Arkansas Blog

You have much potential over there to do something really outstanding.

Hopefully it won't be wasted on another sports mill.

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UALR is not your father's LRJC/LRU. I work there and attend classes. Great things are happening.

I don't think UALR will ever reach it's potential as long as it is part of the UofA system. A drive-by university will never be a major player. I find it hard to believe that the area around UALR will ever develop unless there is a sufficient increase in the number of students living on campus.

UALR is not a "drive by University" and to say that shows complete ignorance of this institution and of the very nature of our student body.

There are a significant amount of students living in the (3) Five Floor Dorms or Apartment Complexes, or Houses, or the new Coleman Creek Apartments. There are four vibrant fraternities recognized by the IFC and all of the "Divine 9" of the Historically African-American communtiies. Vibrant sororities as well. There are campus ministries, advocacy groups, etc. There is campus life.

I should know....I live here and have for (3) years. UALR is on the move and has a lot to offer. Its even with ASU, coming up fast on UCA and soon will surpass it and give U of Ark. a run for its money. Most of all, UALR leads the way in retention and completion through graduation.

Thats the facts....Jack!

DP,
How many students live on the UALR campus? Last year UCA was talking about 4,000 plus. I don't think UALR comes anywhere close to that number. I don't think UALR should settle with being another UCA. What I was saying is that UALR needs to greatly increase the number of students living on campus if it wants to enhance the development around it. How much of an increase to UALR basketball games has there been since they started playing on campus? There are not enough students living on campus to even half way fill up the Trojans new home. I never did understand why the arena was built where it was instead of closer to the middle of the campus. Look where student housing is and look where the arena is. The arena is in a good location if you are driving by.

SayWhat,

How much DEBT is UCA in now, in comparison to UALR? UALR is being smart in how it builds things and plans the expansion of the campus. Calling it a "drive by University" was meant to smear this campus and was not meant about the sports complex.

If you look at U of Ark., the sports facilities are not built right up to the dorms. The same can be said for most campuses. There has been an increase at the games.

Since last year, we have seen one dorm, with five stories, increased to three dorms of five stories. Three more will be built in the next year. So...you do the math. An increase of 500% is exponential and a sign of growth.

I think UALR is of a different paradigm than the typical university. It's an urban university, a commuter university.

Who says a majority of students must live on campus to ensure a vibrant experience? Just a few years ago there were zero dorms on campus, an adjacent slumping shopping center, and a mature dairy and ghost-town drive-in theater across the street.

Now there are new dorms on campus; the University bought the old shopping center (converting much of it to various university uses), and a really big, new student housing development sits just across the road where the old dairy and theater once stood.

Sure, the architecture of the core buildings at Pine Tree Tech is drab '60s brick, but the newer facilities are pretty impressive. The new EIT (I think that's what they're calling it?) building--preparation of the site is well underway--will really up the ante as far as recruiting.

I think there are plenty of good things on the horizon for Yuler, and it will grow rather than shrink.

(I didn't take "drive-by U." as a smear.)

UALR Chancellor Joel E. Anderson offended many faculty during his Fall speech to the University Assembly when he asked them once again to "step it up a notch." I'm disappointed that he didn't realize the inappropriateness of this request in the face of 1% faculty salary increases this year. In response to recently-announced increases in annual parking rates, one faculty member said, "I guess I know where my 1% is going."

Mr. Anderson mistakenly believes that faculty have a strong voice at UALR. If they do, why aren't any faculty on the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Search and Screening Committee?

Yeah, I got your donation right *here*...

SayWhat says UALR will never reach its potential as long as it is part of the UA system. That's what they said about UCLA when financial problems forced them to join the UCal system. Now UCLA it the top dog there.

Those on the inside at AEDC are well aware that Joel Anderson and UALR Engineering Dean Mary Good were the real reasons why Hew-Pac is coming to central Arkansas. UCA strikes deals with high schools to hand out concurrent credit. UALR strikes deals with MIT and Johns Hopkins sharing programs and research.

SayWhat says UALR will never reach its potential as long as it is part of the UA system. That's what they said about UCLA when financial problems forced them to join the UCal system. Now UCLA it the top dog there.

Those on the inside at AEDC are well aware that Joel Anderson and UALR Engineering Dean Mary Good were the real reasons why Hew-Pac is coming to central Arkansas. UCA strikes deals with high schools to hand out concurrent credit. UALR strikes deals with MIT and Johns Hopkins sharing programs and research.

I had the good fortune of attending last night's gala at the ole' commuter college. Going into the shindig, I had a bad attitude thinking it was just another event. Walking away, I had a new appreciation for what the students and faculty at UALR have been up to. To me, Most pleasing, it wasn't all about buildings, it was about encouraging those of us who can to provide scholarships to some of these kids doing cool things. I'm tired of giving to politicians who make promises, I'm shifting my resources to these students who have promise.