Karla Hughes, the executive vice president and provost of the University of Louisiana System, is University of Arkansas System President Donald Bobbitt's choice to lead the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
The University of Arkansas at Monticello said Monday that Chancellor Karla Hughes will retire effective Dec. 31.
Hughes has led the campus since January 2016. She is UAM’s 12th chief executive officer and the first woman to lead a four-year UA System institution.
In a news release, Hughes said she and UA System President Donald Bobbitt agreed to her resignation after talking about the university’s “challenges.”
“I’m proud of the progress we have made in the last four years, especially in demonstrating that UAM is, without question, a student-centered destination for higher education,” Hughes said in a news release. “Dr. Bobbitt and I discussed the challenges, both internal and external, that UAM has faced during my tenure, and we both felt the best step forward for the university was that I resign as chancellor.”
Bobbitt said he will begin planning the “future leadership of UAM.”
“We appreciate the diligent work ethic and unmatched energy Dr. Hughes consistently brought to the table, along with her genuine passion for student success and being a part of the campus community at UAM,” Bobbitt said in a statement. “There’s no question that there are many challenges ahead facing the campus to help meet its unique regional and economic needs and finding the right leadership for the institution will be a top priority moving forward.”
Hughes came to the university in 2016 from her role as executive vice president and provost of the University of Louisiana System in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She previously held academic appointments at the University of Missouri, Virginia Polytechnic and State (Virginia Tech), East Carolina, Kansas State, Middle Tennessee State and Morehead State Universities.
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