Higher education institutions growing

Numerous campuses offer variety of postsecondary training

The University of Arkansas' flagship campus in Fayetteville is the best known of the higher education options in the region, but institutions in Bentonville, Siloam Springs and Springdale also offer college degrees.

The university enrolled a record 26,237 students last fall. Undergraduates may pursue any of 78 undergraduate majors, from accounting to theater. Graduate students may go for 86 master's degree programs and 50 doctoral and specialist programs.

UA Leadership Changes

G. David Gearhart, chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, announced in January his intention to retire from his position this summer. The school is also seeking a new provost and new dean for the Walton Business College.

Source: Staff Report

Dave Perozek can be reached by email at dperozek@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWADave.

U.S. News & World Report ranked the university No. 69 in that publication's latest list of the top public colleges and universities in the country, released in September. It was ranked No. 128 in 2010, according to Sophia Sherry, communications and public relations coordinator for U.S. News & World Report.

The university has said it intends to become a top-50 public research university by 2021. That doesn't mean officials are obsessed with rankings, said Laura Jacobs, associate vice chancellor of university relations.

"We don't chase the rankings," she said. "We use them as a measure to make sure we're doing the right thing."

The university stands out nationally for its growth. It ranked as the seventh-fastest growing public university in the country by percentage, according to a recent analysis by the Chronicle of Higher Education that focused on the 10-year period from 2002-12. Enrollment grew from 15,995 to 24,537, a 53 percent increase, during that time.

From 2008 to 2014, the number of freshmen who scored between 30 and 36 on the ACT increased 43 percent, and the number of freshmen who had a high school grade point average of at least 3.75 increased 60 percent, according to Jacobs.

"We have not seen a decrease in student quality," she said.

Also in Fayetteville is the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, a regional campus of the Little Rock-based school and part of the University of Arkansas System. UAMS Northwest, opened in 2009, has about 200 students and resident physicians across multiple programs in medicine, pharmacy, nursing and the allied health professions.

Community college

NorthWest Arkansas Community College offers 26 associate's degrees and 30 certificate programs at its main campus in Bentonville and satellite locations in Benton and Washington counties. Another three degrees are about to become available.

One of the degree programs starting this fall is the occupational and life skills program, which will help those with cognitive disabilities learn keys to success in the workplace and achieve a level of independence. The four-year program will be only the second of its kind in the nation.

The college also continues to make progress toward a permanent facility in Washington County. The school bought 20 acres next to Arvest Ballpark in Springdale last year. The next step is raising the money to build the facility on that land, said Steven Hinds, director of public relations and marketing. Fundraising probably will begin with a "quiet phase" this summer, he said.

"Our plan would be that we have the majority of the funds completely raised before we would start construction," Hinds said. "Perhaps by late summer we may have a better indication of the time line for the campaign, and then know the fundraising goal."

Other changes at the college include moving the adult education department from the Center for Nonprofits in Rogers to the main campus. That will happen this summer. Officials also are working on a plan to relocate the culinary program from the Center for Nonprofits to a larger space in downtown Bentonville to provide more space and additional enrollment capacity.

This is the year of the college's 25th anniversary. Commencement ceremonies in May will serve as the official kickoff of that celebration, Hinds said. The college opened its doors in 1990 to 1,200 students. It now serves more than 8,000 college credit students. Another 6,000 students take noncredit courses.

Alejandro Cobian, 31, of Springdale began pursuing an associate's degree at the college in 2013. He hopes to finish at the end of this year, then go to the University of Arkansas to complete his bachelor's degree in a computer and technology field. Credits he earned at the college will count toward his bachelor's.

"I wanted more opportunities in my life," Cobian said. "I felt like I'd just reached a point of monotony going to work, and I wanted more for myself and my family. I realized education was the only way to do it. I wanted something more than a two-year degree, and I knew NWACC would transfer my credits" to the university.

Cobian, a California native and father of three, works part-time jobs at both the college's Washington County Center and the Jones Center in Springdale. He's been pleased with his experience so far at the college.

"They've already exceeded my expectations," he said.

Private schools

U.S. News & World Report regularly gives high marks to John Brown University in Siloam Springs. John Brown tied with two other schools for No. 1 on U.S. News' most recent list of the South's best regional colleges. It was the fifth year John Brown has garnered a top-three ranking and the second time it's landed the top spot in that category.

John Brown offers 40 majors and 47 minors for undergraduates and nearly a dozen graduate programs. It also offers three degree-completion programs specifically for people who have some college credit; a fourth is slated to begin this fall.

In January, officials announced a $125 million capital campaign to be completed by the school's centennial in 2019.

One component of that campaign is a plan to renovate the school's Walton Lifetime Health Complex. The renovation is estimated to cost between $4 million and $5.5 million, according to a John Brown news release. The school has received a $1.2 million lead gift for the project and an additional $500,000 from the city of Siloam Springs. Chip Pollard, John Brown's president, said he hopes to begin that project within the next 12 to 18 months.

John Brown also plans to build a new facility for its new nursing program, Pollard said. Construction will begin in August and finish a year later.

"There's a critical need for nurses in Northwest Arkansas," Pollard said.

John Brown is a Christ-based school, but will admit non-Christians, Pollard said.

A smaller school that also emphasizes Christian values is Ecclesia College in Springdale. Ecclesia offers 12 degree programs and is working to add another one in education, said Oren Paris III, school president.

Ecclesia is one of only seven work-learning colleges in the country, where each student must work while taking classes. Students earn between $9 and $12 per hour on their jobs, Paris said.

"To us it's a very valuable and distinct program, at least in our state, because the need is there both for reducing debt upon graduation and also just for the character and skills training that's happening there," Paris said.

Ecclesia has 207 students.

Career and technical

Blake Robertson, president of Northwest Technical Institute, said his school is frequently overlooked when it comes to postsecondary options in the region, but it has much to offer.

The Springdale school, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, is one of two career and technical institutes left in the state. It offers several career-path programs, ranging from welding to surgical technology. Most of the diploma programs can be completed in 10 months.

"We're here to offer people education, training and skills to succeed in the everyday, work-a-day world. We're here to put people to work," Robertson said.

The institute also can be viewed as a step toward a college degree, he said.

"A student will come to us, get skills to get a job, then they can afford their two-year or four-year education more easily. We're all one track," he said.

Mike Horetsky, 34, of Springdale already had a bachelor's degree in business management, but decided to make a career change after relocating to Northwest Arkansas last year. He enrolled in the institute's automotive service technology program.

"NTI's been a blast. The instructors are great. They have a lot of experience," Horetsky said.

Anna King, 27, of Rogers joined the institute's computer information systems program after the private investigation company she'd been working for closed last fall. She earned an associate's degree while living in California, but decided she needed something more.

One of the draws for her was the percentage of people who get jobs upon completing their training is in the high nineties, King said.

The institute serves about 1,200 students per year. About half are high school students who come for career and technical classes.

NW News on 03/29/2015

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