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University of the Ozarks Ranked in Multiple Categories by U.S. News

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University of the Ozarks has been ranked in multiple categories in the latest U.S. News & World Report’s annual college rankings.

In the 2021 edition of Best Colleges, released this week, U of O ranked in a tie for fifth overall among more than 80 regional colleges in the South — the 22nd consecutive year Ozarks has been ranked in the “top tier” among regional colleges in the South.

Ozarks has been ranked among the top 10 in the 12-state South Region in each of the past 10 years. The overall rankings examine such criteria as academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.

The magazine’s annual late summer publication that analyzes institutions of higher education also had U of O ranked second in the “Best Value Schools” in the South, trailing only Kentucky State University. The value rankings evaluate the cost of attending a university relative to the quality of the institution and takes into account such things as the percentage of students receiving need-based financial aid and the average institutional aid those students receive.

In addition, Ozarks was ranked third in the South Region in the category of “Most Innovative,” a new ranking based on “making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities. The schools that received the most nominations for making promising changes on campus are listed here,” according to the publication.

In the category of “Undergraduate Teaching,” for colleges that put a focus on undergraduate teaching, Ozarks was ranked ninth in the South.

In the area of “Social Mobility,” Ozarks was ranked No. 27 in the South. This category represents those colleges that are most successful “at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants. The vast majority of these federal grants are awarded to students whose adjusted gross family incomes are under $50,000,” according to the magazine.

The publication’s South Region consists of primarily undergraduate colleges and universities in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Virginia.

Lyon named “Best College” by U.S. News & World Report

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Lyon College has been named a 2021 “Best College” by U.S. News & World Report. 

Lyon ranked #166 overall in National Liberal Arts Colleges and continued its streak as a top performer in social mobility, ranking #45. Though the College has made the list of top national liberal arts colleges for many years, it broke into the numbered rankings for the first time since 2014. 

“We are proud to be among the ranked again, and we expect this positive trajectory to continue in the coming years,” said President W. Joseph King. 

U.S. News & World Report considers several aspects when determining colleges’ rankings. For the list of top national liberal arts colleges, U.S. News reviews indicators such as student-faculty ratio, average federal loan debt for graduates, and undergraduate academic reputation.

For the social mobility ranking, U.S. News considers colleges that are successful at “enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants.”

Lyon has ranked as a top performer in social mobility the past five years. In fall 2019, which would be the academic year U.S. News reviewed for this ranking, almost half of Lyon’s students received a Pell Grant, and over 40 percent of its first-year students were the first in their families to attend college.

President King added, “Our rank in the top 50 in terms of social mobility illustrates our deep commitment to the mission and purpose of Lyon College.”

He concluded, “As we continue to improve our national public profile and sustain our selectivity, I am confident that the rankings will reflect it.”

WBU Board Celebrates Enrollment Jump, Maintains Current Tuition Cost

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The Williams Baptist University Board of Trustees conducted its regular fall meeting on the university campus Friday, September 11.  It marked the first gathering of the full board on campus since December 2019.

The full board was unable to gather for its April 2020 meeting due to shelter in place directives and limitations for group gatherings issued last spring by Gov. Hutchinson.  The board’s executive committee met on behalf of the full board and conducted the April meeting via conference call.

“It was wonderful to welcome students back to our campus in August after a five-month absence, due to the pandemic, and it was wonderful to welcome our trustees back to campus Friday.  We have a great board, and it was exciting to share good news about Williams,” said WBU President Dr. Stan Norman.

The board applauded the report on the university’s enrollment for the fall semester.  WBU’s on-campus enrollment is 580 this semester, an increase of more than 12 percent since last year and 27 percent over the past two years.

Counting graduate and off-campus sites, overall enrollment is 619, an increase of 12 percent since last fall.

“Our enrollment management team led a very successful, campus-wide effort that resulted in the largest freshman class in the modern history of Williams. Decisions made by this board over the past two years laid the foundation for that success, so it was gratifying to share the good news with them,” Norman said.

The president also reported on the successful launch of Williams Works. Students selected for the Williams Works initiative work 16 hours per week through fall and spring semesters to cover their tuition and fees, with the chance to work through the summer to cover room and board.  WBU welcomed the first 44 students into the initiative this fall.

The board approved Norman’s recommendation for cost of tuition to remain the same for the 2021-22 school year.

“In these unsettled times, we feel it is prudent to keep tuition costs as they are for another year,” Norman said. “We want to help our students and their families receive an outstanding, Christ-centered education that is also affordable. We believe no increase for tuition next year is the best way to achieve this goal.”

The board voted to increase room and board charges by five percent to address rising infrastructure costs. Other actions approved by the board were: adoption of an investment plan to manage the university’s endowment; approval of additional members for the Foundations for the Future board; and approval of the recommendation from the nominating committee for the next year’s board officers and committee chairs.

The board received an update on various summer projects and improvements to campus facilities. The stage in Manly Chapel was expanded to provide a larger practice and performing venue for the growing concert band program.

A contribution from the university’s food service vendor, Fresh Ideas, provided resources to purchase new kitchen equipment, expand the pizza station, and enlarge the student dining area of Mabee-Gwinup Cafeteria.

And the Spirit Store was relocated to a remodeled area adjacent to the campus post office. The relocated Spirit Store allowed for the creation of a student lounge next to the campus grill.

Also at the meeting, Dr. Sonny Tucker, Executive Director for the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, gave a brief report on the support and appreciation of the ABSC for WBU. Dr. Tucker shared that Arkansas Baptists across the state are excited for the recent enrollment growth. He also commended the university for the newly launched Williams Works program as a way to keep a Christ-centered education affordable for Arkansas Baptists.

Bobby Thomas, President and CEO of the Arkansas Baptist Foundation, gave an update on the performance and financial health of the university’s endowment. The board also heard a report on the school’s overall financial health from the university’s auditor, Lisa Stephens.

Dave Russell of Jonesboro will remain board chair for the upcoming year.  In addition, the board elected James Miller of Melbourne to serve as vice chair and Jody Smotherman of Batesville as board secretary.

Three board members were recognized for completion of their terms of service: Rev. Theodis Brown of Hot Springs; Mr. John Hill of Jonesboro; and Dr. David Moore of Little Rock.

The WBU board is composed of 24 members, appointed by the Arkansas Baptist State Convention.  The board has three regularly scheduled meetings each year, in April, September and December.

Williams is a private, Christian university in Walnut Ridge, Ark.

Hendrix College Rises in U.S. News ‘Best Value’ Ranking

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Hendrix College is once again listed among America’s Best Colleges for overall quality, value, and innovation. The College appears in multiple categories of the annual higher education rankings issued by U.S. News & World Report.

As in previous years’ U.S. News & World Report rankings, Hendrix remains the only top 100 nationally ranked liberal arts college in Arkansas.

On the 2021 Best Value Schools list among nationally ranked liberal arts colleges, Hendrix rose eight spots to claim the #32 ranking. Each year, the Best Value list considers the ratio of academic quality to price, the percentage of students receiving need-based financial aid (84% for Hendrix during 2019-2020), and the average institutional aid those students receive.

The College continues to appear on the Most Innovative Schools list, a result of nominations by presidents, provosts, and admissions deans of peer institutions in the Best National Liberal Arts Colleges category. This list recognizes schools for “making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities.”

“We are excited to see Hendrix continue to be recognized among the country’s leading liberal arts colleges for quality, innovation, and value,” said Hendrix President Ellis Arnold. “This recognition affirms our commitment to educating the whole person and to offering students an extraordinary experience that has life-long value.”

Other recent accolades for Hendrix include taking the top spot in Arkansas on Niche’s 2021 Best Colleges list and StateUniversity.com; as well as appearances in Forbes Top Colleges list; Money’s Best Colleges in America list; The Princeton Review’s 2021 Best Colleges list; the Kiplinger’s Personal Finance 2019 Best College Values list; a profile in The Fiske Guide to Colleges; and a listing in The Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education College Rankings 2020.

For prospective students and families interested in Hendrix, the College is currently offering in-person and virtual visit experiences. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu/visit or contact Jenn McKenzie, Associate Director of Campus Visitation & Administrative Services, at  mckenziej@hendrix.edu or 1-800-277-9017.

Harding University posts all-time record retention and graduation rates

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Harding University fall 2020 enrollment figures include its highest ever retention and graduation rates, with fall to fall retention at 86.7% versus 84.7% in 2019 and six-year graduation rate at 71.5%, up from 68.6% over prior year. Retention of  minority students was its highest ever at 80.2%, up from 75% in 2019. Undergraduate enrollment is 3,579 and graduate is 1,042, for a total of 4,621. New student headcount is 913.

 “Harding University has long had the goal of 85% retention. For a university that recruits nationwide and internationally to exceed this goal demonstrates that we are succeeding, and we are extremely proud of our nearly 87% retention rate,” said Provost Marty Spears. “Students who select Harding not only stay, they achieve their educational and professional goals as they do so.” 

Other significant milestones include a 42% increase in enrollment of minority students since 2015 and an increase in overall four-year graduation rates from 46% to 53% during the same period. Harding’s four- and six-year graduation rates are significantly higher than the national average four-year graduation rate of 43.7%  and the six-year graduation rate of 60.4% as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics.

“As we all work together to mitigate the spread and effects of COVID-19 on our campuses and across the country, Harding is seeking new ways to grow in this difficult environment,” Spears continued. “We are finalizing plans for a major initiative to significantly expand our online capabilities and offerings to provide more students the opportunity to obtain a world-class, Christ-centered Harding education.” 

Those plans will be announced later this fall.

New accolades for 2020 include The Princeton Review rating Harding one of the 142 best colleges in the Southeast and one of only four Arkansas schools to make the list. PLEXUSS, a website that provides information about college and career to more than 6,000,000 student users, has recognized Harding as having nine graduate and undergraduate academic programs ranked number one in the state of Arkansas based on advanced metrics that include student survey responses in 24 categories across a wide range of disciplines. Harding was in the top four in Arkansas for all its programs and highly ranked nationally as well. Finally, the University was ranked No. 8 by Study.com for best international business schools in the country. 

Students interested in learning more about Harding are invited to visit harding.edu, email admissions@harding.edu or call 800-477-4407.

University of the Ozarks Reports Second-Largest Enrollment

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University of the Ozarks’ 2020 Fall Semester enrollment is the second largest in University history and a slight increase over fall 2019.

A total of 836 students were enrolled at Ozarks as of Sept. 8, the official day of record for the semester. It marks the second-highest enrollment in the University’s 186-year history, behind 2018’s record of 872 students, and 11 students more than the Fall 2019 Semester enrollment of 825.

This year’s student body includes 418 females and 418 males. A total of 341 students, or 41 percent, hail from Arkansas, including 102 from Johnson County. There are 173 students from the nearby Arkansas River Valley counties of Johnson, Pope, Conway, Franklin, Logan and Crawford.

Thirty-two states are represented in the student body, with Arkansas (341), Texas (120), Oklahoma (36), Florida (10) and Missouri (9) leading the way. There are also a record 244 international students from 19 countries outside the United States.

Reggie Hill, vice president for marketing and enrollment, credited the University community for a strong enrollment despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

“This year was challenging for higher education as a whole,” Hill said. “Our success is testament to the hard work, dedication, and collective effort by our campus community. Covid-19’s impact on enrollment is evident and has taught us a lot about our institutional capability and our ability to adapt. Future success will be based on our ability to seamlessly synthesize recruitment and retention efforts. Both are necessary conditions for sustained enrollment growth.”

The incoming class, which includes first-time freshmen and transfer students, is 240, one of the largest incoming classes in the University’s history and the same number as last year’s incoming class.

Cave City commissions Lyon art program to create library mural

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Outside businesses are now approaching the Lyon art program to create murals.

Professor of Art Dustyn Bork said Crystal Crow, Marketing Director for the Bank of Cave City, invited the art program to make a mural for the Cave City Library. The Bank of Cave City sponsors the library and provides the space for it, so they sponsored the mural project as well.

“Crystal is hoping this is the first of many murals in Cave City and in the broader region,” Bork said.

“She is exploring ways of creating a mural trail through the Ozark Gateway Region.”

Lyon art graduate Sarah Winters, ’18, created the design, which will be a shelf of books with the words “Cave City Library” and a bookend with the Bank of Cave City’s logo.

“The mural is going up in historic, downtown Cave City,” Winters said, “so we wanted to make sure we kept some of the nuances of older advertisements while incorporating some more modern design styles.”

She and Bork brainstormed several ideas. Winters would sketch them out and, after settling on a design, she fleshed it out into a more thorough piece that was used to map the mural onto the wall.

“I still don’t think I have fully grasped that something I designed is going up on a giant wall in the middle of Cave City!” Winters said.

She continued, “I have always loved seeing murals in different cities, so this is such an incredible opportunity.”

Bork has a big group of current and former Lyon students helping to bring Winters’ vision to life, including Sam Long, Molly Mellor, Abby Rutter, Victoria Hutcheson, ’19, Hayley Cormican and Bonnie Roberts.

“This is an awesome opportunity for our students and our alumni to branch out and share their creativity and talents with a much broader audience,” Bork said.

“Art doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and it’s great to bring our studio practice to a wider community audience.”

The project offers practical experience and opportunities for students on how to line up a mural, how to work with stakeholders and how to navigate the logistics involved in mounting a large public work. 

For example, this is the first mural the art program has attempted on raw unpainted brick, where the color of the brick will remain unpainted in the background and become part of the design itself. This new challenge changed their approach to the project.

Bork has enjoyed seeing current and former students for the project while the College continues remote instruction this fall.

“There is no substitute for being around other people and creative types.”

One benefit, he said, has been the way alumni and current students share art ideas and career options with each other.

“The returning students and alumni have been sharing with the newer students what to expect in a career in the arts and how to get your start,” Bork said.

He continued, “I am fortunate to be able to do what I love and be surrounded by so many like-minded artists.”

Senior Sam Long, who is from Cave City, has been excited to work on another mural project.

“I’ve really enjoyed getting to see some of my classmates again,” she said. “It’s nice to be able to forget about what’s going on and just do something for my community.”

Long continued, “I never thought I would have the opportunity to help out on a mural in my own hometown. It’s kind of a dream come true to be honest.”

Harding’s Physician Assistant Program Serves its One-millionth Patient

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The physician assistant studies program has served its one millionth patient. The PA program is a 28-month Master of Science degree program in physician assistant studies. Since its inception in 2005 the program has had more than 400 graduates.

In March 2020 the PA program transitioned to online delivery of course work for the remainder of the spring semester, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Faculty spent the next several weeks delivering any curriculum that was transferable into an online format. Mid-summer the Class of 2021 returned to complete the remainder of their required didactic coursework. Following this, they joined the Class of 2020 in supervised clinical settings allowing the program to complete its one millionth patient encounter in August.

“It has been quite the journey, and the students, faculty and staff have weathered it with a grace and tenacity that has continued to amaze and impress me,” said Mary Madill, physician assistant studies program director and associate professor. “The journey continues and we just keep giving the Lord thanks for each and every milestone we reach.”

Harding University College of Allied Health offers high quality educational programs in some of the most dynamic and fastest growing fields in the healthcare industry including pre-athletic training, exercise science, communication sciences and disorders, physician assistant studies, speech pathology, pre-audiology and physical therapy. For more information regarding College of Allied Health news and programs, visit harding.edu/alliedhealth or call 501-279-5299.

Paul R. Carter College of Business announces recipients of Botham Jean Scholarship

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The Paul R. Carter College of Business Administration, in cooperation with PwC, has selected four students as recipients of the Botham Jean Business Scholarship. The scholarship, established in 2019, supports historically underrepresented populations as they pursue degrees within the Harding University College of Business. This year’s recipients have been chosen for their academic excellence and demonstrated leadership.

The scholarship was established by Harding and PwC in honor of Botham Jean, a 2016 alumnus of the University who was tragically killed Sept. 6, 2018, at his home in Dallas. Jean was a beloved risk assurance associate with PwC, proud Harding graduate and faithful Christian.

“During Botham’s short life he was active in community outreach in his native country of St. Lucia, leading several mission teams from Harding to visit poor and vulnerable institutions and communities,” said Dr. Allen Frazier, dean and professor of the College of Business Administration. “This scholarship is aimed at honoring his life and enhancing his legacy to even greater heights. The qualities we see in these students are consistent with what PwC asked us to look for – leadership, diligence, demonstrated capability and financial need. I am confident these students will gratefully honor the legacy of Botham Jean.”

Jean came to the University from the Caribbean nation of St. Lucia. During his time at Harding, he was a member of the Good News Singers, a resident assistant, an intern for the Rock House campus ministry, and a leader in Sub T-16 men’s social club. Jean frequently led worship during daily chapel services and other campus events. He was well-known for his charismatic and powerful song leading. After graduation, Jean moved to Dallas where he was hired by PwC following an internship with the company.

PwC initially established the scholarship fund with a gift of $50,000. Through personal contributions from PwC partners and staff and the PwC Matching Gift Program, it has grown to more than $600,000 as of June 1.

Harding has awarded Trinity Bolden, a freshman from Searcy, Arkansas; Rollansky Darote, a sophomore from North Miami, Florida; Brittany Tate, a junior from San Diego, California; and Antonio Montez, a senior from Carrollton, Texas, as the four recipients of the scholarship in Jean’s memory. All four students are studying accounting in the College of Business.