ChancellorAugust 16, 2024

Welcome Back

Written By: Terisa Riley

Dear colleagues and students,

Happy Friday before classes begin. This has been a very exciting week at UAFS, and I can speak for all of our staff and administrators when I say how glad we are to have everyone back on campus.

Cub Camp: 386 of our 918 freshmen are busy making friends, learning about resources, and sporting their colorful pride. It is always so much fun to spend time with this exuberant group of first year students, and I encourage you all to pop in and say hello during their activities today and tomorrow.

Move-In: Approximately 800 students will be living on campus this fall and many of them will be moving in today and tomorrow. Thank you to the dozens of volunteers who are making this process so smooth for students and families.

Faculty: We welcomed 12 new faculty to campus during our new faculty orientation, and hosted University Days where we provided training and information to all faculty. Thank you to Provost Shadow Robinson, Shirley Carter, and Carol Hill for your hard work to organize these important events.

Campus Construction Updates: UAFS leaders have been busy preparing for this fall and for the future.

• New furniture has been ordered for the retail dining area in the Campus Center. We expect new tables and booths to be delivered in the next 6-8 weeks. Thanks to Wesley Hooks, Director of the Campus Center, and Lance Killough, Director of Procurement, for their hard work to select and order the new furniture which is being purchased using the Campus Center Fee revenues.
• Construction fencing has been placed to the south and west of Windgate Art and Design in anticipation of the addition of almost 20,000 sq. ft. to the Book Arts, Gallery, and other spaces throughout the building. Construction should be substantially complete by January 2026.
• In the area between Baldor and Windgate Art and Design, the City of Fort Smith is constructing a new sewer line.

Board of Trustees Retreat: Earlier this week, I attended the annual retreat of the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees. We had excellent conversations about “systemness,” which is the concept of multi-campus university systems taking actions to benefit the whole and one another. We discussed legal issues, Name Image and Likeness (NIL) in athletics, our collective bond rating for taking out debt, and a variety of other topics relevant to our institutions. The Trustees are highly engaged and developing strategies to strengthen UAFS and the UA System. I was grateful for the time to be with them in this important dialogue.

Welcome Week: UAFS has one of the most robust welcome weeks I have ever experienced. It is so amazing to see the variety of university and community organizations that are happy to welcome us back to a great new school year. I encourage you to attend events like the Howdy Dance, Volleyball Blue and White Scrimmage, Block Party, and so many more. These events offer great opportunities to meet new people and get involved on campus.

I hope all of you spend time this weekend resting before the first day of classes. Stay cool and hydrated!

My best always,

Terisa Riley

Terisa C. Riley, Ph.D.

Chancellor

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