The U of A’s 150 Forward strategic planning process begins today, with the Achieving Research Excellence Town Hall from 1-2:30 p.m. in the E.J. Ball Courtroom in the School of Law.

It is the first of three campuswide town hall discussions that will focus on advancing the university’s three strategic priority areas: student success, research excellence and the university’s status as an employer of choice. Other strategic planning activities are happening in parallel, designed to examine the state of the university and assist with setting goals and objectives. 

Chancellor Charles Robinson, along with other university leaders and subject matter experts, will participate in each of the 150 Forward town hall sessions. Margaret Sova McCabe, interim vice chancellor for research and innovation, will moderate all three sessions. 

All of the town halls will be held at the School of Law’s E.J. Ball Courtroom and will also be accessible via the U of A YouTube channel. Suggestions for topics and/or questions can be submitted by email to feedback@uark.edu in advance and/or during each of the three sessions.  

Achieving Research Excellence – Wednesday, Feb. 15, from 1-2:30 p.m.   
In-person:  School of Law – E.J. Ball Courtroom 
Online: U of A YouTube channel 

The Achieving Research Excellence Town Hall is primarily designed for campus researchers and staff who support the university’s growing research enterprise.   

The university is partnering with EAB, a higher education research group, to help facilitate several activities supporting the 150 Forward strategic planning process including a goal-setting workshop for campus leaders and providing a “toolkit” with resources for benchmarking and best practices. During the next few months, the university will initiate the town hall series, multiple workshops and other activities related to developing the university’s strategic plan.  

Additional planned activities throughout the semester leading into April will include a goal-setting session and the development of strategies by the colleges, schools and units seeking direction to align their plans to the overarching goals.    

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.