By: Jackson McAfee
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV) – The University of Arkansas’s Next 150 Forward program continues planning out the future of the university with the topic on advancing student success. Chancellor Charles Robinson and other university leaders will participate in the meetings with interim vice chancellor Margaret Sova McCabe serving as a moderator.
This is the second of three campus wide discussions for advancing the university’s three areas it wishes to improve on for the future. Those sections of improvements are student success, research excellence and the university’s status as an employer choice.
With the U of A being at almost 31,000 total enrolled students, student success has been prioritized with the growth the university has had over the past few years.
Fourth-year architecture student Isaiah Reeder said that the university’s 150th anniversary was a great example to spread more pride of being an alumni.
“I’m liking how the U of A is wanting to look toward the future,” Reeder said. “With lots of students, faculty and alumni being so involved with the 150th anniversary this past year, I think that we are going to see a lot more pride here being a Razorback.”
The university will be partnering with EAB, a higher education group, to provide help with the different activities supporting the 150 Forward program. One will be a workshop with a “toolkit” for benchmarking and other practices.
There will be more activities throughout the semester up until April. For the next few months, the university will hold more meetings, workshops and other activities to develop a strategic plan going forward.
Reeder said that these meetings can make a huge impact for students in the following years.
“I think setting goals will help the staff here at the U of A make the campus better for many,” Reeder said. “I’m glad that student life and living is getting prioritized. Especially when there’s a lot of people that go here and you can feel lost sometimes in the crowd.”
The meeting is set for Wednesday, February 22nd from 10:30 a.m. to noon. at the School of Law E.J. Ball Courtroom. The meeting is accessible through the U of A’s YouTube channel and questions can be submitted via email to feedback@uark.edu.