Campus Talk: UA System Names Pinchback to Lead Phillips Community College

Editor’s note: Each Tuesday, Talk Business & Politics provides “Campus Talk,” a recap and deep-dive into education topics in our email newsletter, which you can sign up to receive daily for free here.

UA SYSTEM NAMES PINCHBACK TO LEAD PHILLIPS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
The University of Arkansas System has named G. Keith Pinchback, as the fourth chancellor at Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (PCCUA).

Pinchback, of Searcy, has served as vice chancellor of institutional advancement at Arkansas State University-Beebe since 2001. He is expected to take over leadership at PCCUA on July 1. He succeeds longtime PCCUA Chancellor Steven Murray, who is retiring June 30 after serving 35 years at the institution in many roles, including the last 12 years as chancellor.

Pinchback earned a bachelor’s of science degree in journalism with a public relations emphasis in 1992 and a master’s of business administration in 2003, both from Arkansas State University. He also completed a doctorate of educational leadership from ASU in 2011. Before joining ASU-Beebe in 2001, he was regional director of sales and marketing for Balanced Care Corp., director of community relations for St. Bernard’s Behavioral Health, marketing director at Helena Rehabilitation Center and sports editor of The Daily World in Helena. He also served as a sergeant and senior airman in the United States Air Force.

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION VOTES AGAINST ACT, PARCC REMAINS AS ASSESSMENT
The Arkansas State Board of Education voted 7-1 last Thursday against allowing a state contract with the ACT and in favor of keeping the Common Core standards tied PARCC test it implemented this year. Earlier in the week, Education Commissioner Johnny Key told lawmakers he planned to ask the state board to terminate its contract with the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, the end-of-the-year test associated with the Common Core State Standards, and instead pursue entering a contract with ACT and ACT Aspire for the 2015-16 school year. Read more here.

ASU TO HOST MEXICAN STUDENTS DURING SUMMER TERMS
The Office of Global Initiatives at Arkansas State University is hosting two groups of students and teachers from Mexico during the summer terms.

The first group of about 30 international visitors began their special course of study in English as a second language during the first summer term at A-State. The other 30 or so will be on campus during the second summer term, which starts July 6.

The learners, a mix of college-age students and their instructors, represent various universities in the Mexican states of Jalisco, Aguascalientes, Chiapas, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Morelos and Guerrero. Each individual pays for tuition, fees, classroom materials, meals and housing at A-State. The Mexican Ministry of Public Education is providing each participant a scholarship of 70,000 pesos, or about $4,500, to cover their expenses and incidentals while in Jonesboro.

All of the participants are part of Mexico’s initiative, “Proyecta 100,000,” whose goal is to have 100,000 learners from the country studying in the U.S. by 2018 “as part of a renewed spirit of cooperation between both countries,” officials said. ASU is locating a campus in the Queretaro region of Mexico in 2016.

UA RECEIVES TWO GIFTS FOR DIVERSITY EFFORTS
The University of Arkansas’ Office of Diversity and Community will benefit from two recent gifts from the Simmons First Foundation in Pine Bluff and Mario and Laura Ramirez of Highland Village, Texas.

The Early Access Academy will be established with a $75,000 gift from the Simmons First Foundation to increase initial exposure of college opportunities to junior high and high school students. The ultimate goal is to create a college pipeline program of year-round college readiness outreach and intensive summer learning opportunities, all taking place on the University of Arkansas campus. A pilot summer program series will begin with a 50-student cohort of 7th and 8th graders from Pine Bluff-area junior high schools and follow their progress for three years.

The Mario and Laura Ramirez Endowed Award is being established with a $15,000 gift from the Texas couple, combined with a $10,000 match from TIAA-CREF, and will be used to provide financial assistance to students attending the university, particularly those who are first-generation and enrolled in the Walton College. Preference will be given to students graduating from Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas.