ASMSA March 2024 Quarterly Report

To the Members of ASMSA’s Community of Learning:

Today marks a somber anniversary – ten years since the devastating fire that razed the former Majestic Hotel in downtown Hot Springs on February 27, 2014. In many ways, this tragic event was a wake-up call for the Hot Springs community. I have been thinking a lot about that evening over the past few months. As ASMSA nears the completion of the initial phase of the physical transformation of our campus, properties on the opposite sides of Cedar Street offer two very different stories about what happens when there is a shared vision for progress compared to when complacency leads to disaster.

In 2006, Dr. Janet Hugo was appointed as ASMSA’s Director after having previously served as the Dean of Academic Affairs. Dr. Hugo quickly realized that the School’s residential facilities were reaching an unacceptable state and quickly began to assemble stakeholders to chart a path forward. The conversations resulted in ASMSA’s first campus master plan that would lay out a multi-decade vision for how the institution’s facilities would transition from an old hospital complex to bespoke living and learning spaces customized to the needs of gifted and talented students.

That same year, the Majestic Hotel would shutter its doors. Though the facility was sold to a new owner and promises made of its repurposing, the hulking complex remained vacant and quickly began to decay. Just a week before the fire broke out in the oldest portion of the structures, the windows were boarded up publicly capitulating to the hotel’s ultimate fate. While the City of Hot Springs leadership later took heroic measures to acquire the site and move forward with a demolition to avoid a protracted legal battle, the property still remains a vacant lot today

Across the street, ASMSA has invested more than $35 million in new and renovated facilities since 2010. The coming year will begin a tricky second phase as we finally exit the hospital complex and return it to the City for demolition. That said, if ASMSA removes a part of downtown Hot Springs then we must act swiftly and intentionally to ensure something even more meaningful is returned in its place.

To that end, work has begun on a 2033 Facilities Plan that addresses ASMSA’s needs across visual and performing arts spaces, wellness facilities related to physical health and play, as well as the potential for expanded residential enrollment during Arkansas’ new era of school choice. Due to larger project scopes and increased construction costs post-pandemic, achieving these goals will take collective advocacy from all of ASMSA’s stakeholders if we are to ensure legislators, philanthropists, and other decision-makers do their part in helping both the School and downtown Hot Springs reach new heights. We’ve made tremendous progress thus far, and I know we’ll accomplish this next challenge by working together.

Sincerely,

Corey Alderdice ASMSA Director

Office of the Director

March 2024 Quarterly Report

Corey Alderdice, ASMSA Director

By the Numbers

• January 1, 2024, marked twenty years since ASMSA officially became a campus of the University of Arkansas System as well as added “fine and performing arts” to the School’s legislated mission.

• 7 seniors were named National Merit Finalists.

• ASMSA’s 30th Commencement Ceremony honoring the Class of 2024 will be held on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at 2 p.m. at the Oaklawn Event Center in Hot Springs.

United States Supreme Court Declines Case on Selective Admissions Public High School

The US Supreme Court recently declined a to hear an appeal in a case regarding admissions a selective public high school, leaving intact a lower court ruling. The case Coalition for TJ v. Fairfax County School Board revolves around the admissions process at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) in Fairfax County, Virginia. The Coalition for TJ, representing primarily the interests of families of Asian applicants, students, and alumni, challenged the school's revised race-blind admissions policy, arguing that it perpetuated racial disparities. TJHSST's admissions process historically relied heavily on standardized testing and subjective criteria, which critics claimed disproportionately favored Asian-American students and disadvantaged Black and Hispanic applicants.

TJ, as the school is commonly known, is renowned for its rigorous academic programs and has historically admitted students based on standardized test scores, grades, and teacher recommendations. Amid national discussions on race in 2020, critics contended that these criteria led to a lack of diversity within the student body, particularly underrepresented minority groups. Like ASMSA, TJ is a longtime member of the National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools.

The lawsuit brought against the school aimed to challenge these admissions practices, arguing that they violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race. Despite the decision by the Supreme Court not to hear the case, it has sparked widespread debate over affirmative action policies in education and the ongoing efforts to address racial equity and diversity in elite academic institutions across the country.

Politico notes that The Supreme Court’s move not to review the case comes less than a year after its ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which gutted the use of race-conscious admissions policies across most of higher education. Buoyed by that ruling, anti-affirmative action groups are testing how many new restrictions the courts are willing to accept on the use of race in other settings and institutions. Some groups are challenging scholarship programs and fellowship opportunities designated for underrepresented students. Students for Fair Admissions is also challenging the use of race-conscious admissions at West Point and the Naval Academy.

94th Arkansas General Assembly Fiscal Session

Pre-fiscal session budget hearings will begin Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Over the course of the budget hearings, the committee will hear budget requests for all state boards, commissions, and agencies. These hearings will continue through Friday, March 8, 2024. The General Assembly will convene for the 2024 Fiscal Session on April 10, 2024, at noon. Amendment 86 states that each Fiscal Session shall not exceed 30 days. ASMSA officials will participate in a hearing on March 6th wherein budges for institutions of higher education will be presented. Governor Sarah Sanders is scheduled to present her balanced budget proposal earlier that morning.

Facilities and Campus Master Planning

Work continues at a rapid pace on the new Campus Administration Building. Completion of the project is now expected at the end of May. In recent weeks, the interior finish-out has come together, with drywall installed and painting taking place on the lower levels of the building. The exterior façade is coming together as well. Masonry work is underway, which will be followed by metal and stucco work that complements other parts of campus. The clock is scheduled for installation in March.

Campus leadership will seek approval from the University of Arkansas System President for two smaller-scale projects that will get underway this summer. The first floor of the current Academic and Administration Building will receive new flooring and paint as the spaces are prepared for faculty offices. The interior stairways will also receive fresh flooring, paint, and lighting. The estimated project cost is $250,000 and will begin an annual series of updates to each floor of the building similar to work completed between 2006 and 2010.

The second project includes parking and lighting enhancements along Pine Street that complement the new Campus Administration Building. An old service drive will be re-opened and paved to create a new entrance to the upper residential zone of campus. Staff are also assessing the viability of a smaller scale maintenance shop for construction in the 2024-25 academic year as well as a potential 4,000 square foot fitness center to be built through a combination of institutional and private funds.

Finally, maintenance staff have continued adjustments on the Selig Hall facilities to ensure more consistent access to hot water for residents. Staff are working with ASMSA’s on-call architect to further address acoustics issues in the Auditorium that are related to the high ceilings and terrazzo floors.

NCSSS 2023 Insight Survey Highlights Data from Member Schools

The National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools (NCSSS) has released its 2023 Insight Survey that highlights comparative data among the organization’s high school members, many that are among the top-performing STEM schools in the United States. The survey focused on four specific areas: student representation in STEM classes, school resources and offerings, graduates’ college majors and outcomes, and faculty recruitment and retention. The study was underwritten by the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, an NCSSS member institution.

NCSSS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that represents premier high schools focused on STEM education, affiliate universities, corporations and foundations. Its mission is to serve as a

resource for these members by supporting collaboration and knowledge sharing while amplifying the importance of STEM education to policy makers, industry and education leaders across the nation and around the world. The study says that NCSSS member schools “offer exceptional and creative classes within STEM fields in addition to offering a wide breadth and depth of offerings in the humanities.” Programmatic, structural, academic and curricular resources are helping students succeed in competitive and academically challenging STEM fields, the study adds.

The Executive Summary is attached to this report. Additional information, including the recording of a Consortium Connects session that highlights findings, is available online at https://www.ncsss.org/ncsss-survey/.

ASMSA Instructors Publish Article in STEM Research Journal

Drs. Whitney Holden and Patrycja Krakowiak, both Instructors of Excellence in life sciences at ASMSA, have published an article in the Journal of STEM Research. Titled “Arkansas Summer Research Institute: The Evolution of an Engaging Online Training Program in Data Analytics and Research Targeting Underrepresented Students in STEM,” the article examines the effectiveness of the Arkansas Summer Research Institute. Since its creation in 2015, the institute’s main goal has been to broaden participation in STEM, research, and data analytics, especially among underrepresented minorities. Participants have included students from colleges and universities across Arkansas who were seeking an opportunity to prepare to conduct advanced, independent research leading to advanced STEM degrees. Cohorts have also included participants ranging from high school students to postdoctoral fellows.

Sonputri Named Arkansas’ Only Semifinalist in STS

Aarohi Sonputri has been selected as a semifinalist in the Regeneron Science Talent Search. The Regeneron STS is the nation’s most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. The program is sponsored by the Society for Science. Each year, 300 Regeneron STS scholars are selected as semifinalists. A pool of 40 finalists are later invited to participate in final judging, display their work publicly, meet with notable scientists, and compete for awards, including the contest’s top award of $250,000. Sonputri is the only semifinalist from Arkansas. This year’s semifinalists were selected from 2,162 entrants from 712 high schools in 46 states, Puerto Rico and 10 other countries the highest number of entrants since 1969, according to a press release on the Society for Science website.

The senior from Little Rock was recognized for her research on a potential therapy for patients who have diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Her research investigated targeting CARD11, a cancer-promoting gene in B-cell lymphoma cells. She was able to identify a small molecule that stabilizes a part of the DNA structure called a G-quadruplex (G-4) within CARD11. Stabilizing that gene region led to the repression of CARD11, thus preventing additional cancer growth. The therapeutic strategy could provide an alternative treatment with fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy and radiation.

Research for the paper was conducted as part of Sonputri’s capstone project. The capstone program provides ASMSA students the opportunity to study a topic in the STEM or humanities field. STEM students often conduct original research that results in hands-on lab work. Sonputri conducted her research in a laboratory at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences as part of her Life Science capstone project.

Sonputri worked in the lab of Dr. Samantha Kendrick, an assistant professor at UAMS and an associate member of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. She said Kendrick and Kennith Swafford, a Ph.D. student at UAMS who served as a lab supervisor, made her feel at ease. Shadowing others, running experiments on her own, and attending lab meetings helped her feel more comfortable.

French Instructor Earns International Language Diploma

Bryan Ieamsang, an Instructor of Excellence in French, recently earned an international diploma recognizing his fluency in the French language. Ieamsang received the DALF C2 credential, the highest credential available for nonnative speakers of French. DALF stands for Diplome Approfondi de Langue Française. The diploma is issued by the French Ministry of Education and “certifies the skills acquired in French as a foreign language” for the recipient. It is internationally recognized and valid for life. Recipients of the DALF C2 are considered expert users with mastery of the language, Ieamsang said. According to the Council of Europe, DALF C2 recipients display precision, appropriateness, and fluency of expression when using French. They are capable of using the language for business, academic,s and other advanced-level purposes. The exam for the diploma is composed of listening, speaking, reading, and writing sections and lasts five hours

Pair of Seniors Receive Questbridge Matches

Two ASMSA students received full-ride scholarship offers in the 2023 QuestBridge National College Match program. Senior Xander Napier of Lamar matched with Grinnell College, a small, private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa. Shea Stabila of Pangburn matched with Amherst College, a small, private liberal arts college in Amherst, Mass.

QuestBridge is a nonprofit organization that connects exceptional low-income youth with leading institutions of higher education. QuestBridge works with top universities across the country to offer four-year, full scholarships to deserving students who may otherwise be unable to afford to attend those institutions. The organization partnered this year with 50 colleges and universities to offer scholarships at institutions such as Duke University, Rice University, Stanford University, and others. Students apply for the scholarships through QuestBridge’s free National College Match application. They may list up to 15 of the partner schools at which they would like to be considered for admission.

Match Scholarship recipients are granted early admission to one of QuestBridge's college partners with a full four-year scholarship, worth more than $200,000. The Match Scholarship is offered as part of a generous financial aid package provided by the college that covers the cost of attendance, including tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and travel expenses. All Match Scholarship packages have no parental contribution or student loans.

Seniors selected as U.S. Presidential Scholar Candidates

Nasya Choy of Conway and Rene Ramirez of Pearcy, seniors at ASMSA, have been recognized as U.S. Presidential Scholar Candidates. The U.S. Presidential Scholars program is considered one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students. It was established in 1964 by executive order of the president to recognize and honor some of the nation’s most distinguished

graduating high school seniors. The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars’ review committee selects honored scholars annually based on their academic success, personal characteristics, leadership, and service activities, in addition to the quality and content of their essays.

Choy and Ramirez were among 84 Arkansas students selected as candidates this year. Each year, more than 4,000 candidates are identified for the component of the program that focuses on academic achievement as well as having scored exceptionally well on the SAT or the ACT. Eligible students are U.S. citizens and legal permanent U.S. residents who will graduate or receive their high school diploma between January and August of the current program year and have taken the ACT or SAT assessment on or before October of the previous year. Approximately 800 students will be named semifinalists in April after the next round of review, and up to 161 students will be recognized in May as Presidential Scholars. If a student is selected as a U.S. Presidential Scholar, they will be honored in Washington, D.C., in June. To commemorate their achievement, the Scholars are awarded the U.S. Presidential Scholars medallion at a ceremony sponsored by the White House.

League of Legends e-Sports Team Takes 2nd in State Tournament

Rabbit Hole, the ASMSA League of Legends esports team, placed second in the state after tournament play on Dec. 14. Their finish marked the conclusion of a good fall overall for all of ASMSA esports teams. Rabbit Hole is comprised of starters Jonathan Tucker, Tristan Henson, Gage Carr, Andrew Nguyen, and Lane De Foor with Ty Carmichael, Quade Martin, and Daniel Lee serving as subs. The team is coached by Chris Martinez, a lead technology specialist in ASMSA’s Information Technology department. They played against Fort Smith Southside in the tournament finals. At the end of the regular season, Rabbit Hole was ranked No. 2 in AAA rankings. Overall, ASMSA had eight teams compete in six recognized esports games League of Legends, Mario Kart Team, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros., Splatoon, and Overwatch. Seven of the teams finished the regular season ranked by in the AAA, Arkansas Regional, or youth club rankings.

Three Students Earn National STEM Recognition

Three ASMSA students were named National STEM Challenge Finalists. The 2024 National STEM Challenge is a competition for students in the sixth through 12th grades presented by the U.S. Department of Education and EXPLR, an organization focused on providing middle and high school students virtual and hands-on learning resources. The National STEM Challenge encourages students to design a STEM project using scientific method or engineering design processes. ASMSA students who were selected as Finalists included: Gisselle Ellington, a senior from North Little Rock; Shelby Norris, a junior from Alma; and Aarohi Sonputri, a senior from Little Rock.

Senior Earns Scholarship in Art Competition

Avery Binuya, a senior at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, won third place in the Visual Arts category of the 2023/2024 Thea Foundation Scholarship Competition. Binuya of Lamar was awarded an $8,000 scholarship for her piece titled “Reflections.” The piece is two identically intricate wheel-thrown teapots, but one is shattered.

Binuya used a gold picture frame to mimic a mirror’s reflection to fit the category theme of “Individual and Beautiful.”

The Thea Foundation advocates for the importance of the arts in the development of youth. It is named for the daughter of Paul and Linda Leopoulos of Little Rock, who created the foundation after the death of their daughter, Thea. Binuya was one of 36 high school students from across Arkansas who were recognized in this year’s scholarship competition. More than 330 students applied to compete for the $219,000 worth of scholarships awarded in five categories in the competition, including visual arts, performing arts, creative writing, film and fashion.

Student Musicians Earn All-State Honors in Band, Choir

Seven ASMSA student musicians earned recognition at recent All-State competitions. Five members of ASMSA’s band program and two choir members received recognition at All-State Qualifications that were held February 3 in Russellville. Students who were recognized include: Alex Back, principal horn, All-State Symphony Orchestra; Shea Stabila, second flute, All-State Symphony Orchestra; Anna Le, second violin, ninth chair, All-State Symphony Orchestra; Grace Adams, string bass, second chair, All-State Symphonic Band; Landon Samples, tuba, fifth chair, All-State Symphonic Band; Grace Moody, soprano II, fourth chair, All-State SATB Choir; and Taraji Kiyumbi, tenor I, alternate (who was later chosen to participate),All-State TTBB Choir.

Dr. Thomas Dempster, who serves as ASMSA’s director of bands as well as associate dean for arts and humanities, said the selections set a new record for instrumentalists chosen to participate in an all-state band or orchestra in one year. He said the selection of two vocalists tied a record for those chosen for all-state choir honors.

Pennington Named Director of Finance

Andrew Pennington has been selected to serve as ASMSA’s Director of Finance beginning on April 1st . Pennington previously served as the Controller at National Park College in Hot Springs in addition to finance roles within both the public and private sector. Pennington is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He replaces Whitney Moore, who was hired by the Workday/Project One team at the University of Arkansas System.

2023 Insight Survey

Executive Summary

NCSSS (National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools) is an organization representing schools and programs in the U.S. and around the globe dedicated to transformational STEM education. The aim of the survey is to provide high school members with comparative data to share with their own boards and other external or internal constituencies.

Methods

NCSSS Institutional Member Schools were invited to participate in the 2023 Insight Survey. Submissions were completed by the Head of School or equivalent in the fall of 2023. There were 42 school respondents, with 34 replicates from the 2022 Insight Survey.

Representation in STEM Classes

NCSSS is dedicated to promoting diversity within NCSSS schools as well as seeing that diversity represented throughout offered courses. Enrollment in challenging and competitive STEM classes can be an advantage in the college admissions process, and connections have been found between the highest level of math completed by the end of high school and education attainment.

 The representation of different races/ethnicities among faculty or students did not significantly change among replicate schools in one year, from the 2022 to the 2023 Insight Survey, but will continue to be monitored over a longer time frame to detect shifts in these populations.

 Students enrolled in the highest math class at responding schools accurately reflect the students in those schools in the areas of race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES) in all but a few categories:

o Increased representation of Asian/Pacific Islander students (15% in the school vs 22% in class)

o Decreased representation of Hispanics/Latino students (14% vs 11%)

o Decreased representation of non-binary students (2% vs 0.3%)

 Students enrolled in two math or two science classes at their school reflect the students in those schools across race/ethnicity, gender, and SES.

School Resources & Offerings

STEM schools often offer students many resources to get ahead since STEM fields are among the most competitive and academically challenging. These resources may be programmatic, structural, academic, or curricular in nature, but are ultimately instituted to help students succeed.

 NCSSS member schools offer exceptional and creative classes within STEM fields in addition to offering a wide breadth and depth of offerings in the humanities.

 73% of schools report that faculty are incentivized to mentor student extracurriculars through a stipend-based system, while voluntary mentoring occurs in 53% of schools, and participation is required in 14% of schools with some schools utilizing a combination of methods.

 Close to 100% of schools offer AP/IB, dual-enrollment, or college classes within the school. Many offer more than one of these options.

 Almost 90% of schools offer either teacher mentors, peer-to-peer mentors, or both.

 Almost 90% of schools offer in-person tutoring, virtual tutoring, or both.

 70% of schools incorporate internships, 55% flipped classrooms, and 30% either AR, VR, or gamification within their school curriculum.

 Over 50% of responding schools report that they have a maker space. In addition to fabrication labs (28%), creative commons (26%), and digital arts labs (36%), schools also listed specialty science labs, collaboration spaces, and a CyberRange.

Outcome

In the 2022 Insight Survey, NCSSS schools reported a requirement of more science and math courses, a minimum requirement for computer science and engineering courses, and averaged significantly higher ACT and SAT scores than schools nationally. Knowing how these differentiating factors impact student outcome can help schools assess their methods.

 Class of 2023 graduates from NCSSS responding schools were significantly more likely to declare a math major than students nationally. *

 These students also trended toward higher representation in declaring a major in technology or engineering fields compared to students nationally. *

 37% of NCSSS responding schools use the National Student Clearing House to track their students after graduation. Another 21% of schools utilize in-house methods to follow their graduates – such as surveys, self-reporting, and dedicated staff.

 Of schools that track alumni closely, 98% report that students are attending college or university after graduation.

Faculty Recruitment & Retention

Schools across the country are facing rapid turnover of teachers and staff. In the current environment, NCSSS schools are using a variety of methods to recruit and retain their talented teams.

 The composition of the student body, both class size and makeup, is the highest ranked factor for both recruitment and retention of faculty and staff.

 For recruitment, the specialized mission of the school and compensation were the next highest ranked factors, respectively.

 80% of respondents cite personal referrals as a successful strategy for recruitment; however, additional suggestions include promotion at teacher fairs, alumni recruitment, housing incentives, and regional advertising.

 For current faculty, flexibility and autonomy were ranked at #2 and #3 for retainment. Other listed factors included institutional culture, vision, respect, and leadership.

 NCSSS responding schools largely use a salary schedule to determine compensation for their faculty (81%). Fewer schools are unionized (19%), base compensation on market value (19%) or performance (2.4%) although many unionized schools also use a salary schedule (75%).

Next Steps

Full survey findings can be found at ncsss.org. If you have questions or have suggestions for future surveys, please contract Crystal Miller (crystal.miller@ncsss.org).

Academic Affairs

March 2024 Quarterly Report

Stuart Flynn, Dean of Academic Affairs

After the Winter Holiday, employees reported back to campus on January 2nd for professional development week, which included a session for faculty on working with Spectrum students. Since the height of Covid, to reduce possible transmissions, we have built in this buffer week between the return of employees and the first day of classes, and it has proven beneficial in many ways, since it presents opportunities to plan extensively for the Spring Semester in preparation for students arriving on campus. This year’s preparations included various meetings for academic departments, academic leadership, committees, and student success coordinators who also communicated with students to process schedule changes and assisted our Registrar to begin finalizing concurrent course rosters for the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith.

By the Numbers

• Seven National Merit Scholarship finalists.

• Two students named U.S Presidential Scholar Candidates.

• Three student qualifiers for the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).

• 37 Sophomores and 89 Juniors took the ACT on-campus in February.

Science Fair

On February 22nd and 23rd, ASMSA hosted the West Central Regional Science Fair. Science Fair represents the culmination of our STEM students’ research projects, many of which go back a year or more in their origination. Students competed for fifteen special awards and sixteen category awards: Animal Science, Behavioral and Social Science, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Systems Software, Earth Science, Engineering: Electrical & Mechanical, Engineering: Materials & Bioengineering, Environmental Management, Environmental Science, Math, Medicine & Health Sciences, Microbiology, Physics/Astronomy, and Plant Science. Sixty-four ASMSA students received recognition for their research projects.

Academic Job Searches

Over the last month, we began search processes for new instructors in Music, Mathematics, and Computer Science. We have now concluded our searches for Music and Mathematics instructors, as our leading candidates have accepted offers of employment. We continue to review applications for Computer Science and hope to set initial interviews over the next few weeks, followed by campus visits with our finalists. Campus visits include meetings with Human Resources and Academic Affairs, a second interview with respective hiring committees, lunch with departmental representatives, and teaching demonstrations with students and faculty.

Student Progress Reports

The Academic Office compiled the Spring Semester’s first progress report on February 9th. Our Student Success Coordinators followed up with those students who had grades of C or below in

any course and with students who had multiple missing assignments. Early semester interventions include parent contact, meetings and tutoring with instructors, tutoring with peer mentors, and required study hall for students who are missing two or more assignments in any course

Arts School Network

Two years ago, ASMSA joined the Arts School Network, reflecting our commitment to growing our arts programming, and we have sent instructors and administrators to recent conferences as we expand our connections with other network schools. Within the network, particular qualifying schools can earn formal Exemplary School status, and that can lead to greater influence and opportunities for collaboration. This Spring, we are working through the extensive Exemplary School application process, which will involve our entire Arts and Humanities Department leadership and select instructors.

Office of Student Life

March 2024 Quarterly Report

Rheo Morris, Ph.D., Dean of Students

The ASMSA office of Student Life has remained vigilant in our fight against Influenza community spread. The staff and students are geared up for Prom and all of the excitement that entails.

By the Numbers

• The Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Masters Social Worker have conducted seventy-four individual counseling sessions and two group sessions for the month of December.

• The Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Masters Social Worker have conducted one hundred and five individual counseling sessions and four group therapy for the month of January

• One hundred students have received counseling services thus far this semester.

Residential Programming

The Residential Life staff has continued focusing programming, events, and interactions based on teaching life skills and touching on topics that will make our students responsible citizens.

Staff addressed the topic of consent to help students understand and appreciate the importance of consent in any relationship. Students were taught that consent is an agreement or permission expressed through affirmative, voluntary words or actions that are mutually understandable to all parties engaged.

Despite the winter storm, we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day with an assembly featuring Dr. Marlene Battle. She encouraged the students to strive for their dreams and to not let life’s setbacks discourage them from persevering.

In the month of February, the building-wide programs focused on cooking/baking skills. There were several bread baking programs in the Selig Hall community kitchen. The Fun Friday program was called “Chopped” that saw floor competition around mystery food items. February also saw bulletin boards around the Student Center highlighting influential Black Arkansans in celebration of Black History Month. The spotlights included many Hot Springs natives and ASMSA alumna, Dr. Marlene Battle.

Staffing

Although all floors have at least one staff member currently, we are in the season of recruitment. We have plans to expand our search by utilizing placement exchanges. The main placement exchange will be the Oshkosh Placement Exchange (OPE) in Wisconsin.

Student Leader Selection

Student Leader selection has begun for the 2024-2025 school year and is open to all Juniors. The fours positions are Community Leader, Admissions Delegate, Student Ambassador, and Peer Mentor. The Community Leader and Peer Mentor positions will focus on our internal

stakeholders (enrolled students). On the other hand, the Admissions Delegate and Student Ambassador positions will focus on our external stakeholders.

Office of Admissions and Outreach

February Report

Jason Hudnell, Director of Admissions

The early portion of the spring semester has been busy for the Admissions and Outreach department. Numerous outreach and admissions events are outlined and summarized below. The application deadline of March 1 is quickly approaching and ASMSA Admissions is hopeful for another stellar class.

By the Numbers (December 1, 2023 - February 23, 2024)

• 35 Personal Campus Tours were given (85 Tours given since June 1, 2023)

• 3 Shadow Stays

• 30 families attended February Preview Day

• 20 students participated in February MASH-up events

• 212 students have registered for ASMSA-TIP

2024 Admissions Application Update

The admissions application deadline is coming up on March 1, 2024. As of February 22, 2024 ASMSA Admissions indicate that 257 prospective students have started the application process with 87 having submitted.

February Preview Day

ASMSA hosted a Preview Day on February 19. 30 families from all across Arkansas spent a half day on our campus learning more about our community of learning. These prospective students range from current 8th graders to current 10th graders. Many of these have already started their application process.

ASMSA MASH-up

February 3rd - 20 students; Dr. Holden did an activity on disease and epidemiology, and Dr. Cowsert did a history simulation on WW1.

Girl Scout Day @ ASMSA:

Girl Scout Badge Academy-- February 17th

15 girls earned two Cadette level badges (Designing Robots and STEM Career Explorer) while exploring the engineering design process and building low-fidelity prototypes for automated task completion machines.

ASMSA AGATE Pre-Conference Host

ASMSA had the opportunity to serve as host for a pre-conference workshop as part of the AGATE annual conference being held in downtown Hot Springs. 17 AGATE participants took part in the 3 hour workshop conducted by Dr. Julia Roberts and Dr. Tyler Clark with Western Kentucky University.

ASMSA-TIP

• 232 Registered

• 212 Fully Admitted

• 158 Paid

• 58 Fee Waivers

• Total Represented Counties: 36

• 102 students met more than 1 of the qualifying criteria

• 81 students met the test score criteria

• 24 students met the formal GT identification criteria

• 5 students had an informal gifted identification

• Demographics (n=212)

o 42% female, 56% male, 1% non-binary, 1% prefer not to say

o 6% hispanic or latino, 94% not hispanic or latino

o 73% white, 11% black/African American, 7% two or more races, 4% Asian, 3% Hispanic, 2% prefer not to answer + 1 (0%) Native American

• Fee Waiver Demographics (n=58)

o 50% female, 50% male

o 7% hispanic or latino, 93% not hispanic or latino

o 60% white, 19% black/African American, 9% two or more races, 3% Asian, 7% Hispanic, 2% Native American or Alaska Native

• As of 2/22 60 ACT score reports received

Human Resources

March 2024 Quarterly Report

Nia Rieves, Director of Human Resources & Campus Culture

The ASMSA Office of Human Resources continued with recruitment efforts, hosted employee engagement events, organized professional development opportunities, wrapped up the Faculty Advancement Plan application cycle, expanded the wellness program, and initiated the performance review process.

By the Numbers

• Nine positions (four academic) actively recruited for FY24 and FY25.

• Thirty-eight applications received as of 2/231 for academic positions.

• Forty-eight employees participated on teams for the January engagement event.

• Twelve employees signed up for the new wellness activity.

Recruitment

Advertising for upcoming academic year vacancies, as well as positions needed for the remainder of the school year, began in mid-December and review of applicants began in full force in January. Qualified candidates for academic, residential life, and senior administrative positions were interviewed via Zoom for the first round of interviews then top candidates were invited to campus for second interviews, presentations, meetings, and campus tours. Below is the status of advertised positions:

Mathematics Instructor-offer has been accepted-Eiko Koizumi-begins August 1

Music Instructor-offer has been accepted-Cody Ford-begins August 1

Computer Science Instructor-plan to interview qualified candidates in early March

Math/STEM Pathways Instructor-Joshua Ulrey (internal transfer)-begins August 1

Annual Giving & Alumni Coordinator-Cara Jay (internal promotion)-began February 16

Technology Support Specialist-Payton Henderson-began February 20

Director of Finance-offer has been accepted-Andrew Pennington-begins April 1

Residential Experience Coordinator-candidate visiting campus February 26-28

Administrative Assistant-advertisement began February 23

Due to need, we continue to staff three adjunct instructor positions in Music, Turkish, and Choir.

Employee Engagement

ASMSA holds a monthly celebration for birthdays on campus to recognize our employees and invites the campus to join in. This creates an opportunity to interact with colleagues while recognizing employees.

We hosted a welcome back lunch catered by Rocky’s Corner in January for employees to kick off the Spring semester. On January 6, we hosted lunch in the Dolphin Café and a bowling event at Hamilton Hangout for employees. Teams of four competed against colleagues while nonparticipants cheered teams on. This event created an opportunity for employees to interact away from campus and build community.

Professional Development

Professional development opportunities were offered in January as part of welcome back week. Topics included CPR/First Aid, Narcan training, and Teaching Students on the Spectrum. During the week, employees were able to take part in several committee and campus planning meetings.

Performance Reviews

Faculty and staff performance reviews for 2023 began on February 23. Workday training was assigned to managers in preparation for reviews. In person training was held for employees and managers. Annual performance reviews are an opportunity for employees and managers to discuss job responsibilities, achievements over the past year, and areas for improvement as well as setting goals for the upcoming year.

Faculty Advancement Plan

Submissions for FY24 advancement were due on November 1. We had five instructors submit applications for advancement. The review of applicants and supporting documents began in December and the committee evaluated applications in January. Committee recommendations were submitted to Director Alderdice on February 5. Director Alderdice reviewed and made recommendations to Dr. Bobbitt which will be presented to the Board of Trustees for approval at the March meeting. Instructors will be notified of their application status by Director Alderdice following approval by the Board of Trustees.

Wellness Program

The wellness program activities for Spring 2024 began in January and February. Strength Training for employees meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays offering full body workouts using weights and interval training to build endurance, strength, and conditioning. Yoga meets on Wednesday afternoons and is open to employees and students to provide an opportunity to focus, relax, and increase flexibility.

The wellness program expanded by adding Step and Toning for employees this semester. Classes meet on Tuesdays and provide an opportunity to participate in low impact, energizing, and fun activities.

In February, we sponsored a Heart Healthy Bingo Challenge for employees to practice healthy living activities to complete a bingo board. All participants who completed a bingo were entered into a drawing for prizes. Those who completed the entire card could be entered up to 5 times.

We held a lunch and learn event for clean eating on February 20. A corporate dietician from Aladdin, our food services provider, was on campus to present a program to educate and empower employees to live a cleaner life without sacrificing flavor.

We will be working with the Hot Springs National Park to hold a Pi Day 5k on West Mountain on March 13. Employees and students will be challenged to walk/hike the trails of West Mountain in recognition of National Pi Day on March 14. The event will end at the Student Center with pie for participants.

Office of Institutional Advancement

March 2024 Report

Ashley Bennett, Director of Institutional Advancement

It’s been an exciting first semester at ASMSA. As I immerse myself in the community, I am diligently working on cultivating a network of individuals who are deeply committed to the growth and success of ASMSA. One of my primary objectives is to establish meaningful relationships with our valued community partners, alumni, and dedicated parents, both past and present. While nurturing these connections requires time and effort, I am pleased to report that our initial meetings have been met with success and connecting me to others within the community through the referral process. This is incredibly helpful. In addition, I have taken proactive steps to introduce myself to our current parents, future parents, alumni, and friends. As we transition into the spring season, our focus has shifted more to sponsorships for our Gala event. Simultaneously, we will continue to nurture relationships with those who generously contributed during the fall season. While there is much work to be done, and it takes time to build a substantial portfolio, I do feel positive about its direction.

By

the Numbers

Quarterly FY24 Funds Raised: $90,480.80

● Pipeline

○ ASMSA Foundation: $65,953.12

■ Ross Grant-$5,000

■ Shell Oil-$4,000

■ Other Private Philanthropy-$15,527.68

Institutional Advancement New Hire

Cara Jay has been hired as the Annual Giving and Alumni Coordinator, effective Feb 19, 2024.

ASMSA 30th Anniversary Gala

The Gala will be held on May 4th, 2024 at ASMSA to honor the 30th anniversary of the school. Ticket prices and table sponsorship prices have been set with a reduced price to encourage employees to attend. The sub committee consists of Dr. Mary Leigh, Amy Wallace, and Donnie Sewell.

Sponsors: Allen Tillery Auto, CHI St. Vincent, Arvest Bank, Mid-America Museum, Class of 2007, Class of 2008, Tricia Curreri (Board of Ambassadors) and the Fredinburg Family, The Alderdice Family, Oaklawn, The Gammill Family, Vicki Hinz (Board of Ambassadors), Tim Barnes (Board of Visitors), and the Boerwinkle Family.

ASMSA Alumni

Alumni initiatives have previously fallen under the Office of Institutional Advancement. The Coordinator for Alumni and Community Relations position temporarily reported to Director

Alderdice while the Director of Institutional Advancement role was vacant, but alumni is once again part of Institutional Advancement. There are two alumni mixers scheduled for March 7th at US Pizza in NWA and April 4th at Fassler Hall in Little Rock.

There was a Pathways Speaker event Monday, February 26th. Brian Rowe (’01) spoke with students on his career in IT and Information Security following his graduation from ASMSA. Pathways speakers are alumni selected to come travel to campus and interact with students.

As the Office of Institutional Advancement plans the next calendar year this summer, we intend to plan more activities based around alumni affairs in trying to engage them with campus, faculty, and students. The intention is to continue to build out ASMSA’s alumni affairs program more thoroughly along with the Annual Giving program.

ASMSA Annual Giving Program Planning

When I started at ASMSA the first thing I noticed was that we have the perfect pipeline of constituents for an annual giving program. ASMSA has an annual fund, but an annual fund and an annual giving program are not synonymous unless constructed to be. After the Gala in May, the Office of Institutional Advancement will be looking at implementing the following into an official annual giving program here at ASMSA: direct mail appeals, renewals, impact reports, studying metrics, reinvigorating giving societies, and moving beyond annual to monthly

● Direct Mail Appeals-these will go out to everyone but tailoring them to the institution’s constituent pool is key. If they give annually at a dollar amount that is less than $5000 (ASMSA’s major gift threshold), they would be worked through the pipeline as an annual donor, and set up through our platform with a renewal. Ideally, donors will have been stewarding appropriately through thank you notes, impact reporting, and updates on campus. Once ASMSA is prompted to send a gift renewal, they will then make another gift. This could be a gift around the same level or perhaps a gift at a higher level, maybe eventually a major gift.

● Impact Reports-These reports are a great way of showcasing to the community and donor pool the work and impact of funding utilization. Donors want to give back but they want to give back to causes that are important to them and know that their money is being spent well.

● Studying Metrics-The Office of Institutional Advancement will do deeper dives into data and setting goals for the annual giving program. The goals will include ot just a dollar amount but how many donors to reach, how many first-time donors to recruit, how many of those are alumni as well as how many moved through pipeline to major or to monthly.

● Giving Societies-ASMSA has giving societies but they are not promoted. The Office of Institutional Advancement would love to establish them as part of the giving program so

when people do give, they feel they are a part of something. Giving societies tend to lead to recurring donors.

● Monthly Giving-Another goal for the Office of Institutional Advancement is to establish a monthly giving pool. This is more likely to come from ASMSA’s 2000 and above classes or millennial cohorts. As we begin the process of moving our constituents through the pipeline, we will be able to establish them as either annual donors, monthly donors, or a major donor.

Student Government Association

March 2024 Quarterly Report

Daniel Nkunga, SGA President

The Student Government Association is starting a strong spring semester! We started this semester with Winter Formal and moved straight into representative elections in the coming weeks! After continuing to finalize bills, we’re now planning for major events later in the year. Between the Culture Festival, Dolphinstock, the Senior Trip, and other events going on this spring, SGA is moving for an active and successful spring semester!

By the Numbers

• 17 new representatives were elected with 27 candidates running. A total of 101 students voted with 92% of the sophomore population participating.

• SGA raised a total of $3,528 last semester. After event costs, we ended the semester with $1,163.98 dollars in the SGA account.

• SGA has passed 4 bills in the spring semester with two related to amendments to the Student Handbook and two related to amendments to the SGA constitution.

Winter Formal

This past January, we started the year strong with the annual Winter Formal! Themed around the Yule Ball from Harry Potter, students enjoyed a night of magic, live performances, great food, and endless dancing. Though we had managed to raise $1,880 dollars through ticket sales and had only spent $390 dollars on decoration expenses, the cost of catering caught up to SGA in the end and led to an event that was ultimately in the negative. Though the event was a success when it came to making memories and starting the year strong, its funding will need to be further looked into for future Executive Boards to make sure it can be this big and successful in the future.

Culture Festival

Despite only just starting the new year and the final semester, many plans are already in place to set up for an eventful Spring Semester. The language clubs at ASMSA (Spanish, French, Japanese, Vietnamese Cultural Exchange, and Asian and Pacific Islander Club) are putting on a cultural festival in celebration of the many holidays and festivals going on at the time. With the Cover Artist Club also adding live music to the event, we hope this exchange of culture and knowledge may be brought back to become a recurring event.

Dolphinstock

After the success at Fall Fest this past November, SGA and the club's presidents were interested in pulling off a similar event sooner rather than later. After discussing with some of the academic administration, we decided to take over the annual Dolphinstock event happening this April. Taking place over the eclipse weekend, the event is meant to have a higher focus on music and live performances. Though it looks like there will be less fundraising since it will be held on a closed campus with less club involvement, club leadership has also agreed to give all proceeds not directly going into a specific club fund or charity to the SGA fund. Though there will inevitably be less visitors from off campus this time, we are looking forward to another fun day and successful event.

Senior Trip

A major improvement this year’s Executive Board hoped to make over last year was to continue the tradition of a Senior Trip. Though we’ve been planning locations since September 2023, the logistics of the mass migration of seniors is only weighing down on us now. The Executive Board has decided to take the issue more directly to the student body with informative sessions like STAG and multiple surveys and hope to have a concrete plan by the end of the month at the latest.

Weekly Wave

Set up at the start of the year, the Weekly Wave is rolling strong. The weekly newscast has become a consistent part of student life allowing for students and parents to know major events coming in the coming week. Though the feed is currently run over the SGA Vice-President, Avery Binuya, and Publicist, Ella Campbell, though we are unsure whether we want to keep it within SGA next year. The weekly newscast has improved SGA’s interactions with the student body online, providing SGA with a platform to spread information in an efficient and consistent way.