Members of the Arkansas Northeastern College Board of Trustees met via ZOOM teleconferencing for their regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday (October 21) where they received copies of the Spark Magazine featuring works of art and literature by area elementary schools.
Elementary students from all Mississippi County Elementary schools submitted work for the
second edition of the Spark publication, which highlights the work of children grades kindergarten through sixth grade. While the initial publication of Spark last year featured students’ work for Blytheville, Gosnell, and Armorel schools, the second edition features artwork beyond the three initial schools to include Osceola, Rivercrest, and Manila school districts, as well as the KIPP School and the Delta School. Teachers from the respective schools collaborated with ANC faculty to collect the students’ work. Over 300 poems and pieces of art were submitted for this year’s publication. Awards for the selected winners were made by ACE Glass in Blytheville and laser-engraved by Sophisticated Stitch in Wilson, with both local businesses offering greatly discounted pricing in support of the effort. Forty submissions were selected for awards and special recognition. Awards were presented to students at each school in person by Dean for Arts & Sciences Ryan Perkins, Media Director James Hartley, and ANC’s Mascot “Ray.” Faculty and staff providing critical direction for the project were: Ryan Perkins, Dean for Arts & Sciences; Mallory Burnett, Instructor, English; and Danny Graham, Webmaster. Digital copies of the publication can be found on the ANC website.
Director of Student Services Courtney Fisher presented the College’s enrollment report for the Fall semester. While most colleges and universities across the nation have seen a significant decrease in enrollment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ANC’s enrollment, while down, was higher than its staff’s earlier predictions. This may be partially due to the College’s larger online and ZOOM offerings. These offerings allow students to take classes without coming to campus, and ANC enrollment numbers show heavy increases for these types of classes. Fisher reported for this current semester the headcount for the 2020 semester is 1,358 compared to 1,562 in the fall 2019. Students enrolled in 12,058 credit hours this fall as compared to 13,182 last fall. ANC Faculty have worked hard to implement online and ZOOM classes and will continue to have such opportunities in the upcoming Spring 2021 semester.
The Board approved the hiring of four positions. Sarah Ellis has joined the staff as an Adult
Education Instructor; Maci Jones has accepted the position of Carl Perkins Coordinator, India
Kuykendall has been named as a TRIO EOC Advisor; and Mary Thomas is the new ADWORC Case Manager.
In other news, the Board heard a report regarding the recruitment of minority employees and
students. Arkansas Northeastern College is committed to the recruitment and retention of minorities represented in its faculty, staff, and students. To this end, various programs and activities have been instituted to accomplish this goal. Currently, minorities constitute 23% of ANC’s total employees and 32% of its student population. The purpose of the report is to document the progress of the College for the 2019-2020 academic year as it relates to the recruitment and retention of minority students, faculty, and staff. A copy of this report will be sent to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education in compliance with Act 1091 of 1999.
The Board also approved the acceptance of continuation of two grants. The Educational
Opportunity Center (EOC) is a program designed to assist adults 19 and older in returning to
education - in college, vo-tech, specialized school or GED programs. The program requires the advisors to serve 1,097 participants in Mississippi, Greene, Poinsett, Dunklin and Pemiscot counties in Missouri and Arkansas during each grant year. Services include help with enrollment and the FAFSA process. The Board accepted of the Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) Grant award for the 2020-2021 fiscal budget year for $391,147.
The Educational Talent Search (ETS) Program is a grant funded access program designed to assist school-aged children in grades 6-12 in programs and activities that guide them to college and careers. The program requires the advisors to serve 1,068 participants in 14 public schools in 3 counties throughout Arkansas and Missouri. Services include ACT preparation, financial literacy, FAFSA assistance, college tours, study skills enhancement, and more. The Board approved the acceptance of the Educational Talent Search (ETS) Grant award for the 2020-2021 fiscal budget year for $592,473.
