College of Education and Health Professions, UA-Rich Mountain Expand 2+2 Partnership

The College of Education and Health Professions and the University of Arkansas Rich Mountain (UARM) are expanding their ongoing partnership by adding two new 2+2 agreements for students exploring careers in exercise science and recreation and sport management.

The new agreements, which will take effect beginning in the fall 2026 semester, enable students to earn an associate's degree at UARM before transferring to the U of A Fayetteville to complete bachelor's degrees in exercise science or recreation and sport management through the College of Education and Health Professions.

"The expansion of our 2+2 partnership with UARM directly aligns with our shared goals of serving the people of Arkansas," said Dean Kate Mamiseishvili. "Through this partnership, we're helping prepare future generations of exercise scientists and recreation and sport management professionals who will make a meaningful impact in communities across the state."

Mamiseishvili and several team members visited UARM in 2025 to finalize their first 2+2 agreement, which established a transfer pathway for students seeking a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. To finalize the expanded partnership, UARM Chancellor Phillip Wilson recently brought his team, including Vice Chancellor for Academics Kyle Carpenter and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Chad Fielding, to Fayetteville for a campus visit.

Their visit included a tour of the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation's Exercise Science Research Center and conversations with faculty about students' experiences in both the Exercise Science and Recreation and Sport Management programs. The delegation from UARM then joined with college leadership for a formal signing of the agreements with Chancellor Charles Robinson and Provost Indrajeet Chaubey.

"These new agreements offer fantastic pathways for our students, especially when you consider the game-changing impact of downhill mountain biking on Rich Mountain," said Chancellor Wilson, an alumnus of the College of Education and Health Professions' Higher Education doctoral program. "Our communities are going to need graduates in both Exercise Science and Recreation and Sports Management. The timing of these agreements couldn't be better."

"This partnership reflects the U of A's land-grant commitment to expanding educational access and serving Arkansans," said U of A Chancellor Charles Robinson. "Creating clear, affordable pathways from Rich Mountain to Fayetteville allows more students to earn degrees in high-demand fields that improve health and quality of life across our state and beyond." 

The new agreements allow students to spend their first two years at UARM earning either an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science while also taking courses that will transfer to the U of A Fayetteville. After transferring, students will be required to complete an additional 60 hours to earn their Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Sport Management or Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science.

Through the Arkansas Transfer Achievement Scholarship, students who earn an associate's degree can transfer from UARM and take courses at the U of A Fayetteville toward their bachelor's degree at the same tuition rate as their two-year school.

These 2+2 agreements help both the college and the university continue serving the state while expanding access to college degrees for generations of Arkansans.