Setting Records this Semester - September 19, 2024
Dear Faculty, Staff and Graduate Assistants,
The fall semester is off to a great start, and we’ve accomplished so much recently and over the past year:
- We set an enrollment record with 33,610 students including an all-time high for the number of Arkansans enrolled, both records for the fourth consecutive year.
- The U of A provided a record $3 billion impact to the state’s economy last year.
- We also conducted a record $221.5 million in research.
We could not have reached these incredible milestones without your hard work, commitment and dedication to our land-grant mission.
We’re also excelling in keeping students in school and graduating them on time:
- Our six-year graduation rate has increased to a record 70%.
- Since 2020, our retention rate has exceeded 85%.
- Our retention rate from fall 2023 to spring 2024 hit an all-time high of 95%.
These accomplishments speak to your teaching and your support of our students. You are making a difference and helping our students reach their academic goals and earn their degrees.
Student success is at the heart of everything we do, and the Provost’s Office is always looking for ways to foster collaboration across campus to create programs and develop resources to help our students succeed. To support this campus-wide collaboration, Deb Korth has been named senior associate vice provost for student success and academic excellence. She will oversee academic support programs for students and work with faculty to implement student success initiatives and programs across the university.
To further support research excellence, several applied research facilities are slated to open over the next year, including the Integrative and Innovative Institute for Research (I3R), the Multi-User Silicon Carbide Research and Fabrication Facility (MUSiC) and the Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation. The newly renovated Mullins Library and Fine Arts Building are also scheduled to open by early spring. These facilities will strengthen the U of A’s role in boosting the state’s economy and expanding educational opportunities for Arkansans.
In addition to making great strides toward enhancing student success and research excellence, we started implementing market adjustments for eligible faculty, staff and GAs as a result of staff, faculty and GA compensation projects conducted over the past two years. These projects reinforce our priority of remaining an employer of choice and help ensure that our employees and GAs are being paid competitively and equitably compared to the market and peer institutions.
As I reflect on the past year, I am proud of everything the U of A has accomplished. These record-breaking achievements would not have been possible without you. I’m excited to see what will unfold as we continue working together to advance the university this year.
Best regards,
Terry Martin, Ph.D.
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Professor of Electrical Engineering