A Virtual Suggfest

A meeting scheduled for Aug. 2 between vice chancellors at the University of Arkansas and B. Alan Sugg, president of the UA System, was abruptly canceled by Sugg after he learned that Maylon Rice, a reporter for the Northwest Arkansas Times, had found out about it.

Sugg says he was in Fayetteville to speak Aug. 5 at a workshop for new administrative personnel. It’s normal, he says, to meet with the chancellor and the five vice chancellors while he’s in town. Chancellor John White, however, was out of town during Sugg’s recent visit.

“The reporter who got wind of it was trying to make something out of it,” Sugg says. “He was going to make it out like I was up there to meet about Chancellor White. That’s what he told me, and that’s not why I was up there.”

Although Sugg says the meeting wasn’t going to be held to discuss White, any subject could have been brought up at the meeting and discussed at that time.

Rice says he was going to write a story saying a meeting had taken place between Sugg and the vice chancellors, but he didn’t because the meeting was canceled.

White has come under criticism since his arrival at the UA two years ago, particularly for his closing of the UA Press and dismissal of 31 physical plant employees. Both of those decisions were rescinded shortly after being announced.

The night of Aug. 2, Sugg had dinner with Dan Bennett, UA dean of architecture, and his wife at Bordino’s restaurant in Fayetteville. Bennett has been serving as interim vice chancellor while the UA searches for someone to take the position of vice chancellor and provost on a permanent basis.

The next morning, on Aug. 3, Sugg spoke at the workshop before returning to his office in Little Rock.