UA Division of Student Affairs Enters Into Newspapers-In-The Residence-Hall Program With Northwest Arkansas Times

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. --- The Division of Student Affairs at the University of Arkansas has accepted a proposal from Community Publishers, Inc., of Bentonville, to place free copies of the Northwest Arkansas Times in campus residence halls, beginning with the fall semester.

"This is an experiment for us, but we believe it will contribute to the success of our new First-Year Experience, which is a program designed to bond entering students more closely to the University and thereby improve their likelihood of graduating," said Dr. Johnetta Cross Brazzell, vice chancellor of student affairs.

"The newspapers will be paid for by income generated by Residence Life and Dining Services and will not involve any revenue from tuition or state appropriation," she added. "In addition, the program will not present any out-of-pocket costs to the students."

The newspapers-in-the-residence-halls program is based on similar ventures at other major universities across the country, and there are compelling reasons for the University to try its own experiment, she said.

"College students tend to be focused on their studies and not as engaged with the larger world around them," she said. "These programs are an effective way of broadening their horizons and helping them to become better citizens.

"The largest historical barrier to students’ reading newspapers on a regular daily basis in the past has been cost and access, so we’re removing those barriers," Brazzell said. "We’re hoping to turn our students into regular newspaper readers, which we believe helps them in their studies and also leads to their being more involved with their community, state, and nation while they are students and after they graduate," she added.

The program takes on added importance for the University of Arkansas because of its need to improve student retention. "One of the major goals of the University is to improve the six-year graduation rate to 66 percent," Brazzell said. "Part of the process of doing that is to bond students not only to the University but also to the larger community in which they live."

"We want our students to be more aware of what’s happening in Fayetteville, and to be better citizens in and around town. For that to happen, they need to know what is going on, and that’s where the Northwest Arkansas Times comes in," she said. "The Times has distinguished itself for local reporting by winning, for four straight years, the sweepstakes award of the Arkansas Associated Press Managing Editors for the best overall performance by a medium-sized daily."

She added that, for students, the program will be a complement to the Arkansas Traveler, the student newspaper that is published three days a week during the semester.

"We see the Traveler as providing a major focus on campus news and the Times providing emphasis on Fayetteville area news, although both obviously cross those boundaries and compete with one another as well," she observed.

Community Publishers and the Times, which prints the Arkansas Traveler, has volunteered to work with the Traveler to strengthen its capacities in distribution, advertising, pagination and editorial deadlines. It has also agreed to make the Traveler "whole" financially at the end of the year if there is any loss in advertising as a result of the program.

The program will be an exclusive one-year arrangement with Community Publishers. The Division of Student Affairs will evaluate the program after that time and make a decision whether to continue or discontinue, she said.

"We may look at expanding the program, but cost is a factor for us this year," she noted. "Right now we can afford to do only one paper, and we are most interested in the paper that provides the greatest focus on the Fayetteville area."

Steve Trolinger, president of Community Publishers, Inc., which bought the Northwest Arkansas Times last year, said he was delighted to see the program come to fruition.

"We approached the Division of Student Affairs knowing this was a mutually beneficial program," he said. "It boosts the newspaper’s readership and circulation and strengthens the students’ awareness of current events, particularly in their college town.

"We are also mindful of the historical tie between the University and the Times, which was owned for many years by the Fulbright family," Trolinger added. "There is a long history of interest and editorial support on the part of the Times toward the University. As the University continues to grow in quality and stature in the years ahead, that support will only increase."

The program will begin on August 28, with about 1,000 papers being distributed.

"Since this is an experiment, we want to start on the low-estimate side, which is that about one-third of students in the residence halls will pick up the free papers," Brazzell said.

The newspapers will not be distributed to each student’s room. Rather, they will be placed in racks in the first-floor commons area of the residence halls. The program will be a turnkey operation with Community Publishers, Inc., which will deliver the racks, place papers in them, and retrieve unused newspapers.

"After the program is in effect for some time, we will work with Community Publishers to survey students and ask them if the program is of value, and make changes as warranted," Brazzell said.

The program will be in effect during the spring and fall semesters, excluding holiday breaks and the interim between semesters. In all, newspapers will be delivered about 236 days out of the calendar year.

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