Chancellor G. David Gearhart
(Photo: Submitted)
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas Chancellor G.
David Gearhart will join other college and university presidents, as well as leaders
from nonprofits, foundations, state governments and businesses for a day-long
summit meeting at the White House, starting at 9 a.m. (E.T.) Thursday, Jan. 16.
The purpose of the event is to discuss ways to make a college education more
accessible to low-income and underrepresented students, and to help them
succeed and graduate after they are admitted.
The summit will be streamed live at www.whitehouse.gov/live and can be
followed on Twitter at #OpportunityForAll.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will
host the event. The Michelle Obama will lead the summit, along with members of
the National Economic Policy Council and the federal Department of Education.
The higher education leaders were invited based on their institutions’
commitment to increasing access and academic success for this student
population.
“It is an honor to be invited to this summit
and to have the University of Arkansas recognized for its commitment to
recruiting and retaining low income and under-represented Arkansans,” said
Gearhart. “We have programs in place that prepare students for college while
they are still in high school and that help provide academic as well as
financial resources to help them flourish once they get to campus. I’m eager to
share what we are doing with others at the summit and to learn from them as
well.”
“President Obama should be commended for
bringing this issue to national attention, for putting the weight of the
federal government behind this initiative and for bringing together the leaders
and organizations that will need to work together to achieve these important
goals.”
The University of Arkansas currently has four programs
specifically aimed at preparing low-income, underrepresented students for
college.
The ACT Academy
is a five-day residential summer program that prepares high school students for
the ACT exam and the college admissions process while living on the U of A
campus.
The Academic
Enrichment Program provides academic support through tutoring, workshops,
early intervention advising, peer and faculty mentoring and experiential
learning opportunities.
iBridge is a
two-week academic program offering an intensive orientation to college-level
literacy and STEM courses to ease the transition to college for incoming
freshmen.
The Engineering
Career Awareness Program is another transitional bridge program that also
provides gap funding support and uses rigorous academic retention strategies for
each year’s group of incoming freshmen.
In addition the university is in the process of developing
three new programs to further its efforts to recruit, retain and graduate low-income
and underrepresented students.
The Commitment to
College Completion Program is a pilot program funded with a $2.1 million
gift from the Walton Family Foundation. The program will provide first
generation and low-income Arkansas students with financial resources to help
meet the cost of attending the university as well as to give them opportunities
for study abroad. The program will also offer academic enrichment and peer and
faculty mentoring.
Expanded Summer
Bridge Program represents the U of A’s commitment to establish a six-week
summer program that will provide transitioning freshmen an in-depth
introduction to college life and learning. Students will live on campus while taking
two credit-bearing classes.
Targeted University
Perspectives Course will be a first-year course focusing on the special
concerns of first-generation and low-income students. The course curriculum will
include intensive advising and career coaching while addressing topics such as
financial aid literacy and cultural sensitivity. Students will also be able to
receive enhanced tutoring support for select academic areas.