Tech designates
short-term exec
Arkansas Tech University has a new vice president for administration and finance, the university announced last week.
Linda Birkner, associate vice president for fiscal affairs, will assume the role on a "short-term" basis after the resignation of Bernadette Hinkle.
Hinkle's resignation took effect July 1. She worked at the university for four years, helping develop the university's first campus master plan, redesign employee health benefits, and create an environmental sustainability and efficiency plan for the school, according to the university's announcement.
Hinkle earned $193,000 in base salary during the 2018-19 academic year. It's unclear what her salary was for the 2019-20 academic year. Birkner's base salary was $120,000. It's unclear if she will earn a pay increase as a part of her new temporary role.
UA System sets up
racial equity panel
The University of Arkansas System has named members of a task force that will examine racial equity across the system, the system announced Thursday.
UA System board of trustees chairman John Goodson appointed trustee Stephen Broughton as chairman of the task force and appointed trustee Ted Dickey to the task force.
The 14-member task force includes at least one person associated with each of the university's five traditional universities and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and two people currently associated with a system community college.
The members are:
Broughton, UA System trustee, committee chairman.
Ted Dickey, UA System trustee.
Robert Carr, provost, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
Mark Cochran, vice president, UA System Division of Agriculture.
Deacue Fields, dean, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
Marvin Caston, senior director of development, Razorback Foundation Inc.
Moses Goldman, vice chancellor, University of Arkansas at Monticello.
Georgia Hale, provost, University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.
Keith Pinchback, chancellor, Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas.
Terisa Riley, chancellor, University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.
Charles Robinson, provost, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
Chris Smith, dean, University of Arkansas Community College at Hope-Texarkana.
Kristi Smith, director, UA Little Rock Alumni Association.
Christina Clark, vice chancellor/COO, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Gift to help UAPB
pay for virus costs
A $200,000 private gift will help the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff cover the unanticipated costs of the coronavirus pandemic, the university announced Thursday.
The money comes from the Windgate Foundation, which has donated tens of millions of dollars to Arkansas institutions of higher education in recent years for art programs and facilities.
The funding will help the university hire additional security, improve campus cleanliness, upgrade software for online course delivery and help provide emergency aid to students who need it, according to the university's announcement.
In the news release, UAPB Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement George Cotton Sr., said the university needed additional money to realign its operations during the pandemic.