University of Arkansas--Growing and Getting Better All the Time

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 13^th 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:

U of A-In Top 15 Public Research Universities

More Students-More Classrooms-Less Construction

Bumpers College in Top 100

Walton College of Business Among Top 30 Business Schools

The U of A Rocks--updates at the University of Arkansas

I have written in the past about how the University of Arkansas contributes to the economy of Fayetteville, how Fayetteville has been rated as one of the best college towns in the country, and how Fayetteville has been at the top of many “best places” lists, often because of the university.

I ran across some additional facts about the University recently that I wanted to share.

First is a video about renovation plans for the university. I’m glad to see this happening because to offer a top quality education, students need good facilities—labs, classrooms, technology, etc.

Awhile back the U of A had made an offer to purchase Fayetteville HS. The idea was that Fayetteville schools would then use the money to help build a new, state-of-the-art high school. When the University withdrew their offer, I always wondered why, and this video explains it.

I’m sorry that Fayetteville HS will have to be remodeled and stay in the same place, but on the other hand, some facilities at the University need remodeling too. And that’s where the money that was originally going to be used to purchase Fayetteville HS is going.

Another indication of its commitment to excellence can be found in the music department which has set plans in motion to become an “all-Steinway” school, one of only 113 colleges and universities worldwide to attain this status. It's going to cost about $1.3 million, with funds being sought from private donors. So if you have some spare change ...

Second, the University of Arkansas permits people who are at least 60 years old to attend classes for free on a space available basis as part of the Senior Razorback program. They may be degree-seeking or non-degree-seeking. According to one of the employees of the admissions office, the oldest person she knew of who got her Bachelor’s degree through this program was 83 years old! I guess we’re never too old to learn.

And there are some fun things that can be done. An acquaintance of mine took Italian classes with his wife and then went to Italy on vacation to “practice.”

Finally, for those who are interested, the fall Razorback football schedule is out:

Razorback enthusiasm is palpable during the school year, and the team enjoys support from the entire community. Because there are no professional teams in Arkansas (except the NW Arkansas Naturals baseball team), Arkansas sports fans have tailgate parties and other events to promote and support the team.

The Razorbacks website also has all kinds of information about the teams, traditions, facilities, tickets, shopping for Razorback gear—you name it.

And if you really want to find out about the right way to do that hog call, listen in. Woo Pig Soooie!

PS. For those who might be interested actually getting a college education, the University's main website has information about the usual stuff: admissions, financial aid, courses, etc.