1:20 p.m.
The University of Arkansas System trustees approved without opposition a plan to restructure the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Read Tuesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for the full story.
EARLIER
The University of Arkansas System trustees will consider today a plan to restructure the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
The plan includes a reorganization of the campus' five colleges into three and a plan to reduce academic offerings and faculty.
The college reorganization is expected to eventually save the university $1 million annually.
The academic retrenchment proposal doesn't come with a saved cost estimate, and savings from it won't occur until programs that are to be reduced or eliminated are "taught out" to existing students enrolled in them.
Chancellor Christina Drale first floated her plan to UALR faculty at the end of March, after receiving feedback from two campus committees.
The Faculty Seante expressed concern that Drale's plan was more drastic than suggested and asked her, and UA System President Donald Bobbitt and System trustees, to delay retrenchment planning until the effects of the covid-19 pandemic could be realized in higher education.
The proposal submitted Monday has some changes to what Drale proposed more than a month ago. For instance, the Master of Arts and the certificate of proficiency in Applied Design would be maintained, instead of cut. The World Languages bachelor degree would be maintained instead of reduced. But the Master's degree in Public Administration would be reduced instead of maintained.