FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — During its inaugural meeting Oct. 20, the University of Arkansas Board of Advisors approved three focus efforts for private gift fund raising for need-based scholarships, the Arkansas Alumni Association Cornerstone Campaign to endow the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House and a new softball facility.

The board is led by chair Julian Stewart and vice chair Debbie Walker.

Stewart said: “Approving these three recommendations was an easy decision for the Board of Advisors. The need to fund need-based scholarships is great, and this program’s impact on our students will change lives. In addition, the Alumni House is an invaluable resource for the UA community, and we want to secure the future of this facility. Lastly, the new softball facility will provide a more enjoyable experience for supporters and fans. Without a doubt, 2007 will be an exciting year for the university.”

One program supported by the board is a five-year effort to raise funds for need-based scholarships with the potential to provide up to 600 scholarship awards for students who need financial assistance to continue their education. There is a tremendous demand at the university from students whose financial need might otherwise deny their educational fulfillment at the University of Arkansas.

Donors will have the opportunity to name and endow a scholarship in the college, school or program or to the area of greatest scholarship need. This program will improve the retention rate, lessen the financial strain experienced by many students and their parents, improve the six-year graduation rate and alter the perception that awards are only available for merit-based performance.

G. David Gearhart, vice chancellor for University Advancement, said: “All three programs approved by the board are critical to the university’s future. Need-based scholarships are necessary to retain students who, every year, leave the U of A due to financial struggles and the inability to secure sufficient financial aid. We hope to secure a dollar-for-dollar matching gift, allowing private gifts to reach even more lives.”

The second recommended initiative is the Arkansas Alumni Association Cornerstone Campaign for the Future to endow the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House. The endowment will meet the ongoing maintenance needs of the house as well as current obligations and provide resources to plan for the possible future expansion of this special space. The campaign’s goal is $2 million. Janelle and H. L. Hembree have very generously offered a challenge grant of $500,000 to match the first $500,000 in gifts to this effort.

Mike Macechko, executive director and associate vice chancellor of the Arkansas Alumni Association, said: “The Alumni House is critical to connecting with our graduates and offering a gathering place when they visit campus with their families and friends. The house is one of the most used public gathering facilities on campus and therefore has special maintenance needs. Endowing the house will secure its future and help to accommodate our ever-increasing university community.”

The third program supported by the Board of Advisors is an initiative to build a state-of-the-art softball field for the Lady Razorbacks that will be among the finest in the collegiate sport. This project will include construction of the softball field, dugouts, bullpens and the new stadium. The stadium will house team facilities including a clubhouse area with the Lady’Backs’ locker room, team lounge and meeting room. It will also include the visitors’ locker room, umpires’ locker room, a training room, an equipment room and a coaches’ area on the lower level.

Merchandise, concessions and restrooms will be located on the concourse. The facility will include storage, a ticket office, television broadcast-quality lighting and media facilities, separate areas for radio and television broadcasts, a scoreboard, an indoor hitting facility, a press box, six skyboxes and a grandstand with an entry plaza. The stadium will include permanent seating for 1,200 with additional grass berm seating for 1,000 and the potential for expansion. It will be located south of Walton Arena adjacent to Carlson Terrace and the Lady’Back Soccer Field.

The preliminary cost estimate is approximately $6 million and efforts have begun to secure private gifts for the new facility.  

Director of Women’s Athletics Bev Lewis said: “Creating a softball facility on par with those in the Southeastern Conference will keep our program competitive. The investment in the future by our supporters is crucial for the success of the Lady Razorbacks, and will have an impact on young women at our university for years to come.”

The Board of Advisors serves as the successor organization to the National Development Council and the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century Steering Committee that headed the effort that raised more than $1 billion for the University of Arkansas. It plays a leadership role in the university’s advancement and fund-raising efforts; develops ways and means of expanding public awareness of the needs, programs, growth and development of the university; aids Chancellor White in defining the institutional goals of the university; offers advice on external relations issues; advocates for the university; and helps increase the UA presence across the state of Arkansas and in other states and countries where highly successful alumni are concentrated.