A-State receives $2 million in funding for academic and workforce consortium

Arkansas State University has been awarded about $2 million in funding during the next five years from the Office of Postsecondary Education, a subdivision of the U.S. Department of Education, to establish a statewide coordinating center for Inclusive Postsecondary Education (IPSE) programs and expand IPSE programs in Arkansas.

How and when the money will be distributed was not released.

The RESTORE (Research, Education, Service, Transition and Outreach through Reflective Engagement) Hub at Arkansas State University, spearheaded by Executive Director Dr. Kristin Johnson, an A-State faculty member in the College of Education and Behavioral Science, will lead the new initiative.

The Consortium for Inclusive Postsecondary Education and Transition (CIPET) will be the coordinating center for IPSE programs statewide.

“This initiative represents a timely and transformative response to one of the most significant gaps in services,” Johnson said. “Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities remain among the most underserved populations, and the consortium model is purposefully designed to close that gap. We are breaking barriers and building futures. This consortium is transforming education for students with IDD because inclusion isn’t optional, it’s essential.”

Through partnerships with the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) and Arkansas State University-Mountain Home, the Restore Hub will launch a statewide initiative that expands access, strengthens institutional capacity, and increases workforce efforts by building an IPSE program at each location.

Through its research designation, A-State will anchor consortium-wide data evaluation, personnel development and professional learning, while also serving as the technical assistance hub for regional IPSE sites.

“Together, we’re building a model that’s not only inclusive and evidence-based but also responsive to the unique needs of our students and communities,” said Johnson. “Aligning academic programming, social support, accessibility services, and workforce connections across three strategically located campuses, the consortium offers a comprehensive, scalable and sustainable framework for inclusive post-secondary education in Arkansas and, in the future, the nation.”