Mid-South one step from ASU System
The Higher Education Coordinating Board backed the approval of the institutional merger of Mid-South Community College and the Arkansas State University System.
Shane Broadway, the director of the state's Department of Higher Education, gave the go-ahead for the 1,895-student community college to join the ASU System, according to the letter of notification provided to the board Friday. Trustees for the two colleges approved the merger earlier this month in West Memphis.
The merger will also need approval from the Higher Learning Commission, a national accreditation agency, though ASU System spokesman Jeff Hankins has said he does not anticipate any problems with that process. If fully approved, the partnership would begin July 1.
Higher-ed board re-elects officers
The Higher Education Coordinating Board on Friday re-elected its officers for the next year.
Bob Crafton, 80, of Rogers, the current board chairman, will continue in that role for the 2015-16 year. Horace Hardwick, 79, of Bentonville will also continue in his position as the vice chairman of the board.
Sarah Argue, 33, of Little Rock will also remain in her role as the board's secretary for the next year.
The board will meet next on April 30 and May 1 at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia.
Clemmer takes job with state agency
A former state representative and former congressional candidate has been hired by the state's Department of Higher Education.
Ann Clemmer -- a political science instructor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock who lost a bid for the 2nd Congressional District seat -- will become the department's senior associate director for academic programs. She will make $108,000 annually. Clemmer, of Benton, replaces Cynthia Moten, a longtime employee at the department who retired Friday.
Clemmer, 56, has begun working at the department and will be a good resource for the incoming department director, Brett Powell, Director Shane Broadway said Friday.
Mena college adds Mount Ida classes
Rich Mountain Community College can move forward with plans to open a second off-campus site in Mount Ida.
The green light came Friday after the Higher Education Coordinating Board unanimously approved the site. The new center will be located at 31 Industry Drive in Mount Ida. The college, based in Mena, also has an off-campus site in Waldron.
The 5,100-square-foot building will house four classrooms, two computer labs, three administrative offices, one testing office and parking lots. The two-year college plans to offer remedial and developmental education courses at the site, along with classes required for the associate of arts, associate of general studies, associate of applied science in business technology with an emphasis in business administration, and general education requirements.
The 1,005-student community college leases the building for nearly $18,200 annually from the Rich Mountain Community College Foundation.
SAU degrees blend theater and music
Southern Arkansas University will be the first in the state to offer "a complete theatre and music curriculum," according to a news release from the Magnolia school.
The university can now offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts in performing arts with studies in musical theater and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in performing arts with studies in theater, after the state's Higher Education Coordinating Board gave the programs a thumbs up on Friday. The degree offerings will be available for this fall.
"SAU's [degree] in Musical Theatre will be truly unique to Arkansas because it will offer a complete theatre and music curriculum, based on the National Association of Schools of Music," SAU Director of Theatre Clayton Guiltner said in the release. "The program is going to be exciting because we are merging with the music department so we will have music and theatre professors involved in the instruction."
Metro on 01/31/2015