September 14, 2022
The result is a compensation package that we believe exceeds even the largest suburban and urban school districts in Arkansas at both the midpoint and top of their salary schedules. I am grateful to the Arkansas General Assembly for amending our enabling legislation to create this pathway, the University of Arkansas System for its encouragement and feedback, as well as our colleagues at ASMSA who have worked to ensure this system is fair, equitable, and reflective of our values.
ASMSACoreySincerely,AlderdiceDirector
We are extremely fortunate that retention and turnover are not a challenge for ASMSA. The current average length of service at the School is 12 years among our faculty. What’s likely holding that number back from its potential has been the new investments that ASMSA has made in recent years adding positions in art, music, languages, and other programs that bring fresh perspective and voices to the campus not out of necessity but instead opportunities for growth.
Even still, tangible compensation must be a priority. Over the past two years, our faculty and staff Governing Council, academic leadership, and a special working group have dedicated themselves to developing a Faculty Advancement Plan that recognizes our unique position with both the University of Arkansas System as well as K 12 education in Arkansas. In addition to competitive base salaries and commitments to annual raises based on merit, the Plan creates a pathway by which faculty can significantly increase their salary over time as they contribute to student support, engagement in their discipline, outreach, and excellence in other areas.
This fall brings to completion a project several years in the making: investment in our faculty to ensure that ASMSA continues to be a destination to work, teach, as well as inspire the next generation of innovators and artists.
Much has been said over the past several months about the challenges schools and districts in Arkansas are facing when it comes to hiring and retaining quality educators. So much is asked of teachers and educational professionals, though compensation does not always match that expectation. A culture that values learning, small class sizes, talented students, flexibility, autonomy in curriculum, and maybe even the lack of cafeteria duty are just a few of the factors that result in not only a dynamic faculty but also half of our instructors having earned a terminal degree in their discipline.
To the Members of ASMSA’s Community of Learning:
The dedication of Helen Selig Hall has been scheduled for Friday, October 7th to coincide with Alumni Homecoming Weekend as well as the annual Director’s Circle Luncheon. The Board of Trustees approved naming the facility in honor of Selig, a former mayor of Hot Springs who championed the community’s selection as host site for the School. Selig died in February 2022.
• More than half of students accessed various campus mental health services and programs last year. The number is an encouraging sign of the destigmatization of counseling services and the benefits of seeking help when navigation personal challenges.
Corey Alderdice, ASMSA Director
Facilities and Campus Master Planning
• Enrollment for Academic Year 2021 22 is 238 students. While this figure is consistent with the past decade, it does not represent our full capacity. First, the School had to continue to maintain some amount of on campus quarantine space. Second, the move allows the Office of Admissions to normalize each cohort size as the School prepares to increase enrollment to 260 beginning in Fall 2023.
• The Faculty Advancement Plan creates opportunities for longstanding faculty to increase their salary by up to $10,000. We believe implementation of the plan will ensure that ASMSA leads the state in direct compensation and indirect opportunities among K-12 districts.
Office of the Director September 2022 Quarterly Report
Students moved into the residential hall portion of the building on Saturday, August 13th . Nominal work has continued on the first floor and basement over the past month. The first floor serves as a new campus Mental Health Hub with offices, meeting spaces, and a community kitchen. The basement will be a new Student Union that replaces the current union in the former hospital complex.
bids this month for construction of the new Campus Administration Building. The 10,000 square foot facility will house all administrative functions, add additional small group meeting spaces to the campus, provide appropriate long term ADA accessibility between the academic and residential zones, and allow faculty to relocate from the hospital complex. It is scheduled for completion in early 2024.
ASMSA is currently working with the City of Hot Springs on transferring the Academic and Administration Building at 200 Whittington Ave. to the School along with the parcels of land behind the Student Center. The goal is to present this no-cost transfer to the Board of Trustees in
Work continues on the Auditorium portion of the facility, with “final punch” scheduled for September 23rd. Materials and labor challenges consistent with the effects of the pandemic have created delays from the original completion date of August 6th for the entire project. The Auditorium provides another flexible use space for campus that better connects to the residential zone of ASMSAcampus.begansoliciting
By the Numbers
Navigating the pandemic has been a constant series of lessons in adaptability as well as the resilience of our students, faculty, and staff. It’s been an opportunity to take a fresh look at not only what we do as part of the academic, residential, and outreach programs but also to assess why each of these components is essential to our mission and success. And while the waves may not subside any time soon, we’ll continue to look toward the horizon.
The majority of ASMSA’s COVID restrictions have been eliminated at the start of the new year. With recent changes to CDC guidelines, masks are only being required to help reduce or eliminate quarantine times. Rather than using available housing on campus for quarantines, Residential Life has shifted the spaces to an in bound model that allows students who initially tested positive to return to campus after five days in order to resume in person instruction. This approach prevents additional risk of exposure to roommates and suitemates.
COVID-19 Update
Ongoing updates are available at https://www.asmsa.org/asmsa covid 19 updates/
During a period of uncertainty like the one we currently face, a Strategic Plan can serve as an anchor that holds against the buffeting waves that crash and go. With that constant jostling, it’s hard not to feel a bit seasick at least metaphorically speaking. I was once told that looking at the horizon can help give your brain a point of reference, allowing it to sense the motion of the ship and your body's movement with it. Even though the water feels unsure at the moment, keeping an eye on what is ahead in ASMSA’s fourth decade of educational excellence remains one of the most important ways that we’ve adapted over the past two years while at the same time rising to the challenges of the moment.
November. This move would leave only the hospital complex and its footprint under City Campusownership.leadership
Strategic Plan Year Two Progress Report
At the outset of the new year, we took stock of the progress made as part of the 2025 Strategic Plan. A strong, albeit unusual, economy has created opportunities to place the necessary resources alongside various commitments within the document. A new Faculty Advancement Plan that brings instructors’ compensation among the highest in the state, expanded opportunities within visual and performing arts, as well as the continued redevelopment of the physical campus with the renovation of Selig Hall are only a few of the many pieces of progress that we’ve achieved over the past year.
For the past two years, members of ASMSA’s community of learning have departed campus in late May with the hope that things will be closer to normal come August even as the COVID 19 pandemic lingers. And sure enough each summer, numbers begin to grow again as we prepare for the fall semester and welcome the arrival of new students to campus.
and the Facilities group will begin exploring options on a new Maintenance Shop. The project could be presented to the Board of Trustees in either January or March of 2023, with the goal of completion in 2024. This final step would allow ASMSA to completely vacate the hospital complex and the City of Hot Springs to move forward with demolition.
State Teacher Shortages
The University of Arkansas System gave final approval on the Faculty Advancement Plan last spring. Over the summer, faculty began preparing their digital portfolios and supplemental materials for submission in the initial cycle. While the Trustees generally consider faculty promotions during the March meeting, the System has agreed to review our requests in November so that the change in rank and salary can take effect in January 2023. After significant effort by the Governing Council and workgroup on the project, the School did not want to delay implementation another half year. Fifteen faculty have submitted for review.
Economic Impact Study
Members of ASMSA’s community of learning have engaged in discussions on how the School may be able to assist with statewide teacher shortages. Distance education has played a
Faculty Advancement Plan
Environmental science students at ASMSA completed a project last spring on solar energy utilization. The Board of Trustees has placed interest over the past two years in the subject, moving in the direction of a Systemwide effort for the future. Preliminary data from an engineering study conducted by UA Fayetteville on behalf of all campuses notes that ASMSA’s expenses would actually be higher even under the large scale System approach due to our relatively small size and Large General Service contract with Entergy. Campus leadership believes, however, that implementation of innovative, renewable technologies aligns with the School’s mission and emphasis. We will continue to work with the System to determine the feasibility of participation in the project.
The full Year Two Progress Report and other details are available at https://www.asmsa.org/strategicplan.
University of Arkansas System Solar Project
ASMSA conducted its last economic impact study in 2006 in partnership with UA Little Rock. The School has set aside funds this year as part of the 2025 Strategic Plan to undertake a new study that demonstrates the quantitative impact that ASMSA’s presence has on Hot Springs, the region, and Arkansas. Robert Bryant, Jr., ASMSA’s Coordinator for Alumni and Community Relations, will serve as lead on the project, and has reached out to potential groups for proposals. ASMSA had hoped to work again with UALR; however, a change in staffing at the Arkansas Economic Development Institute (AEDI) will not allow for our timeline.
Computer Science Equity Summit
ASMSA the first statewide Computer Science (CS) Equity Summit on September 9 10th to address the lack of female diversity in computer science programs. ASMSA understands that CS programs are often male dominated and that retaining female participation in CS can be challenging. The goal of the summit is to provide school districts with solutions and a bank of resources and ideas to counteract this issue. Eighteen districts sent teams of at least one administrator or leader, one CS teacher, and one counselor to the Summit. More than 80 participants across education, industry, and support organizations participated. The program was made possible by a $10,000 grant from the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas.
We are also exploring participation in the Educators Rising program. Educators Rising, a Grow Your Own career and technical education (CTE) program that inspires high school students to become educators, announced that a partnership with the Arkansas Department of Education to expand to 30 schools across the state, with an emphasis on serving high needs areas and recruiting diverse students into the profession. With chapters in all 50 states, Educators Rising offers students the opportunity to develop necessary classroom skills and experience teaching through co-curricular learning and supervised clinical experiences while still in high school. The program can be set up as an extra curricular activity or as a co curricular experience and offers a classroom ready curriculum that can also be implemented at the school level. Educators Rising helps increase teacher diversity through tools and resources designed to address the needs of diverse students and broaden the types of students who explore teaching as a profession.
Network Engineer Ralph Malone retired last month after 25 years of service to the School. Assistant to the Director Lorraine Munroe also retired in August after 22 years at ASMSA.
Malone had transitioned to part time work in 2021, which created opportunities for realignment of the Information Technology Department. Malone primarily provided support for ASMSA’s transition to AER ON as well as work on Selig Hall. Munroe’s position will be merged with the Receptionist position. A search was conducted, and the new Campus Administrative Assistant will begin on October 1st. They will also serve as recording secretary for the Board of Visitors.
significant role in the School’s mission, dating back to 1999; however, the creation of Virtual Arkansas by ADE last decade necessitated a refocusing of our efforts. From that shift, STEM Pathways and a hybrid digital learning educator development model emerged. Last year, a record number of student and teachers statewide benefited from the program. We anticipate a new record will be set this year, potentially reaching nearly 3,000 participants statewide. While the program currently focuses on computer science (CS 1 4 and AP CS A), AP Biology, and AP Statistics, we believe additional subjects could benefit from the model. There is also interest in reviving the Global Languages and Shared Societies (GLASS) Initiative with a split emphasis in bringing critical and strategic language learning opportunities to both the residential experience as well as students statewide.
Director of Human Resources and Campus Culture Nia Rieves has been promoted to Director of Human Resources and Campus Culture. She will now serve as a member of the campus leadership team. Rieves’ role has expanded to facilitate additional programs for campus, professional development/training, Title IX support, and other aspects of campus operations. An initial project she will be undertaking is an annual Employee Service Recognition Ceremony in October that connects with the professional develop day prior to the start of Fall Break.
Campus Retirements
● We added three new teachers to the ASMSA faculty: Dr. Burt Hollandsworth (Chemistry), Dr. Nathan Groot (Music), Dr. Zachary Cowsert (Humanities). Dr. Cowsert is a 2008 ASMSA graduate.
Academic Affairs
● We admitted eighteen new students in ASMSA’s Visual Arts & Design P.O.D.
This August, ASMSA welcomed our first cohort of students in HELIX (Helping Elevate Low Income Students to Excellence). These students come to ASMSA from widely diverse backgrounds and areas of the state where opportunities can be limited for gifted and ambitious students. In July, all but a few HELIX students participated in a one week orientation camp (HELIX Twist) that included classes in math, science, and the humanities. The camp also offered sessions on time management, task prioritization, and healthy habits that can help students to thrive as residential students. To ensure full academic support for our HELIX students, we created a new position, HELIX Coordinator, within our Academic Support team, and hired Mr. Christopher Golston, who has extensive experience mentoring and counseling students at the undergraduate level.
During the 2021 22 school year we offered all but one of the courses included in the curricular sequence that P.O.D. students follow, but the current school year marks the program’s formal beginning with our first cohort of students who will focus on studio art opportunities and courses that explore the history and development of art. The program culminates in a portfolio of work that students will present at ASMSA’s annual Arts and Humanities Symposium.
Stuart Flynn, Dean of Academic Affairs
● Six ASMSA students were recognized as semifinalists in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship competition.
Since ASMSA pivoted to virtual instruction in February 2020, we have continued to follow ever changing recommendations from the CDC in response to the Covid 19 Pandemic. From then to now, our Covid 19 Workgroup has met regularly to consider best practices regarding safety protocols, emotional health, and instructional effectiveness for students in quarantine. In response to the CDC’s recent revisions to their quarantine guidelines, we have adjusted to limit the number of students in quarantine in order to keep as many students in the classroom as possible. This Fall is the closest to normal operations at ASMSA since the Pandemic began, and it comes at a time of innovation on our campus, including the implementation of new academic programs and support mechanisms, administrative restructuring, and enrollment growth.
September 2022 Quarterly Report
By the Numbers
HELIX Program
● We admitted eighteen new students in ASMSA’s new HELIX Program.
Visual Arts and Design P.O.D. (Program of Distinction)
New Associate Deans
As part of ASMSA’s Strategic Plan, we have emphasized innovative curricular development, faculty support, and faculty growth, which includes the new Faculty Advancement Plan that both rewards and incentivizes faculty achievement in the classroom, in their respective professional spheres, and in the ASMSA community. With this emphasis we needed further administrative leadership with extensive teaching experience and content knowledge, so last Spring we hired Dr. Brian Monson, former Science Department Chair, as Associate Dean of STEM and Dr. Tom Dempster, Humanities Instructor and Music Director, as Associate Dean of Arts and Humanities. The Associate Deans will focus on faculty support and development and will work with the Office of Scholar Development to identify a diverse range of extracurricular opportunities for ASMSA students.
Plans for this office go back two years, and in the Spring of 2021 we hired former Student Success Coordinator, Bret Vallun, as Assistant Dean of College Counseling. Mr Vallun directs the Office, and last Spring we hired former Admissions Recruiter, Adrienne Conley, as Coordinator of Scholar Development. Together, Mr. Vallun and Ms. Conley are in the process of developing a program that will leverage research opportunities, internships, state/regional/national competitions, volunteer opportunities, and strategic course selection to maximize the full range of the ASMSA experience to best position ASMSA students in their college search.
Office of Scholar Development
Therestrooms.basement
By the Numbers
• The Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Masters Social Worker have conducted fifty seven individual counseling sessions for the month of August.
Staffing
We hired several live in staff who began during the summer and August 1st. These include a new Assistant Dean of Residential Life; Dr. Jno Finn who began in June as well as Residential Experience Coordinators, Wade Vierheller and Ana Rodriguez, and Residential Mentor Kenzie Glass (‘18) who all began on August 1. We have also recently hired Kat Allen (‘17) to fill another Residential Mentor position. We do still have some vacancies in our ideal staffing
• Five students were accepted into the Leadership Hot Springs youth program
The month of July was very busy with several internal outreach and academic camps that included Biomed, Computer Science, Japanese Language, Research in the Park, and Studio Art camps as well as College Algebra Readiness Camp (CARC), H.E.L.I.X. (Helping Elevate Low Income Students to Excellence) Prep Academy, and new student orientation.
• Club registration ended with thirty clubs being renewed and seventeen new clubs being created for a total of forty seven approved student clubs.
The ASMSA office of Student Life has filled the position of Assistant Dean of Residence Life. We have recently wrapped up SGA floor elections and the Club Fair
Summer Programs
Rheo Morris, Ph.D., Dean of Students
Office of Student Life September 2022 Quarterly Report
The first floor will consist of the mental health hub; the offices of the Licensed Professional Counselor and the Licensed Masters Social Worker, and affinity room/conference room, and a small group space. It also houses the live in staff member, the community kitchen, and public
Selig Hall
Summer camps and conferences were a success as we were able to accommodate several outside and internal camps/conferences. External groups included Arkansas’s Division of Workforce Services’ Transition Employment Project (TEP) that saw several young students learning life skills, Hot Springs Music Festival, an Advanced Statistics workshop, and a Computer Science professional development group.
Twenty six returning female students were excited to move into the newly renovated Selig Hall on August 13th. Each student occupies a single room on the top two floors and each room has a small vanity area. There are three bathrooms on each floor that the students share. We anticipate completion of the first floor offices by the end of September.
will house the laundry facilities for the residents of the building and serve as a lounge that will be available to all ASMSA students.
Reach is cloud based and can be accessed from any device with an internet connection, using either a web browser or via the mobile app. Students can use the system to request or manage their leave, view or register for events (Walmart trips, fun trips, etc.), and let us know where they are at various on campus and off campus locations. At the end of the day, residential staff can pull a record showing which students are at home, thus replacing the paper fire list.
model and are actively searching to fill these positions. Until we can fill each position, the available staff is working to fill all gaps and will receive some compensation for the additional Wetasks.have
also seen some changes in the dining program that had been struggling for the past year due to multiple management and staffing changes. Mr. Terry Bryant, who was previously at ASMSA, has returned as the food services director at the beginning of the school year. He has replaced the two chefs who left and have hired some students to help in prep and clean up.
Reach Student Life Management
We have rolled out the Reach Student Life Management platform that is a student management system that is designed specifically for residential schools such as ASMSA. It helps us to manage a wide range of residential activities including sign outs, anticipated leave, roll calls, event sign up, and staff duty rounds. Residential staff and the Registrar can see who is not on campus using real time data and this data also gets transferred to Blackbaud for class absences.
• Thirty seven students completed high school credit bearing coursework this summer through the Summer Acceleration Academy pilot program. The courses were funding by an ESSER ARP grant from ADE and the Arkansas Out of School Network.
The 2022 23 Admissions Cycle launched on September 15th. A full slate of recruitment programs have been scheduled for the year ahead in order to connect with students digitally, by mail, outreach programs, and campus visit experiences. The office continues a shift toward more direct contact with prospective students and families that is less dependent on school to school visits; however, that approach remains an important component of the school’s strategy. As campus COVID 19 restrictions ease, Admissions will be able to offer on campus overnight experiences for the first time since early 2020.
Anyah Lock, Admissions Coordinator Charlie Feick, Communications Coordinator
2022 23 Admissions Cycle Opens
ASMSA has had more female applicants than male applicants for the residential program. When the current Student Center opened in the fall of 2012, it included two wings of residential space that provided an equal number of spaces for male and female students
Nichols Hall for females and Faris Hall for males.
By the Numbers
• Forty five students attended our four on campus summer camps. 136 interest forms were received for available spots.
During its first three decades, the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts has provided students from across the state an opportunity to live in a community of learning at a public, residential high school that delivers college level coursework in multiple disciplines. As ASMSA prepares to enter its fourth decade, the search for the Classes of 2025 and 2026 has officially begun. While recent searches have focused on two early entry admissions pathways for sophomores and an expanded arts curriculum focus, this year’s admissions cycle leans into a long term strength of previous class searches supporting the next generation of women in
When campus leaders decided to renovate the former convent and chapel complex, the decision was made to convert two floors of the convent into residential living space for female students. Helen Selig Hall opened this August with residential rooms for 26 additional female students allowing ASMSA to grow its enrollment to about 260 next year. The addition of the new residential hall helps meet an obvious demand while also expanding enrollment through targeted growth models as outlined in the 2025 Strategic Plan.
Office of Admissions and Outreach September 2022 Quarterly Report
Traditionally,STEM.
• Admissions plans to offer at least 20 on campus events this year as well as 16 digital sessions to support prospective students and families in their effort to explore the ASMSA experience.
Admissions will, once again, be offering traditional Shadow Stay visits that include an overnight component on Sunday evening and the opportunity to visit classes on Monday. ASMSA has shifted from this model in recent years due to the old academic schedule that included mostly lectures on Mondays. Rather than being the primary visit model, the Shadow Stays are smaller supplemental opportunities that will allow staff to engage with students before their arrival to curate a more focused experience.
The department made some staffing updates to our model in Admissions and Outreach for the year ahead. Since the previous search for a Director of Admissions did not yield an appropriate candidate and the timing is not proper to recruit the talent we seek for the role Admissions will report to Director Alderdice for the year ahead. Charlie Feick agreed to serve as Director of Admissions through August and will remain as part of the staff in a part time capacity as Communications Coordinator thereafter. Anyah Lock began in late July as Admissions Coordinator. Sabrina Packard transitioned from her role as a Receptionist in the Academic and Administration Building to the Office Manager for Admissions in July as well
With the full return to on-campus programs and overnight stays, the team has explored updates to various program formats in order to offer a variety of experiences tailored to students’
Admissions is also piloting an invitation only admissions event for exceptionally gifted students.
Outreach is excited to resume exchanges between ASMSA and our partner high school in Osaka beginning this fall. Ongoing travel restrictions in Japan threatened the viability of the experience in fall 2022 for outbound ASMSA students; however, recent easing will allow a delegation of 10 student and four employees to visit in November. Tennoji students and staff are scheduled to visit in April 2023. The November exchange will be the first installment of the partnership since 2019.
Osaka Exchange
Department Reorganization
Science and Arts Café Series
New Visit Formats
(Dolphin Experience) weekends will be offered this cycle: Early Entrance, HELIX, STEM, as well as Arts and Humanities. The goal for this program is connect students in particular affinity groups along with their peers.
Outreach will continue the annual Science and Arts Café series this year with both in person and streamed opportunities. This approach allows people from near and far to benefit from the expertise of our instructors in this popular annual lecture series. Each hour long event will begin at 7 p.m. and includes a lecture followed by an open, casual discussion between the lecturer and audience members. Each program is free and open to the public. Dates, presenters, and session descriptions are listed below.
Fourinterests.DolphinXP
ASMSA held five camps for rising sophomores this summer on our Hot Springs campus. These camps not only serve the state by providing academic enrichment opportunities to students throughout the state, they also function as one of our strongest recruitment opportunities. After spending a week on campus engaging with academically motivated peers and current ASMSA students serving as camp counselors, many campers opt to apply to the residential program.
Science of Pigments by Dr. Burt Hollandsworth
In the Arms of Gravity by Dr. Jack Waddell
Miyazawa Kenji by Betty Brown Miyazawa Kenji (1896 1933) was a poet, author, and teacher from Hot Springs' sister city of Hanamaki, Japan. Miyazawa worked tirelessly to improve the lives of farmers by teaching them improved farming techniques and sharing art, music, and poetry with them. Though relatively unknown for his poetry and short stories during his life, his whimsical and often profound writings gained popularity posthumously. Join in this month's Science + Arts Café to learn about the life and works of Miyazawa Kenji.
April 4, 2023
Everyone has heard of THE ILIAD and THE ODYSSEY and their author Homer, but who was he? Did he really “write” these works or is he as mythical as the events he describes? Were these works the product of one imagination or a collective, shared effort over centuries?
Who was Homer? Uncovering the Identity of the Ancient World’s Most Famous Poet by Dr. Dan Kostopulos
October 4, 2022
Much of our perception of the world is affected by color. Every sample of colored cloth, paint, ink, or plastic contains pigments. Pigments are either organic or inorganic chemical compounds that have a characteristic pattern of absorbing, transmitting, or reflecting particular frequencies of visible light. Much of our historical perception of the world has been affected by color. This talk will focus on some of the chemistry of pigments and history of the first efforts of chemists to make novel pigments.
Albert Einstein revolutionized physics with his Special and General Theories of Relativity. In particular, the General Theory of Relativity tells us how gravity bends the space time through which all objects travel. It reveals surprising and mysterious features of the universe, such as the existence of black holes and how time slows depending on where you are.
February 7, 2023
The five camps took place between July 10th and July 16th: Studio Art Camp, Research in the Park, Survey of Engineering Camp, Japanese Language Summer Intensive, and Biomedical Sciences Summer Institute. Biomedical SSI and Japanese Language SI were made possible through an AEGIS grant from the Arkansas Department of Education. We received 136 interest forms for our camps, and we were able to accept 56 students for those spots. A few students were unable to attend, so ultimately, we were able to host 45 students. A camp reunion is scheduled for Saturday, October 1.
Summer at ASMSA Camps
November 1, 2022
Summer Acceleration Academy
The dates of the Academy were June 6th July 29th, 2022. On June 6, there were 41 students in total enrolled, but 4 dropped the classes by the drop date of June 16. There were 37 students who completed the class they enrolled in.
To enroll in a Summer Acceleration Academy course, students had to submit a signed Credit Approval Form. This ensured that parents, counselors, and administrators knew about the course and agreed in advance to allow the student to take the course for credit (or not). Of the students who completed their class, only two students took a class for no credit. One of these took Computer Science; the other took Trig/Precal. For students who did not pass the course, teachers reported that students were overscheduled and unable to complete the work due to other demands on time. Counselors agreed not to add that grade to those students’ transcripts. For students who passed the course, they have been able to enroll in a more advanced math course at their home school.
Summer Acceleration Academy was an 8 week, 100% online program that allowed students from around the state of Arkansas to complete a course for full high school credit in an accelerated time frame. It was funded through a competitive ESSER III grant. Courses offered were Geometry, taught by Walt Levisee; Trigonometry/PreCalculus taught by Caleb Grisham; and Computer Science Year 1, taught by Nick Seward.
September 2022 Quarterly Report
• Fifteen instructors applied for the Faculty Advancement Plan
Nia Rieves, Director of Human Resources & Campus Culture
Professional Development
By the Numbers
November 18 Applicants are informed of advancement decisions
Faculty Advancement Plan
August 15 Formal intent to apply
October 12 Deadline for additional documentation and artifacts requested
The ASMSA Office of Human Resources continued with recruitment efforts throughout the summer as well as planning for professional development, employee engagement & recognition, and the implementation of the faculty advancement plan.
• Eleven new hires allowed us to fill critical roles on campus and expand current units in order to better serve our students and campus community
December 14 Appeal applicants are informed of appeal decision (Successful appeals will be presented for approval at the March UA Board of Trustees meeting and will be backdated to reflect changes as of January 1)
Informal intent to apply
The Faculty Advancement Plan was implemented in August for instructional staff. An informational session was held during orientation week to educate instructors and answer questions regarding the process and guidelines. A timeline (as shown below) was shared with instructors and departmental coaching sessions were held throughout the month of August to assist Augustinstructors3
Human Resources
September 6 Deadline for application materials
October 14 Faculty Advancement Evaluation Committee submit recommendations to the Director
December 1 Deadline for appeal applications
In the event of a requested appeal
October 19 Director submits recommendations for November UA Board of Trustees meeting
All employees attended “Expect a Winning Culture” presented by Jason Hudnell. Instructional staff attended “Cultivating and Coaching Student Research & Creative Activity” presented by Adam Scott Neal and an interactive training session on grading practices presented by Dr. Brian Monson and Dr. Thomas Dempster.
The first week of August served as our back to school orientation week. In addition to campus updates from the director and campus units, department meetings, planning sessions, and opportunities for professional development were offered for our faculty and staff.
October 5 Notification to applicant of additional documentation and artifacts to support advancement
Employee Engagement
Over the summer, we hosted several sno cone breaks which allowed employees to step away from their offices and spend some time relaxing and interacting.
In celebration of the end of the academic year, we were able to hold our first large employee engagement event since COVID began. We held a campus Baggo tournament on May 25 and a fish fry and game day on May 26. Employees participated in groups to compete for prizes. Both events created an opportunity for friendly competition as well as getting to know colleagues and connecting outside of the workplace.
With the addition of Workday Learning and Vector Solutions training courses, employees were assigned digital learning courses on Drug Free Workplace, Sexual Harassment, Bloodborne Pathogens, Safety, Workplace Injury, Stress Management, and a refresher course for Arkansas Mandated Reporter.
We took proactive measures in evaluating job descriptions and advertised salaries in order to be competitive and attract the level of talent needed at ASMSA. As a result, we were able to recruit a talented group of new hires that we feel will be great additions to the ASMSA team.
In the upcoming months, we have several employee engagement events planned. We are celebrating monthly birthdays on campus to recognize our employees and have created a birthday board with photos in the mailroom so that colleagues are aware of birthdays
Recruitment efforts continued during the summer and the challenges in the job market played a large role in the quantity and quality of applicants. ASMSA continued to advertise in traditional outlets but placed a greater emphasis on social media posts (Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook). We also reached out to local groups to expand our audience for job opportunities.
The first Friday of each month, we will host a Food Truck Friday for employees who are able to get away and meet at 420 Food Eats for lunch and games.
Recruitment
We will be hosting a Wellness/Employee Appreciation Day in October. This will include health and wellness education and activities, relaxation activities, our flu shot clinic, and an opportunity to recognize employees for years of service.
Office of Institutional Advancement September 2022 Quarterly Report
The ASMSA Office of Institutional Advancement ended the 2022 fiscal year on a positive note hosting an in person ASMSA Reunion Event for the classes of 2000,2001, and 2002. The 20th year Reunion Event had approximately 150 alumni and guests in attendance. The Office of Institutional Advancement has connected with alumni, donors, and sponsors through our 9th Annual Fall Golf Classic event and Selig Hall project. In addition, we continue to work with external stakeholders through donations and grant opportunities that support ASMSA programs and students.
● 9th Annual Arkansas Fall Golf Classic currently has 45 sponsors and 31 teams.
20th year Reunion Event
Director’s Circle Luncheon & Selig Hall Dedication
ASMSA Alumni & Friends Association
● The ASMSA Foundation received the Oaklawn Foundation Wellness Grant of $10,000.
● The University of Arkansas Foundation, Inc. Statement of Activities Report for fiscal year 2022 (7/1/21 through 6/30/22) includes total gifts received of $141,017 and a total fund balance of $986,894.
The ASMSA Alumni & Friends Association (AAFA) members are coordinating the ASMSA Homecoming festivities on October 7 and 8. We will host the alumni class reunions, a talent show for the students, as well as fun and games on campus for the alumni, students, and families.
2022 Arkansas Fall Golf Classic
The 9th annual event will be hosted by the Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce on September 30 at the Hot Springs Country Club. We are currently working on sponsorships and team commitments. We currently have 45 sponsors and 31 teams. We can have a max of 36 teams.
On May 6 and 7 we hosted the 20th class reunion event for the classes of 2000, 2001, and 2002. The welcome reception Friday evening was hosted at alumni Ben Bell’s new saki brewery in town and Saturday after a morning of campus tours, we headed to Oaklawn for a day at the races in one of the in field tents. We have approximately 150 in attendance and many that had not been back to Hot Springs in over 20 years. We raised $24,066 in donations to assist with the cost of the event and for naming rights within the Selig Hall Project.
Sara Brown, Ph.D., Director of Institutional Advancement
● ASMSA 20th year Reunion Event raised $24,066.
The ASMSA Foundation will host the annual Director’s Circle Luncheon in conjunction with the dedication of Helen Selig Hall on Friday, October 7.
By the Numbers
● 2 committees, student health and wellness and activities, have been combined to reduce redundancy in programs and activities and an additional fifth committee was established to promote bill longevity and to ensure that the mission of that bill is seen to completion.
● 6 student representatives were elected to serve as the voices of their class during governing council meetings.
September 2022 Quarterly Report
● Count for executive board members has returned to its previous total of 6 members including: president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, parliamentarian, and publicist. Upon further examination the necessity of a seventh position, historian, was no longer needed.
Talana Small, SGA President
SGA Goals for Fall Semester
By the Numbers
The Executive Board is so excited to be back in the full swing of the semester! While we are off to a slower start, we have taken our time with numerous meetings and amendments to ensure we have an SGA that is both in tune with our student body and able to work with minimal kinks through the year. We were excited to continue the tradition of dinner with Director Alderdice where we talked about the new students, future academic goals, and the bright future we see for this year's SGA over an assortment of salads, sushis, and hibachi dishes. On the 12th, we officially welcomed the representatives of SGA in a retreat where we introduced committees, went over conduct and expectations, and discussed what everyone’s goals were for a successful semester. We are eager for this 2022 23 school year and have highlighted some of our most exciting news below.
For the 2022 23 school year we have made increasing student engagement one of our biggest goals. In many previous elections there has been a lack of candidate options giving the student body little choice in who becomes a representative. It seems that students lack excitement for student governing, something that was especially evident with the candidate turnout in our senior and sophomore representative elections. We hope to increase student engagement by being a reliable and enthusiastic Executive Board. Additionally, we hope to improve our means of communication with the student body through more questionnaires, easily accessible social media, promoting the attendance of non representative students at general assemblies, and promoting open lines of communication with representatives.
● 34 students apply to become representatives with 8 senior, 12 junior, and 4 sophomores seats available. 191 responses in total amongst the three grades with 46.6% of those votes coming from the junior class, 38.2% of those votes coming from the senior class, and 15.2% of those votes coming from the sophomore class. Which was a 7% increase in the amount of total votes from the previous year.
Student Government Association
As mentioned in the opening statement, we kicked off the beginning of SGA with a retreat in which we delved into the ins and outs of student government at ASMSA. This is our first attempt at another one of our main goals, which is a cooperative and cohesive association of representatives. With detailed explanations of how each committee works, the expectations for a student representative, and how to interact with constituents, we hope to avoid a bit of the animosity and confusion that SGA encountered last year. We want to create an environment of mutual respect and true representation.
The E Board has taken great care in amending the constitution in efforts to create an effective and efficient constituent this year. One of the biggest changes that was made was in committee organization. As mentioned earlier, we combined the Student Health & Wellness and Activities committees in hopes to lessen both redundancy and confusion, and this committee is by myself and Publicist Jiya Patel. In a similar vein of effectiveness, the Food Service committee of prior years was slashed, as we felt its efforts were typically small and fruitless. Instead, we feel that student comments and concerns about the Cafe could be made directly to their floor representatives or submitted through quarterly polling.
Constitutional Changes
Representative Retreat
An interesting addition to the committees is the Finalization committee. In previous years, numerous bills went through the arduous process of creation, presentation at general assembly, and approval only to be rejected by one of the Deans due to logistical oversights. With the new Finalization committee, we hope to create effective and long lasting bills by adding another step to the bill approval process that includes re construction, continued editing, and deeper discussion on how to translate the bill into real life practice. With the added committee and the retainment of the Handbook, Student Affairs, and Finance committees, this year’s SGA has five promising committees to further improve student communication and representation.