2010 Commission To Make The Case For Building The U Of A Into A Nationally Competitive Research University

(Editor’s Note: The unusual length of this release is due to the listing of all Commission members with titles, affiliations, and hometowns).

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. --- University of Arkansas Chancellor John A. White has formed a blue ribbon commission of 92 leaders from business, government, and academe to prepare a report making the case for the benefits that will accrue to the state from building the U of A into a nationally competitive research university.

The "2010 Commission," as the panel is called, will examine why the University of Arkansas should pursue that goal as well as the strategies and increased financial resources needed to realize it. The commission will be chaired by Reynie Rutledge, chairman of First Security Bank in Searcy and a 1971 alumnus of the University.

"Basically, we will ask commission members to analyze the University’s situation in both statewide and national contexts and then prepare a report that makes the case for Arkansas’ having a research university that is nationally competitive," White said. "We hope that the Commission will complete its work by early November.

"We are deeply grateful to Reynie Rutledge and all of the 2010 Commission members—each distinguished in his or her field—for their willingness to help move the University of Arkansas forward," he added.

Rutledge said, " I am excited about this opportunity to serve the University and, by extension, the state of Arkansas. The enthusiastic response from the nearly 100 distinguished Arkansans who have come on board the 2010 Commission is encouraging. They already see a much larger potential for the University of Arkansas in making our state more prosperous, and they have graciously volunteered their time, energy, and wisdom to help the University change for the better."

Last year, the University’s academic leadership set forth a vision statement for the U of A: to emerge as a nationally competitive, student-centered research University serving Arkansas and the world.

The Commission will test that vision in terms of what is best for the citizens of Arkansas.

"We believe, in the 21^st Century, the winners and losers among the states will be decided on where the smartest people are, not where the cheapest labor can be found," White noted.

"A nationally competitive research university is an essential ingredient in the formula for making our state competitive in the new global economy," he added. "We believe the University of Arkansas can become that critical resource. While we have made rapid progress in recent years, a significant change must occur if Arkansas is to enjoy the same economic prosperity as states having nationally competitive research universities. Since the 'coin of the realm’ has become knowledge, investments in higher education are essential for states to be globally competitive.

"In comparing Arkansas with Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, and, most recently, Kentucky, we noted that an inflection point occurred when leaders in those states recognized the role higher education plays in creating economic prosperity for all," White observed. "The economic outlook for the 21^st Century is bright for states having

nationally competitive, publicly supported research universities; the converse is true for those that have not made the necessary investments in their research universities."

The objective of the report, to be entitled "Making the Case: The Impact of the University of Arkansas on the Future of the State of Arkansas," will be to communicate to all Arkansans the benefits they will enjoy when the University of Arkansas realizes its vision.

"We will want the Commission to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our operations at the University, as that will only strengthen our case with state government," White said.

In the main, the report will be comprehensive and forward-looking. In building the case for the resources required to realize the University’s vision, fixed capital and operating capital will be estimated. The level of support planned for scholarships and fellowships will be shown, including that portion which will be state supported and that which will be privately supported. The report will indicate the size of the faculty, staff and student body required, as well as the residential housing planned for undergraduate and graduate students. Classroom and laboratory needs, as well as other facility needs, will be detailed as well.

"It is important to consider this effort the beginning of a 10-year journey for the State of Arkansas, rather than a quick-fix," White said. "We anticipate the efforts of the 2010 Commission will have the same effect as a snowball rolling down a mountain. The efforts of the Commission can be the catalyst that causes a dramatic transition in the state's support of higher education in general and the University of Arkansas in particular."

Members of the 2010 Commission are:

• Sara Agee, Representative, District 9, Prairie Grove
• John Ahlen, Executive Director, Arkansas Science and Technology Authority, Little Rock
• Phil Anderson, Partner, Williams & Anderson, LLP, and Past President, American Bar Association, Little Rock
• Frank Anthony, Superintendent, Pine Bluff Public Schools
• James Argue, Senator, District 15, Little Rock
• David Banks, Chairman and CEO, Beverly Enterprises, Inc., Fort Smith
• Dick Barclay, Director, Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Little Rock
• Mike Beebe, Senator, District 28, Searcy
• Richard Bell, President and CEO, Richland Foods, Inc., Stuttgart
• David Bisbee, Senator, District 21, Rogers
• Pat Parker Bond, Representative, District 64, Jacksonville
• Cindy Brinkley, President, Southwestern Bell - Arkansas, Little Rock
• Jo Ellen Carson, Representative, District 13, Fort Smith
• Herschel Cleveland, Representative, District 26, Paris
• Walter "Buddy" Coleman, Jr., Chairman Emeritus and District Manager, Coleman Dairy, Inc., Little Rock
• William T. Dillard II, CEO, Dillard’s, Inc., Little Rock
• Lewis Epley, Jr., Attorney and University of Arkansas Trustee Emeritus, Holiday Island
• Jon Fitch, Senator, District 26, Hindsville
• Joe Ford, Chairman and CEO, ALLTEL Corp., Little Rock
• Barbara Gates, Superintendent, Crossett Public Schools
• Benny Gooden, Superintendent, Fort Smith Public Schools
• Edward Allen Gordon, Senator, District 25, Morrilton
• Sybil Jordan Hampton, President, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Little Rock
• Ron Harrison, Attorney, Ledbetter, Cogbill, Arnold & Harrison, Fort Smith, and President, Arkansas Bar Association
• H. Lawson Hembree IV, President, Sugar Hill Farms, Inc., and Trans-American Tire, Fort Smith
• Jim Hill, Senator, District 5, Nashville
• Henry Hodges, Attorney, former Board Member for the City of Little Rock, Little Rock. And former State Representative, Little Rock
• Kaneaster Hodges, Jr., former U.S. Senator and Attorney, Newport
• Steven Brian Jones, Representative, District 95, West Memphis
• Harold Korrell, Chairman, President and CEO, Southwestern Energy Co., Fayetteville
• Bart Lindsey, President and CEO, First National Bank, Helena
• Jim Lindsey, CEO, Lindsey Management Co., Inc., and University of Arkansas Trustee, Fayetteville
• Jodie Mahony, Senator, District 2, El Dorado
• W. Percy Malone, Representative, District 36, Arkadelphia
• David R. Malone, Senator, District 35, Fayetteville
• Donna McLarty, Little Rock
• Thomas "Mack" McLarty, Chairman and CEO, the McLarty Companies, Inc., Little Rock
• Raymond Miller, Physician, C&P Program, Fort Roots Hospital, North Little Rock
• Julia Peck Mobley, Chair and CEO, Commercial National Bank, Texarkana
• Jerry Moody, Superintendent, Texarkana Public Schools
• Charles Morgan, Chairman and CEO, Acxion Corp., Little Rock
• Robert Madison Murphy, Chairman, Murphy Oil Co., El Dorado
• Steve Napper, Representative, District 54, Little Rock
• Keller Noggle, Executive Director, Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators, Little Rock
• Frank Oldham, Jr., Chairman, Chairman and CEO, American State Bank Corp., and University of Arkansas Trustee Emeritus, Jonesboro
• Barbara Pardue, Executive Director, Arkansas Economic Development Commission, Little Rock
• David Pryor, Director, Institute of Politics, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, former Arkansas Governor and U.S. Senator, Little Rock
• Stanley Reed, Vice President, Arkansas Farm Bureau, Farmer, and University of Arkansas Trustee, Marianna
• John A. Riggs IV, Senator, District 16, Little Rock
• Dennis Ron Robertson, Executive Vice President, Arkansas Farm Bureau, Little Rock
• Ron Russell, President and CEO, State Chamber of Commerce, Little Rock
• Reynie Rutledge, Chairman, First Security Bank, Searcy (and Chairman, 2010 Commision)
• Charles Scharlau III, Business Executive, Southwestern Energy Co., and University of Arkansas Trustee, Fayetteville
• H. Lee Scott, President and CEO, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Bentonville
• Martin Roger Smith, Representative, District 32, Hot Springs Village
• Larry Stephens, President and CEO, Mid-South Engineering Corp., Hot Springs
• William H. Sutton, Managing Partner, Friday, Eldredge and Clark, Little Rock
• Kirk Thompson, President, J.B. Hunt, Inc., Lowell
• John Tyson, President, CEO and Chairman, Tyson Foods, Inc., Springdale
• Gus Vratsinas, Chairman and CEO, Vratsinas Construction Co., Little Rock
• William L. Walker Jr., Senator, District 17, Little Rock
• Robert J. White, Representative, District 37, Camden
• Larry Wilson, President and CEO, First Arkansas Bank and Trust, Jacksonville
• Mike Wilson, CEO, Lee Wilson and Co., Wilson
• Roger Wright, Vice President and General Manager of Arkansas Operations, Eastman Chemical Co., Batesville

Commission members from the University of Arkansas are:

• Eddie Armstrong, President, Associated Student Government
• Merlin Augustine, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Finance and Administration
• Lonnie Beard, Associate Dean, School of Law
• Walter Bottje, Professor of Poultry Science
• Lindsay Bournes, Vice President, Associated Student Government
• Sidney Burris, Associate Professor of English
• Scot Burton, Professor and Wal-Mart Chair of Marketing and Transportation
• Mark Cochran, Professor and Head, Agricultural Economics
• Tim de Noble, Assistant Professor of Architecture
• Linda Dizney, President, Staff Senate, and Assistant to the Dean, Sam M. Walton College of Business Administration
• Aicha Elshabini, Professor and Head, Electrical Engineering, and Interim Head, Computer Science and Computer Engineering
• John English, Professor and Head, Industrial Engineering
• Reed Greenwood, Associate Dean, College of Education and Health Professions
• Carol Goforth, Professor of Law
• Robyn Goforth, Senior Graduate Assistant, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Barbara Hinton, Professor and Chair, Vocational and Adult Education
• John King, Chair, Faculty Senate, and Professor of Sociology
• Fred Limp, Director, Center for Advanced Spatial Technology and Professor of Anthropology
• Matt Lindsay, Past Vice President, Associated Student Government, and First-Year Law Student
• Otto Loewer, Dean, College of Engineering
• Bonnie Swayze, Administrative Assistant, Industrial Engineering
• Bob Smith, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (and Executive Secretary for the 2010 Commission)
• Kathy Van Laningham, Associate Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, and Director of Institutional Research
• Doyle Williams, Dean, Sam M. Walton College of Business Administration
• Lisa Williams, Professor and Oren Harris Chair of Logistics
• Randall Woods, Dean, J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences
• Joyce Wroten, Vice President, University Relations and Administration, University of Arkansas System, Little Rock

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