Chancellor | NewsFebruary 03, 2023

Chancellor Advances Upcoming Events on Campus, at CED

Written By: Terisa Riley

Dear colleagues and students,

I am thrilled to write to you today NOT to cancel or postpone classes. It is shocking to see that the forecast this weekend is in the mid to high-50s after spend the early part of this week iced into our homes. Again, I want to thank all of you for your patience as we made decisions with the safety of employees and students at the forefront of our thinking.

Strategic Planning: February 8 and 9, our strategic planning consultants from MGT will be on campus to present results of some of their situational analysis and data collection to date. We have meetings with faculty, staff, and students set up to give you information and gather more input about the emerging themes. They will use this information to work with the Strategic Planning Steering Committee to craft goals and objectives for our plan and then work with programs, departments, and divisions to create plans which will ensure that we meet our five year goals. We are in the home stretch of creating goals for our next five years, and I appreciate the work the committee will do to articulate these goals and allow these to serve as our road map for strategic growth and investment for the next five years.

Core Value--Academic Excellence: Although you received an invitation from Provost Robinson on this topic today, I believe it is worth extending to you an invitation to attend the UAFS Read This and Winthrop Rockefeller Distinguished Lecture by Colson Whitehead on Tuesday, February 7 at 6 p.m. in the Stubblefield Center. I have had the pleasure of reading two of his books, and he is a gifted and talented author whose writing is celebrated around the world. The entire Read This Committee has done a fabulous job of securing a contract with this author who is in demand across the nation, and they have prepared events that educate our students and employees as well as the broader community.  I urge you not to miss this free event.

Windgate Art and Design Building Expansion: At the meeting of the Board of Trustees for the University of Arkansas, we received permission to enter into contracts with MAHG Architects and Clark Contractors for design and construction, respectively. I appreciate the members of the committee that evaluated all of the proposals, and I especially commend the work of Rhonda Caton to ensure fair practices in strategic sourcing and procurement. As a reminder, the expansion of the building will be approximately 20,000 ft. and is funded by a generous gift from the Windgate Foundation.

Employee Walk and Talk: A big thank you to Staff Senate’s Engagement Committee for launching the Walk and Talk program. The program provides employees an opportunity to get some exercise, talk to one another, and meet new people. They meet at the Bell Tower at 12:30 p.m. each Wednesday except in inclement weather when they meet at the RAWC and walk on the indoor track. The outdoor walks are approximately one mile and walkers go at an easy pace. Of course, they would love to make this a “Walk and Roll,” so if you have any mobility challenges, please just let them know and they will be happy to change the pace or distance to meet your needs!

The UAFS Center for Economic Development--ASBTDC's Black Small Business Panel: is a summit where "local business owners will discuss challenges facing the growth and startup of Black-owned small businesses." Thursday, Feb. 9, at 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., at the Bakery District venue. Our own Wesley Hooks, Director of the Campus Center, is a member of the panel!

Let’s Go, Lions: Today, UAFS Baseball is playing in the East Central University Dugan Invitational in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

On Saturday, the Men’s Tennis Team plays at home at the Fort Smith Athletic Club beginning at 10 a.m.

Also on Saturday, Women’s and Men’s Basketball play at home in the Gayle Kaundart Arena in the Stubblefield Center at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. respectively.

As always, I am honored to serve this university as your chancellor.

Terisa Riley

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