Fort Smith University Could Eee More Funds
Four possibilities in works in Legislature
Last updated Saturday, February 24, 2007 9:44 PM CST in News
By Amy Sherrill
The Morning News
FORT SMITH --At least four possibilities are in the works during the state legislative session that could bring some needed cash to the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.
Attorney Mary Beth Sudduth re-emerged from retirement to help lobby for buildings and faculty position funds, she said.
University Chancellor Paul Beran said recruiting Sudduth was one of his better moves during his first few months as chancellor.
Sudduth recently reported to the university's Board of Visitors that Gov. Mike Beebe has recommended the institution get $1.8 million of the $64 million in new money for higher education.
If that money materializes it would mean added faculty positions for the growing Fort Smith institution.
Beran said as he and other officials at the university analyzed the budget, the need for more full-time faculty positions was realized. While the ratio of full-time faculty is 72 percent verses 28 percent in part-time faculty those figures can be somewhat misleading, Beran said.
While one college at the university may have 100 percent full-time faculty another college could have 50 percent full time and 50 percent part time.
Some of the positions, Beran said, are needed are in the psychology, history and business marketing areas.
Although there is nothing wrong with part-time or adjunct faculty, it's hard to maintain consistency in courses, Beran said.
He added he wants to beef up full-time faculty in the general education classes in the College of Arts and Sciences.
"We've created lots of programs and those program are all supported by general education," Beran said. "We want to make sure that our general education and the base education that students receive is quality."
A second opportunity where the university could receive funds, according to Sudduth, is from the remaining surplus money after public schools are funded. There is a possibility there could be $201 million for capital projects of which the university could receive $7 million, Sudduth said.
That money, if received, would be about half of what is needed to build a fine arts and humanities classroom building.
Beran said the new building is needed with almost 7,000 students.
"We're short on classrooms; we're short on offices; and we're short on labs, performing spaces and practice spaces in music and fine arts," Beran said.
How are professors and students getting by right now?
"Basically people have just been very cooperative," Beran said. "If they needed to teach a class out of another building, they did it."
However, he thinks that long term it will put a major strain on facilities.
Two bills have been introduced so far by area legislators.
State Sen. Denny Altes, R-Fort Smith, drafted a bill appropriating $5 million for the university for property acquisition, new facility design and construction.
If the university receives that money, it could help in building the fine arts classroom building, according to Beran. The university is also looking to acquire additional property as it becomes available near the main campus.
The other bill introduced by state Rep. Tracy Pennartz, D-Fort Smith, asks for $100,000 for maintenance and improvement which can be used for any improvements.
Reader Comments (1 comment(s))
The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsibility of their authors. The Morning News does not review comments before their publication, nor do we guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by our comment policy. If you see a comment that violates our policy, please notify the web editor.
Not already registered?
BigR wrote on Feb 25, 2007 7:44 AM: