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Fayetteville is on many ‘best places’ lists and part of what
contributes to the quality of life here is the presence of the University of
Arkansas. Academic accolades, awards, grant money and high rankings in many
areas have been pouring in. Turns out Razorback sports are not the only reason
the U of A shines. (But let’s face it, Razorback sports are a major force
here.)
In terms of enrollment, U of A is the 13th fastest
growing public research university in the country. Fall 2013 semester
preliminary student count is more than 25,300 students. An earlier goal was to
reach 25,000 students by 2021, in time to celebrate its sesquicentennial.
The number of minority students is also increasing. A recent
count showed about 4,500 minority students enrolled, an 80% increase since
2008.
Approximately $450 million has been spent since 2011 to
renovate, expand and build facilities to keep up with growth. It’s nice to see
the impressive results as the scaffolding, fences, and temporary detours come
down. No matter where one looks, it seems there’s no end to ‘new’ category:
classrooms, enlarged dining facilities, dorms and off-campus housing to name a
few.
The best part of all is that quality has not been comprised
to accommodate growth. Indeed, the university’s reputation is also growing.
Millions of dollars in grants have been awarded to U of A by
Dept. of Defense, National Science Foundation, Dept. of Energy and others.
New tenure track and non-tenure track positions have been
added.
As U of A continues to grow, so does NW Arkansas. Adding
more jobs, homes, businesses, and schools all contribute to the vibrancy of our
communities.
Way to go Hogs!
For more information on some of these achievements:
