Renovation OK'd for UAPB building
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff will use grant money from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to rehabilitate the inside of Larrison Hall, a vacant campus building.
The project will cost $3 million, Chancellor Laurence B. Alexander told University of Arkansas System trustees Friday.
Trustees approved the project and the selection of a contractor.
The building, once renovated, will house additional research and teaching space for the School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences. That will include supporting the bio/nanotechnology, regulatory science and agricultural engineering programs, according to the capital project proposal form submitted with the board agenda item.
The university already spent $1 million to improve the outside of the building, including removing weeds that had grown several feet high, Alexander said.
Board of trustees Chairman John Goodson said he was glad to see the project happening, noting that the building is "19 steps from the student union."
He agreed with Alexander that it was an "eyesore" and said "it was disgraceful that we allowed that to happen on one of our campuses."
College receives grant of $315,000
The Windgate Foundation has granted $315,000 to the University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College for equipment at the Center for Humanities and Arts and for annual scholarship support, the college announced last week.
Last year, the foundation gave $1 million to the college for scholarships. In 2015, the college named its art gallery the Windgate Gallery after a donation from the foundation.
The Little Rock foundation has donated tens of millions of dollars to Arkansas colleges and universities for arts programs and facilities in recent years.
Sources sought on student loan debt
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is looking for people to speak with about student loan debt.
The newspaper is looking for people who will talk about their experience with debt. That could include troubles that led to a default, the ongoing burden of debt or any strategies that helped someone pay it off, among other things.
Interested people can access the form at: https://www.arkansasonline.com/loandefault/.
Policy on workers' rehiring updated
University of Arkansas System trustees have updated the system's policy on rehiring employees fired for "cause."
General counsel Joann Maxey said the system had discovered that campuses were defining "cause" differently, so the system office outlined potential definitions.
Those include, but are not limited to, professional dishonesty; discrimination; unethical conduct; abuse of power; theft or misuse of property; threats or acts of violence; or violations of university policy or state or federal laws "substantially related" to the person's job duties.
Ben Beaumont, senior director of policy and public affairs, said the system sent out the proposed revised policy to campuses "several weeks ago" and did not receive any feedback.
Trustees approved the changes at their Friday meeting without audible dissent.
Metro on 11/24/2019