Chancellor Charles Robinson gave his annual State of the University address at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11, in the Faulkner Performing Arts Center on the University of Arkansas campus. After brief opening remarks, he shared the podium with administration leaders who gave in-person and online attendees a progress report on the U of A’s 150 Forward Strategic Plan.
Dr. Suzanne McCray, vice provost for enrollment management and dean of admissions, shared inroads into Student Success, which contribute to our “vibrant, wonderful campus.” A 38% increase in enrollment from 2019 will help make us resistant to the enrollment cliff peak projected for 2027. A record number of Arkansans in the 2023 first-year class with zero qualified Arkansans waitlisted reinforces our commitment to our land grant status. An increase in the average high school G.P.A. for first-year students from 3.6 in 2012 to 3.79 in 2023 demonstrates improvements in the readiness of students we are attracting and enrolling. Finally, an increase in scholarship dollars and greater developmental resources are being made available to economically challenged students emphasizing a core institutional belief. “Poor does not mean unambitious or not smart,” McCray said.
Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Research Sova McCabe shined a spotlight on Research Excellence at the University of Arkansas. The U of A community recognizes that science and research are the way forward for our country, and we are well-positioned to play a role in discovering solutions to our most challenging problems. Our research infrastructure is expanding with three state-of-the-art facilities: the Anthony Timberlands Center, I3R and MUSiC, the Multi-User Silicon Carbide Research and Fabrication Facility.
Ann Bordelon, executive vice chancellor for finance and administration, rounded out the presentations with updates on the U of A’s initiatives to become an Employer of Choice. The U of A is a workforce represented by five generations of employees. Recognizing the different and changing needs of a diverse workforce presents challenges and opportunities for the institution. The university’s work to address these challenges emphasizes improvements to both equitable compensation for the work by our faculty and staff and the context in which they perform that work.
In his closing remarks, Chancellor Robinson reaffirmed his desire to create a better university by looking at everything we do through a lens of purpose. “We’re moving forward now,” Robinson said. “We want to move the needle in ways that matter.”
