University of Central Arkansas

Writer and philosopher Andrei Codrescu will be the first lecturer in UCA's Spring 2009 Artists in Residence program Feb. 3-4.

Codrescu is a poet, novelist, essayist, teacher and lecturer.

"We are ecstatic to have Codrescu visiting our campus," said Mark Spitzer, assistant professor of writing at UCA and the faculty sponsor of the residency. "Andrei might be connected to the Surreal tradition, but his writing and thinking and sense of humor go straight to what is most vital to our communal codependence. Andrei doesn't mess around."

Codrescu will begin his residency by answering questions from students and faculty on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 1:30 p.m. in Thompson Hall room 331.

The University of Central Arkansas today announced that it has initiated a year-long, campus-wide effort to study its athletics program as part of the NCAA Division I athletics certification program. The study will cover academic integrity, governance, and commitment to rules compliance, as well as a commitment to gender, diversity, and student-athlete well-being.

While academic accreditation is common in colleges and universities, this program focuses solely on certification of athletics programs. Following a pilot project, the NCAA Division I membership overwhelmingly supported the program and its standards at the 1993 NCAA Convention. At the 1997 Convention, the NCAA Division I membership voted to change the frequency of athletics certification from once every five years to once every 10 years. The current self-study will be the first in the certification process for the University.

The athletics certification program's purpose is to help ensure integrity in the institution's athletics operations. The program opens up athletics to the rest of the university/college community and to the public. Institutions will benefit by increasing campus-wide awareness and knowledge of the athletics program, confirming its strengths and developing plans to improve areas of concern.

Shelley Mehl has been appointed UCA's interim vice president for institutional advancement. The appointment took effect on Jan. 1, 2009, and Mehl will remain in the position until a permanent replacement is selected.

As assistant vice president for institutional advancement at UCA, Mehl has directed the internal and external fund raising operations of UCA's advancement office since December 2006.

Before that, she was associate vice president for advancement and director of development at Hendrix College. Mehl also has served as executive director of the United Way of Faulkner County, and was the executive director of the Community Foundation of Faulkner County.

Mehl has been an elected representative on the Conway City Council since 2006, and is a past president of the Conway Rotary Club. She is a member of the Conway Downtown Partnership and has served on the board of directors of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, the Conway Symphony Orchestra, Habitat for Humanity of Faulkner County, and the Conway Interfaith Clinic.

David Cook, the recent winner of television's American Idol, will perform at UCA on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. in the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall.

Tickets will be available for $10 for UCA students beginning Monday, Feb. 2. The general public will be able to purchase tickets for $15 beginning Wednesday, Feb. 4.

Tickets can be purchased at the Reynolds Box Office from Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or they can be purchased online at www.uca.edu/tickets beginning Feb. 4.

For more information, call the Reynolds Box Office at 450-3265. This event is sponsored by the UCA Student Activities Board.

Little Rock accountants Kevin and Michele Kemp have made a $25,000 pledge to the University of Central Arkansas Centennial Campaign and directed their gift to the university’s $18 million new College of Business building.

"We appreciate the education we received from UCA which assisted us in obtaining the rewarding careers we both enjoy," Kevin said. "This is our way of saying thank you and helping UCA to continue making differences in other people’s lives."

The 70,000-square-foot building, which is under construction, is located behind Wingo Hall, facing Donaghey. The new building will include a 160 seat auditorium, eight tiered lecture halls, two flat classrooms, two computer labs, and 61 faculty offices. Additionally the new building will feature numerous conference rooms, a graduate lounge, and space for each of the college's centers and institutes. The building is scheduled to open in the spring of 2010.

The University of Central Arkansas today announced the names of 886 students who qualified for the undergraduate Presidential Scholars List based on their academic performance during the Fall 2008 semester.

"Qualifying as a UCA Presidential Scholar is a remarkable achievement, because it requires a perfect grade point average," said UCA Provost Lance Grahn. "We are proud that so many UCA students are performing at such a high level, and that is a testament to their hard work and the supportive learning environment on campus."

Recognition as a UCA Presidential Scholar requires the achievement of a 4.0 grade point average with a minimum course load of 12 credit hours.

The UCA Presidential Scholars List is compiled and certified by the Division of Undergraduate Studies under the leadership of Associate Provost and Dean Sally A. Roden.

The full list of Fall 2008 UCA Presidential Scholars is available at:

http://www.uca.edu/divisions/academic/undergradstudies/PresidentialScholarsF2008.pdf

The University of Central Arkansas today announced the names of 1,439 students who qualified for the undergraduate Dean's List based on their academic performance during the Fall 2008 semester.

"The impressive number of UCA students qualifying for the Dean's List is an indication of the high level of academic commitment and achievement at UCA," said UCA Provost Lance Grahn. "It reflects not only the hard work of the students, but also the contributions by faculty and staff toward promoting a healthy learning environment at UCA."

Recognition on the UCA Dean's List requires the achievement of at least a 3.5 grade point average with a minimum course load of 12 credit hours.

The UCA Dean's List is compiled and certified by the Division of Undergraduate Studies under the leadership of Associate Provost and Dean Sally A. Roden.

The full Fall 2008 UCA Dean's List is available at:

http://www.uca.edu/divisions/academic/undergradstudies/DeansListF2008.pdf

Dr. Jefferson Davis Farris, Jr., the sixth president of the University of Central Arkansas, passed away Friday, Jan. 16, 2009. He was 81.

The funeral is set for Monday, Jan. 19 at 1 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Hot Springs. Visitation will follow the service at the church. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that memorial gifts be directed to the University of Central Arkansas Foundation.

Farris was born in Springdale, Ark., in 1927 and graduated from Conway High School in 1945. He earned a bachelor's degree in physical education and mathematics from Arkansas State Teachers College (now UCA) in 1949, a master's degree in public health from the University of Michigan and a master's degree in physical education from George Peabody College (now Vanderbilt University). In 1963, he received an educational doctorate in health and physical education from the University of Arkansas.

Along the way, Farris married his high school sweetheart, Patricia "Patsy" Camp, and the couple had three children, Rebecca, Elizabeth and Jeff III.

Farris was a World War II Navy veteran and the second UCA alumnus to become president of the university. His career began at UCA in 1961 when he was appointed chairman of the department of health and physical education, succeeding his father, Jeff Farris, Sr., who had been the department chairman for 17 years prior to his death a year earlier.

UCA's Minority Student Services and the UCA President's Office will present the Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast on Friday, Jan. 16 from 9 to 10 a.m. in the UCA Student Center Ballroom.

The program will honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and it will include an address by Wendell Griffen, the former Arkansas Court of Appeals judge. A continental breakfast will be served.

This event is free and open to the entire UCA community. For more information, please contact Minority Student Services at 450-3135 or minoritystudentservices@uca.edu.