The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith is considering a new academic program that would teach students about the craft brewing industry.
For the past six months or so, administrators have been "looking at numbers," said Ken Warden, dean of the UAFS College of Applied Science and Technology.
"What we're doing at this point is exploring the options to see if there is enough industry demand and the appropriate academic response to the industry demand," Warden said.
No timetable has been set for making a decision, he said, adding that a new academic program would need approval from the UA System board and the Arkansas Department of Higher Education.
"To our knowledge, there is no academic program related to brewing or distilling in Arkansas," Warden said.
Whether any such UAFS program would offer a certificate or possibly an associate or bachelor's degree remains unknown, he added.
Elsewhere, Central Washington University in Washington state this year created a bachelor of science degree in craft brewing. The university began offering a certificate program beginning in 2009.
Colorado State University began in 2013 offering a bachelor of science degree program in fermentation science and technology, with 76 students enrolled as of April.
Such academic offerings appear to be rare. A list of educational opportunities curated by the Brewers Association includes only about 20 schools in the United States offering such formalized training.
A few educational programs exist to train students on brewing, such as programs offered by the American Brewers Guild, which features a heavy online learning component.
Warden cited industry statistics showing growth in the craft brewing industry.
One source of information, the Brewers Association, reported in March that there were 3,418 craft breweries operating in the United States last year. The organization defines a craft brewery as producing 6 million barrels of beer or fewer and being largely independent.
The association reported that craft breweries provided more than 115,000 jobs, an increase of almost 5,000 jobs from the previous year.
Growth has also taken place in Arkansas. In Fort Smith, a public information session today will be held by Core Brewing and Distilling Co. about possible expansion into a downtown building that formerly housed press equipment for the Southwest Times Record newspaper.
The Springdale-based brewery last week opened a taproom in Fort Smith.
Jesse Core, who founded the company in 2010, said it has grown to 24 employees. He cited industry growth in backing the idea of a UAFS brewing program.
"It makes a lot of sense, to continue to make sure that our workforce is properly trained to help meet with the growing demand," Core said.
Expansion by Core Brewing and Distilling, should it happen, will be "a contributing factor to the decision" at UAFS about whether to start a new academic program, Warden said.
Another factor will be cost, he said.
"If we find a need for the program, we would look for support from industry partners," Warden said.
Such a program would provide some distinct differences from other programs at the college.
Bud Roberts, director of Alcoholic Beverage Control Administration, part of the state agency that regulates the manufacturing, distribution and sale of alcohol, said that unless beer is sold, the agency would likely not regulate the program. But brewing beer would not be legal for students under 21, Roberts said.
John Post, spokesman for UAFS, wrote in an email that the university would "approach dealing with alcohol responsibly."
"Specifically with students under 21, there's many skillsets required for brewery that aren't directly related to contact with alcohol, such as chemistry, sanitation, learning to grow yeast, cleaning the vats, etc.," Post wrote. "We would hope to be able to accommodate those students and build a solid foundation of learning without involving alcohol that would prepare them for the brewing aspects of the curriculum when they came of age."
Lacie Bray, an owner of Rogers-based Ozark Beer Co., said knowledge of brewing can be acquired in different ways, but her company looks favorably on formal training. A new brewer set to begin in the fall will complete formal training offered in Vermont through the American Brewers Guild, she said.
Bray said she liked the idea of an academic program at UAFS to teach aspiring brewers, though she warned that the actual job is "like, 95 percent cleaning."
"If people can get in there and learn a little bit more about what they want to do to make sure they're on the right path and where they want to be, I think it's a good thing for everybody involved," she said.
Metro on 07/31/2015