University Committees

Function: Promotes communication, training, and the assessment of advising to foster quality student service experiences across campus. Members review and discuss policies and procedures to develop resolutions to increase student success, retention, and graduation.

Membership: General membership shall consist of representatives from the following UAFS units:

• Professional Advisors (PA) include all college advisors and first-year advisors 
• Two Faculty Advisors (FA) appointed by the college’s leadership 
• Director of Adult Degree Completion Program
• ADA Coordinator, Director of Academic Programs Support, Registrar, Associate Registrar (Graduation/Degree Completion), Executive Director of Student Retention, APSSR, Associate Provost, Student Support Services Representative(s), and Academic Success Center Representative(s), and Student Workday Implementation Representative.

Executive Council membership shall consist of representatives from the following UAFS units:

• 1 Professional Advisor and 1 Faculty Advisor from each college which will be appointed by the college’s leadership
• Director of the ROAR First-Year Advising Center and 1 Professional Advisor from the center • Director of the Adult Degree Completion Program
• Assistant Provost of Student Success and Retention
• Secretary, if not a voting member

Co-Chair: Julie Mosley, director of R.O.A.R. First-Year Academic Advising Center

Co-Chair: Autumn Perkins, advising coordinator, College of Health, Education and Human Sciences

Members:

Rindy Crump           Justin Martin
Drake Dye                Kristen Merritt Beck
Journi Goforth        Debbie Dameron
Nigel Otero              Jordanna Shotzman
Brittney Bright       Peter Cullum
Justina Buck           Sharon Wu
Alisa Cole                 Jodi Callahan
Shanna Turney       Rhyker Dye
Aimee Munoz         James Ruth
Yesenia Lopez        Sophie Vargas
Kim Tomlinson       Tina Root
Blake Johnson        Dana Andreassen
Lynne Lukas            Dre McCaleb
Jennifer Holland     Wayne Womack
Chastadee Bailey    Lacey Ruminer
Margaret Tanner     Meagan Bowling Fudge

Function: Reviews any appeals to a student's academic standing as it relates to academic suspension and dismissal. Students provide their appeals in writing with supporting documentation. The committee has an opportunity to review those appeals prior to meeting for discussion.

Membership: Faculty and staff appointed by the provost.

Chair: Julie Mosley, director of R.O.A.R. First-Year Academic Advising Center

Members:

Function: Strives to engage alumni and strengthen participation for the roughly 45,000 living UAFS, Westark, and Fort Smith Junior College alumni.

Membership: Alumni selected by a nominating committee

Chair: Kevin Farrell '06

Chair-Elect: Heather Deere '16

Members:

Function: A faculty-led, student-learning committee. Coordinates assessment activities for the entire campus for the purpose of continuous improvement in learning. Quality of learning at UAFS is assessed through two primary sets of learning outcomes: one specific to each academic program and one  that targets general education competencies . Measures include such approaches as portfolios, practical demonstrations, projects, presentations, comprehensive examinations, embedded exam items, class assignments, labs, and case studies.

Membership: Faculty liaisons from each college.

Co-Chair: Lisa-Marie Norris, director of Academic Assessment and Accountability
Co-Chair: Shelli Henehan, professor / coordinator of assessment / director of early childhood education

Members:

Function: Evaluates, reviews, and updates each other on the eligibility rules and regulations of the NCAA DII bylaws to insure every student-athlete is recognized by the institution's system as an athlete for monitoring and certification procedures.

Membership: 

Chair: Tommye Robinson, assistant athletic director for compliance / senior women's administrator

Members:

Function: Advises, educates, and advocates for an inclusive athletic community that values other cultures, feelings, and history in a non-assimilating way that builds community through common goals.

Membership: Volunteers from the UAFS Athletic Department, faculty, staff, student-athletes, and community leaders.

Co- Chair: Wesley Hooks, director of campus center
Co-Chair: Tommye Robinson, assistant athletic director for compliance / senior women's administrator

Members:

Click here to learn more about the Board of Visitors.

Function: Reviews university revenues and brings a recommended and balanced budget for consideration and approval by the university chancellor. Subcommittees recommend ways to increase revenues, decrease expenses, increase efficiencies, and/or improve communication. Subcommittees have been formed using input received from faculty, staff, and students through an anonymous survey instrument sent to all employees and students.

Membership: Chancellor's Cabinet, budget director, Deans Council, one representative of Student Government Association, one representative of Faculty Senate, and one representative of University Staff Council

Chair: Carey Tucker, vice chancellor for finance and administration

Members:

Function: Reviews and discusses the behavior of students who may be a threat to themselves or the campus community. Seeks to have positive interventions and interactions with these students and manage any situations that may pose a threat to the individual or the campus community.

Membership: Faculty and staff from different service areas across campus.

Chair: Dave Stevens, dean of students

Members:

Function: Plans, reviews, revises, and executes the university's commencement ceremonies for both fall and spring semesters.

Membership: Staff members directly involved in the planning of commencement ceremonies

Chair: Wayne Womack, registrar

Members:

Function: Advances the educational mission of the university and addresses issues of concern related to academic programs, including adding and sunsetting programs, program delivery, Program review, quality of programs, and advising. Also provides a conduit for discussion of issues within the colleges to ensure uniformity in implementing university policies and procedures.

Membership: Associate provost and academic deans

Chair: Shadow Robinson, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs

Members:

Function:  The Facilities Committee assists the chancellor in providing guidance and oversight related to the construction, revitalization, maintenance, and use of facilities and grounds of the UAFS campus.  The committee may also assist with guidance on long-range planning, capital renewal, and capital projects. 

Membership:  Provost; Director and Assistant Director of Plant Operations; Information Technology Customer Support Manager; Executive Director of Institutional Research & Strategic Planning; Chief of Police; Director of Procurement; Director of Campus Center; Director of Campus and Community Engagement; and one representative from each of the three colleges.

Chair:  Carey Tucker, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration

Members:
Shadow Robinson
Robert Airo
Rick Bynum
Cheryl Davis
Ray Ottman
Rhonda Caton
Ashley Goodson
Wesley Hooks
Brett Arrington
Linus Yu
Latisha Settlage
Dean Cantu
J.T. Beasley
Jordan Ruud
Kristen Merritt Beck

Faculty Council: Voting members of the Faculty Council are those full-time employees of the university with teaching included as 50 percent or more of their appointment and professional librarians.

Faculty Senate: The Faculty Senate and its constituent committees serve as the faculty voice of the university. The Faculty Senate is elected by and from voting members of the Faculty Council. A faculty member becomes eligible to serve on the Senate after being a voting member of the Faculty Council for two years.

Chair: Emily Foss, assistant professor of mathematics

Chair-Elect: Bret Strauch, associate professor of english

Members:

Function: Celebrate First Generation student success and create access and opportunity through advocacy, programming, and outreach.

Membership: Composed of faculty and staff who were First Generations students or those who seek to support and mentor First Generation students and advocate for their success. Membership is open to all faculty and staff.

Subcommittees: Programming & Events, Policy & Advocacy, Outreach & Mentoring

Co-Chairs: Jennifer Holland, Executive Director of Student Retention, & Justin Martin, Advising Coordinator for the College of Arts and Sciences

Members:

Meagan Bowling Fudge
Christin Staats
Jasmine Smith
Lacey Ruminer
Nicki Stancil
Dave Stevens
Patricia Perez
Rindy Crump
Shanna Turney
Lynne Lukas
Kelsay Williams
Amber Robinett
John Bennett
Lynette Thrower
Landon King
James Ruth
Amanda Seidenzahl
Derek Hill

Click here to learn more about the Foundation Board.

Function: Insures the development of basic policies for graduate education at UAFS and the facilitation, improvement, and evaluation of graduate programs throughout the university.

Membership: Composed with the director of Graduate Studies as chair. Voting faculty members shall be appointed by the UAFS provost, in consultation with the deans, for a term of two years with one-half of the council changing each year.

Chair: Margaret Tanner, director of Graduate Studies

Members:

Function: Reviews the grant writing process to ensure that faculty and staff who wish to apply for a grant has an easy-to-understand process that guides them from researching the grant to submitting it.

Membership: Faculty, staff, vice chancellors, and other senior leaders.

Chair: Shadow Robinson, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs

Members:

Function: Drevises policies, provides guidance, assesses the security of network infrastructure, and reviews pertinent operating procedures and response plans; develops, implements, and maintains a comprehensive information security program that includes a risk-based framework for identifying and managing threats, establishing security standards, responding to incidents, restoring impaired services, and assessing progress towards program goals.

Membership: Director of Information Technology Services; manager of ITS infrastructure; manager of ITS customer support; ITS security analyst; registrar; chief of police; human resource representative; faculty representative.

Chair: Terry Meadows, director of Information Technology Services

Members:

Function: Advances the educational mission of the university and addresses issues of concern related to academic programs including adding and sunsetting programs, program delivery, program review, quality of programs, and advising. Also provides a conduit for discussion of issues within the colleges to ensure uniformity in implementing university policies and procedures.

Membership: Vice chancellors and other direct reports of the chancellor

Chair: Terisa Riley, chancellor

Members:

Function: USC facilitates participation in university governance, thus fostering staff development and commitment to university goals, and operates in an official capacity with authority delegated by the chancellor. 

Chair: Meighan Pendergrass, Director of Recreation and Wellness Center

Members:

Function: Oversees implementation of the Strategic Enrollment Plan and periodic re-formulation.

Membership: UAFS faculty and staff 

Chair: Lee Krehbiel, vice chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management

Members:

Click here to learn more about the Student Government Association.

Function: Plans, implements, and oversees all activities related to technology in the support of effective student learning and teaching. Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Evaluating, refining and implementing the Blackboard Learning System (BLS) training and certification of faculty.
• Aiding in the transition to and implementation of new and improved technology products on our campus and serve as champions and/or models for how the new products can best be used.
• Adopting a set of best practices for all UAFS BLS courses to ensure established quality practices for online and distance learning are shared and used in development of courses.
• Providing and maintaining a rubric based on the aforementioned best practices for evaluation of the quality of courses to be used within each college to assure ongoing success of existing and new courses.
• Evaluating new technologies that enhance student learning and effective instruction and providing recommendations to appropriate faculty, deans, and/or support personnel.
• Exploring strategies related to technology requested by faculty that support teaching and learning.
• Providing or assisting in the planning for specialized workshops to showcase technology tools to be used in the classroom.
• Preparing an annual report of activities of the TSI committee for the provost/senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and/or the associate provost.

Membership: Two members from each college to serve three-year terms with one-third of the members being selected each year. (Initial terms will range from one to three years and will be determined by the Office of the Provost). Terms will end in the spring semester. Key staff members in information systems and information technology are also included.

Chair: TBD

Members:

Function: Reviews each faculty promotion portfolio to determine whether the process for attaining a promotion to senior instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, or professor has been followed. If there is not unanimous agreement on the promotion from the college, members will review the portfolio to ascertain whether the faculty member meets promotion guidelines.

Membership: Representatives from each college.

Chair: TBD

Members:
Virginia Hardgraves
Nicha Otero
Kristin Tardif
Becky Mroczek
Janine Chitty
Sierra Laddusaw
Stephen Husarik
Cliff Scott

Function: Oversees the creation and implementation of the UAFS Strategic Plan for 2023-2028.

Membership: UAFS faculty and staff 

Chair: Carey Tucker, vice chancellor for Finance and Administration

Members:
Shadow Robinson
Margaret Tanner
Jennifer King
Blake Bedsole
Blake Johnson
Jason Byrd
Lisa Norris
Maurice Testa
Blake Rickman
Meighan Pendergrass
J. T. Beasley
Jim Beard
Kendall Ross
Curtis Janz
Jack Jackson
Lisa Bailey
Brett Arrington
Emily Foss