UA Raises $28 Million in Fiscal 1998, Freshman Class Test Scores Improve

The University of Arkansas raised $28.1 million in private gifts in fiscal 1998, a 37 percent increase over the $20.4 million raised the previous year. The UA also had its largest number of gifts in fiscal 1998 — 30,843. The fiscal year ended June 30, 1998.

UA divisions receiving the most money from all donations in fiscal 1998 were:

1. College of Business Administration, $6.9 million

2. Division of Agriculture, $5.7 million

3. Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, $3.2 million

4. Department of Athletics, $2.4 million

5. College of Education, $2 million

6. College of Engineering, $1.8 million

7. Alumni Association, $862,781

8. School of Law, $743,212

9. School of Architecture, $726,116

10. Dale Bumpers College of Agriculture, Food and Life Sciences, $546,312

Some of the university’s major donations for the year included:

~ The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation: $4.3 million to help build the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development in the College of Business Administration (bringing total contributions to the center to $4.6 million so far).

~ Herbert M. & Eleanor Mann and the Herbert M. Mann Estate: $917,000 to support the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing in the College of Education and Health Professions

~ Roy & Christine Sturgis Charitable Trust, Dallas: a $500,000 payment (toward a $2.5 million pledge) in support of the Sturgis Honors Scholars Program in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

~ Ben J. Altheimer Charitable Foundation: $300,000 to the School of Law.

~ The Tyson Foundation Inc.: $250,000 in support of the University Press (first pledge payment of a $1 million gift, which will paid over four years).

~ Coca-Cola Foundation: $100,000 in support of Coca-Cola Minority Student Scholarships

Two other large pledges were made during the 1998 fiscal year, but the donations weren’t received before June 30, so they will be included in the fiscal 1999 total. Those were: $1.5 million from The Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation to support undergraduate scholarships, and $1.5 million from the Reynolds Foundation to support the Steven L. Anderson chair in architecture and urban studies.

UA freshman class improves

This fall’s freshman class at the University of Arkansas appears to be better academically than in previous years, indicating Chancellor John White’s aggressive scholarship program may be working.

“All the indicators are that it’s a better freshman class and only sightly larger,” says Donald Pederson, vice chancellor for academic affairs. “So it’s not because of growth. It’s a shift in quality.”

As of Aug. 19, 31 National Merit finalists had committed to attending the UA, says Pederson. That number is up by about 10 from last year. National Merit awards are based on high school academic performance and SAT scores.

Also, this fall, 473 high school graduates have accepted Chancellor’s Scholarships, which pay for tuition, books, room and board for four years. The number is four times that of the 119 Chancellor’s Scholarships given out last fall by former Chancellor Dan Ferritor. White says he plans to award the additional scholarships to raise the UA’s academic standing, then figure out how to make up for the $15 million that won’t be coming in as a result of the 473 scholarships.

Pederson also notes that about 20 percent of the UA’s freshman class will be ranked in the top 5 percent nationally in ACT test scores.