Service to Arkansas

The Education and Health Faculty in Service to Arkansas Program allows faculty in the College of Education and Health Professions dedicated time to focus their research, teaching, and service efforts on improving education and health outcomes across the state of Arkansas. Faculty who are selected to participate in the program can spend up to a semester (including a summer semester) at a partner site in the state engaging in research, teaching, and/or service. The work may involve multiple short-term visits throughout the semester or an extended stay at a site in Arkansas (outside of the NWA region). Faculty participating in the program may design and conduct a research study with partners, teach a course, deliver lectures across multiple courses, provide professional development, deliver services, and/or engage in research-practice partnerships in collaboration with a partner institution or a site. Faculty will have a modified workload assignment while participating in the program and will be provided a stipend that can be used to cover expenses such as travel, lodging, and supplies/materials.  

Proposals for the Education and Health Faculty in Service to Arkansas Program will be accepted twice a year: September 30 for the following spring and January 31 for the following summer or fall semester.  

To submit a proposal for the Education and Health Faculty in Service to Arkansas Program, apply here.

Hearing from constituents representing a variety of communities improves our ability to serve Arkansas. We will plan two to three WE CARE-A-VAN tours each year to strengthen connections with our partners and learn about the successes, challenges, and opportunities facing communities and organizations across Arkansas.

Degree programs in the College of Education and Health Professions require participation in experiential learning opportunities from our students. We have students completing their internships, practicums, or clinical placements throughout the region and the state. Although we may have students from different degree programs placed at the same site, we have not proactively coordinated multiple students from multiple degree programs participating in internships at the same site at the same time.  

A school provides a perfect setting for the interprofessional education of our students. An ad hoc committee will be formed to examine the feasibility and steps required to execute this model. The committee will identify a school that can simultaneously house students from a wide range of programs across education and health. A school that already has an outpatient clinic on-site may be among the most suitable options. The committee will also explore possibilities for faculty to engage in research projects that will evaluate the program, its implementation and outcomes, and its impact on students and schools. The committee will also identify the requirements for MOU and the funding needed to establish and execute the program. 

Dean’s Seminars leverage the faculty expertise and provide students from multiple disciplines an opportunity to study topics at the intersection of education and health. The Dean’s Seminars are collaborative, involving instructors from at least two areas of the college from both education and health. 

Dean’s Seminars are offered as combined sections (i.e., EDHP 4001, 4001H, and 5001) that meet concurrently, with a total enrollment of up to 30 students. The topic of the course should appeal to students in both education and health fields.

Faculty are asked to provide a marketing flyer when submitting a proposal. Proposals are due one month before fall and spring class entries are due in the class scheduling software (CLSS), which is November 1 and May 1, respectively.  

To submit a proposal for the Dean’s Seminar, apply here.

The Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Associate Dean for Administration, and Assistant Dean for Academic Services work collaboratively to:

1. Update existing MOUs with academic institutions to streamline processes for student transfers.
2. Identify new programs that need assistance in developing a student recruitment plan and would benefit from a direct access pipeline to their degree.
3. Work with two-year colleges and other academic institutions in the state to develop agreements.
4. Build a website that houses information about the college’s 2 + 2 programs and other agreements to improve access to our programs for potential students.