The board of trustees for Arkansas Tech University in Russellville announced that the university will restructure its academic department organization that it said would “support the continued financial stability of the institution.”
The plan will eliminate the College of eTech, moving its online support function under the Division of Academic Affairs, and merge the Division of Enrollment Management into the Division of Student Affairs. The university will also eliminate 10 academic programs because of low enrollment or graduation rates and monitor 12 more programs during the next two years.
The board of trustees approved the measures at its monthly meeting March 18.
“I want to assure you that we will retain, nurture and grow our traditional undergraduate and graduate programs,” ATU President Robin Bowen said at the meeting. “But, if we want to thrive, our operational model must evolve to one that better meets the needs of the student of tomorrow. In addition, we must be more responsive to the larger community … and we must demonstrate to our constituents that there is great return on investment at Arkansas Tech.”
In response to emailed questions, university spokesman Sam Strasner said the programs that will be eliminated or monitored will be decided at the board of trustees’ meeting on May 20. Strasner said the board will finalize the fiscal year 2022 budget proposal at that meeting.
“Arkansas Tech University began restructuring conversations in 2019 in response to shifting demographics,” Strasner wrote in an email to Arkansas Business. “There will be fewer traditional college-age students over the next 5-to-10 years, meaning the university must adapt to meet the evolving educational needs of its constituents. The urgency of the restructuring initiative was accelerated by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying economic downturn. As a result, Arkansas Tech began implementing a proactive, inclusive restructuring process in September 2020.”
The board also approved additional restructuring of Arkansas Tech’s colleges in the fall with the goal being the development of a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) or a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) college with a net annual savings of at least $100,000.
The board also announced policy changes that include: a voluntary incentive program for eligible faculty age 60 or older to reduce their duties for two years before retirement; and setting the university’s contribution at 8% for new employees’ retirement plans, a reduction from the previous level of 10%.
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