Serving Arkansans: Chancellor Robinson Visits Community Colleges to Support Transfer Students

Chancellor Charles Robinson and Jeremy Battjes, vice chancellor for student affairs, tour National Park College with Wade Derden, president of NPC.

Chancellor Charles Robinson with Chancellor Lisa Willenberg of UA Community College - Morrilton.

From L to R: Chancellor Summer DeProw, UA - Pulaski Technical College, Provost Ana Hunt, UA - Pulaski Technical College, Suzanne McCray, Jeremy Battjes, Chancellor Charles Robinson

Chancellor Charles Robinson with Chancellor Christine Holt of UA Community College Hope-Texarkana.

Rebeca Haley

Discussing the transfer experience at University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton.

Staying true to the university's mission of serving students from all parts of the state, Chancellor Charles Robinson, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Jeremy Battjes, Vice Provost for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions Suzanne McCray and others recently visited several Arkansas community colleges to discuss transfer pathways to the U of A. 

The two-day trip included stops at three U of A System schools: U of A Community College at Hope-Texarkana, U of A Community College at Morrilton and U of A Pulaski Technical College. It also included a visit to National Park College in Hot Springs.  

"Meeting the needs of transfer students from across Arkansas is a key part of our land-grant mission, and our state's community colleges are crucial partners in that effort," Robinson said. "This trip allowed us to discuss challenges students face during the transfer process, ongoing initiatives and programs to address those challenges, and ways we can continue to improve the transfer experience. It was wonderful to meet with so many educators who share our passion for preparing Arkansas students for lifelong success." 

Each year, roughly 20 percent of all incoming U of A students are transfer students, and in 2023, 23.7 percent of U of A graduates started as transfer students. More than 4,000 transfer applications have already been submitted for the fall semester, including nearly 2,000 from Arkansans, with almost 900 of those from community college students within the state. 

"Transfer students are a vital segment of our student body, and these visits underscored the outstanding work our state's community colleges do to prepare their students to thrive at four-year schools like ours," McCray said. "We were inspired by the enthusiasm and commitment we witnessed at each college." 

The mid-July visits occurred just weeks after the university announced that it had reached a significant milestone in its efforts to ensure access and affordability for Arkansas students by providing more than $3 million in support through the Arkansas Transfer Achievement Scholarship. The scholarship allows students who graduate from U of A System community colleges to transfer to the U of A while continuing to pay the same tuition rate they paid at their two-year institutions. 

In addition to Robinson, Battjes and McCray, the U of A contingent taking part in the community college visits included Rebeca Haley, director of state relations and engagement, and three members of the Transfer Central team: Chad Cox, associate director; Natt Watthanaphuti, senior admission counselor; and Alex Mardian, admission counselor.