University of Arkansas Helps Veterans Succeed

I was happy to see University of Arkansas receive nationwide recognition for assisting veterans in the difficult task of transitioning from the battlefield to campus. Adjusting from war to a classroom is incomprehensible for anyone who has not been through such experiences. It is even difficult for many men and women to leave the military itself and change over to civilian and college life.  

BestColleges.com ranked University of Arkansas in the top 40 universities in the country for efforts to meet the needs of returning veterans. BestColleges.com first reviewed the top 200 universities as defined by U.S. News & World Report. In order to be considered in the ranking, each university had to be a member of The Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges, honor ACE Credit, and participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which provides veterans attending college with funds additional to those received by the GI Bill.

U of A programs take an individualized approach to counseling, academic and financial assistance and job placement. The Veterans Resource and Information Center has many veterans on staff that understand the unique needs of veterans and are willing and able to assist veterans.

Some studies have shown the graduation success rate for veterans to be abysmally low. Our veterans deserve better so it is especially gratifying to see University of Arkansas ranked in the top 40 of American universities.

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