Pulaski Technical College’s merger with the University of Arkansas System is effective today, and the North Little Rock college has been renamed University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College, or UA-Pulaski Tech.
Pulaski Tech’s accrediting body, the Higher Learning Commission, approved the change of governance; UA System and Pulaski Tech trustees, along with the state’s Higher Education Coordinating Board, approved the merger last year.
On Monday, Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed Act 71 of 2017 that specifies the role of technical college boards following the merger. The law makes technical college boards of trustees become boards of visitors with continued gubernatorial appointment following a merger.
The governor is holding a “ceremonial signing” marking the merger on Thursday.
The UA and Pulaski Tech said the merger “will provide greater articulation of college transfer program options from UA-PTC to other four-year UA System universities.” They also cited cost savings through economies of scale for employee health insurance and instructional technology.
“We have been working with the University of Arkansas System to align all of our policies with theirs, which will streamline processes, and that work will continue into the spring,” Margaret Ellibee, chancellor of UA-Pulaski Technical College, said in a news release.
UA-PTC is the sixth two-year school to join the UA System, which has 60,000 students. Rich Mountain Community College, which has about 1,000 students, is also finalizing plans to join the system. The merger has approval from the Higher Learning Commission and could wrap up this week, a UA spokesman said.
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