Students who choose the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith come from all walks of life, but they all have one thing in common: They know the value of a solid education. When you earn your college degree from UAFS, your education goes far beyond the hours spent in class. At UAFS, you will:

• Study a curriculum based on the strongest academic principles.
• Prepare for your future using the latest methods in your chosen field.
• Connect with employers through internships and cooperative learning programs.
• Round out your experience through campus and community life or travel.
• Enter your future backed by a program that boasts excellent placement rates.

Quick Facts About UAFS

• Name: University of Arkansas – Fort Smith
• Founded: 1928
• Location: Fort Smith, second-largest city in Arkansas, population 86,209 (Ref: Census 2010)
• Interim Chancellor: Dr. Edward A. Serna 
• History: Fort Smith Junior College (1928) / Westark Junior College (1966) / Westark Community College (1972) / Westark College (1998) / University of Arkansas – Fort Smith (2002)
• School colors: Navy, white and burgundy
• Mascot: Numa the Lion
• Campus: 170 acres / 66 campus buildings and facilities / 1.16 million building square feet maintained
• Academic programs:  74 total (33 bachelor’s degrees, 14 associate degrees, 27 certificates)
• Student activities: More than 90 organizations, including fraternities and sororities
• Athletics:  NCAA Division II, Heartland Conference

CAREER CONNECTIONS

Opportunities to combine mentoring and hands-on learning with academic coursework at UAFS will help you begin or boost your career.

Gain real-world experience, explore career options and make valuable connections:

• Internships with partner employers
• Cooperative education and skill development provided by partner companies
• Engagement through student organizations, student government and service projects
• Military leadership and career preparation through ROTC while earning a degree

Employers that partner with UAFS to provide internships and career-based education include ArcBest Corp., ArcBest Technologies, Baldor Electric Co., Beall Barclay & Co., First National Bank, Fort Smith Public Schools, Mercy, U.S. Marshals Service and many more.

 

RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS HAS PRESTIGIOUS ACCREDITATION

The College of Business at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith has earned accreditation by AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. UAFS received formal notification from John J. Fernandes, president and CEO of AACSB International. “AACSB accreditation represents the highest achievement for an educational institution that awards business degrees,” said Fernandes.
 

Dr. Paul B. Beran, UAFS chancellor, said the AACSB accreditation demonstrates to the public the high quality of a business degree from UAFS. “Graduating from an AACSB-accredited institution makes our alumni more competitive in the job market because employers will know UAFS graduates have the required skills and knowledge to be successful in business,” said Beran.

 

UAFS THEATRE DEPARTMENT WINS AWARDS

The theatre department at UAFS received eight awards and three nominations at the local Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival held Nov. 6-8, 2015, in Clarksville.
 

The festival was held on the University of Ozark campus and included schools from Arkansas and Oklahoma presenting work for critical review to professionals from throughout the field of theatre. Theatre received the awards for their presentation of “Delta-v,” which they performed at the festival Nov. 7.
 

“This is another great win for our theatre students and the department as a whole, and continues to solidify us as one of the premiere theatre programs in the state,” said Bob Stevenson, Theatre director. “We’re thrilled to win these awards. It’s a great way to end a semester of hard work.”

 

UAFS VOLLEYBALL WINS THEIR FIRST NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

UAFS finished its best season as an active Division II member. Its 29 wins are second all-time during the Division II era. It was a postseason of firsts for UAFS, which finished  its fourth season as an active Division II member.
 

The Lady Lions won their first national tournament match in three tries by upsetting No. 2 seed and No. 8 nationally-ranked Colorado School of Mines in the first round of South Central Region play. They advanced to their first ever region title match by beating No. 6 seed Tarleton State and won their first ever region title by upsetting No. 1 seed and No. 7 nationally-ranked University of Colorado-Mesa in four sets on its home court.
 

UAFS, which was the only representative from the Heartland Conference to earn a bid to the national tournament, was one of only two No. 7 seeds to advance to the Elite Eight. It joined New Haven (a No. 2 seed), Southwest Minnesota (a No. 3 seed), Sonoma State (a No. 7 seed), Wingate (a No. 1 seed), Grand Valley State (a No. 3 seed), Wheeling Jesuit (a No. 3 seed) and Tampa (a No. 1 seed).
 

The Lady Lions also are the first UAFS team to not only win a region championship at the Division II level but also advance to the Final Four.

 

CHEER TEAM WINS NCA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

UAFS can now add another national championship trophy to its trophy case. The UAFS cheer team won its first NCA Collegiate Cheer Intermediate Coed II Division National Championship on Friday at The Band Shell in Daytona Beach, Fla., out-performing nine teams over a two-day span to win the title. It was the fourth overall national championship for the athletics program. UAFS won two national titles in men’s basketball (1981 and 2006) and one in women’s basketball (1995) while competing in NJCAA.

“There was a lot of blood, sweat and tears involved and a lot of injuries to overcome, but the kids wanted it bad enough that they fought through everything to get there,” UAFS cheer coach Stacie Kohles said.

It was the third consecutive year for the cheer team to compete in the NCA College Cheerleading National Championship. The cheer team’s previous highest finish was fourth place.

So, what was the difference this year?

“It was the team. It was the unity that they had, it was the skill level they had going in and it was the talent that they had,” Kohles said. “It was a lot of things that just came together this year.”