Advancing Student Success - March 6, 2025
Dear Faculty, Staff and Graduate Assistants,
We’ve reached the midpoint of the spring semester and my last semester as Provost. Although I will be resuming my full-time faculty position in July, I’m committed to ensuring a smooth transition, and I will continue to serve you and the university to make sure we advance our strategic priorities of enhancing student success and research excellence and strengthening our status as an employer of choice.
Since we’ve developed our 150 Forward Strategic plan, we’ve made great strides toward enhancing student success. For instance, the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, the Student Success Center, and the College of Engineering recently partnered on innovative student success programs that led to a significant improvement in our success rates in introductory chemistry and math courses. These programs included expanded student outreach conducted by coaches in each unit, curriculum redesign based on student success data, and the opportunity for students to retake exams. Learn more about the success of these programs in Arkansas News.
This example is just one of the many ways you are working together to facilitate the success of our students. Our faculty, staff and graduate assistants carry out many student success initiatives, including using effective teaching practices, academic coaching and supporting our students’ overall well-being. I’m grateful for everything you do to not only ensure the academic success of our students, but also to make sure our students are healthy, fulfilled and well-rounded citizens that contribute to our community.
In addition, we’ve also made progress in research excellence, and the Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research (I3R) will open later this spring. I3R will be a great resource for our faculty and students as well as our community, allowing more research to be conducted on our campus.
For the rest of the semester, I know you, our faculty, staff and graduate assistants will continue to make progress in helping our students succeed and moving our research forward. Thank you for your continued partnership and collaboration as we work together to extend educational opportunities to our students and further our land-grant mission in service to our state.
Best regards,
Terry Martin, Ph.D.
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Professor of Electrical Engineering