"Under Chancellor Ambrose's plan no longer would students who plan to attend medical school, veterinary school (like my daughter), dental school, pharmacy or law school have a place at the University majors that are most common for those students would no longer exist," stated a comment submitted by Jennifer Billingsley, identified in the message as a "concerned parent" of a Henderson State student.

Henderson State University in fiscal 2019 had an operating loss of $6.1 million in a year where operating costs totaled about $64 million, according to a state Legislative Audit report. They might reexamine their priorities. [18], In October 2019, police responded to a campus chemistry laboratory at the Reynolds Science Center following concerns of chemical odors resulting in the building's closure for several weeks. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC. She was replaced by (Interim) President/Chancellor Jim Borsig, who resigned in early 2021 citing health concerns. Cut your losses and pursue something more productive like a trades school.

Lots of jobs out there for Plumbers and HVAC, Electrician workers that pay well and the country needs such persons. Leach goes on to note in the letter to Ambrose that a general business degree was suggested with many of the School of Business faculty being reassigned. Ambrose on May 2 in a letter to the Arkadelphia campus outlined his proposal to phase out degree programs -- including in English, mathematics and biology -- and eliminate 88 faculty positions. Exec to start this month, says intense focus will be on student retention.

The total eliminations will amount to more than $3.7 million in savings, Leach said. Out of the 67 filled positions, 44 are tenured faculty who can keep their jobs through the 2022-23 academic year. I am a former university president who writes about higher education. The University has known since February that a financial exigency plan was forthcoming. In a letter to the Henderson State University community, Ambrose wrote. They had a board for oversight. Chuck Ambrose was hired in November 2021 as the first permanent head of the institution in over two years. Copyright Talk Business & Politics 2017. An FAQ for the restructuring states that a financial-exigency committee and the chancellor based their decisions on data about academic and net marginal costs, student outcomes and completion, and the labor market and work-force demand. by Paul Gatling([emailprotected]) November 1, 2021 4:21 pm 536 views. The next step is for the recommendations to be voted on by the Arkansas State University System Board of Trustees at a meeting on Thursday, May 5. This school was ran into the ground by the previous administration. A formal introduction event will be scheduled at a later date. This week, Februarys warning became Hendersons new reality, with extensive cuts to personnel and programs now highly likely. Good luck! Henderson State University moved forward this week with a financial exigency plan that involves deep [+] cuts to both tenured faculty and academic programs. Please make sure your computer, VPN, or network allows Administrators agreed to declare a state of financial exigency in February, a step that allows the institution to quickly eliminate academic programs and personnel. ", "However, gutting the majority of the core college faculty is not the answer. Henderson State Chancellor Chuck Ambrose in February began calling for deep cuts and major changes to address a budget shortfall, depleted savings and what he has called a "not sustainable" percentage of student accounts going unpaid. Click on the conversation bubble to join the conversation. [9], The university was renamed for Charles Christopher Henderson, a Trustee and prominent Arkadelphia businessman,[11] on May 23, 1904. ", Ambrose, in his cover letter, also referred to expanding access to college "with strategies that would positively affect affordability and attainment for an increasingly multicultural population.". The university also has a co-ed cheer and pom squad.

Ambrose, who will begin Nov. 15, most recently served as president and CEO of KnowledgeWorks, a national foundation committed to creating the future of learning. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}34750.44N 93331.72W / 34.1306778N 93.0588111W / 34.1306778; -93.0588111, Glen Jones years & subsequent financial crisis, 2019 campus methamphetamine synthesis incident, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, "Office of Institutional Research | University of Arkansas", "College Navigator - Henderson State University", "Henderson State University Visual Identity and Brand Standards", "Henderson State University Encyclopedia of Arkansas", https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/henderson-state-university-1098, "Henderson's Financial Nightmare Makes National News", "Captain Charles C. Henderson House, Arkadelphia, Clark Country", "HSU trustees OK beginning merger with ASU System", "ASU System Board of Trustees Approves Henderson Academic Restructuring Plan", "Faculty and students opposing Henderson State budget cuts plan", "Henderson State University's Financial Exigency To Include Deep Faculty And Academic Program Cuts", "University Seeks to Cut 67 Faculty, 44 of Them Tenured", "Henderson State Faculty Senate vote "no confidence" in administration after budget cuts released", "Chemistry professors charged with making meth in school lab after report of strange odor", "Ex-Henderson State University professors plead not guilty to making methamphetamine", "2 Arkansas Chemistry Professors Face Charges of Making Meth", "Office of the President: About Bob Fisher", University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Henderson_State_University&oldid=1096304328, Public liberal arts colleges in the United States, Educational institutions established in 1890, Buildings and structures in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, Public universities and colleges in Arkansas, Arkansas State University System campuses, All articles with bare URLs for citations, Articles with bare URLs for citations from January 2022, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox university with the nickname alias, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Arkadelphia Methodist College (1890 1904), Henderson State Teachers College (1929 1967), This page was last edited on 3 July 2022, at 16:18. So many of us have worked so hard and pay at Henderson has never been good, its never been competitive, Engman said.

The people who have persisted as faculty here have done so, not for the money, but for the love of the job and the love of the students.. Ambrose is experienced in creating efficient and sustainable universities that are focused on student success. Print Headline: Henderson State gets new chancellor, Copyright 2022, Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC. The following programs are being recommended for reductions: Eliminate all part-time/adjunct positions. Tagged as: Education, Henderson State University. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. ARKADELPHIA -- Trustees on Thursday approved academic restructuring at Henderson State University, but not before receiving written comments from alumni and others who opposed the elimination of some 25 academic degree programs. How One Community College Is Reversing Retention Declines, Here Are Fiskes Best Buy Colleges For 2023.

At that time, Ambrose said the university faced a projected shortfall of more than $12 million, moving into next fiscal year, a problem driven by years of enrollment losses. In January 2022, the university, facing over $12 million in debt, declared financial exigency and announced plans to begin cuts to personnel and programs in an effort to "right-size" the university and avert the university's closure. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. The board also will receive the financial exigency committees recommendations. Following Jones' resignation, then-general counsel Elaine Kneebone was named acting president. The most recent retention data showed Henderson State as having the state's lowest fall-to-fall retention rate among public universities. In a letter to Chancellor Charles Ambrose, the committee on Wednesday made the following suggestions for cuts: The eliminations will amount to more than $1.7 million, according to Catherine Leach, chair of the Faculty Senate-appointed financial exigency committee. A copy of his employment agreement released under the state's public disclosure law shows that he's also set to receive $25,000 in deferred compensation every year, with the amount pro-rated for the current fiscal year, which began July 1. Elaine Kneebone, General Counsel for Henderson State University, served as the acting president. The financial exigency process has pushed us to think holistically about organizational size and shape, to align our academic portfolio to available resources and workforce needs, and to forge community partnerships and instructional capacity with ASU System institutions and others to re-engineer ourselves to be a student-ready college.. "We will utilize a combination of instruction on the Henderson campus and in some cases may work with our educational partners," the university states on its website to describe how students will be supported in programs being phased out. ", "Dr. Ambrose is experienced in creating efficient and sustainable universities that are focused on student success," said Welch, a former president of Henderson State. The plan followed years of financial turmoil that resulted in hiring freezes, spending cuts, and budget deficits. The next step is for the chancellor to provide financial exigency recommendations to the Arkansas State University System Board of Trustees for consideration. Sometimes you dont always get your way and have to suck it up to survive. The university "simply can no longer financially support every program," Hankins said. Jay Nixon, formerly governor of Missouri, in a statement released by Henderson State praised Ambrose as "universally liked and admired" by community members. Ambrose's plan states that while degree programs are being phased out, academic disciplines included in those programs are to "continue to be incorporated through the general education and interdisciplinary studies curriculum to enhance outcomes for all students. In addition, Henderson State faces total debt of about $78 million, with a debt service payment due this year of more than $6 million. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. The HSU board of directors voted in October 2019 to merge with the Arkansas State University System. Officials at Henderson State University, in Arkadelphia, Ark., shared the proposal on Monday, along with a letter from the chancellor, Chuck Ambrose. The financial exigency committee has made its recommendations to the chancellor. We will do everything possible to help these individuals during their transitioning.. State officials then approved a $6 million loan, the first such loan from the state's Budget Stabilization Trust Fund to a public higher education institution since 2009, when the University of Central Arkansas received such a loan, a state spokesman has said. "I have heard [Ambose] say time and again, 'You have to decide which parts of Henderson are worth saving.'

Will New EU Law Begin Holding Social Media To Account? Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Where were they? How in the world will Henderson be able to attract students without faculty on campus?" I guess they just thought it would be sporty to contend with the incompetence of the previous administration and board. Thats when new Henderson State Chancellor Chuck Ambrose, acknowledging that the school had faced several years of financial challenges, sent a letter to the university community indicating that he planned to begin the process of declaring the university to be in a state of financial exigency. Now I love Reddie sports but that is not the reason for a university to exist [7] Henderson has an undergraduate enrollment of around 3,000 students. Henderson is a tight-knit family and community, so we understand this is difficult. You can also sign up for daily e-mail news delivered every morning to your inbox. The other two were Jay Gatrell, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Eastern Illinois University, and Alberto Ruiz, from 2019 until earlier this year vice president for academic affairs at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2022, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. As someone in one of those programs that seems destined for complete elimination, I find it shocking, said James Engman, a professor of biology. Does HSU have a new board now or are still suffering from the one of the previous Administration.? Busines is business no matter who is conducting it. Follow this author to improve your content experience. Ambrose will earn a yearly salary of $250,000 and live in Henderson State's Newberry House, the university announced. However, nursing and education stated they may need some of those faculty lines for student intern supervision or clinicals. The announcement left some faculty members devastated and wondering about the universitys future. Whats wrong with this picture? The Forbes Worlds Most Influential CMOs List: 2022, Dartmouth Picks Sian Leah Beilock To Be Its Next President, Blueprint For The Great Reset: Five Themes For Higher Educations New Imperative, Third Way Updates Its Economic Mobility Index Ratings Of American Colleges, States Partner On Micro-Credentials To Personalize Teacher Learning, Mendi Powers Brain Health Education Training Game. It is just heartbreaking, Eoff said, to see those programs be put on the chopping block., letter from the chancellor, Chuck Ambrose. Of those 67 filled positions, 44 are held by tenured professors. A declaration of "financial exigency," as specified in Henderson State's faculty handbook, allows for the elimination of tenured faculty positions, though some faculty members have said the university has not followed proper procedures. As of the spring semester this year, Henderson State had 237 instructional positions, including 157 full-time positions, 47 part-time or adjunct faculty, 29 staff or administrators who teach and four noninstitutional employees considered a part of the instructional position total, said Tina Hall, the university's vice chancellor of advancement. Now theyve hired a high dollar head hunter to come in and bail them out. Henderson has long been considered a liberal-arts university, but the program cuts could change that. [14][15][16] The university cut 67 faculty positions, of which 44 were tenured. The proposal calls for eliminating 88 faculty positions, including 56 tenured ones, 44 of which are currently filled, for a projected savings of $5.3 million through the 2024 fiscal year. According to an HSU news release, Ambroses annual salary will be $250,000. Several other commenters also expressed opposition to the elimination of programs. All rights reserved. Please read our Terms of Use or contact us. [12], On October 24, 2019, the Henderson State Board of Trustees voted unanimously to join the Arkansas State University System based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Before his time in Missouri, Ambrose was president of the private Pfeiffer University in North Carolina from 1998-2010.

Going forward, as Henderson tries to redefine its academic mission, Ambrose has called upon it not only to eliminate its fiscal deficit, but also to improve its student success rates, and refocus its resources to selected academic priorities. The university's football team's home games are played at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium in Arkadelphia. Two chemistry professors who were described as having been acting awkwardly were arrested and charged with manufacturing methamphetamine.[19][20][21]. Box 13Arkadelphia, AR 71923870-403-7478editor@arkadelphian.com, The Arkadelphian LLC 2022Powered by WordPress, News in Arkadelphia and Clark County Arkansas. "I saw firsthand how his leadership delivered results and got folks working together," Nixon said. While in Missouri, Ambrose received a Governor's Economic Development Advancement Award for his role in creating a collaborative campus model known as the Missouri Innovation Campus that involved working with various employers and educational entities. The rate was 59.9% for its 2019 cohort of 690 students, down from a rate of 61.3% for its 2018 cohort of 840 students. The couple have two adult children and now live in South Carolina. How would Henderson do that? How did that work out? Carolyn Eoff, a math professor, has worked at Henderson for 27 years. Henderson State University's percentage of students receiving Pell grants -- 43% -- was the fourth-highest among public, four-year universities in the state in 2019-20, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Chuck Welch, president of the ASU System, in a statement praised Ambrose as a "nationally renowned educator and innovator. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2022, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The contract specifies that Ambrose may be terminated for "just cause," including for violating polices and procedures set by the ASU System's board of trustees. The faculty cuts would ultimately save about $5.3 million. Arkansas headlines delivered to you on demand. The university is a member in the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Great American Conference since the 201112 academic year. If you continue to experience issues, contact us at 202-466-1032 or help@chronicle.com. We are unable to fully display the content of this page. Ambrose was among three finalists announced last month for the chancellor's job. Kris and I are excited to become a part of the Henderson State University campus community and the numerous people they serve in Arkansas, Ambrose said in a statement.

And Ambrose continues to believe, as he told me recently, that reimagining Henderson will allow us to redefine the value proposition for public higher education in Arkansas in terms of student successaccess, opportunity, affordability, completion, and alignment of degrees to workforce needs., 2022 Forbes Media LLC. Print Headline: Letters to Henderson State University say cuts to faculty, educational offerings are a mistake. The proposed cuts are not the first changes university administrators have sought in order to restructure and save money.