Arkansas Blog

UA-Fort Smith (or as their faculty say, "Ufus, rhymes with doofus") also doesn't recognize the long-established system of faculty tenure.

How long before UA-FS joins three other Arkansas colleges on the American Association of University Professors censure list?

http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/protectrights/academicfreedom/censuredadmins.htm

Bisbee is an ass. He has had it in for UAFS from day one. It seems that some tech programs in NWA wanted to partner with the then Westark College in order to offer degree programs. Bisbee had a shit fit. He wanted NWACC to be the sponsor for the degrees. Understand that they contacted UAFS not vice versa. The issue on UAFS is that Westark College was dissolved and a new institution created. The former ad valorum tax that supported the college was abolished and a sales tax voted in Sebastian County to replace it. In short, for doofuses like DrRingDing and Bisbee, Westark College did not become a 4 year institution. A new institution was created by the U of A system incorporating the campus and staff of the former Westark College which ceased to exist. Understand?

One more thing RingDing. Tenure or any other such policy will be set by the UA system board of trustees. The local board is now called the Board of Visitors and is advisory only.

I don't think Sen. Bisbee is an ass I think he's the best republican in the legislature. Bisbee has questioned the advertising being done by certain state supported colleges. I've thought for a long time that it is a poor use of funds and would like to see the practice abolished or curtailed. Can you say UCA?

I don't think Sen. Bisbee is an ass I think he's the best republican in the legislature. Bisbee has questioned the advertising being done by certain state supported colleges. I've thought for a long time that it is a poor use of funds and would like to see the practice abolished or curtailed. Can you say UCA?

Sen. Bisbee is as far from an ass as they come. Really nice guy, and generally questions everyone fairly like LAJ has stated.

That said, the UAFS funding scheme is a joke. I don't have numbers in front of me, but does anyone else know if we have sales-tax supported four year schools anywhere else in Arkansas? Personally, the very high sales tax in Fort Smith (pushing ten percent on basics) is outrageous and does nothing but hurt the city, as slowly things are starting to appear in Van Buren, where they do not have the tax to pay for memorials to Joel Stubblefield before he died. Drop the sales tax and raise tuition, then let's see how good a 'value' UAFS is when it is higher than every other school in Arkansas for a third rate education.

Anoncow? Can I just call you cow? So who made you an expert on the quality of educaton? I would guess that UAFS has a higher percentage of doctorate level intstructors and staff than the old AIC schools. The kids out there are great and making a wondderful contribution. The funding at UAFS is no joke..it is working to give students an opportunity. Your snobbishness and jealousy are showing through COW. We have the prettiest campus in the UA system and programs that help people in their careers. A large part of the campus was built with philantropic funds not unlike Baum Stadium and Reynolds Razorback in Fayetteville. One building was named for Joel and his late wife Barbara both of whom devoted themselves to building this fine institution. As to the sales tax in Fort Smith, we are doing very nicely and I hope we continue to build our city with the infastructure we need to take care of a growing city and region. Thanks to Fort Smith and their voters the people in Van Buren have water to drink and to supply the highway 59 corridor that is developing. I am very happy that this development is taking place as I consider the region as my home. One of the best economic engines in the region is UAFS. For someone to call it 3d rate? Well them's fightin words Bub.

I'm just going to stand behind FortSmithBoy and look menacing. He's telling it like it is....but by golly if you all want to rumble.....I gots my hair greased real good so you can't pull it! Come on, you lily livered gosh darn so and so's......

Since you can call me cow, i'll call you FSB.
1) There isn't many if any first or second rate schools in Arkansas in terms of higher education, so don't worry (poor choice of words on my part). It might be that I was raised on the Westark platform, and it should be a better institution now. If they do have tenure issues, then the System board needs to resolve that before the AAUP gets ahold of them. Small colleges on that list are one thing, but growing schools like UAFS could be affected by faculty they could obtain not shoing up.
2) Frankly, I never found it that pretty, but hey, to each their own. Looks better than a few other schools I can name in this state, including some private schools that talk about a 'beautiful campus'
3) Naming things -- I have a serious belief the state should restrict naming things after state officials until they die(elected) or retire from service(staff/appointed). Shouldn't have called the Stubblefields out for the crime el-Huck is guilty of. I will admit that they deserved it, it just bothers me it occured when someone is still in charge.
4) There is a 100 percent probability that UAFS has been good for the economy of Ft. Smith, but it bothers me they talk about how low tuition is, without the caveat they have a sales tax base helping out, which if I recall correctly, none of the schools that they would be in competition with (Tech, UCA, etc) have assisting their tuition rates.

Oh hell, I'm just talking out of my arse this go around. go me.