The Walmart Foundation has awarded a $5 million grant to the University of Arkansas for its new Student Success Center.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the center took place on Sept. 12. The four-story, 71,000-SF facility will be at the site of the former Social Work Building, between Memorial Hall and Old Main. It's scheduled to open in early 2022.
One of the goals of the center will be eliminating significant undergraduate student achievement gaps, according to a news release. It will serve the entire campus as a centralized comprehensive academic support unit, and the center's staff will contact students during the summer before their first year.
"As a first-generation college student, I can attest to the importance of having access to programming and resources that foster success in a university setting," Chancellor Joe Steinmetz said. "The Walmart Foundation is making it possible for more students — especially those from Arkansas — to access the tools they need in one convenient location, and this grant will help create the first Student Success Center of its kind in the SEC."
The second floor of the center will be named the "Walmart Foundation Academic Excellence Hub," which will house the planned 360 Advising Studio, STEM Studio, Fulbright Advising Studio, First-Generation College Student Outreach and Arkansas First-Generation Student Programming.
