12/13/2024

LITTLE ROCK - The Arkansas State University System has an inherent spirit of collaboration with leaders who are committed to embrace needed change and make every decision with a focus on students, President Brendan Kelly told the Board of Trustees at its regular meeting Friday.

Kelly shared observations from his "remarkable" visits to every system campus and conversations with thousands of constituents in his first two months on the job.

"I say that because as somebody who is very committed to higher education and the power and the impact that we can have on a state and economy - and most importantly on people's lives - having the opportunity to see all of the component parts and get to know all of the component parts that create that magic in Arkansas for the ASU System has been remarkable," he added.

"Our job is to connect the dots for students between their current state and the multiplicity of careers that they will have. I learned that elevation and innovation is us committing to taking the ASU system to the next level. And the next level doesn't look like this one. In order for us to get different results and different outcomes we have to do differently, and I think that's precisely where we are headed."

Kelly said he observed that two of the system's competitive advantages include a strong group of chancellors and also geography because the system impacts most of the state.

"The strong leaders are also collaborative and speak with candor and honesty that is focused on improvement," he said. "They have to be individuals who are focused on improving the organizations that they lead. And most importantly we have to make every decision with the focus on students.

"There is an inherent spirit of collaboration," Kelly added. "I had very honest conversations with vast groups of employees at every institution, and each of them was willing to embrace that conversation. It wasn't one of trying to defend the current state. It was always one about 'how do we get that?' And when you wake up in the morning with a willingness to talk about how we get better, we have the opportunity to produce magic in higher education. It's an embrace of the different. When you are willing to disrupt to get to a different result, that is representative of a growth mindset and it's hard."

Kelly told trustees that "trying to produce great results for other people is the business we're in. But it is a business that is changing. We are challenged in higher education, and we should be challenged to change. We need to. That's part of where we have to go. We need to be more aligned with industry, not just aligned. We need to be integrated into industry so that we can connect the dots between students who are seeking opportunity and people and organizations who need talent. We must ensure the richest return on investment for students all of the time."

Board Chair Christy Clark told Kelly she was "excited to see your vision, to open our eyes. I've met with him a couple of times and said, 'Why didn't I think of that?' And he said, 'Well, you needed fresh eyes.' And that's true. We have to have fresh eyes to come in to help us see things that we just can't see anymore because we're used to what we know."

Kelly announced that Landen Crancer, assistant vice president for finance and operations in the ASU System Office, will also serve as Chief of Staff to the president. Crancer joined the system in 2022 and is an A-State alumnus.

System Executive Vice President Julie Bates reported on the solid financial condition of the system. Among the highlights, she noted the Moody's Ratings had reaffirmed an A1 rating for Arkansas State University bonds and upgraded Henderson State University to Baa1 with a stable outlook. Henderson's financial stability has improved dramatically since 2019 with some $20 million in expense reductions that have resulted in progress from just 7 days' cash on hand at the end of Fiscal Year 2019 to 98 days at the end of FY 2024, Bates said.

Trustees approved ASU Three Rivers to proceed with renovation and expansion of a campus facility that will house a new 7,900-square-foot workforce center in Malvern. The $2.97 million project will support electrical and millwright training programs with classrooms and robotics equipment.

The board elected Steve Eddington of Benton to serve as chair for 2025. Bishop Robert Rudolph of Bryant will be vice chair, and Paul Rowton of Harrisburg will serve as secretary.

In other business, the Board approved:

• A $1.95 million capital project to upgrade the chilled water loop at A-State and accommodate construction of the Windgate Art and Innovation Center;

• A-State to set policies pertaining to residency classification and tuition waivers for applicants admitted into the program of the College of Veterinary Medicine;

• A-State to confer the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Music upon Ashley McBryde, a Mammoth Spring native and alumna who won her first Grammy as a country music singer-songwriter in 2023;

• ASU-Mountain Home to grant an easement to the City of Mountain Home that will connect the James and Sally Moore Recreational Trail to the Donald W. Reynolds Baxter County Library through construction of an additional trail; and

• ASU-Newport to grant two utility easements to City Water and Light of Jonesboro for $98,836 to support an existing Arkansas Department of Transportation project along Martin Luther King Drive in Jonesboro.

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