U of A Chancellor Steinmetz to Make Week-Long Bus Tour of the State

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — University of Arkansas Chancellor Joe Steinmetz will spend five days on the road in May traveling Arkansas to get to know his new home state and the diverse needs and interests of Arkansans.

Steinmetz is spending his first five months as chancellor meeting with all 75 academic departments and centers, hundreds of faculty, students and staff at the U of A, and he continues to visit with state leaders and alumni to sharpen his vision of the future for the state’s flagship institution.

“I want to learn more about the people and the places that make Arkansas so unique,” Steinmetz said. “The best way to do that is to visit them. I don’t expect to learn everything in five days – we certainly won’t be seeing everything there is to see. But this marks a beginning. I hope to make this a regular event.”

The five-day bus tour will depart from the Fayetteville campus at 7 a.m. Monday, May 16. The schedule includes visits in the following communities:

• May 16:  Fort Smith, Hope and Texarkana.
• May 17: El Dorado and Stuttgart.
• May 18: Stuttgart, Helena-West Helena and Newport.
• May 19: Searcy and Little Rock
• May 20: Little Rock, Conway, Altus and return to Fayetteville.

Steinmetz will be traveling with his wife Sandy and members of his leadership team. There will be press availability at every location.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.