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

Here We Go Again – Another “Best Places” Award for Fayetteville

Another honor for Fayetteville, this time by Southern Living Magazine. This time for being one of the best college towns in the nation.

Fayetteville has been recognized repeatedly by Kiplinger Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, Sperling’s Best Places, Forbes and others.

Southern Living took a different perspective for their rankings. Their report focused on best college towns. They excluded towns with populations over 200,000 because they were looking for towns where the colleges/universities provided a very strong impact on the town’ standard of living and economies.

Thus it is no surprise to see Fayetteville ranked #17 overall. Our city offers a lively social scene with support of the arts, affordable and attractive restaurants, and many independent shops with everything students want.

Other factors Southern Living found positive about Fayetteville are a dedicated and active alumni base and good old-fashioned Southern charm.

I’m always happy to see prestigious organizations recognize the many positive aspects of living in NW Arkansas.