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The University of Arkansas (UA or U of A) Academic Affairs' goals for 2003-2004 have been to mesh the missions and efforts of the Provost's Office and the academic units with the overarching goals of the University: Excellence in teaching, research and service; Increasing the numbers and quality of students; Enhanced diversity of students, faculty and staff; Enhancing public support; Enhancing private support.

Achievements in all colleges and schools were significantly enhanced by the opportunities to select outstanding individuals from around the world to receive fellowships and fill faculty chairs supported by funding from the $300-million Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation gift. Similarly, new information sources were obtained by the library with Foundation funding.

Faculty members and staff won extramural funding in large amounts from many sources, produced significant published research, served at the highest levels in professional organizations, contributed service to the institution, community, region, and state, and were recognized by professional organizations and peers with awards for their achievements.

Individuals around the world received benefits from applications of knowledge resulting from University research, ranging across new vegetable and fruit varieties, designs to improve communities, documentary films, and economic analyses for example, among many other applications.

All units contributed toward progress made to achieve the $900 million dollar goal in the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century, and some have achieved or exceeded their goals a year early.

The 2010 Commission initiative continued to move the institution forward with support throughout the state and acclaim from around the country.

Students in programs across the campus excelled in their studies, in claiming post-graduate awards and entry into the nation's highest ranked institutions for graduate and professional study, and in competitions with their peers in institutions across the country.

Implementation of the Integrated Student Information System (ISIS) continued with many challenges and major achievements in most areas of the campus as the institution was able to provide its typically exemplary service to students during admission, registration, and financial aid and scholarship processes and to faculty and staff in their office operations despite changes in all basic information system functions.

The Provost, by virtue of his office and responsibilities, engages each year in academic leadership in budget decisions; appointment, promotion, and tenure recommendations; providing direction and support to a large team of deans, directors, and vice provosts; and consulting and providing guidance on the broad range of campus issues and operations in Academic Affairs and across the campus. In addition to things which are done annually, each year brings new challenges and opportunities and different types of initiatives and responses are needed. The Provost is assisted and supported in his activities by vice provost colleagues and office staff.

Regular and special office activities include responsibility for the 18 schools, colleges, offices, and other units comprising Academic Affairs, including Summer Sessions and the ISIS project, a special unit charged with implementing a new student information system. Staff responsibilities include:

Staff also published articles, made presentations, and provided leadership to professional associations and groups.

Examples are provided below of both annual and special activities and initiatives in which the Provost took major responsibility or provided direction, guidance, or assistance:

Assisted undergraduate and graduate recruitment and retention initiatives, including: a) the hiring of a new Director of Admissions (who reports directly to the Provost), b) supervising reorganization efforts within the Office of Admissions, c) appointing and charging the Making the Most of College Initiative Task Force, which is scheduled to bring forth their report in early 2005, d) arranging and funding a visit of Richard Light (author of the book, Making the Most of College) to the U of A during March 2004, and e) participating in the inaugural Ready Razorback event in April 2004.

Assisted in the completion, publication, and dissemination of the 2010 Commission's second report: Picking Up the Pace.

Guided further revisions of the University's promotion and tenure policies and the policy for the evaluation and appointment of University and Distinguished Professors. The final set of policies, previously reviewed by the Chancellor's Executive Committee was approved by the Faculty Senate and Provost in May 2004 and is under review in the President's Office.

Continued to guide the process for review and adoption of proposals for federal initiatives in connection with the federal regulations team and Van Scoyoc Associates for the next session of Congress and the FY06 federal budget.

Assisted in the recruitment and appointment of an Associate Vice Provost for Research (Dennis Brewer).

Guided development of a faculty salary incentive plan, which was put into place in the Spring of 2004.

Assisted development of carry-forward and graduate tuition fringe benefit policies.

Assisted the recruitment and appointment of a new Director of the Office of Research Support and Sponsored Programs (Rosemary Ruff).

Organized consultant's (Jim Ryan) review of the Division of Continuing Education.

Organized and oversaw efforts to establish commitments for the $300-million Walton Gift faculty endowed positions and to report progress.

Assisted the effort to solicit and review proposals for Walton gift graduate student fellowship positions.

Guided efforts of the University's Diversity Task Force and assisted with the efforts to recruit an Associate Vice Chancellor for Institutional Diversity and Education. Additionally, the Provost testified before the Arkansas Higher Education Sub-Committee, and the House Interim Committee on Education on diversity at the University.

Guided the two percent budget reallocation across all academic units.

Helped guide the continued development of the Arkansas Research and Technology Park, including construction of the Innovation Center.

Recruited and appointed a new co-director of the Teaching and Faculty Support Center (David Longer).

Published four issues of All Things Academic.

Contributed to the crafting and preparation of Gaining Ground-the third report of the 2010 Commission.

Organized a 10-week higher education internship for an education master's student (Andy Mauk).

Served as Interim Dean of the Honors College and continued active involvement in the search for a permanent dean.

Headed Southeast Conference (SEC) Provosts' efforts to organize the SEC Academic Consortium.

Continued the collaboration with the Faculty Senate to schedule a provost's report at every Faculty Senate meeting. This initiative led to seven presentations to the Faculty Senate: Integrated Scholars, Recruitment and Retention of Students, Postgraduate Scholars, National Rankings, Diversity of Students, Faculty and Staff, and Public and Private Resources. (September 18, 2003); Academic Citizenship, UA Museum, Legislative Presentation on Diversity, Graduate Fellows Update, and SEC Provosts' Planning Group (October 15, 2003); Report on 3rd Level Administrative Review, the “D-Rule,” Arkansas Math and Science School, University Policy Update: Budget Carry-Forward and Holiday Leave, and UA North Campus Planning (November 19, 2003); Report on Promotion and Tenure Decision-making, Inclement Weather Policies, Prospects for Salary Increases in FY05, and Honors Dean Search Update (January 21, 2004); Report on Faculty Salary Incentive Plan, Budget Hearings, Academic Intrapreneurs, Honors Dean Candidates, and Off-Campus Duty Assignments (February 19, 2004 16); Report on Making-the-Most-of-College Initiative, Visit by Richard Light, Federal Initiatives for FY05, and Honors Dean Search (March 10, 2004); Report on the 2010 Commission, Budget Reallocations in Academic Affairs Division, and Commencement 2004 (April 28, 2004).

Continued to guide strategic planning efforts in all of the colleges and schools at the University, including integration of college and University goals and objectives. Well-crafted strategic plans are in place in the Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences, the School of Architecture, the College of Education and Health Professions, the Libraries, and the Walton College of Business. The College of Engineering is very close to completing its strategic plan and strategic planning efforts are underway in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Law.

Made 30 formal presentations and offered greetings and welcomes to more than 56 groups. The Provost also authored or co-authored and published 11 papers on topics relevant to the work of the Provost's Office.

REPRESENTATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN COLLEGES, SCHOOLS, OFFICES, AND OTHER ACADEMIC UNITS

It was a memorable year for the College in several areas of which the following are representative:

Those and other tangible measures of progress reflected an ongoing commitment to meeting the 2010 goals in our teaching, research, and service programs.

Improvements to Vol Walker Hall are completed or in progress, funded by the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council and other sources including a gift from Ken and Linda Shollmierare. Among the improvements are a new roof, cleaning of the exterior limestone, modernization of the large lecture hall, improved circulation and egress from the former stacks area, and additional office, studio, and classroom space on a third story.

Fifty-eight students were awarded $67,500 in awards and scholarships to pay for books, materials, and international study.

Korydon Smith, Assistant Professor of Architecture was awarded a $346,500 contract to initiate the Arkansas Universal Design Project, a pioneering attempt to develop accessible housing standards, build prototypes, and enact policy changes at the state level.

Dale Mulfinger was the first E. Fay Jones Visiting Professor, a position funded by a generous gift from Don and Ellen Edmondson of Forrest City, Arkansas.

Darell Fields, visiting Harvard professor, architect and urban planner, guided 13 fourth and fifth-year architecture students in an ambitious project focusing on urban planning in the Boston area. The project involved major clients such as the Massachusetts Port Authority, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, and the Isabella Stewart Gardiner Museum.

The Department of Architecture established an honors program in which 32 students are enrolled.

The Department of Landscape Architecture was positively reviewed for reaccredidation by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board. A new curriculum was implemented as was a new four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Landscape Architecture Studies.

Thomas Oslund, FASLA, FAAR, a Minneapolis-based architect who has won numerous national and international awards for his innovative plans for corporate, college, and private estates, served as John G. Williams Visiting Professor for the Spring of 2004.

The University of Arkansas Community Design Center is expanding its mission beyond distress-oriented community planning to one that addresses sprawl, mobility, infrastructure, and similar contemporary issues through design. A design by Center staff Aaron Gabriel and Kathy Chang was one of five first prize winners in the First Step Housing Design Competition sponsored by Common Ground and the Architecture League of New York. Under the direction of Director Stephen Luoni, architecture students won a prestigious Unbuilt Design Award from the Boston Society of Architects.

Overall trends continue to be positive for Garvan Woodland Gardens, and include improved accessibility for facilities and significant growth in education programs and advertising. Attendance increased in FY04 by 25 percent and generated revenues grew by 26 percent.

The School of Architecture goal for the Campaign for the Twenty-first Century was set at $10 million and the goal was surpassed during 2003-04 by more than $3.8 million.

A record year in extramural funding: faculty in the College were remarkably successful in winning extramural funding, securing grants of $27,408,401, nearly double last year's total of $14,308,520. Among the largest grants were $2.2 million from the U.S. Army Laboratory to Greg Salamo, Min Xia, Laurent Bellaiche, and Huaziang Fu for research in nanostructures and devices, and $6,321,758 in new and ongoing grants to the School of Social Work for Academic Partnerships in Public Child Welfare. The Department of Biological Sciences secured its largest grant ever, $2.075 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to Fred Spiegel and Steve Stephenson for the Planetary Biodiversity Inventory, a five-year study of the global distribution of Eumycetozoans, more commonly known as slime molds.

Productive programs and influential faculty: the year was again a productive one for scholarship and creative activity, with Fulbright College faculty producing 43 books, 79 chapters and 380 refereed articles, and delivering 304 invited lectures.

Faculty won prestigious awards and brought distinction to the campus. Visiting Professor Franz Wright attracted national attention to the University when he won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in April. Another visiting faculty member in English, Novelist E. Lynn Harris, drew enthusiastic students to his classes in creative writing and contemporary African American fiction. Harris is a distinguished alumnus of the U of A as well as a member of the American Black Hall of Fame.

Chair Robert Brinkmeyer in English won a highly prized Guggenheim Fellowship, allowing him to continue his writing and research on his fifth book. Renowned Arkansas writer Ellen Gilchrist won the much-prized Thomas Wolfe Award, which recognizes significant accomplishment in Southern Literature. Past winners include Pat Conroy and Elizabeth Spencer. She was also selected the Andrew W. Mellon Fellow at Tulane University where she will serve as the Mellon Chair in spring 2005.

Peter Pulay in chemistry received the Southwest Regional Award for the American Chemical Society in recognition of the top chemist in a region comprised of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Charles Wilkins, also of chemistry, won the Distinguished Faculty Award for Research from the Arkansas Alumni Association. Amy Herberg received the national Acting Teacher of the Year Award, which included a scholarship to the New York Actor's Center “Workshop for Teachers of Acting” in June 2003.

When the Association of American Geographers published its new survey on the status of American Geography, titled Geography in America: at the Dawn of the 21st Century, the research of only five geographers in Arkansas was cited, all in the College: Fiona Davison, John Dixon, Malcolm Cleaveland, Thomas Graff and David Stahle.

Works by two historians gained national recognition. David Chappell's A Stone of Hope: Prophetic Religion and the Death of Jim Crow was reviewed in several national publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Atlantic Monthly, while Elliott West received the Western Writers of America's Spur Award for Best Short Nonfiction in 2003. Dan Sutherland was recognized for his scholarship by being named the Douglas Southall Freeman Visiting Professor at the University of Richmond during spring 2004.

Dale Carpenter won a fourth Emmy from the Mid-American Chapter of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences for best editing and best photography on The Forgotten Expedition. Philosophy chair Tom Senor won a Fulbright Grant, which enabled him to spend part of the fall semester lecturing on analytic philosophy at Smolny College in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The Department of Physics, which granted a record 23 B.A. degrees during the year, on a par with larger state Universities such as the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Arizona, received millions in research funding for new and novel areas of nanoscience, an area in which the department plans to become nationally noted. Increasingly, prospective graduate students and postdoctoral researchers are inquiring about programs in nanoscience. Professors Laurent Bellaiche, Huaxiang Fu and Ivan Naumov have applied for a patent for “Ultrahigh recording density through use of Multi-stable Vortex States in Ferroelectric Nanostructures.” Physics Professor Surendra Singh was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society and Professor Min Xiao was promoted to distinguished professor.

The School of Social Work, which welcomed its first group of graduate students to the MSW program was awarded another $3 million contract with the Department of Human Services, Division of Children and Family Services to continue its work through the Academic Partnership in Social Welfare program, preparing to serve vulnerable Arkansas children and families.

Award-Winning Students: again, Fulbright College students were impressive, winning numerous national awards. They received three Barry Goldwater Scholarships, one Coca-Cola National Scholarship, two National Security Education Program (NSEP) David Boren Scholarships, Nine Gates Millennium Scholarships, five Fulbright Scholarships, three NSF Graduate Fellowships, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Summer Biomedical Research Grant an Opera Festival di Roma Scholarship and 29 Science Information Liaison Office (SILO)-Scholars Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF). In addition, 64 undergraduates were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, one was a finalist for the British Marshall Scholarship, two were Rhodes Scholarship district finalists, and six were Rhodes Scholarship state finalists.

Significant private gifts: during the year, private giving provided critical support to faculty and students. The college received $5,219,087, representing 2,143 gifts. The College exceeded the $40 million Campaign goal, reaching $43,380,920 in gifts. KUAF received $929,722, and of its $4.1 million Campaign goal, raised $4.8 million; the UA band raised $233,153 during the year, reaching $3.4 million of a $5 million Campaign goal. The Walton Challenge grant provided matching funds for two endowed chairs: the Diane Divers Blair Chair in Political Science, funded by Jim Blair to honor the impact Diane Blair made in the College and in the lives of countless students; and in Sociology, the Jones Chair in Community, supported through a gift from the estate of Bernice Jones. In addition, the Walton Challenge funded a Charles and Clydene Scharlau Endowed Professorship in Chemistry. A second Scharlau Professorship will be funded through an irrevocable gift from the Scharlau estate. The estate of Ellen Wadley Roper is supporting two endowed professorships, in English and Creative Writing. The Lewis E. Eply, Jr. Band Building will be expanded, thanks to a $1.4. million bond issue secured through an irrevocable gift from Mr. Eply.

Through the generosity of the Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable Trust, the Fulbright College Honors Program continued to attract high ability students. The average ACT of the incoming class of Sturgis Fellows for fall 2004 is 33; the average unweighted GPS is 3.982. The Honors Program was able to award 34 Sturgis Honors Scholars grants for study abroad and research, allowing students to spend the summer, a semester or a full year studying at universities around the world.

Essential Computer Upgrades: David Stefferud, the College's Director of Computer Support, oversaw a major upgrade of equipment and software for the College. He and his staff installed 160 new machines for staff and faculty using the Integrated Student Information System (ISIS) system and installed new equipment for several others in the College as well.

The Loss of Valued Colleagues: the College and campus lost highly esteemed and much loved colleagues during the year: Professor Emeritus Jim Whitehead and Professor Brian Wilkin in English, Professor, Janice Rushing in Communications, Professor James Scott in Philosophy, Professor Emeritus John Sealander in Biological Sciences, and Professor Allen McCartney in Anthropology.

The year was a good one for the Walton College. The quality of the faculty continued to increase, programs were enhanced, student quality continued to increase, private fund raising was the second best year ever, corporate research funding reached a new level, and outreach initiatives continued at a high pace.

Faculty quality continued to increase. A nationally recognized scholar in Information Systems, Viswanath Venkatesh, joined the faculty June 1, 2004. Before joining the Walton College he was a member of the faculty at the University of Maryland. Also recruited to join the faculty in the Department of Economics in the fall of 2004 is Jungmin Lee who received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.

Academic programs were enhanced in several dimensions. Implementation of the new undergraduate business core continued on schedule. The new freshman classes were initiated in 2003-2004. The new sophomore courses were developed for implementation in the fall of 2004. The implementation of this new program received a glowing review from the Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education (FIPSE) program officer as a result of her campus visit. All academic departments completed revamping their undergraduate programs for their respective departments to accommodate the new core curriculum. A new format for off-campus delivery of the Master of Information Systems for working professionals was developed for implementation for the Fall of 2004.

The quality of the student body continued to increase as measured by ACT scores. The mean ACT scores for incoming freshman increased from 24.1 to 24.3-a record high for the Walton College. However, the mean GPA for incoming freshmen decreased for the first time in a decade from 3.51 to 3.48. The mean GMAT score for full-time MBA students increased from 593 to 603-an all time high.

The size of the student body decreased from 3,499 to 3,319, although total semester hours taught in the Walton College continued to grow from 66,713 to 71,064. Freshmen enrollments from Sebastian and Crawford counties decreased by 40 percent as a result of the expansion of the four-year business program at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Campus. The number of degrees awarded increased from 613 to 762.

Retention of freshmen increased significantly from 81.1 percent to 87.1 percent.

Faculty and staff diversity declined. The number of full-time minority faculty declined from 14 to 13, still a higher percentage than benchmark schools. The number of minority students decreased in concert with the decrease of overall enrollment in Walton College.

National recognition of faculty continues to increase. Carolyn Callahan was elected Vice President of the American Accounting Association and Karen Pincus was elected national President of Beta Alpha Psi. Dean Doyle Z. Williams was elected Vice Chair and Chair-Elect of AACSB International. Other faculty members receiving awards were: Raja Kali, Paper Presenter at the Novel Prize Week Workshop, Economic Development and Transition; Karen Pincus, Federation of Schools of Accountancy, Joseph A. Silvoso Faculty Merit Award; Charles Leflar, Beta Alpha Psi, 2003 Superior Chapter Award; Marinus Bouwman, Management Accounting Research 2002 David Solomons Prize; Robert Stassen, 2004 International Society of Franchising Conference Chair; David E.R. Gay, the Association for Private Enterprise Education Ken-Aronoff 2004 Award; Barbara A. Lofton, Summit on Blacks in Higher Education III Co-Chair; and John M. Norwood, Beta Gamma Sigma Outstanding Chapter Bronze Award. In addition, Robert Stapp received the Charles and Nadine Baum Outstanding Teaching Award.

There were several noteworthy student achievements during the year. Beta Gamma Sigma received the Bronze Chapter Award-the only chapter to be in the top three in the nation for eight consecutive years. Beta Alpha Psi was again recognized as a superior Chapter. Students in Fee Enterprise (SIFE) won first place in regional competition in Charlotte, North Carolina. Other student awards include: Portfolio Management Students appeared on CNBC's “Kudlow and Cramer” program; MBA students took second place in Rice University Business Plan Competition; graduate students received all four Governor's Entrepreneurial Development Awards; third place Adviser Undergraduate Case Competition Annual Operations Stimulus Conference; third place Undergraduate Case Competition 23rd Annual Operations Stimulus Conference; and second place National Capstone Competition.

In 2003-04, the second largest amount of private resources was secured in the history of the Walton College. Approximately $22 million in gifts and pledges were received, including $7.1 in software from Oracle Corporation.

Benchmarking has revealed that the Walton College's mean faculty salaries for all faculty ranks, not only continues to trail that of benchmarking schools, but the gap has widened. The Walton College is being forced to rely increasingly on non-tenure faculty, jeopardizing future research output of the Walton College. Escalating faculty salaries in the market and limited classroom space will necessitate that the Walton College implement strategies for limiting growth of undergraduate programs.

Outreach efforts continued at a high level with record attendance at the Annual Business Forecast Luncheon and the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame induction. The Center for Business and Economics Research launched annual population studies for each county in Arkansas. It also initiated a series of Quarterly Business Analysis breakfast meetings through out the state. The Center for Management and Executive Development offered a record number of programs for the business community.

The Information Technology Research Center, the Center for Retailing Excellence, and the Supply Chain Management Research Center continued to grow and connect the Walton College to a record number of companies. The Small Business Development Center served a record number of clients and assisted with packaging a record dollar amount of loans.

Facilities planning included designing Walker Hall to house the Graduate School of Business, classrooms, and certain research centers. Plans were also developed for the Center for Academic Excellence building that will house the Walton College's behavioral research lab and the Information Technology Research Center.

The strategic planning process was enhanced during 2003-04. A new mission and vision statement was adopted. The Walton College's core values were refined. Strategic initiatives were identified and their progress was measured. A planning calendar and metrics for assessing progress on an on-going basis were established. The Walton College submitted an application for the “Commitment to Excellence” award from the Arkansas Institute for Performance Excellence. The efficiency of the Walton College was enhanced by the student faculty ratio increasing to over 20 to 1.

The national stature of the Walton College continued to improve. The college received its highest rating ever by U.S. News and World Report -- a 3.2, tying it for 28th among all undergraduate public business schools. The Transportation and Logistics program was ranked 15th in the nation.

Nine books or editions were published by Walton College Faculty as were seven chapters.

The year was marked by the awarding of $275,123 in scholarships, and a 98 percent increase in retention rates for freshmen returning for a second year.

The college embarked on a major effort to establish long-range plans for facilities. Several of the college's facilities are in need of major renovation or replacement and improvements were initiated in some facilities during this fiscal year.

The position of Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs was established following review of College organizational structure.

The college continued to focus on strategic partnerships with public school districts in Arkansas to foster improved preparation opportunities for education students, and the college continued a long-standing relationship with the Arkansas Association of Education Administrators. Connections with the larger school districts were renewed through the continuation of the Research Advocacy Network. A variety of public schools serve as practicum and internship sites for students in the college, including programs serving future teachers, nurses, counselors, and administrators.

The college continued its efforts to more widely apply focused technology to provide higher education to areas where access is limited. Programs were delivered in human resource development, elementary education, health care administration, special education, and education administration.

The college prepared proposals for the addition of five smart classrooms in the Graduate Education Building, eight in the Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (HPER) building and three in Peabody Hall.

Faculty published 10 books, 17 book chapters, 94 refereed articles and 45 un-refereed publications and proceedings; faculty delivered 120 invited lectures in 25 states and two foreign countries and presented 175 other lectures, papers and oral presentations in 27 states and three foreign countries.

Total enrollment in the college from the Fall 2002 to Fall 2003 increased to 2,372 a seven percent increase. Total enrollment in the Fall 2003 represented 14.4 percent of the total for the University. Undergraduate degree-seeking enrollment increased by 10.2 percent while graduate degree-seeking students in the college remained the same.

Enrollment increased from Spring 2003 to Spring 2004 by 4.8 percent with most noticeable gains in undergraduate and losses in graduate degree-seeking students. During the Fall 2003 semester there were 332 minority students representing 14 percent of the total enrollment.

Several programs delivered off-campus instruction via distance education and on-site instruction, including degree-completion programs at undergraduate and master's level and specialist programs at the graduate level.

At the close of the fiscal year, the college had raised $3,524,458 for the campaign total of $15,846,437-106 percent of the college's campaign goal, including some notable gifts from individuals and corporations: Col. And Mrs. Eddie Bradford established an endowed scholarship in the amount of $50,000; Mrs. Mary Lou Miller has designated $52,000 to go to the Donald Miller Memorial Scholarship; the college secured $250,000 matching funding for the Parks Family Professorship in Science and Technology; the Billingsley Chair in Education Research was established by a generous gift from the Late George and Mrs. Boyce Billingsley.

The college secured over $6.6 million in external support for research and sponsored programs, a 25 percent increase over 2003. The total number of awards increased from 64 to 72.

The HPER fee was used to improve the intramural fields, enhance the HPER Building facilities as well as expand the program offerings of the intramurals, the Outdoor Connection Center, Fitness Wellness, Accessible Recreation, and Special Events. Participation in all programs offered by the Intramural/Recreation Sports Programs increased dramatically. HPER memberships will exceed 300 in FY04 and there was a 31 percent increase in HPER Building use.

A most significant achievement was the completion by faculty, staff, and students of a strategic planning document in support of the College of Engineering in which are defined clear objectives in the areas of teaching, new curricula, research, service, community building, and diversity.

The graduate program in Biomedical Engineering was approved by the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

The undergraduate program in Engineering was ranked officially for the first time, at 111 among all public and private Ph.D. awarding schools.

The graduate program was unofficially ranked at 118.

The graduate program in Civil Engineering was ranked for the first time by U.S. News and World Report, at 65th among all programs and 44th among all public programs in the USA. For each of the past five summers, the department has hosted the American Society of Civil Engineers' ExCEEd program. ExCEEd stands for Excellence in Engineering Education. Engineering faculty from across the nation are brought to Fayetteville to learn how to improve their teaching.

The graduate program in Industrial Engineering was ranked for the first time, at 30th, by U. S. News and World Report.

College faculty worked in cooperation with the Walton College to develop a graduate certificate program in entrepreneurship.

The value of active research projects in Engineering in FY04 was approximately $24M.

Ten new faculty members were appointed in the College.

“Meet the Dean” events were held in Little Rock, Fayetteville, and Hot Springs for engineering alumni/development.

It was a matter of great pride for the Biological and Agricultural Engineering faculty when the student team won first place in the Senior Design Competition at the 2003 International Society of Agricultural Engineering Meeting in Las Vegas.

All of this year's graduates in Civil Engineering had multiple job offers with the average starting salary matching the national average. This is particularly significant since 90 percent of the graduates elected to take jobs in the state of Arkansas, and traditionally Arkansas employers have offered starting salaries lower than the national average.

The Department of Computer Science and Computer Engineering is proud to have shown improvements in student satisfaction and lowering of student dissatisfaction according to the written exit interviews of seniors. Steps that were taken to reduce program attrition consisted of faculty training on student advising and several curriculum enhancement steps. Additional steps in that process are being taken to improve further. The department's students continued to win national and regional awards on programming.

W. D. Brown was awarded the 2003 Service and Leadership Award from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association (ECEDHA).

Jerry Yeargan received the 2004 International Electrical Engineering Educators Haraden Pratt Award at the annual Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Awards Presentation Ceremony. The award consists of a certificate, a plaque, and a $5,000 stipend plus travel expenses to the ceremony for him and his wife.

Len Schaper received the “William D. Ashman Memorial Award” from the International Microelectronics & Packaging Society (IMAPS), “for outstanding contributions to the field of Electronic Packaging, particularly advances to board, module, and chip package power distribution and decoupling capacitor design, leading to higher performance system designs.” The award conveys IMAPS Fellow and Life Member status.

In Industrial Engineering, the Master of Science in Operations Management (MSOP), the largest MS program on campus, continues to have significant growth. There were 308 students registered which is the highest enrollment in this program since 1991. The MSOM degree was granted to 87 students over the past reporting period. The Department received its third $1 million consecutive research grant from the Air Force Research Laboratory with the fourth year's award recently recommended by a federal appropriations committee.

The Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering and its faculty have approximately 61 multiple year grants in progress with a total exceeding $4.9 million awarded. The grants awarded are from such agencies as the Arkansas Soil and Water Conservation Commission, U.S. Department of Energy, Southern States Energy Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Arkansas Space Grant Consortium, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Arkansas Bioscience Institute, and Agricultural Experiment Station.

Richard Ulrich has worked to establish himself in the emerging field of passive integration for microelectronic systems. Ulrich produced the first book dedicated to the subject: An Integrated Passive Component Technology, published by IEEE Press/Wiley Interscience in June 2003. In addition to several invited presentations, Ulrich gave a series of short courses on the topic at major conferences and published 10 papers in both technical and trade journals.

Amy Apon received a $2,400 SILO/SURF (Arkansas) award for mentoring an honors student project on software comparison.

Alan Mantooth received the “Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Circuits and Systems Society Distinguished Lecturer Award”-2003-04.

The Solar Boat Team placed Second overall in the National Competition in Buffalo, New York, in June. Fourteen students, and two faculty advisors, Alan Mantooth and Bill Springer, attended the event.

In the Fall of 2003 the percent of racial minorities in the entering class was 19.5 percent. The total number of Black students at the Law School increased from 29 in 2001 to 54 in 2003.

Activities included special events to honor E.J. Ball, George Haley, Bobby Fussell and Dent Gitchel; production of a dynamic new website for the National Agricultural Law Center; a series of Faculty Enrichment Luncheons; and foundation of a new student organization, the Media, Entertainment and Sports Law Association.

Curricular Improvements included many new courses and seminars: a joint J.D./M.A. program (Degree in Law and International Relations) for which students were able to apply beginning in Fall 2003; a policy change to allow students to earn up to nine hours of credit at another institution without affecting their eligibility for honors at graduation; and a Tobacco Control Clinic and Seminar. In the summer of 2003 (as a joint project with UALR Law School) the Tobacco Control Center, housed in the Law Programs Building, provided services to local governments, community groups, employers, and others who sought to regulate the sale and use of tobacco products. The Center was established with funding from the Arkansas Department of Health with monies from the state's tobacco settlement. Due to budget cuts, the grant was not renewed and the Center closed on June 30, 2004.

The Law School received a $1 million gift from Norma Lea Beasley ('53), the largest single gift designated toward the current building project to date, and a number of gifts at the $100,000-level.

Faculty elected a Law School Executive Committee and members were announced at a faculty meeting in February; faculty also voted to streamline Committee on Promotion and Tenure procedures for annual evaluation of adjunct and visiting professors.

The Law Library Technical Services work area was expanded by 456 square feet.

Applications increased from 865 in 2002 to 1060 in 2003, and admissions increased from 48 percent in 2002 to 54 percent in 2003. GPA of entering students increased from 3.35 in 2002 to 3.4 in 2003.

New records were set in 2004. Five University of Arkansas students won NSF Graduate Fellowships, while six more received honorable mention. The University of Arkansas also set a record with the J. William Fulbright International Study Scholarship, a nationally competitive program that provides funding for graduate work or teaching abroad. This year seven students received Fulbright or Fulbright-related program scholarships. Six other students received funding for study abroad from national programs like the David L. Boren NSEP, Freeman in Asia, and German Academic Exchange Programs. A record number of students (eight) received state or district interviews for the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships. University of Arkansas students continued to shine in the Barry Goldwater competition, winning three of the maximum four, this year bringing the UA total to an impressive 27 Scholars. The amount received by UA students applying for nationally competitive undergraduate or graduate awards in 2003-2004 totaled over 1 million dollars (approximately $1,073,700). Honors College Dean candidate Bruce Bursten reported in his address to the faculty that the “successes of the Office of Post-Graduate Fellowship in the Honors College at The University of Arkansas is the envy of state universities everywhere.”

One of the Honors College goals for 2003 was to manage growth to maintain a broad base of exceptional students from a variety of disciplines and maintain consistent infrastructure-advising, courses, and services-to keep pace with the increased numbers. In the fall of 2003, 558 freshmen entered the program, bringing the overall numbers to 1762, a 5.3 percent increase.

The 558 freshmen in 2003 represent a 13.6 percent increase from 2002. The average high school GPA of that group is 4.0, and the average ACT score is 30.3. Four of the six undergraduate academic colleges and school had an increase in the number of Honors College freshmen.

Many initiatives and activities such as the Honors College Convocation and attendance at receptions and other recruitment events supported the goal of identifying and enrolling an increased number of students who qualify for the Honors College and for fellowships.

Freshmen received $4,788,623 from state appropriated funds designated for scholarship, representing 1,709 offers and 815 enrollees. Upperclassmen received $9,035,550 from state appropriated funds, representing 1,863 offers (renewals) and 1,686 enrollees. Chancellor's Scholarships paid from state appropriated funds represent 959 enrollees (242 freshmen) and $6,249,317 disbursed ($1,777,446 for freshmen). Privately funded Chancellor's Scholarships provided 28 students with $211,550. Chancellor's Scholars renew at a rate of 93 percent.

Bodenhamer Fellows were selected in March 2003 with eight acceptances out of ten offers. There are also 25 continuing upper-class Fellows. All eight are from Arkansas and represent five different counties. These 33 Fellows were supported by $376,061.

University Scholarships were offered to 303 (six percent increase) incoming freshmen of whom 158 (21 percent increase) enrolled. University Scholars renewed at 84 percent (lower than last year's 88 percent). In conjunction with the University Scholarship, 131 Honors College Academy Scholarships were offered and 57 students enrolled.

Leadership Scholarships were offered to 130 incoming freshmen of whom 76 enrolled. Many of these scholarships were used to recruit students from under- represented counties in Arkansas. Many students were selected based on their ranking in their high school and other leadership qualities. Leadership Scholars renew at a rate of 70 percent (up from 66 percent) for freshmen.

Non-Resident Tuition Awards were offered to 649 (a 13 percent increase) incoming freshmen from neighboring states and Kansas. This year 301 enrolled.

International study is an important experience for University of Arkansas students, many of whom have limited experience with travel outside the region. This year the University sent 478 students abroad between August 30, 2003 and August 30, 2004, a 17.7 percent increase over the previous year. Additional fellowship support and Honors College Study Abroad funding were important factors in this increased activity, The Study Abroad Grants provided $180,000 in support to 89 undergraduates.

The Honors College Undergraduate Research Grant Program has increased the number of University students participating in undergraduate research, and 115 students and 77 faculty mentors received support. In the fall of 2003, 139 students applied for the State Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF). The state awards 50 each year and requires a match for the funding. University students received 39 SURF grants-a record number. The Honors College provided the matching funds for a total support of $33,951.

Under the newly created University of Arkansas Gifted and Talented Scholars Program, 1,353 students in grades 6-12 were accepted from 2460 nominations. These students represent 31 of the 75 counties in Arkansas; 54 percent are female, and 46 percent are male, and 19 percent are minority students.

Total sponsored program awards for FY04 totaled $62,684,459, representing an increase of 29.6 percent compared to FY03. The composition of FY04 awards by funding source included $46,363,893 (74 percent of total) from federal sources, $6,759,462 (11 percent of total) from state sources, and $9,561,104 (15 percent of total) from other funding sources such as industry and private foundations.

The Office of Research Support and Sponsored Programs (RSSP) processed 779 proposals and requests for continuation of multi-year awards in FY2004, constituting a total funding request of $152,959,495, a 0.77 percent increase in the amount of funding requested as compared to FY2003. In FY2003 713 proposals were submitted by RSSP.

The Office of Technology Transfer optioned University intellectual property to ten area start-ups, nine being portfolio companies of a local for-profit accelerator and one being a local biotech firm. The companies are active in the food safety, food processing, environmental monitoring, diagnostics, materials science, and electronics packaging fields.

Estimated University of Arkansas gross licensing income rose 12.4 percent to $401,000 compared with FY03, two and one half times the five percent target level. Since 1988, the University has earned over $7.2 million in licensing income from all sources, including royalties, licensing fees, and stock sale proceeds.

Graduate School enrollment was 2858 in fall 2003 compared to 2690 in fall 2002, a 6.2 percent increase. Doctoral enrollment increased from 754 to 852 in the same time period, a 13 percent increase. A total of 110 doctoral degrees were awarded during the 2003-04 academic year (99 Ph.D., 11 Ed.D) compared with 120 the previous year.

New master's programs in biomedical engineering and nursing and a new Ph.D. in educational foundations were approved by the Graduate Council and the Faculty Senate. New graduate certificate programs were approved in gerontology, instrumental music performance, and educational foundations.

The Microelectronics-Photonics graduate programs have a total of 73 active students or graduates. Of these students, 14 are female, 11 are African-American, and four are Hispanic. The proportion of women and minority students in these programs are significantly higher than national peer averages.

The first two students to be awarded Ph.D. degrees in Cell and Molecular Biology finished in the spring semester of 2004. They have accepted Postdoctoral Fellow positions at UCLA and Cornell University.

For the first time in its history, the University of Arkansas Press reached $1 million in gross sales in FY 2004. Even discounting the special boost to sales provided by the new edition of Arkansas History for Young People (published every six years), sales in FY04 were up from previous years' sales and forecast.

The Center for Mathematics and Science Education organized programs totaling over 1400 teacher day-contacts and directly involving over 1000 K-12 students. Over 600 persons visited the Center this year to obtain information and resources.

The estimated number of persons entering Mullins Library increased by 55 percent from 442,026 the previous year to 686,775. Factors influencing this increase include extended weeknight and Sunday hours, increased availability of wireless laptops, an increase in the number of tours conducted by the Admissions Office, a more relaxed atmosphere that allows drinking of beverages, increased offerings of exhibits and special events, and a popular display of the Paragould Meteorite, which was previously housed in the University Museum.

Use of online collections grew at a remarkable pace. More than 1.25 million database searches were reported-up 22 percent over last year. More than 900,000 articles were viewed, downloaded, or printed-a 10 percent increase (from 838,000 the previous year). The number of remote access sessions to the Libraries' databases once again grew at an extraordinary pace to more than 2 million-a 250 percent increase over the previous year.

Two of the most important (and expensive) additions to the Libraries' electronic indexes were the highly regarded Web of Knowledge databases and a range of journals from Elsevier's Science Direct collections.

More than sixty library databases now offer a direct link to the Libraries' interlibrary loan system.

After the Libraries conducted a self-study of holdings of federal government documents, the federal documents inspector concluded that the Libraries' depository is not only compliant in all areas but “continues to be an exemplary and valued depository in the state of Arkansas in terms of services offered both to the general public and the university community.”

The Libraries continued the successful program for graduate assistants. The skills of all graduate assistants invigorated many scholarly projects in the Libraries, and librarians introduced them to many components of library work, including collection management, reference service, and instruction.

The Libraries featured four rotating art exhibits and held three special events featuring a guest political cartoonist, a noted African-American scholar, and a nationally recognized mystery writer.

The Annual Fund for the Libraries was launched in September, featuring a letter from Coach Houston Nutt and a brochure outlining the nature and scope of the Libraries' needs. More than 4,900 donors contributed, providing nearly $170,000 in gifts and pledges.

Significant achievements and changes for the Division of Continuing Education (DCE) in Distance Education included continuation of planning and implementation in the areas of alternate modes of delivery.

Major accomplishments in distance learning include compressed 12 interactive video systems including four in the College of Education and Health Professions and eight others operating at sites across the state.

The U of A offers 15 approved distance education degree programs off campus--12 via compressed interactive video, two that are web-based, and one via videotape/CD/DVD by mail. Of these fifteen, 13 are graduate; and two are undergraduate; 11 are from the College of Education and Health Professions, two from the College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences, one from the College of Engineering, and one from the College of Business. The programs include the following: B.S.E. in Human Resource Development (CIV), B.S.E. in Elementary Education (CIV), MEd in Adult Education (CIV), MBA in Business (CIV), M.A.T. in Childhood Education (CIV), M.Ed. in Educational Administration (CIV), M.S.E. in Engineering (Videotapes by mail), M.S.in General Agriculture (CIV), M.S.in Health Science (Web-based), M.S.in Human Environmental Sciences (CIV), M.Ed. in Special Education (Web-based), M.Ed. in Vocational Education (CIV), Ed.S. in Adult Education (CIV), Ed.S. in Educational Administration (CIV), and the Ed.S. in Vocational Education (CIV). A small number of courses are also offered that are not part of degree programs.

Major accomplishments in non-credit distance education include such activities as active marketing of the on-line supervisor's school to numerous industries; partnering of the College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences with private corporations in online course offerings; partnering of the division with several private corporations involving over 2,000 course offerings; non-credit courses offered via videotape by the College of Engineering; and offerings through the DCE mobile and fixed satellite uplink systems and several downlink systems located across the University.

New cohorts of many ongoing programs were implemented during the year and an agreement was reached with the School of Social Work to implement an online Master's degree program effective in the Fall of 2006. The offering of an online Master's degree program in Special Education began in the Spring of 2004. Agreements were reached regarding the offering of additional online programs in a number of colleges and program areas and discussion begun regarding other offerings.

Additional accomplishments and changes included receipt of eleven new Existing Workforce Training Program (EWTP) grants serving 406 persons and services provided to an additional 12 companies through the Division's Office of Services to Business and Industry, resulting in 20 training sessions for 246 participants. Many other programs, partnerships, special offerings and events were implemented. Forty-five continuing education unit professional programs were administered, totaling 272 program days with 4,630 registrants. Ten Elderhostel programs were conducted, serving 2,219 people.

Off-Campus classes totaled 253, serving 1,888 registrants and producing 5,506 SSCH. In independent study there were 5,236 active enrollments of which 3,089 were new. College course enrollment was 1,989 and high school enrollment was 1,100.

Annual Teaching Retreat-July 27-30, 2003: The annual teaching retreat took place at the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas during the last week in July. From forty-eight applicants, 45 faculty (plus the three co-directors) attended representing all six undergraduate academic schools and colleges. For the first day and a half, guest speaker Mel Silberman, professor at Temple University and author of Active Learning, led sessions on strategies to introduce active learning into the college classroom. UA faculty led sessions on other teaching topics during the remainder of the retreat.

TA Workshop-August 18, 2003: In conjunction with the University's Graduate School orientation for all new graduate students, the Center organized a teaching workshop for new Teaching Assistants (TAs). A total of 180 new TAs attended. Six experienced TAs with the assistance of the Co-Directors, led sessions on Survival Tips for New TAs, Learning Styles, and Classroom Management.

New Faculty Orientation-August 19, 2003: The Center held a half-day orientation session for faculty new to the Fayetteville campus. Staff identified 43 new faculty by contacting departmental offices. Thirty attended the orientation session. After welcoming remarks from the co-directors and the Provost, Wally Cordes, University Professor of Chemistry, presented Tips for Teaching Success, and Kevin Hall, Professor of Civil Engineering, presented Tips for Research Success. Representatives of campus and civic groups were available to meet the new faculty.

New Faculty Luncheon Series-First Thursday and Friday of each month: To continue new faculty acclimatization to the U of A, the Center sponsored a monthly luncheon series for new faculty. The fifteen luncheons occurred at various locations across campus-the Reynolds Center, the Poultry Science boardroom, the Old Main seminar room, the Union, the Cordes Teaching Center, Bell Engineering Upchurch Boardroom, Ella's Restaurant-to acquaint new faculty with campus facilities. Speakers from across campus provided tips based on such topics as their experience, information on UA students, motivating students, grading and syllabi, rapport between faculty and students, and treating students well while working toward tenure.

Not-so-new Faculty Luncheon Series-Two per semester: The Center continued a luncheon series for senior faculty, patterned after the New Faculty Luncheons. Eight luncheons were sponsored, with a total attendance of 305. Attendance has been strong and at some sites space limited the number attending.

Relative to Teaching Newsletter-Three issues each semester: The Center publishes and distributes Relative to Teaching, a teaching oriented newsletter, three times each semester.

Reception for Teaching Award winners-September 24, 2003: With the cooperation of the Teaching Academy, the Center annually co-sponsors a reception recognizing major teaching award winners from across campus.

New Faculty Bus Trip through Arkansas-May 12-14, 2004: The Cordes Center annually plans a tour of Arkansas for new faculty. Senior faculty are invited if space permits. This year's group of thirty-two traveled to East Arkansas.

Other Activities: The TFSC web site was overhauled with the assistance of a consultant. Website address: www.uark.edu/misc/tfscinfo/. The co-directors met with a number of faculty members on an individual basis to provide advice and assistance on a variety of problems including low student evaluation scores, how to handle disruptive students, peer review of teaching, and writing a statement of teaching philosophy. Several classroom visits and multiple consultations provided assistance in these areas. On April 22, co-directors met with Zied Farza and Mekki Hajlaoui (University of Tunisia, Economics) to consult on Faculty Development and student/teacher rapport.

The average number of cadets for the year was 114. Of these 32 had scholarships with a total value of $198,147 per year. Five students were commissioned in December, and ten were commissioned in May.

Adam Bradford earned the Recondo Badge in summer training camp. Ten students attended off-campus training. The George C. Marshall Award Recipient was Stephen J. Kildow.

Cadet activities during the year included performing Color Guard ceremonies at Razorback football and basketball games and holding a wreath laying ceremony on Veterans Day.

The Ranger Challenge teams traveled to Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri to participate with schools from Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas, in October 2003, and several cadets participated in the Buddy Ranger Challenge held at Kansas University in Spring 2004. Two students completed the Leadership Training Course at Fort Knox, KY in Summer 2004.

Field training exercises were held at Wedington Woods during the fall and at Fort Leonard Wood in the Spring for the MS III cadets headed to NALC.

A Hogwild Drill Meet was sponsored by the Razorback Battalion in February 2004. The drill meet allows high school (Junior ROTC) programs to compete at many events, promoting precision, teamwork, and leadership. This drill meet saw 350+ high school students participate.

The University of Arkansas Army ROTC program is the host for partnership programs on other campuses here in Arkansas and also in Oklahoma. The partnership schools are Northwest Arkansas Community College, University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, John Brown University, and Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, OK.

The Department of Military Science had numerous personnel changes during the school year.

Following the assumption of duties by a new Director of Admission, these efforts among many others were made to increase visibility, educate students regarding UA programs, and have an impact on enrollment. Creating a marketing plan, a tele-counseling program, and outreach activities has stimulated interest and enhanced the reputation of the U of A on the local and national level.

The Office of Financial Aid (OFA) reached a new milestone in the delivery of financial assistance to students during the 2003-04 School year. For the first time in the history of The University of Arkansas, the OFA disbursed over $100,000,000 in financial assistance which was a 9.5 percent increase over the prior year's amount. The actual amount disbursed in 2003-04 was $100,781,959.

Planning for the successful implementation of the integrated software, ISIS, for the 2004-05 school year demanded that the OFA dedicate five of its full time computer support personnel to work full time on the project. Two individuals worked in temporary replacement positions and were of assistance in filling some of the void left by the five employees, but each individual in the entire OFA has assumed greater responsibility by working extended hours to guarantee uninterrupted service to students and families.

In order to provide the quality of service expected by students and families, the number of full-time counselors was increased from four to six. Also, the number of full-time computer support personnel was increased from two to three. These increases were necessitated by the increase in the student body and the new demands placed on us by ISIS.

The process of scanning and document imaging of historical student records has been expanded. All paper documents that are received by the OFA are scanned before they are disseminated to the appropriate individual within the OFA. File cabinets containing thousands of folders are no longer needed. Not only has this eliminated lost files, but we are able to serve students more efficiently than in the past. Also, we have been able to create the space necessary to provide office space for the three additional personnel added to the OFA.

The first-need based institutional grant program was successfully launched. In the Fall of 2003, it was possible to award 33 need-based grants of $2,500 each with funding under the Wal-Mart Scholars Fund. These awards went to the most needy Arkansas residents who could not have attended The University of Arkansas without such assistance. Thirty-two of the recipients returned the following semester for a retention rate of 97 percent.

The primary mission of Institutional Research (IR) is to provide management data and analysis for The University of Arkansas (UA) administration and leadership team. In addition, IR is responsible for data compilation and analysis that is essential for university compliance with annual, state, and federal reporting requirements. The IR office increased productivity by completing numerous new opportunities from UA administration and academic departments. IR data and analyses have enabled the Chancellor and other members of the UA leadership team to improve their case with the 2010 Commission, the Board of Trustees and the Arkansas State Legislature.

2010 Commission-IR staff worked to identify information that supported the vision of the 2010 Commission and to ensure the accuracy and recentness of information presented. The impact of this committee and its resulting publication, Picking Up the Pace, has reached far beyond the doors of the University.

Funding formula-IR staff assisted the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration in the assessment of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education's proposed funding formula. IR was instrumental in verifying the data and accuracy of the information contained in the report. In addition, IR provided each college/school with information that allowed it to assess the economic impact of this formula and provides a model for anticipating potential state revenue.

Board of Trustees Tuition Presentation-IR staff were instrumental in compiling the Chancellor's presentation to the UA Board of Trustees where he successfully requested an increase in tuition. The Chancellor's argument was strengthened by information collected by IR at the state, regional and national level.

Analysis of Retention and Graduation Rates-IR identified and assessed the differences between the UA self reported rates and the Arkansas Department of Higher Education's published rates. Because of IR's efforts, ADHE has implemented some programmatic changes, effective FY2005, and is in the initial stages of allowing us to amend data submitted by the University of Arkansas.

Dissemination of Information-IR staff responded to a 54 percent increase in ad hoc requests for information over last year. This increase is above and beyond the information presented on the IR web site which also experienced a considerable increase (30 percent) in visits over the previous year.