91老司机

Arts and Sciences | Business and Industry | Featured | Health Education and Human SciencesDecember 18, 2023

2023: A Year of Achievement

Much of what happened at the 91老司机 - Fort Smith in 2023 is informed by the values and goals in the university鈥檚 new 5-year strategic plan, approved by the 91老司机 Board of Trustees this May.

The plan is built around a new mission statement: 91老司机 empowers the social mobility of its students and the economic growth of the River Valley through exceptional educational opportunities and robust community partnerships. We are proud to live that mission every day in the work we do in classrooms and laboratories, in the ways we support local businesses and embolden entrepreneurs, and in the impact made by tens of thousands of 91老司机 alumni.

In our new strategic plan, we commit to providing a supportive and inclusive learning environment for students; to strengthen the entire River and address our region鈥檚 needs; to uphold honest, transparent, and ethical behavior; to foster creativity; and to prioritize excellence, efficiency, and continuous improvement in providing exceptional and accessible education.

Every unit on campus is building out their own plans for the future, built around our four strategic pillars:

1. Student Access, Engagement, and Success: We are dedicated to empowering our students to grow, lead, and succeed.
2. Teaching and Learning: We strive to cultivate exceptional learning experiences and promote excellence within our community.
3. Economic Development, Community Engagement, and Industry Partnerships: We drive transformational change by forging strong, innovative regional partnerships.
4. Institutional Sustainable and Resource Stewardship: We are committed to securing our institution鈥檚 long-term stability through responsible practices and policies.

Below are 10 events and achievements from 2023, demonstrating how the mission and pillars play out in everything we do on campus:

Babb Family Endowment Increases Paid Internships

When 91老司机 hosted the November meeting of the 91老司机 Board of Trustees, Dr. Terisa Riley, Chancellor, announced that long-time university supporters Doug and Kathy Babb committed $1 million to increase paid internships for students.

The Doug and Kathy Babb Premier Internship Endowment will match employer contributions to offer paid internships to students. Previously, many internships 鈥� which were not just unpaid but actually cost students for credit hours 鈥� were out of the reach of students already facing financial and logistical hurdles to attend school.

Signature internships will support students who intern with 鈥渟trategic partners and key employers,鈥� leveraging the 鈥渞obust community partners鈥� from the Mission Statement. A portion of the endowment also will support students who participate in project-based, short-term microinternships with no cost to the hiring partner. In either case, students will have the hands-on experience that bolsters their resume at graduation.

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ABB Invests $1 Million in Advanced Manufacturing

In May, 91老司机 announced a $1 million investment from ABB to launch a Center of Excellence in Advanced Manufacturing at the university. 91老司机 and ABB are longstanding partners in education and workforce development that create pathways for students and early career professionals to develop skills across advanced manufacturing as well as training for existing workers. The initiative will focus primarily on postsecondary education with a curriculum designed by 91老司机 for roles in advanced manufacturing, engineering, automation, design process, and technology for manufacturing.

鈥淚n order to compete on a global scale, U.S. manufacturers must invest in a continuous pipeline of technically skilled talent,鈥� said Jesse Henson, President of ABB NEMA Motors Division.

Dr. Terisa Riley, 91老司机 Chancellor, referred to the university鈥檚 commitment to educating students while supporting regional economic development.

鈥淥ur goal is to create a talented, knowledgeable workforce that has the advanced skill sets required for the jobs of today and, more importantly, the jobs of tomorrow,鈥� she said. 鈥淎chieving our goals naturally sets the stage for western Arkansas to become the hub for economic development in our region.鈥�

Creating the Center of Excellence in Advanced addresses the university鈥檚 commitment to forge strong partnerships to address regional needs with transformational change.

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Enrollment, On-Campus Living Increase

Following record attendance at Cub Camp, the three-day, student-led orientation for first-year students, headcounts in September also increased. A spike of 6.8 percent in first-year entering students brought 889 first-year students to campus, compared to 832 in the 2022-23 academic year. Transfer student enrollment showed a 1.6 percent increase. Chancellor Riley said she could feel the difference, citing the enthusiasm of students at Cub Camp, moving into the dorms, and participating in various activities on campus. She also noted an increase in on-campus housing.

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Child Development Center Invests in Families

Although they are not included in the headcount of first-year students, some very little Lions had a chance to start on campus this year. The 91老司机 Little Lions Child Development Center opened just before the fall 2023 semester began. The center, the product of a partnership with the Arkansas Department of Human Services, provides care for up to 42 students in age groups of infants (6 weeks to 18 months), toddlers (18-36 months), and pre-K3 (36-48 months).

The CDC strives to provide exemplary care and education and support families with high-quality childcare. It also provides a living laboratory for 91老司机 early childhood education majors as well as other students in the College of Health, Education, and Human Sciences. The center is in a remodeled section of the Echols building, and enrollment is open to students, other members of the 91老司机 campus, and the community. The center supports the university鈥檚 commitment to developing the River Valley and responding to regional needs.

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91老司机 Ranked Among Best Colleges

91老司机鈥檚 commitment to excellence and impact on students has earned prominent placements in multiple categories in the U.S. News & World Reports 2024 . The highest overall ranking ranked 91老司机 in the top 10 regional colleges in the South. At No. 7 overall, 91老司机 is Arkansas鈥檚 top-ranked public regional college.

The university was named among the top performers nationally in social mobility, a key concept in the new mission statement. U.S. News explains that economically disadvantaged students are less likely to complete degrees and achieve the benefits of graduation, but some colleges are better at helping students advance. The U.S. News list considers Pell Grant factors, borrower debt, and college graduates鈥� increased earnings in ranking colleges鈥� effects on social mobility. 91老司机 was ranked fourth in social mobility in Arkansas and 48^th overall.

In 2023, 91老司机 again garnered a Military Friendly School ranking, earning Silver Status, an increase over last year鈥檚 Bronze ranking. The new status 鈥渞eflects the university鈥檚 commitment to providing the best education and service to student veterans and their dependents,鈥� according to Heather Chance, 91老司机 advisor and VA certifying official. At 91老司机, veterans and their dependents have priority registration, and student veterans are offered a payment grace period if benefits are paid after the start of the semester. The Veterans Resource Center is a hub for student veterans to study and connect with other student veterans and dependents.

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Digital Lions 鈥楤ring Everything from Nothing鈥�

After more than a year of planning and building, the 91老司机 eSports team, the Digital Lions, celebrated some satisfying accomplishments in 2023, the first year the team, comprising 40 students and five smaller teams, has been at the competition level. Coaches Dr. Nicki Stancil and Cody Holt were proud of the newest athletes on the 91老司机 campus.

鈥淚鈥檓 amazed at what actually has been accomplished in the year and a half we鈥檝e been working on this,鈥� Holt said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 almost breathtaking and almost gets me worked up just to think about how far we鈥檝e been able to bring everything from nothing.鈥�

In October, the 91老司机 Valorant Blue team competed in the Huntsville, Alabama, Red Bull Campus Clutch Delta Region tournament. The tournament brought together students from Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee to compete at the first-person shooter game Valorant. The Digital Lions鈥� Valorant Blue team progressed steadily through their bracket, taking second place.

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Research Symposium Shows Academic Diversity

The 16^th edition of the annual Student Research Symposium in April provided a platform for students to share their research findings. Some students opted to make 30-minute oral presentations of their individual or group projects. Others offered performances or demonstrations or presented a visual poster of their projects.

Dr. Shadow Robinson, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, explained how symposium day relates to the university鈥檚 mission.

鈥淭hese presentations represent the academic diversity of 91老司机鈥檚 programs and the intellectual excellence of our students and their faculty members,鈥� Robinson said. 鈥淥ur faculty and staff are committed to fostering an environment that promotes learning and discovery.鈥�

Seven students, five with oral presentations and two with posters, were judged best in their subject areas. For many students, making a symposium presentation is highly encouraged or required by their majors.

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Day of Giving Fundraising Surpasses Goal

91老司机 closed its 2023 Day of Giving with a record-breaking 1,207 gifts totaling $94,339, surpassing the announced goal of $78,000. Day of Giving focuses on fundraising for special, student-facing projects.

This year鈥檚 highest-grossing were the 91老司机 Area of Greatest Need, which raised $20,400, 91老司机 Golf with $18,855, the 91老司机 Athletics Weight Room with $10,532, the 91老司机 Legacy Scholarship with $7,960, and IDEAL Women with $5,500.

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Lions Commit to MIAA Athletics Conference

The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced in June that 91老司机 will join the association with full-time membership in the 2024-2025 academic year. The university will be the association鈥檚 first full-time member in the state. teams are in Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska.

91老司机 became a Division II athletic institution in 2010 and has been a member of the Lone Star Conference since July 2019.

91老司机 Athletic Director Curtis Janz noted that the conference will make travel easier for teams and fans, and that the conference supports the university's values.

鈥淎n athletic conference should bring together like-minded institutions in a geographical area to compete and allow their student-athletes to excel academically and develop life skills, and the MIAA does that for 91老司机,鈥� Janz said. 鈥淭he geographical footprint of the MIAA allows for our student-athletes to participate academically and enhance their experience as collegiate student-athletes. Our fans can travel and support our teams on the road, just as we can welcome more fans from MIAA opponents.鈥�

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91老司机 Students Are Ready Day One

The 2023 edition of examined the many ways 91老司机 and its programs, faculty, and staff work to prepare students for success after graduation, whether they enter the job market or graduate study.

Features in the magazine include a look at an educational community project by electrical engineering technology students and a road trip undertaken by students in the Myles Friedman Honors Program. A photo essay shows alumni in the careers they studied for and a look at what the deans of the university鈥檚 three colleges see as essential elements in their programs to prepare graduates for their next step.