FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Toward making a four-year degree more accessible, the University of Arkansas announced today that it would seek a partnership with Northwest Arkansas Community College that would make it possible to offer upper division and graduate courses in Benton County.

"Our goal is to add value to the existing higher education landscape in Benton County by acting as a partner in the success of the admirable efforts already underway there," said Chancellor John A. White.

"It is the mission of Northwest Arkansas Community College to enable access to higher education," said NWACC President Becky Paneitz. "Partnerships that offer students a way to advance toward a four-year degree would appear to be a good fit with the community college’s role. This is a concept worthy of further consideration."

The Chancellor announced the formation of a study committee to examine the possibilities of creating a larger presence for the University of Arkansas in Benton County at the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees meeting today, and later elaborated in his State of the University Address.

"I must stress that this project is still in the exploratory stages," White said. "Dr. Reed Greenwood, Dean of the College of Education and Health Professions, has generously agreed to chair the study committee, and there will be more information forthcoming as the group examines the opportunities at hand and reports back.

"I have placed one condition on this initiative-it must be self-supported financially. As strapped as we are for resources, we cannot divert monies from the core mission of this campus."

Greenwood said the committee is being assembled and would begin work shortly. It will include faculty from both institutions, as well as community leaders. "There are issues of timing, place and financial resources to work out, but we are hopeful we can join in a partnership with NWACC to offer education courses there," Greenwood said.

Offerings would likely be determined by demand, starting with areas such as education, nursing and business. "We will work with the community college to determine what might best complement their offerings," White said.

Classes most probably will be offered at nights and on weekends in order to serve the needs of nontraditional students: students who are older than average or are place-bound due to family or job responsibilities.

This initiative addresses concerns about the relatively small number of Arkansas students who complete four-year degrees.

Nationally, college achievement is generally reckoned on a six-year measurement-that is, a student is thought to be making reasonable progress if he or she graduates with a four-year degree within six years of initial enrollment.

But currently, only three percent of Arkansas students who enter two-year public institutions go on to graduate with a four-year degree, according to data from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education.

Nationally, 13 percent of those who enter community college graduate with a four-year degree, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

The proposed partnership between the University of Arkansas and Northwest Arkansas Community College is an attempt to improve the state’s performance in this area.

Data from the National Center for Education Statistics show that people with a bachelor’s degree or higher earn, on average, over $15,000 more annually than those with only a high school diploma or GED equivalent. Likewise, those who have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher earn an average of $10,000 more per year than those who have some college work. The 2000 Census shows that nationally those holding a bachelor’s degree earn an average of $20,000 more annually than those with high school diplomas, and that those with bachelor’s degrees earn an average of $13,000 more than those with associate degrees.

"This initiative promises to offer Arkansans who might not otherwise have been able to take advantage of UA educational opportunities encouragement and the chance to complete a four-year-degree through this state’s flagship university," said White.

"The potential success of this concept rests largely on the ability of two educational institutions to work together to serve the same population more effectively," he said. "I’m very hopeful that we can do so. Our communities and our students deserve our cooperation."