ChancellorNovember 22, 2024

Campus Update, Nov. 22

Written By: Terisa Riley

Dear colleagues and students,

Happy Friday, Lions. It has been a busy week, so I will dive into information for you.

UA Board of Trustees: The UA System Board of Trustees has taken several important actions over the past week of which you should be aware.

Governance document: The UAFS Constitution has been approved as of this morning. We will post the approved version on our website and send a link to the university community in the coming weeks. Thanks to Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, Student Government Association, Deans’ Council, and Chancellor’s Cabinet members for working hard to ensure that the document reflects how we engage in shared governance at our university.

New president/Retirement of Dr. Bobbitt: Today, the Board of Trustees announced that they are naming the UA System President’s Home for Donald R. and Susan Bobbitt as a token of appreciation of Dr. Bobbitt’s 13 years of service as the University of Arkansas System president. On Monday, the Board announced the selection of Lt. General (retired) Jay Silveria as the next president beginning on Jan. 15, 2025. Dr. Bobbitt will be sorely missed, but I am looking forward to the arrival of President Silveria and relish the opportunity to partner with him to ensure the future successes of UAFS and the UA System.

Approval of new Board of Visitors members: Congratulations to Dr. Shane Jennings and Ms. Erin Gattis, the two newest members of the UAFS Board of Visitors who were unanimously approved for appointment to the Board today. The Board of Visitors serves a vital advising and advocacy role for the university, and I appreciate the volunteerism of all of the members who work to advocate for us and for higher education.

Focus on the Strategic Plan: Each week, I hope to share with you exciting advancements as university employees and students seek to achieve all of the goals of our strategic plan. Today, I will focus on Pillar 1: Student Access, Engagement, and Success, Strategy 1: Drive Interest in UAFS as a first-choice institution and invest in innovative recruiting practices to ensure continued enrollment growth. The major outcome of this strategy is to increase enrollment of all types. A main tactic has been investing in transfer student enrollment and success. We have hired a transfer recruiter, Mr. Ryan Watson, who is visiting community colleges with creative active, positive, informative communication campaigns for prospective students. We have introduced the UAFS Lion Pride Road Show: A transfer experience where many of the top leaders, recruiters, and advisors on campus travel to community colleges to engage with prospective transfer students as well as engaging with administrators from these fantastic institutions to discuss ways to improve transfer pathways and transitions. Soon, we will be rolling out a new scholarship program for transfer students which will know will be competitive to any other program offered in the state of Arkansas and across the region. Stay tuned for more info on that initiative! If you have questions or want to get involved with transfer student recruitment, please contact AVC Brooke Magallanes at brooke.magallanes@uafs.edu.

Registration: Spring and Summer 2025 registration is happening! Now is the time to secure your seat and set yourself for success in the new year. As we have found, students who register early have better course options and generally have better outcomes.

If you need to talk with an academic advisor, we have outstanding staff and faculty advisors available to help. Your advisor can review your degree progress, see if you have any holds preventing registration, and offer a wide range of supports. You can find your advisor’s name and contact information in the Success Team section within Navigate. To schedule an appointment, click “Schedule an Appointment” under Quick Links on the right of the screen. Then select “Advising,” select the appropriate location and advisor, and select if you would like an in-person or virtual appointment. Finally, select from the calendar an available time that works for your schedule.

Some students may have business office holds which prevent registration. If you need Financial Aid assistance prior to registering for Spring, please contact the Financial Aid office at 479-788-7090 or email FinAid@uafs.edu. They can help you complete your verification and make sure your aid is applied correctly. The 2025-2026 FAFSA will also open on Dec. 1.

The past few weeks have been incredibly busy with exams, papers, presentations, and performances. As we enter Thanksgiving week, I give thanks for the opportunities to educate our students and appreciation for the faculty and staff who work tirelessly to achieve the mission of this institution. I hope each of you have a safe and restful break next week.  You deserve it!

With Lion pride,

Terisa Riley

Terisa Riley, PhD

Chancellor

• Tags:
• Chancellor