ALC - Higher Education Subcommittee

Good afternoon folks. We'll call this meeting higher education subcommittee to the order and representative Whitaker is running a little behind. So you get me for today's meeting. so um. Today we are fortunate to have Arkansas state university Dr Chuck Welch is going to come and talk to us a little bit about the activities at a issue. And also the discussion on during the pandemic so they may run together. Go ahead thank you madam chair Chuck Welch president the Arkansas state university system let's be honest I believe you all had a Speaker who had to cancel and so I'm feeling in today but I'll love you all do well to to talk about the things are going in our system and to talk a little bit about sort of some of the thoughts that that we have regarding the pandemic and what we'll be looking like after the fact so I thought I'd just kind of maybe like to try to highlight some things for each of our campuses today and then some things that we're doing System light one of the things that we've done as a system and through our board over the last three years or so is is try to any time we look at an initiative or an approach try to use for words to determine how we're going to do that but strategic analytic efficient and accountable we wanna make sure that what we're doing there's a strategic outcome with the desired result and that it fits into what we're trying to do overall really trying to be analytic one of the challenges we have a higher education is we love to be anecdotal at times if we hear one story from one student or I'm from one a lumber one employee that we tend to want to run off chasing that chasing that issue and it's important I think to be analytic and really be able to look at dated I understand that what we're doing this is being reflected in the numbers of fish since the obviously that one the reason for having a system to find ways that we can be efficient I'll speak to some of those in a few minutes. And then accountable really looking at the programs that we have in holding them accountable and ensuring that they are still programs that are legitimate and relevant to and that programs that need to be looked at we've also really tried to be innovative one of our chancellor said once that we're not going to cut our way out of financial challenges we have to innovate our way out of those and we have to constantly stay head what's happening in higher education what's happening really in the world one of the ways that we tried to take that approach in the last year or so is through a uniform E. R. P. system so E. R. P. stands for enterprise resource planning but effectively it's our backbone of all of our systems so is the backbone for student enrollment for student counts for financial aid for H. R. for payroll our business office every piece of data transactions purchasing whatever the case may be goes through R. E. R. P. system in our campuses were on different ERP systems some of our campuses were on old ERP systems that are actually still dos based believe it or not. And so we made the effort to a couple of years ago to move everyone on to the same system now all seven of our campuses are on a uniform ERP system that allows for better data sharing that allows for ease and transfer for students it's certainly much easier for financial reporting it's much easier for our I our folks to do data analysis and it's cheaper. In fact all of our campuses are now paying less on an annual basis for the ERP system than they were for the prior system as I said earlier of some of those were dos based so it because we did it as a system level contract and so that was obviously strength in that volume and those numbers and it's so it's saving our campuses money giving them a superior product and making it much more efficient and easy for us as we try to navigate the transactions of the system. M. that discussion really came from an over arching strategy that we had as a system to try to enhance our shared services we really want to get to the point where we are sharing as many services across our seven campuses as possible so the ERP obviously that was an easy one institutional research we now have an institutional research function at the system level that services all seven campuses now each campus has an I or function but they're date basically data reporters they have to pull all this data and there's just tons of reporting that has to be done to the federal government has begun the Department higher education here in Arkansas obviously we do reports for this body but no one really had the time or the expertise to do those deeper analyses into the data that we were pulling so this is allowing us to really drill much deeper into that data to make some assumptions and understandings about budgetary conditions about enrollment patterns about spending patterns of the institutions so that we'll have a much better way and so we're doing that a system wide level and it's a very easy format that is being put forth our campuses can go on they can utilize the data in a number of different ways and structured to look for what they specifically wanting to look for information technology in addition to the E. R. P. we now have system centralized I institutional technology function so that if one campus needs to buy hardware if we've got multiple campuses that needed by that same hardware the more by under one contract obviously to be much cheaper for the campuses or perhaps as has been the instance in some cases. If the campus needs to buy you know band with their needs to buy certain amount of space for cloud storage there might be excess based on one of our other campuses that we can utilize rather they and bind it all new so it kind of cuts down on redundancy allows for cost savings allows us to manage it a more globally from the system level payroll. HR we have historically had seven separate payroll offices that just to the function of pushing the buttons and put any information it really doesn't make a lot of sense to have seven separate payroll offices and so we're in the process of doing a pilot program right now to see what that looks like if we were to combine those into one payroll office that functions for all seven campuses and all the employees across the system I'm just so happens that that pilot is occurring by transferring all payroll and all H. or functions from Henderson state to the Johns for campus and so we Henderson is pain Jonesborough a fee for doing that services will eliminate those offices that Henderson it's still considerably cheaper for Henderson to do it we're all on the same system now also it's much easier to access that data and ultimately if that once we kind of work through these Kinks then we'd like to get all seven centralized in a similar fashion that would still be an HR professional on the campus is to meet with an employee one on one but just one and you all of the on loading then on boarding and all of the information with regards to HR functions that have to be done kind of back room functions would be done at that centralized location we hope to expand that to the other areas prop perhaps purchasing there's just a number of different areas where we could have one centralized function maybe it's on one of our campuses maybe it's a the system office but again it saves money for all seven it makes a lot more efficient and it makes it much easier to track the things that we're doing and then I had to mention programs there had been some discussion about starting up programs that X. campus that why campus already had rather than doing that we need to be doing program sharing among the campuses and utilizing the existing accreditation statuses and things of that nature so we've been going down that route for a couple of years we're now moving into courses where we can share courses and even by. In C. so what I mean by that is if you have a campus that offers a unique course that perhaps only two or three students need and but they need to graduate historically what we've done is just offered that course and just sucked up the loss will if one of our other campus is already offering that course rather than offered a full course painful professor for two or three students we just by two or three seats from the other campus shoot that in remotely transfer the credit back and allow the student graduate much cheaper for the campus additional revenue for the offering campus and it's much more efficient efficient for all the above so those are the kinds of things I think we will continue to look to do as we move forward because I think all of us realize resources will be limited and there's going to be challenges in higher education moving forward we got to find ways to be more innovative and efficient on our end I'm very proud of the fact that our system has not raise tuition on any of our campuses Henderson would be the exception to that course they just joined February but of our other six campuses they have not raise tuition in three of the last four years and part of that has been a recognition of the challenges that students and their families are facing with COVID and part of that has been a strategic initiative that our system to try to ensure that our campuses remain as accessible and affordable as possible the Jones were campus for example currently ranks seventh out of the ten public universities in Arkansas in cost of attendance when I say cost of attendance the definition I'm using today is tuition and all mandatory fees so does for a seventh out of the ten and you would expect them to probably be higher than that but it's been a directed strategic approach that we've tried to do. I wanted to highlight a couple of things on each one of our campuses are happy that I think would be of interest to you and starting up with the Jones bro campus many of you know that we opened Arkansas's first osteopathic medical school on that campus several years ago through a public private partnership with the New York institute of technology these are not our degrees we do not bear the cost of the programming but we are the landlord and we get a revenue sharing I don't think I'm legally supposed to say revenue sharing from the accreditors but that's effectively what it is there's a formula where they pay us a certain amount of money each year to allow it to have that medical school on our campus they have graduated two hundred and twenty positions in their first two classes and really have have each class is that somewhere between a hundred and fifteen and a hundred and twenty five and rolled in those classes. in warranty actually coordinated all COVID testing and training for all seven of our issue system campuses not just the Jones working because they actually did it for all we work very closely with them it was a wonderful benefit they have had mobile mobile COVID vaccination events now totaling sixty seven events and eight Arkansas counties and have given out over fifty seven hundred vaccinations. And in Y. T. of medical school Arkansas state currently has students rotating an twenty eight counties in the state so covered a large swath I got a really interesting email over the weekend ironically about students the rotating and Meena my wife is for meanness obviously I took interest of that we know it's it's not really close for me to the Jonesborough but we actually have students rotating at the hospital in me now and so we're really proud of the reach that our students are having. Thank you bye be interested in some of the statistics for the students that are enrolled in the medical school at twenty seven percent were on free or reduced lunches and high school twenty three percent come from a from an area of the state that has or from area but they live may not necessarily all Ark Arkansas that have a health profession shortage fourteen percent of first generation college graduates fourteen percent come from families that are considered economically disadvantaged this is probably the most important fifty two percent. Come from a town with a population of less than fifty thousand. And that's really the key I think because we need our physicians who are graduating to be willing to stay in some of our more rural areas of the state and studies have clearly shown across the country that if a student studies or does the rotations in a smaller community or is from a smaller community they're much more likely to want to practice in a smaller community osteopathic physicians while they can go in any number of specialty areas they can be brain surgeons Bob I think this numbers off the top of my head but I think it's about sixty percent of osteopaths choose a family practice round and that's obviously critically important as we talk about the delta and the Health shortage that we have there so we're really excited about the good things that are happening with N. Y. I. T. of the partnership it's helped enhance our pre med science programs Arkansas state we have some unique arrangements with them to allow students going to Arkansas state to matriculated into the medical school have priority admission status over those that don't attend and it's certainly been an economic boon to our institution as well as to the broader community the Arkansas State campus also remains the largest online education provider in the State of Arkansas and this fall thus far we have had over six thousand students enrolled in online courses through the Arkansas state campus that's multiple start dates that would all be six thousand from that fall enrollment figure that you see but still very excited about what's happening. Our campus in BB of they have been really focused on something what they called the grey box so when you look at enrollment patterns what's happening both in Arkansas and around the country it's not so much everybody keeps talking about the enrollment cliff that's coming for higher education and a drop in the number of students graduating from high school although that cliff isn't nearly as significant Arkansas. And as it is in many other states that's really not the biggest concern the biggest concern that we have is in the growing number of graduates who aren't going anywhere at all. we're seeing our college going rates decline in Arkansas and B. B. refers to as the grey box trying to reach those students who aren't going anywhere stop the ones that are going somewhere else in the really focusing on that through a career center programs how can we find something that's going to interest those students perhaps they don't want to get a four year degree but how can we find something that maybe is unique in their community or something where there are jobs that are ready for the and they have enhanced their career center programs at both their BB he per springs answer C. locations one of the best examples of marine technology program don't you think Arkansas you know immediately thank marine technology you think he per springs you think marine technology though there are a lot of jobs in that particular area because of the lake and so it's a program that got started to try to speak directly to that perhaps the most recent example isn't alone okay and I was fortunate to go down a couple weeks ago for the grand opening of the lone oak business academy this was a partnership between a issue be be the low public schools and Baptist health and it allowed to construct a thirty thousand square foot business academy which is gonna have career training programs in diesel technology industrial technology medical professions agriculture and aquaculture that'll be through a partnership with you APP and a twelve thousand square foot Baptist health clinic this actual community clinic for members of the community but will serve as a learning laboratory for the students going through the medical professions programs an issue BB so perfect example of partnering with communities partner with private industry partnering with local school districts and having programs that hopefully will get students to decide they do want to go to college or perhaps directly into a vocation or career our campus of a issue Mountain Home just recently received notice of the receipt of a two point two million dollar title three grant from the federal government this five year grant will allow for additional instructional technology and students six. Ask for their own online programs obviously when you get in the Mountain Home area there's some need sometimes to be able to reach beyond what students able to physically attend for the eighth consecutive year issue mount home has been named as an aspen institution which recognizes the one hundred and fifty best community colleges in the United States and as I said that's happened for the eighth consecutive year and we are currently awaiting the a grant application for the delta regional authority that would allow for a creation of a boat manufacturing training program to train one hundred and twenty five employees over the next eighteen months in the boat manufacturing industry which you know is major in the Mountain Home area. Our campus of a issue Newport was recently one of sixty six zero community colleges nationally to participate in a program called caring campus was funding to enhance student retention student success student graduation rates by improving campus connections we know that for many students who come from have multiple at risk categories are students who are first generation it's important to really establish a direct connection with those individuals early on to help them as they try to persevere and get to graduation AC Newport was also one of thirteen community colleges nationally selected to participate in project vision. Project vision is a project of the National Science Foundation NSF to enhance stem programming and to create an S. after it funding capacity at the community college level obviously most of the NSF money doesn't go anywhere but large research universities and they're looking at ways how can we expand that and selected thirteen campuses nationally to participate in this and we were fortunate that issue Newport was one of those thirteen. H. the mid south of west Memphis just received a three million dollar grant for PBI institutions primarily black institutions a grant for increasing the success of students of color this is the third consecutive successful grant application we've had this category which doesn't always happen is a great reflection on the work that they're doing this grant is actually going to allow us to expand our aviation maintenance technology program at issue mid south we have an aviation maintenance technology program in partnership with fed ex if you ever drive by that campus in West Memphis you'll see the big fed ex jet sitting outside that program currently has fifty students enrolled and has a waiting list and through this grant we're going to be able to expand that fifty student enrollment to one hundred students and the students are having an average salary in the Memphis area of sixty three thousand dollars a year most though end up making over a hundred thousand dollars a year when you factor in overtime so really good paying jobs and because as a result of that grant we're going to be able to double the size of the enrollment in that program moving forward. I issue Three Rivers which is our campus at one of our newer campuses at Malvern as you may know is while operating in in partnership the selling county career and technical center if you've driven down interstate thirty lately right before you get to the hot springs turn off you can see this glorious building this state right there on I. thirty it's a one hundred and thirty four thousand square foot facility that cost forty three point five million dollars to construct it was constructed with funds from the passage of a tax this link County voters approved several years ago and this career technical center center is a partnership of the six public school districts and selling County and a issue Three Rivers which is providing the instruction there are currently eight programs that are being offered there four hundred and forty nine students enrolled this fall which is our first fall with an expectation that that enrollment will be doubled by year three it is it is a truly remarkable facility that if we could replicate and also any five counties in Arkansas I think we would all be jumping for joy but it say something we need to compliment the voters of Celine county and and the elected officials and and others saw Lamar Cornwell used to be a member this body many of you know Shane that worked hard to get that done and we're just just thrilled to be a partner in that. Also for a issue Three Rivers the latest Arkansas economic security report that is produced by DWS showed that issued through rivers has the highest average full time wages of their associate degree graduate so the social degree graduates of a issue Three Rivers on average have the highest wages of eighty two year institution in the State of Arkansas. finally Henderson state I'm excited today because our new chancellor it's his first day on the job hired to many of you may have seen doctor Chuck Ambrose I've known doctor Ambrose for a number of years he been very involved in national programs that I have as well and he most recently at a campus level at least was president of the university of central Missouri I went to central Missouri they grew their enrollment from nine thousand to fourteen thousand while he was there had some major gains in just about every area that campus and he was the leader in developing what was known as the Missouri innovation campus and if you're not familiar with that I would encourage you to look it up it is a national model the president United States came to Missouri and talked about this national model and gave Chuck great credit for his work in doing that I'm Chuck is the kind of individual that it because I've had several questions I talked to the former governor of Missouri whose first question was how did you get him to agree to come to Arkansas. The second thing he said was I don't know what kind of clothes are you are but you need to get this thing closed and I explained to him and we talked about a little bit that the vision for Henderson. Which is after all they've been through and all the challenges they've had there is not a perfect a more perfect place in America really to utilize to build what is the the new modern sustainable university model we're not trying to be all things to all people were being very strategic and we're trying to do things maybe a little bit differently as I've always said that enacting change at higher education institutions like turning around a cruise ship it takes a long time it is very difficult it this is an opportunity I think because of what they've been through knowing that we've got to do things differently we can do that and that's what really got Dr Ambrose energized is he knows that the old higher education model is not sustainable forever we've got to do things differently and here's the opportunity to do it what better way to leave that kind of legacy when I talk to people that worked with him they told me he will know every student's name on that campus he will know everybody in the community but you you have in fact I was at a conference last week in Florida had three or four different people come up and say how in the heck did you get Chuck Ambrose so we're thrilled I think you'll be really excited when you meet him and as I say he's he's literally had even finished its first day yet but we're excited to have him on board also on that campus we've done a complete overhaul to admissions and scholarships programming but the counselors the high school counselors to get been given rave reviews on that what we did work site at about it I think it's going to really have a lot of benefit and we January first will be moving Henderson on to the A. issue system benefits plan they had been when we got there I think I told you guys they were selfinsured and had no fund balance which is like the worst case scenario you could want we got a moved over to fully insured to bridge that gap and then we'll move them on to our plan here's the good news is only good from Henderson from a cost saving standpoint and from a reliability standpoint It actually benefited our plan. because obviously the more lives that you have plan lies you have gives you greater ability to negotiate also Henderson's per member per spent on the plan was less than what our plan had been doing system wide so it was a win win for everybody and they'll be moving on in in January of two thousand and twenty two. Now with the chair would you like me to move on into the next part stop there and take or how would you like me to do this. Well thank you first of all Dr Walter coming and and sharing this information with us and my apologies for the late arrival I've got one question sure so far let's do it up and the boards lighting up okay. Representative makes you're recognized for a question thank you Mr chairman started trend here thank you Dr Weil's the first of all start with a comment and then I'll get to my question I had the opportunity to visit with some of your staff about a week or two ago and they told me that you all actually have an experiment launching to the international space station coming up this spring and so sounds like a loose to me I don't know. The so a lot of great things happening in a state of sounds like Tell us a little bit we we've heard kind of the the great things talk about where you're at with some of the challenges that are currently facing we hear everything from inflation's becoming an issue how much is that becoming an issue for or the University labor shortages are an issue so we kinda talk about those issues and then any other issues where you're or you have challenges or or other opportunities it to you know need to be looked at that. It would help us. Absolutely no that's great this will kind of blend into the next part so I mean we just love all of the go together there so challenge I'll start the first when you mention which is inflation obviously so there are two different inflationary rates of your obviously most familiar with the CPI there's also one called the happy HEP I higher education price index that typically not always but typically is a little bit higher than the CPI and the reason for that is where as a private citizen might buy a computer and keep it for five years we don't have that luxury we have to turn ours over more frequently from a technology standpoint usage standpoint or things of that nature so our annual calls can be a little bit higher than what they are obviously that's enhanced with what we're looking at right now from an inflation standpoint so technology clearly is one of those Deferred maintenance is a huge piece that goes with that as well we don't get any dedicated revenue funding for deferred maintenance or for critical maintenance we are many of our campuses we've encouraged this are trying to utilize the stimulus funding to address those issues particularly as it relates to technology because there's a vote pretty much any usage there from that standpoint also for H. back system some of those really expensive systems that we have on our campuses can be used as well but definitely inflation technology and deferred maintenance are are big pieces force you mention labor shortages This is the biggest challenge for us in our physical plants a custodial grounds in fact some of our campuses of had to go to outsourcing things like mowing the grass simply because we cannot hire individuals or keep them there at those salaries are at those up those income rates to be able to do that it's also been an issue with the some of the like service areas so working in our dining facilities I know the convict the hotel convention center that's on the a state campus although those are our employees I've heard from the general manager there really struggling to find folks to to work there so definitely a problem not a problem with faculty not a problem with you know kind of mid level it up but certainly when you get into those lower paying jobs particularly in kind of the trades and custodian things it's a real challenge enrollments or challenge that we're all looking at if you've looked at enrollment trends in Arkansas over the last five years if you looked at our moment trends nationally over the last five years you're seen the clients now there are exceptions obviously but really trying to look at those non high school enrollments not counting the concurrent enrollment and looking at where the students are going or not going that gray box that I mentioned earlier the enrollment cliff now if you read national publications everybody is scared to death about the enrollment cliff because if you look it looks like in about twenty five or six years from now you really start to see a dip we do see a dip in Arkansas but when you go all the way out to about ten years from now it It level lies is so we kinda do this a little bit the issue is in many states it certainly the case here what keeps you from dipping even further though are historically under represented populations and if we don't find ways to attract students that African American students students that are Hispanic background students that from other different. To The Asian Pacific Islander I mean we're gonna have real challenges in those areas so we have some some concerns about that and then change gonna probably pass out when I say this but I'm just gonna go ahead and say it because it's on all of our minds right now is some of the challenges with with things like the president's executive order on on vaccinations and masks which affects some of our campuses between those that have federal contracts other indirect have direct conflict with existing state laws and so it puts us in the position of we defy a federal order or do we defy state law it's a real challenging proposition so there's a lot of those kinds of things to that we kinda get caught in the middle of of going there right now you know the federal money has obviously been a nice shot in the arm this beneficial what happens through four years from now though when that money is not there if inflation still at that rate if we still have labor shortages if I'm wrong but still not coming back so we're really trying to plan three and four and five years out too and not just look at immediate because we know that something that's likely to happen and it happened back the last time we got significant stimulus money for the federal government when it goes away. If you have a plan for that you can find yourself in some trouble. Great question. Representative Bragg you're recognized for a question thank you Mr but what you do and then going through the medical students of statistics I'm not a mistake but have you tracked how many actually stay in Arkansas on how many actually go to the smaller towns in the ones much less than fifty thousand right not yet just because it's we've only had two graduating classes so the numbers are still so fresh in some even aren't even went on to do other different kinds of residencies and things the whole the whole of the long term goal is that we can get about half of the students to stay in the delta now when I say no to that could be Mississippi Delta to I mean that could be any of that area up and down where they are but that is absolutely a number that we will track on the long term it will start to make sure we share that with you because we like to keep it about half coming from the State of Arkansas or from those delta counties as well obviously something that's challenging depends on how many you have for the last class that we admitted a hundred and twenty students a week in Y. T. admitted a hundred twenty students I think they had about twenty five hundred applications so it's very competitive which is another one of those reasons why we liked that priority admissions model if you'll start Arkansas state and because we know that students coming from those smaller populations as that fifty two percent number or more likely to stay somebody coming from Chicago's probably not going to sit up and do this I mean is you can understand but I don't know I haven't seen any of those numbers I haven't seen them yet but I'll ask about that see if they have any it be a very small sample but certainly that it that that was one of the goals and reasons and why to get had multiple opportunities to have other locations this is only their second location outside of New York which is one of the three largest medical schools in the country osteopathic medical schools and they passed up several other opportunities chose this one because of the dire need and really I desire to try to really fill those gaps by getting it's the only we're the only met or work. Or maybe still the case the only medical school in the country that talking telemedicine in the first semester medical school because we also know that's a critical piece to serving some of these rural under served areas as well is that is that telemedicine so definitely approach there but I'll see if we've got any of that data yet if we do also share with you but okay I will do that come online. Senate Chesterfield you're recognized for a question yes thank you so much Mister chair Dr Welch how are you I'm doing well senator how are you I am fine good I am concerned because we do still have such a huge shortage of positions in this state of being from you a or for may issue and by the way the chip of the issue is so much better than it ever has been. So I I just wanna give a shout out to our wonderful folks over the Department of transparency in the city it's just going beautifully with that in mind I'm not hearing a plan for the recruitment of indigenous people who are in this state and as we observe indigenous peoples month it would be good to know how many indigenous individual of what individuals who identified himself as sales is indigenous individuals or attending your medical school apple get you those numbers okay they do have I know they have plans for that I mean they have a plan in place again within being separate we don't always see this up but I can absolutely get you those numbers okay and. In an ideal world. How many individual should we admit. To the medical schools in this state. Well in an ideal world It would probably be double or more than what we're doing right now the challenges just with the residency slots what can we is a let's see we keep hearing them what can we do as a legislative body to work on that so that we can improve the quality of healthcare in this state by in increasing the number of residencies available how do we do that. See I'm a let Shane come come assist me with this because I know he's done some work there are federal limitations I mean obviously that takes some some work on that and then obviously there's financial limitations that do it that we work with many of you may remember that our inaugural dean was Barbara Ross Lee who was the first African American medical school after African American female medical school need to the United States who is a foremost expert on all things medical schools and also on residency she was actually on a federal residency panel which is also Diana Ross's sister that's a her claim to fame in the world and but I know doctor Ross Lee talked a lot about if we could get the feds to relieve some of these restrictions are in place we would have a much easier time minimal change worked on the same level and speak to this for second thank you like well Senator ashamed roadway issue system Senator we have a lot of happening at the federal level Senator Bozeman is obviously being a doctor is that a great interest in expanding the the residency slots for our state we've also worked with DRA we received a delta regional authority grant to expand the how many slots we had within like tea at St Bernard's an NEA Baptist enjoys where they've been they've been great partners so a lot of it has to happen at the federal level we have we are looking at some models we seen some from some other states such as Florida and I think Georgia using Medicaid dollars and others some waiver you gotta do got some processes you have to go through doctors bites are dean he and I've talked about that he's talking to some of his counterparts and colleagues down there to see how that might look or what it might look like and what we would have to do in order for that to occur so we're trying to to look at all the options including you all did some expansion in North. Arkansas with some are proponents or anchors are per one of the one the federal relief funds Back a few months ago we're also looking at what other options do we have to expand that because the the primary piece of this is I understand that Senator is is kind of the up front cost and then initially once you get past a certain level Medicare starts to pick it up. So a lot of it is coming up with and it's a substantial upfront cost because you're essentially paying the doctor paying the student to be a resident so we're trying to work through all of those those avenues together to create more slots because that's. Central Arkansas the other challenge I will tell you and enroll Arkansas that doctor Wilson helped us address is housing. Kids go to mean the kids go to Monticello across it there in about all of your communities to queen National when a challenges they run into is housing and so some of our students when there are openings at Henderson Jonesborough or BB the if they're rotating through one of those areas for instance Henderson Henderson has some open norms lots those kids they're going to mean our national be able to live on campus Henderson whether doing a rotation because there is a housing issue in Somers of being able to find rent a house or apartment about a thousand eight years ago I think you signed on to and we had a program that will allow individuals to buy their own home with a down payment from the state I remember a state in education wow that one away but we've got to start thinking outside the box because we're there's a dearth of teachers there's a dearth of positions and housing is a critical piece it is a critical no place to live here. Then you're not gonna go there so perhaps we could look at maybe in the upcoming session looking at ways that we could talk about providing incentives funding incentives if people stay in a particular area we will give them so much a year at the end of that five year period if they're still there they'll be able to purchase a home without a big problem so that's something that we may be able to look at it would be a great idea Senate I think it might be a good idea for this committee at some point that doctors bites are dean he's a native Arkadelphia doctor Patterson and I can't remember the Fort Smith with the House have the may be good to have them here to get their respective on residency in housing and other issues that they see in health care may be an interesting topic for you would be transportation may not be the huge issue but it also is an issue because some folks can't afford a car even when they're in medical school and with if you're not able to get about right you don't have anywhere to stay those of those roadblocks are going to be tremendous because we don't have public transportation except the little thing that goes around Little Rock somewhere. Little Rock we have transportation so we need we do need to look at both of those I do believe thank you so much talent thank you madam chair I would add to change coming to NY T. actually has signed a contract with Henderson to utilize housing exchanges mentioned and also they're going to have physical employees in Arkadelphia that are focused on recruitment in the southern part of the state want to try to get more folks into the program because you can't do all that from Jonesborough and so to revenue generated for Henderson but it's also an opportunity to enhance you know other parts of Arkansas and then meet the housing needs thank god happened last week thank you so much thank you. Senator English did you have a question yes thank you so I'm I'm wondering when when I'm. I'm hiding behind to area I'm wondering so when people file of applied to you this of medical school in Jonesborough and one in Fort Smith is it okay that UAMS that bad we have to take people from four congressional districts the your school doesn't fall under that ours is not no ma'am because the private and then state dollars I'm can't speak to the one in Fort Smith but but ours does not I think their private too but I just had wondered if because you're trying to recruit people from the delta and and other places so they go back there and and let. Okay thank you right there's there's no requirement like the U. M. S. Congressional District requirement. Because they are private wealth or private. We don't County the students and our numbers or anything. Well doctor will see no more questions on the first item if you have more you'd like to explain on the pandemic and the aftermath sure sure I'll I'll just speak to that for a for a few minutes so for the last two years I have served as chairman of the board of the American Association of state colleges and universities that goes by the acronym ask you as one of the largest of the six educational associations the United States we have over four hundred campuses in the country and through that role obviously there has been a considerable amount of discussion related to the pandemic and what that is going to mean for us what we can expect when that comes out strategies at both the state and national level to but in terms of policy makers as well as just the general public as you would imagine I've already referenced this once enrollment is the biggest discussion it's a major issue in some states not as bad in Arkansas certainly not in the directions we want to be going but not as bad and disinvestment from their states again not you guys have not done that and I'm appreciative of that but some of the states around the country are seen massive disinvestment I it is not a stretch and all that we will see campuses close or particularly private campuses I mean I think probably more quickly than public but in the public arena I think you'll see more campuses that will be merged or consolidated around the country and it we're fortunate as I said to not have had those challenges in Arkansas I think we have any institutions in that place but it's certainly one that we have to look at now I I think that a silver lining in my opinion. Of the pandemic is I believe that it's going to reinforce the value of in person instruction. I'm a real believer in that you know I've had folks say to me why do you all even the bill is everything's going online eventually and I try to tell everybody we know there's a large segment of students that online education is not for them but takes a lot more self discipline you got to have reliable broadband you got to have the ability to be able to do that for many many students particularly those are first generation or those with the a number of at risk characteristics is very challenging I think of my own dollars who are a bit too high schoolers and and a ten year old and shortly after the pandemic broke out last spring and everybody went online I mean they were jumping up and down and cheering they were so happy within a month they were begging to go back to school. I mean begging to go back to school because they missed that social aspect obviously the challenges of being online it's I think we're gonna see that we have seen that happen at our institutions Many of you probably remember our student body president at the Jones for campus is Ellie Mayberry which is Indian Julie Mayberry is daughter and she was one of the ones really advocating for wearing masks and she said it's not because I don't want to wear a mask I don't I don't want to go back to online I want us to be able to have our collegiate experience and so I think we're going to see a resurgence there in terms of the value it got to the point where a lot of students like I just want to do this I have to get up go to class or do whatever I think this though is gonna called another silver lining I think is it has proven to a large percentage of the population are campuses whether it be faculty or whether it be staff that we can be nimble that we can change that we can teach online that we can do things differently got to go back to my cruise ship comet I mean that you know there were so many I can't do that when you're forced to you learn what you can and can't do and so whether they teach fully online or whether they just supplement their in person instruction with technological assets I think there's going to be a real opportunity there so I so I'm I'm hopeful and I think there is going to be opportunity there I think the biggest challenge though that we're going to have and have had is reinforcing the value of higher education would you look at. Studies that have been done over the last decade there was a a a famous study done by the pew research center that this is fairly old now that showed fifty seven percent of Americans questioned whether a college degree with was worth it anymore what the cost and I've long advocated that we've got to quit thinking about higher education's in terms of cost we have to think about higher education in terms of an investment from an individual standpoint when we have students that say well I'm not gonna go to college because it costs too much but then yep we'll go out and buy a very expensive new automobile or designer clothing or technology piece we're looking at it as cost rather investment from a state standpoint we think about look how much it's costing us to fund these institutions but we have to try to reverse that and think about it from an investment standpoint think about things like this a college graduate is half as likely to become unemployed in their lifetime as a high school graduate is so obviously for every individual employed that's a cost to the state of Arkansas a college graduate is far less likely to become incarcerated in their lifetime then an individual that only has a high school diploma we spend about as a state about four times annually to incarcerated individual as we do to funded individual a higher education institution. Less than one percent nationally of individuals with a four year college degree rely on social support programs food stamps or things of the like less than one percent so if we educated more it would cost us less in those programs obviously individuals of a college degree on average you're going to earn more does pay more in taxes the going to be more philanthropic and that they tend to utilize healthcare earlier. And more frequently thus reducing the need for the really high cost medical programs that we have and they live longer so if we looked at it from the standpoint for every investment we make in an individual to get them educated it's going to cost less on the back end from all of those other ancillary things that I just referenced I think we'd be better shape up but I get it it's expensive and we really got to be focused out sometimes we're our own worst enemy. in higher education and we go out and and we publish these sticker prices this is how much it costs to go. Very few if any of our students are paying that price. What minor core used to be now I think people are paying sticker nowadays but that's a whole different thing but like at our Jones were campus for example the discount rate that's really a private school term most cases but. Does the rate that the student is not paying as a result of Pell grants or scholarships is fifty four percent so when you look at that sticker price most people are paying half or less of that than what's out there but I'm not sure we do a good enough job of communicating that to the individuals I'm not sure we do a good enough job of communicating it to all of you that those things are out there so we have to work on that we have to try to to enhance that value but I think the value of the investment piece obviously that goes hand in hand with the role but we got to be able to show it and then we've also got to be able to show how that directly leads to employment and try to find those fields where that is happening now let me say this. There has been a desire by many to get away from teaching sort of foundational courses of higher education get away from teaching so those liberal arts get away from teaching some of that programming and focus only on direct workforce education programs I kind of call it which is making one oh one and you know we're gonna teach you to make this which right here's the challenge with that it's those foundational courses those liberal arts courses that are gonna teach individuals how to think critically how to be problem solvers how to communicate and do those things and that which it that we may teach you how to make is probably gonna be obsolete three or four years and if you can't do any if you can't make a decision if you can't think on your feet if you can't communicate all you can do is make a widget that's no longer made anymore we've got a problem and what we continuously hear from business and industry yes we'll teach them how to make the which is the way we want the widget mate we need to know how to communicate with the customer how to fill out an order ticket how to think on their feet and how to adjust and adapt so it's it's a fine line there but at the same time I do think we have to fine tune our offerings again not trying to be all things to all people perhaps be inter disciplinary and one of the things that we try to do it our campuses is what what companies can we carve out on each individual campus if we got to thirty two public institutions in Arkansas let's not have them all look alike and all doing the same things let's have excellence and and strategic areas of focus and then share with one another and the comments I'm it I made earlier about sharing programs and courses and all of that that's not just within our system in fact we would like it are going to have conversations with institutions that are not in our system that would like to perhaps be a part of some of these Some of these purchasing initiatives or somebody's contracting initiatives or perhaps the ERP just as a sort of an affiliate member if you will because it gives us even more benefit it helps them and it's good for the state of Arkansas so I think moving forward after the pandemic we're gonna have to continue to focus on efficiency we're gonna have to continue to be innovative I have to really focus on enrolments particularly from historically underrepresented populations because that's a major area that we've got to do a better job in and we've got to continue have a focus on value and investment because it's going to be challenging and it's going to be something that with all the things that representative makes was asking about earlier that if if we ignore those things it's going to be at our own peril I believe so I'll stop there is if there's any final questions. Well I don't see any more questions but I do want to thank you again for giving so generously of your time I'm I know being system president must have many things going on at any given Monday so I always love talking about our institutions what we're doing I appreciate thank you so much for making the time for us thank you. Our members that's our business for today but I do want to let you know that the December meeting will be on Monday December thirteenth. And note that it will be in room one fifty one. Just if you come here and there's nobody here there's a reason. But a scene of. Not just proper. Senator Clark you're recognized. Or have a question for doctor will. Okay thank you still here I uploaded. Yes The doctor was I haven't been to any of a issue football games of war but was there a lot of people were mass issue football games hi. So as you might imagine especially when individuals get inside to get in towards their seats it was pretty limited in the number of individuals where and we try to require individuals to wear those in the concourse and areas but it's tough to to do help that it's outside that's a little bit different from being inside one of our buildings but we try to encourage it but. Compliance is obviously challenging when you're when you have that many people well the know benefit bill of. Their work Little Rock there were high school football games all over my district. Of kids hold together everywhere. Of the cafeteria. Of we're cantor setting eating laughing talking spending. The so much like a restaurant right right got to Moscow where to leisure actively eating or drinking yes Sir same like airlines but but everybody is actively right you need to resume yes or so the logic. I'm I'm trying to understand the logic. Of from Saturday. And launch. To the classroom well I think Senator I mean obviously we've known from the beginning that we can only control we can only control what we can control and can't even really control that fully and we know that students are going to congregate their apartments and they're going to go out to the mall and other kinds of places and we obviously don't know where they are what they're doing there we do know though that when you're sitting in a small classroom there's perhaps thirty people crammed in there and if you have a faculty member in some cases that are there on a disability accommodation that requires them to have the You don't need to have some covering or some further protections and that is a little bit more difficult I can tell you that the campus started visiting with me last week actually we before last I guess about the possibility of beginning to move away from national parliaments because the case numbers on our cases have been so have been low for the past month or so and then today two of our campuses have had major spikes in in cases so it's a situation where I think you're trying to do everything that we can rely on the advice of again the people from our medical schools but we know it outside we know lessens the chance because it's not as bad as having people all together in a confined space for an hour or whatever the case may be but it's just trying to do the best we can in as many places that we can try to keep those numbers low we had we had significant spikes on our campuses during the same time that we saw the significant spikes around the state but. As I said we begin to see that drop over the course last few weeks absent of what I've been told today but we certainly want to try to remove those mandates as quickly as we possibly can but we also have those accommodation factors we've got faculty members they're teaching in class only because we were able to make an ADA accommodation that they would have that protection if we were to go make that change right now that we played with the class online and so we're trying to get through the rest of this fall semester hope we don't see another spike and then perhaps the those listed or refined significa lifted skews me are refined so the real problem was faculty that's a piece of it but part of it's just public health and trying to follow follow the guidance over of our reserve is eleven public health you know there's a number of young people become alcoholics during that for years You know of a good family that. So. The number of young people who have died from covid twenty three and under verses the number who have died from alcohol related things in the last year and a half you have any idea how those numbers I don't Senator but I will I'll just answer that question this way my daughter schools or recommended to wear a mask I make them wear a because I don't want to bring it home and getting my eighty one year old parent sick and then possibly die so I think we have to look at it more than just that individual I'm kinda like seat belt laws I mean it's not just for the one writing it's also for the you know other side I think there's no perfect answer here but our our our medical schools advising us they think that the best course looking at CDC guidance we know it's not perfect we hope to not have it forever and we're actively having those discussions right now it's just how can we try to keep students face to face I will try to keep as many people on campus how can we accommodate those to have pre existing conditions and do the best we could with a very difficult situation and your you're just the first one you will be the last one you must think you almost think this is very important. Of. Because. Whether it be for the real problems that hinder son or or wherever we got the budget coming up. Of. The one thing that doesn't seem to be important is the will of the legislature. I center with all due respect I mean I I think that it was a tough decision that we had to make and we we understood the passage of the legislature we also understood what our abilities were to do we want to keep our doors open we will try to keep students on campus and we made a difficult decision and we certainly respect the legislature and we try to follow whatever the law is that we can follow that's why I mentioned earlier the great challenge we've got right now with the the president's executive order but you know it's just one of those decisions we have to we have a responsibility to to make sure we try to protect students we try to protect faculty would try to protect staff and we have to have a small cities and not every decision we're gonna make everyone's going to agree with them there sometimes challenging but we felt like this is important yes nor will everyone agree with ours thank you thank you Mr thank you. And thank you again Dr well Barry six internet questions for us just reiterating room one fifty one December thirteenth one thirty PM saying no further business before the committee we are adjourned.