-year campuses in the UA System, while tuition and fees account for the rest.

The percentage of higher education funding provided by state appropriations has steadily decreased over the last decade as state budgets have tightened and enrollment has expanded on college and university campuses.

The five four-year universities in the UA System have seen total annual enrollment climb by more than 7,000 FTE (full-time enrollments) since the 2008 fiscal year. Meanwhile, state funding per FTE has not kept pace, falling by 17 percent from $7,210 to $5,994 during that time, according to data from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education. State funding for the two-year colleges in the UA System is down nearly $100 per student since 2008, according to ADHE data.

States across the country are facing similar challenges as state budgets have tightened following the 2008 economic recession. An annual study by the Illinois State University Center for the Study of Higher Education and the State Higher Education Executive Officers found that state appropriations for higher education fell 7.6 percent nationally in 2011-12.

Board committee meetings will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday and the regular session begin at 8:30 a.m. on Friday. Click here to view the meeting agenda. The tentative schedule is as follows:

April 4, 2013 (Green Room, Gibson University Center, UAM)
2:00 p.m. Joint Hospital Committee Meeting
3:00 p.m.* Audit Committee Meeting
3:30 p.m.* Buildings and Grounds Committee Meeting

April 5, 2013 (Green Room, Gibson University Center, UAM)
8:30 a.m. Board Meeting
Luncheon
*Approximate time

Gibson

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe today named Charles “Cliff” Gibson III of Monticello to the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas.

Gibson founded his own law firm in Monticello in 1981 and has served as county attorney for Drew County for the past 12 years. He attended the University of Arkansas at Monticello and earned his Juris Doctorate degree at the UALR Bowen School of Law while serving on the editorial board of the UALR Law Journal.

A former recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the City of Monticello, Gibson has also been president of the Monticello Economic Development Commission.

“Cliff’s appointment helps ensure a dependable voice on the Board for the U of A campuses in South Arkansas,” Beebe said. “His sound judgment and calm demeanor will serve the entire system of schools well in the coming years.”

The appointment replaces Mike Akin of Monticello and expires March 1, 2023.

Rutledge

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe on Friday named Reynie Rutledge to the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas.

A Searcy native, Rutledge is chairman and CEO of First Security Bank. He earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and currently serves on both the Sam M. Walton College of Business Executive Advisory Board and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Foundation Board.

He will fill the remainder of a 10-year term on the board that was originally held by John Tyson. The term expires in 2017.

Rutledge’s wife Ann and his three sons John, Adam and Nathan are all graduates of the University of Arkansas, as well.

Alexander

LITTLE ROCK – University of Arkansas System President Dr. Donald R. Bobbitt will nominate Dr. Laurence B. Alexander, associate dean of the Graduate School and director of the Office of Minority Programs at the University of Florida, to serve as the next chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

Alexander was among the finalists in a nationwide search for a new chancellor conducted by Bobbitt and an advisory search committee of UAPB faculty, staff, alumni and supporters. Bobbitt will recommend Alexander for the position at a special meeting of the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas that will be conducted by phone later this week.

“I’m pleased to nominate Dr. Laurence Alexander, who I believe has the right combination of experience and enthusiasm to help shape a positive, successful future for UAPB,” Bobbitt said. “Dr. Alexander understands the important role that UAPB plays in the higher education portfolio of our state and in the Pine Bluff community. It’s a university that has grown and developed throughout the past two decades, and I am excited about the leadership Dr. Alexander will provide to help the campus and its students, faculty and staff achieve at the highest levels. While we know there will be challenges ahead, I look forward to working with Dr. Alexander to ensure a successful future for UAPB.”

Alexander, who is a distinguished teaching scholar and a professor in the Department of Journalism at Florida, chairs the Graduate Curriculum Committee and directs more than 20 student development and funding programs, including the UF McKnight Doctoral Fellowships and the National Science Foundation LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate.

He also leads the Graduate School’s program in recruitment, retention, success and graduation of underrepresented minority students. Previously, he served as chair of the Department of Journalism at the University of Florida and coordinator of journalism in the English Department at the University of New Orleans.

“It’s a high honor to be nominated as the next chancellor of UAPB,” Alexander said. “This university has a proud history as an HBCU that’s committed to student success and academic excellence. I am humbled by the nomination and encouraged by the outstanding opportunity facing UAPB, the Pine Bluff community and the state of Arkansas. I look forward to working with the faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community and state leaders to advance the institution to the next level of academic excellence.”

A native of New Orleans, Alexander received a bachelor’s degree in drama and communications from the University of New Orleans, master’s degree in journalism and communications from the University of Florida, Juris Doctor from Tulane University and Ph.D. in higher education from Florida State University.

He and his wife, Veronica, also a native of New Orleans, have three sons, Brandon, David and Tyler. David and Tyler are college students and Brandon, a Santa Fe College academic adviser, and his wife, Vanessa, are the parents of Alexander’s grandchildren, Jonathan and Allie. Veronica Alexander currently serves as the director of human resources for the University of Florida Foundation.

“My family and I are excited to get to know everyone at the university and in the Pine Bluff community, and we are anxious to join the traditions of the family of supporters of the Golden Lions,” Alexander said.

Upon approval of the board of trustees, Alexander will succeed Dr. Calvin Johnson, who has served as interim chancellor of UAPB since April 2012. It is anticipated that Alexander will begin his tenure by July 1.

“I’m grateful to Dr. Calvin Johnson for his guidance and steady leadership of UAPB during the past year,” Bobbitt said. “He has served UAPB, Pine Bluff and our state with honor and distinction throughout his outstanding career.”

About the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff:

An 1890 land-grant institution, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) is the second-oldest public university and the only public historically black institution in Arkansas. The institution’s historic mission is to teach in areas related to agriculture and the mechanical arts, as well as scientific and classical studies and help solve economic, agricultural and other problems in the community, state and region. For more information visit www.uapb.edu.

Sponsored by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the newly established Awards of Excellence will be awarded annually. Winners in each of five categories will be named April 23 in San Francisco during the AACC annual convention, which draws nearly 2,000 educators, policymakers, corporate and foundation representatives each year.

PCCUA was one of five colleges recognized as a finalist in the Student Success category for its reinvented approach to teaching and student engagement which have resulted in an increase in student course success and a dramatic increase in its graduation rate. Other Award of Excellence categories included Emerging Leadership, Exemplary CEO/Board, Advancing Diversity, and Outstanding College/Corporate Partnership.

PCCUA had previously received recognition in the Leah Meyer Austin Institutional Student Success Leadership competition. One of only two Arkansas colleges receiving Achieving the Dream (AtD) Leader College status, Phillips has effectively used AtD to restructure its service to students.

PCCUA is now more directly focused on students and their success. Its overall plan included the implementation of supplemental instruction labs, increased contact hours, creation of an additional developmental reading level, and professional development to more substantially engage faculty in improving student learning outcomes. Also implemented were an intrusive advising system and enhanced student support services to better serve new students enrolled in at least one developmental education course.

“At PCCUA, one of our three core values is student success,” said PCCUA Chancellor Dr. Steven Murray. “We are committed to the success of every student.  We believe all students, given the right conditions, can learn. We believe those conditions include high expectations reflected in a rigorous curriculum and personal engagement evidenced by a faculty and staff who invest themselves in the lives of our students and our communities. Our faculty and staff not only believe that. They live it out every day. If I were any more proud of them, it would be sinful.”

Criteria for the Awards of Excellence are designed to reflect innovative practices in areas that relate to recommendations of the 21st-Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges, a national, blue-ribbon group of education experts that issued its report last spring. In the report, commission members described a restructured community college of tomorrow, one that would “reinvent the student experience” and help “reclaim the American dream.”

“Over an 18-month period, the 21st-Century Commission provided a bold and forward-thinking blueprint for the community college of the future,” said Marie Gnage, chair of the AACC Board of Directors. “With these new awards, AACC intends to elevate community colleges that are in the vanguard of progressive practices. The awardees will receive national visibility, but the spotlight on their exemplary practices will ultimately benefit all community colleges.”

Board committee meetings will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday afternoon with the regular session beginning Friday at 8:30 a.m. Click here to view the meeting agenda. The tentative schedule is as follows:

January 31, 2013
Noon            Luncheon
1:00 p.m.    Joint Hospital Committee Meeting
2:15 p.m.*   Audit Committee Meeting
2:45 p.m.*  Buildings and Grounds Committee Meeting

February 1, 2013
 8:30 a.m.    Board Meeting
Luncheon
*Approximate time

The candidates are Dr. Laurence B. Alexander, associate dean of the Graduate School and director of the Office of Minority Programs at the University of Florida; Dr. Everette J. Freeman, president of Albany State University; Kim Luckes, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Norfolk State University, and Dr. Robert Mock, vice president for student affairs at the University of Kentucky. Biographical information on the candidates is below.

The candidates were selected with the help of an advisory search committee chaired by Dr. Robert McGehee, a UAPB alumnus, Pine Bluff native and dean of the Graduate School at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. An executive search firm assisted the committee.

“I’m grateful to Dr. McGehee and the members of the committee for their diligent work in helping us find the very best person to serve as the next chancellor at UAPB,” said Dr. Donald R. Bobbitt, president of the University of Arkansas System. “The high quality of these candidates is a testament to the work of our committee and to the attractiveness of the position as chancellor of this fine university. We are looking forward to getting to know them better as we move into the final stages of this process.”

The candidates will each visit UAPB for two days of meetings with students, faculty, staff and the Pine Bluff community. Luckes will visit on Jan. 22 and 23, Mock on Jan. 24 and 25, Alexander on Jan. 29 and 30, and Freeman on Feb. 5 and 6.

Candidate Bios:

Alexander

Dr. Laurence B. Alexander is an associate dean of the Graduate School and director of the Office of Graduate Minority Programs at the University of Florida. He also is a distinguished teaching scholar and a professor in the Department of Journalism at Florida.

He chairs the Graduate Curriculum Committee and directs more than 20 student development and funding programs, including the UF McKnight Doctoral Fellowships and the National Science Foundation LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate. He also leads the Graduate School’s program in recruitment, retention, success and graduation of underrepresented minority students.

Previously, he served as chair of the Department of Journalism at the University of Florida and coordinator of journalism in the English Department at the University of New Orleans. A native of New Orleans, Alexander received a bachelor’s degree in drama and communications from the University of New Orleans, master’s degree in journalism and communications from the University of Florida, Juris Doctor from Tulane University and Ph.D. in higher education from Florida State University.

Click here to download Alexander’s cover letter and CV.

Freeman

Dr. Everette J. Freeman has served as president of Albany State University since 2005. He previously served as senior vice president and provost at the University of Indianapolis and as executive assistant to the president at Tennessee State University, where he was also interim vice president for university relations and development.

In addition to his 14 years of service in higher education leadership and 19 years as a faculty member, Freeman has held several corporate positions and has specialized interest in organizational development, EEOC compliance and industrial relations.

A Washington, D.C. native, Freeman received his B.A. degree in sociology and economics from Antioch College in 1972, an M.A. degree in labor and industrial relations from the University of Illinois in 1974 and an Ed.D. in education foundations from Rutgers University in 1983. He holds a certificate from the Institute for Educational Leadership at Harvard University and a certificate in Economics from Fircroft College in Birmingham, England.

Click here to download Freeman’s cover letter and CV.

Luckes

Kim Luckes is executive vice president and chief operating officer of Norfolk State University.  She served as the acting president of Norfolk State University in 2010-11 and as liaison to the board of visitors and assistant to the president from February 2010 to May 2010. Luckes has more than 20 years of executive and administrative experience in higher education.

She served as executive vice president at Saint Augustine’s College in Raleigh, N.C., where she was responsible for the areas of institutional effectiveness, personnel management and strategic planning.

Before being named executive vice president, she served as provost and vice president for academic affairs. She also served as the director of human resources and executive assistant to the executive vice president and provost at Hampton University.Luckes earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Elizabeth City State University in Elizabeth City, N.C., and a Juris Doctor degree from North Carolina Central University School of Law in Durham, N.C.

Click here to download Luckes’ cover letter and CV.

Mock

Dr. Robert C. Mock Jr.,is vice president for student affairs at the University of Kentucky with teaching appointments in the College of Communication and Information, College of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences within the Africana and African-American Studies Department. Mock previously served as vice provost for student affairs and assistant vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

He also served as director of recruitment and retention and associate dean in the College of Professional Studies at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Mock has more than a decade of corporate business experience, including serving as production plant manager for Illinois Tool Works and quality control manager with Pepsi-Cola.

A veteran of the Army National Guard, Mock earned his B.S. degree in industrial engineering with minors in physics and mathematics from Southern Illinois University; and his M.A. in interpersonal and organization communication and doctorate in higher education administration from UALR.

Click here to download Mock’s cover letter and CV.

Moore

LITTLE ROCK – Dr. Michael Moore, senior vice provost and dean of undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at Arlington, has been named vice president for academic affairs at the University of Arkansas System.

Moore will provide leadership for the system in all aspects of academic affairs, including working closely with UA System campuses and divisions to coordinate online education and distance learning initiatives.

As senior vice provost at UT Arlington, Moore oversaw the development and expansion of the university’s online education program, which grew rapidly under his leadership. During his tenure, Moore worked with faculty to develop new online courses and programs and saw online enrollment grow to more than 25 percent of the university’s total enrollment.

He also assisted the provost with curriculum assessment, academic program development and accreditation, as well as the development of a university strategic plan and emerging business research plan.

“Michael Moore and I worked closely together when I served as provost at UT Arlington and I’m thrilled to bring his outstanding leadership skills to our administrative team at the University of Arkansas System,” said Dr. Donald R. Bobbitt, president of the UA System. “Michael’s experience developing online and distance education programs will be vital to our efforts to grow and expand new technologies among our campuses and divisions. His expertise in academic affairs will also be critical in our role of supporting the growth and development of academic programming across the UA System.”

An experienced researcher and teacher, Moore earned the Excellence in Distance Learning Teaching Award from the United States Distance Learning Association in 2010 for his Introduction to American Government online course at UT Arlington.

Moore played a critical role in the creation of UT Arlington’s University College, an initiative to improve student success. Through this effort, he implemented policy and programming changes to address retention and graduation rates, leading to a 12 percent improvement in retention three years following the creation of University College.

“I am very excited to join the University of Arkansas System and I look forward to working closely with the individuals that comprise this outstanding university,” Moore said. “I believe the diversity of the UA System presents unique opportunities to be a national leader in online programs and I am pleased that I will be able to work closely with this effort. I believe one of the most important challenges facing higher education today is the need to provide affordable access to college for every qualified student and to ensure the student has access to the resources to graduate and successfully enter the workforce, whether online or in a traditional face-to-face program. I am excited about the opportunity to work on this challenge for the citizens of Arkansas and beyond and I thank Dr. Bobbitt for his confidence in my leadership abilities.”

Moore was an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at UT Arlington from 1992 to 1997 and was promoted to associate professor in 1998. He joined the Office of the Provost in 2000, becoming senior vice provost in 2006. He was given the additional duties of dean of undergraduate studies in 2010.

Moore is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in political science.

Moore will join the UA System on January 14, and Dr. Daniel E. Ferritor, current vice president for academic affairs, will transition to a new position as vice president for learning technologies.