The Pulaski Technical College board of trustees and University of Arkansas System President Donald Bobbitt met Monday in a special meeting to discuss the possibility of the college joining the UA System.
In a presentation to the board, Bobbitt said that the country is facing “unprecedented times” in higher education, and that this is only the beginning of a conversation on a potential partnership.
The board did not make any decisions about a merger at the meeting, which took place at Pulaski Technical College’s Campus Center in North Little Rock.
“We will continue to evolve and we need to explore every option and turn over every rock about ways to educate our students,” Pulaski Tech Board Chairman Ronald Dedman said.
Five community colleges have joined the UA System in the past, according to Bobbitt, and there are 11 total colleges and universities in the system. Bobbitt cited examples of how the UA’s size could benefit Pulaski Tech, and said staff and faculty could take advantage of the UA System health plan.
But while many day-to-day decisions could be made on the campus level, Pulaski Tech would have to turn over major decisions to the UA board of trustees, which bears fiduciary responsibility for the entire system, Bobbitt said. The campus would continue to handle its own fundraising.
“We do not micromanage each university,” Bobbitt said.
After his presentation, Pulaski Tech board members and meeting attendees were given the opportunity to ask questions.
Among the concerns brought up by several board members and attendees: the co-existence of Pulaski Tech and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, which is already a part of the UA System.
“Each institution retains its unique name and traditions,” Bobbitt said. “I think having an additional presence in the capital city is very significant.”
Bobbitt also said that for students, convenience and proximity are very important, so having two schools near each other could be advantageous.
Bobbitt also addressed the possibility of layoffs and whether a merger would require cutting programs at either Pulaski Tech or UALR to eliminate overlap.
He said that at the undergraduate level, he believes it’s okay to have duplication of programs at two nearby schools. But at the graduate level, he prefers to have fewer programs of higher quality.
“These are complex questions you may have to face whether you’re in the system or not,” Bobbitt said.
One faculty member asked about how Pulaski Tech’s identity as an individual entity would fare in a merger.
“The concern about Pulaski Tech’s identity being lost in the shuffle is a real one, and I don’t know if I can address it,” Bobbitt said.
But Dedman said that, were a merger to take place, maintaining that identity would be of utmost concern.
“We will make sure that the identity of the school is paramount; that Pulaski Tech is the Pulaski Tech we’ve all grown to know and love,” Dedman said. “This [meeting] starts the shot clock for us. We won’t take forever to make a decision but we won’t rush to judgment.”
The UA confirmed earlier this month that it was in merger talks with Pulaski Tech and Rich Mountain Community College in Mena. Margaret Ellibee, president of Pulaski Tech, signaled her willingness to hear proposals when interviewed by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for a Feb. 1 story on renewed interest in institutional mergers.
Rich Mountain has about 950 students. Pulaski Tech’s enrollment slumped to 7,650 in the fall of 2015 after reaching nearly 12,000 in the fall of 2011. UALR’s enrollment was 11,848 in the fall, up from 11,645 in the fall of 2014.
The next Pulaski Tech board of trustees meeting is scheduled for April 4.
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