FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The three committees tasked to review documents submitted by the academic departments, as well as many centers, highlighting strengths, challenges, opportunities, and future goals completed their summer task – and presented their findings to the chancellor, marking the completion of this phase of the campus planning process. All three committees identified and prioritized common threads found in these documents and are helping to shape overarching campus priorities and goal-setting for the years ahead.

Simultaneously, the academic deans completed a similar process, reviewing the reports and making recommendations based on their priorities.

The three committees were focused on the university’s mission areas:

• Teaching and Learning
• Research and Discovery
• Outreach and Engagement.

A team leader was designated for each committee to facilitate discussions.

A student group also convened in July, reviewed the same summary material, and provided their own set of priorities of the institution.

Departmental Summaries (29.3M)

Teaching and Learning Report

Research and Discovery Report (Updated Sept. 30)

Outreach and Engagement Report

Student Body Report

Reports from each committee will be merged and presented to the campus in the coming weeks. By mid-fall, a more comprehensive document will articulate the university’s institutional priorities and goals, from which the colleges and units can then begin to map out their goals.

“Each of these committees did yeoman’s work on sorting through a tremendous amount of material,” said Chancellor Joe Steinmetz. “They thoughtfully discussed, evaluated, and thoroughly organized their findings with great efficiency and attention to the institution’s strengths – and an eye toward how we can get better as an institution. I am grateful for the effort and very appreciative of the time spent over the summer on this important service project.”

The reports will now be synthesized and reviewed by the members of the executive committee prior to presenting draft goals to the campus for feedback.

The committees and their members are:

Teaching and Learning 

• Molly Rapert, Sam M. Walton College of Business
• Frank Jacobus, Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design
• Michael Hevel, team lead, College of Education and Health Professions
• Richard Cassady, College of Engineering
• Donna L. Graham, Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences
• Tim Zou, University Libraries
• Tim Tarvin, School of Law
• Lori Holyfield, Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences
• Valerie Hunt, Fulbright College and Graduate School and International Education
• Luis Fernando Restrepo, Fulbright College
• Susan Slinkard, Division of Finance and Administration
• Marsha Norvell, Division of Student Affairs

Research and discovery 

• Scot Burton, Walton College
• Jennifer Webb, team lead, Fay Jones School
• Conra Gist, Education and Health Professions 
• Paul Millet, Engineering 
• Dan Rainey, Bumpers College 
• Melody Herr, University Libraries
• Sara Gosman, School of Law 
• Lynn Jacobs, Fulbright College 
• Doug Rhoads, Fulbright College and Graduate School and International Education  
• Julie Stenken, Fulbright College   
• Chris Frala, Finance and Administration
• Amy Schlesing, Division of Advancement

Outreach and engagement

• Mark Arnold, Fulbright College and Graduate School and International Education 
• David Joliffe, Fulbright College 
• Patricia Herzog, team lead, Fulbright College 
• Carl Smith, Fay Jones School 
• Tom Kippenbrock, Education and Health Professions 
• Scott Osborne, Engineering 
• John Kent, Walton College 
• Kalli Vimr, University Libraries 
• Jeremy Powell, Bumpers College 
• Cyndi Nance, School of Law   
• Terrance Boyd, staff, Honors College 
• Angela Oxford, staff, Center for Community Engagement