RUSSELLVILLE -- Robin Bowen held on to the stair railing as the 12th president of Arkansas Tech University -- and the first female president of a college or university in the state -- climbed the four steps to her seat in the middle of the stage.
The community Friday celebrated Bowen's first year as president of the 12,002-student university in the Arkansas River Valley. The university's board of trustees unanimously selected Bowen, 55, in April 2014 to succeed now-President Emeritus Robert Brown, who had served at the helm of the institution since 1993.
Bowen moved from her executive vice president and provost position at Fitchburg State University in Fitchburg, Mass., and packed her bags for Russellville.
"I didn't always plan on being a university president," she told a crowd of more than 500 family, friends, students, faculty, staff and community members Friday. "To be honest, I believe it's somewhat of a calling. So it was with humility, hope and excitement that I accepted the presidency at Arkansas Tech University. I promise to commit myself to working with each of you to taking this university to the next level of excellence."
In green academic regalia, Bowen stood behind the lectern, looking to many in the audience as she gave her inaugural address. First, she showed her appreciation -- her voice quivering as she thanked each member of her family.
She asked the university and the community to begin her journey with her reflecting on four cultures: distributive leadership, grit, community collaboration and social justice.
University faculty and staff members are experts in their own areas, she said.
"You're the ones who see the day-to-day implications of what we do ... and are most knowledgeable of how we can do better things on this campus," she said. "The vision for and the future of our university needs your expertise, your knowledge."
In the fall, Bowen created the staff senate -- a governing body for university staff -- to get more input. That was a first step, she said, acknowledging there is much more to do.
Bowen also pushed the faculty, staff and students to increase retention and graduation rates in the state. The state ranks 49th in the nation for college-degree attainment.
She pointed to studies -- and the movie True Grit -- that showed determination and willingness increase the student-success rate.
The ability to learn isn't fixed, she said. Bowen emphasized her commitment to support students.
"When the rubber hits the road, it's you -- the student -- who must perform," she said. "Ultimately, the passion, the perseverance, the grit must be your own. Let us channel our students' true grit."
As for community collaboration, Bowen said the city's and university's destinies are intertwined.
Together, the groups should find more ways to enhance and sustain economic development in the area, to add more employment opportunities and to encourage student entrepreneurs in all disciplines. The community should be attractive to all populations, she said, adding that she would like to see El Paso Street transform into something like Fayetteville's Dickson Street.
"This will help us transform, as one community member aptly stated, from a town with a university to a university town," she said.
Lastly, she encouraged everyone to celebrate diversity.
"I ask each of you -- all of you -- to join me in working toward a stronger culture of social justice, whereas Martin Luther King stated, 'We are judged of the content of our character and abilities, rather than the color of our skin,'" she said. "And I add, or by our gender or who we choose to love or what we call the personal god that we serve. To move beyond tolerance to respect."
Board of trustees Chairman Eric Burnett presented Bowen with a chain of office, symbolizing the board's belief in her abilities to lead the university.
Burnett raised the chain necklace as the university president ducked underneath. She held it in place while Burnett tied the necklace together.
Also Friday, Bowen was presented with a painting of the Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center lawn on the day that she was selected president.
Many who spoke at Bowen's investiture at the Tucker Coliseum praised her and the university that they said has made great strides. They showed their support for the Bowen administration.
U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., who is a second-generation Arkansas Tech graduate, said everyone appreciates the contributions the university makes to the River Valley.
"In the last couple of decades, few could argue that it has outperformed most of its peer institutions in terms of enrollment, facility modernization and the production of leaders," he said.
The university has reached more students each year since 2004, when it was the fifth biggest in the state at 6,483 students. In fall 2014, the university rose to third in the state with 12,002 students, behind only the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.
It is in the middle of creating a strategic plan, which includes the purchasing of properties along El Paso Street for university expansion.
Russellville Mayor Randy Horton and Jim Ed Gibson, county judge of Pope County, noted the importance of the university to the River Valley.
The board of trustees voted Feb. 10, 1910, to create the Second District Agricultural School in Russellville, after the city offered free water and electricity for the institution for three years, Horton said. It was a good investment: The university accounts for around 20 percent of the economic activity of the region and brought many to the community, he said.
"Arkansas Tech is a source of hope for the people of Pope County and many fellow Arkansans," Gibson said.
Arkansas Tech senior Katie Frazier of Benton said Bowen was at home in Russellville.
"The transformative growth and development that Arkansas Tech experienced during the 21-year presidency of Dr. Robert C. Brown was going to be a tough act to follow," she said.
"First impressions were going to be critical for the new president, and from the very beginning, Dr. Bowen showed Arkansas Tech that she was one of us."
Metro on 04/18/2015